This is my first Frieda McFadden book, but I promise it will not be my last. Let me preface by saying that I judged this book by its cover. Yes, I got the book for the tie, (I’ll share that in a story later) but I finished it in less than two days for the storyline!
The Boyfriend is the second book I have read using KU (Kindle Unlimited) and made the subscription worth it. Although, halfway through the KU version, I ran out to my local BAM and purchased the paperback. I wanted it physically in my collection.
What I love about this book is that while we are jumping between the past and the present, the deeper you go, the more the two begin to connect. Essentially, I found myself reading two stories that finally come together in the end for a Plot Twist like no other. Well, at least a plot twist I certainly was not expecting – jaw was on the floor!
The stage for this psychological thriller is New York. In the past, it was a small town where everyone knew everyone (and everything). In the present, the city, where you may never see the same person twice. In both cases, the locations are worked in perfectly and you don’t get a sense that New York is the central theme of the story.
The Past: Tom loves Daisy – since they were four. Now they are 16 and have finally declared their love for one another. Which seems to be going great, until something no one expected tears them apart. However, it turns out that this “something” is not Tom being suspected of committing multiple murders with his best friend, who has a very interesting love for insects and some even more interesting creep factor knowledge.
And I’m terrified that the moment I get her alone, I will wrap my fingers around her pretty, white neck and squeeze the life out of her.
Tom Brewer (before)
The Present: Sydney is a hopelessly romantic, single accountant, trying to navigate through her (almost) mid-thirties, but mostly just experiencing bad dates through her local city dating app. Though one next-level bad dates does cause her to meet Mr. Lightning Bolt II, through a series of unfortunate events. The past and present collide, however, when her very close friend and one floor down neighbor is murdered and Mr. Lightning Bolt I, is on the scene to investigate.
What a great meet-cute. I can already imagine telling the story to our children. This jerk was trying to kiss me, and that, kids, is how I met your father.
Sydney (preesent)
The author has seamlessly weaved the past and present together in this story of love, betrayal, murder, insect genocide (I had to throw that in), and a few of what the FBI would call stressors. (Criminal Minds obsessed – that’s me!)
What I didn’t like about this book, or so I thought, was that I found it predictable. While interlocking the past with the future, I thought I had figured it out. In my heart, I just knew who it was, what they did, and why they did it. I even thought I had confirmation in the last few chapters. The ending was all coming exactly the way I deduced it in my head. Then out of nowhere – BAM! The plot twisted and put my jaw on the floor, and I realized that nothing I had put together was correct! So, in truth, there was not anything about this book I did not like!
I dropped my kindle on the bed so many times saying, “No way!” just to pick it back up because I had to find out more. Also, I definitely do not consider this to be a slow burn in any way. It builds and builds, and twists and turns, and just when you think you have it figured out – you don’t!
I recommend this book 10/10!
Note: If you are strictly a dark romance / smut & spice reader, brace yourself, while there are some references to how good the sex is, there are no mentions of (those) body parts or vivid details of how they done it. We will live just knowing that it is Unbecredifabulous! Any more detail than that, I feel would have pulled from the storyline itself.
364 Pages. Published 2024. Psychological Thriller. Stand Alone.
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