I don’t know if I should say I’m officially on a Freida McFadden book tour, but this is the second of hers I’ve finished in less than one month, and at this rate I deserve loyalty points. After Dead Med, I told myself I’d read all her works just for bragging rights. Hopefully I don’t get bored living inside one author’s mind, though with her plot twists? Doubtful.
Cut to the chase? This book traumatized me.
Will I pause thrillers? No.
Will I add some romance to cleanse my nervous system so I don’t start profiling random strangers on Facebook, TikTok and perhaps the grocery store? Absolutely.
Synopsis (Spoiler-Free, Because I Respect You)
In this one, what starts as a seemingly normal romantic relationship quickly spirals into a web of psychological unease.
The protagonist, Sydney, meets a man, Tom, who, on paper, checks all the boxes. He’s charming, attentive and almost too perfect. But, two months in, and the subtle red flags begin to surface. She gets inconsistencies, secrets, gaps that don’t quite align.
One thing I have noticed about this author is that she doesn’t scream “danger.” She whispers it.
The story unravels layer by layer, from before to present, forcing you to question if this Mr. Perfect is hiding something or Sydney is overreacting or maybe the truth is far worse than either of them realize?
Trust no one. Not even your own assumptions.
Review & Personal Criticism
The Suspense? Weaponized.
Freida McFadden knows how to manipulate trust. She lets you get comfortable and after you hink you’ve solved it, she flips the entire narrative like it’s a patient chart that’s been misfiled. Trust me, those last-minute reveals are disrespectfully brilliant.
I genuinely had to pause and stare at a wall. This one gave me the kind of twist that made me reconsider every previous chapter. It was like I just discovered an unreliable narrator living rent-free in my brain.
This story isn’t just about a suspicious boyfriend. It’s about vulnerability. The risks we take when we let someone close, and the way love can blur perception.
McFadden taps into that fear most people don’t admit: What if the person you trust most is the one you should fear?
It's an intimate horror. Very creepy.
Her writing style is fast, clean and very addictive. The chapters are short enough that like me, you might end up saying, “Just one more,” and before you realize it, it’s 2 a.m. and you’re emotionally unstable. She writes in a way that feels accessible but calculated. No wasted scenes. Everything serves a purpose.
If you’re an over-thinker already? This book will not help. But if you need the truth, that discomfort is part of the experience.
In conclusion, I hope I didn’t give anything away because I really want more people reading this, The Boyfriend is a reminder that Freida McFadden doesn’t just write plot twists, she engineers them. My girl literally plays with perception, trust and of course she plays with you, the reader.
By the end, I wasn’t just shocked. I was unsettled. And the worst part? I loved it.
Will I continue my unofficial McFadden tour? Yes.
Will I occasionally side-eye men with suspiciously perfect manners? Also yes.
Rating is a 4.3 / 5
Now tell me if you have read this piece, did you see it coming? Or did you, too, need someone to pick your jaw up off the floor?