09 January 2025

Zelda’s Review

When it comes to Buddy Reads, it is usually Alicia who selects our books. I have a bad habit of suggesting books that she is not overly excited to read. This time I suggested a winner! It is awesome to share a Freida McFadden book with Alicia and have her love it!

Freida McFadden has done it again with The Boyfriend, delivering a psychological thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the chilling conclusion. This book is full of suspense, and I couldn’t put it down! There is a comment on the cover by Tami Hoag: “More twists than a corkscrew” I cannot agree more. This book is brilliantly twisty and guaranteed to keep you guessing!

Sydney Shaw is a protagonist many readers will find relatable. Her dating woes in New York are hilariously frustrating, but when she meets the seemingly perfect man—a charming doctor—her luck finally seems to change. However, McFadden’s genius lies in turning Sydney’s fairytale romance into a waking nightmare, as doubts creep in about whether her new boyfriend is truly Prince Charming or something far darker.

The plot is a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Just when you think you have it all figured out, McFadden throws in a curveball that leaves you questioning everything. The tension builds with each chapter, thanks to the eerie atmosphere and the subtle clues that make you feel like Sydney’s paranoia is creeping into your mind.

The pacing is flawless, and McFadden’s knack for balancing dark humour with nail-biting suspense shines throughout the novel. Sydney’s voice is engaging and witty, which makes her fear and confusion all the more touching as her world begins to unravel. What truly sets The Boyfriend apart is its ending—jaw-dropping, unexpected, and utterly satisfying. McFadden ties up every loose end while leaving you breathless, replaying the story in your mind long after the final page.

If you’re a fan of thrillers with unreliable narrators, plenty of red herrings, and a dash of dark wit, The Boyfriend is a must-read. Freida McFadden proves once again why she’s one of the reigning queens of domestic thrillers. Highly recommended for readers who love a story that keeps them guessing and delivers a killer payoff.

Alicia’s Review:

Wow. I feel like that is the only word I can use to describe this book. This is probably one of the best thrillers I have read in a while.

This book is told from two perspectives Sydney in the present day and Tom when he was a teenager. Sydney is a woman living in New York who is trying to find love and after an extensive amount of terrible dates, she almost loses hope before she meets the perfect guy. However, after the murder of a friend, Sydney can’t help but be suspicious of everyone around her.

With Tom, you see him as a teenager and how he is trying to impress his first love, Daisy. He is also coping with a lot as he has an abusive father and there is a girl who has gone missing in their school.

Every time I thought I had this story figured out some new information would come to light, and I would have no clue how this was going to end. I mean talk about plot twists. I am not even joking when I say that the last plot twist had my jaw on the floor. I had a million theories throughout this book and not one was even close to what we got. This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the very last.

The characters were really well written I liked Sydney and Tom as well as all the other side characters. There were a few times when I wanted to scream at Sydney for being so blind about some of the big bright red flags that were in her face. Other than that, I think Sydney was my favourite character in this.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick twisty thriller. I loved this book; it was an easy five stars from me. I think I will definitely read more of Freida McFadden’s books in the future.