Scan barcode
A review by alyn_reads
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
2.0
After stepping away from Freida McFadden’s books for a while, I wasn’t sure if I’d pick up another. Her stories often follow a predictable formula—quick reads with twists that are fun but not exactly groundbreaking. They’ve always been reliable palate cleansers for me. However, after reading The Teacher, which was not only disappointing but deeply uncomfortable, I needed a break. That book left me unsettled and honestly questioning where McFadden was going with her storytelling.
That said, The Boyfriend turned out to be a welcome return to form. This one genuinely surprised me. From the first chapter, I was hooked, and for once, I couldn’t figure out the “whodunit” ahead of time. The twists were unexpected, and the ending caught me completely off guard, which rarely happens.
The pacing was tight, and while it still had some of the familiar tropes that make her books quick and easy to read, it felt fresher, like she’d put more thought into the layers of the story. Sydney was one of the most annoying FMC, but otherwise her characters were a bit more developed this time around, which made the stakes feel higher and the mystery more engaging.
If, like me, you’ve felt burned by McFadden’s past work or found it too formulaic, The Boyfriend is worth giving a chance. It’s still a classic McFadden thriller, but with a shocking unpredictability that surprised even me.
That said, The Boyfriend turned out to be a welcome return to form. This one genuinely surprised me. From the first chapter, I was hooked, and for once, I couldn’t figure out the “whodunit” ahead of time. The twists were unexpected, and the ending caught me completely off guard, which rarely happens.
The pacing was tight, and while it still had some of the familiar tropes that make her books quick and easy to read, it felt fresher, like she’d put more thought into the layers of the story. Sydney was one of the most annoying FMC, but otherwise her characters were a bit more developed this time around, which made the stakes feel higher and the mystery more engaging.
If, like me, you’ve felt burned by McFadden’s past work or found it too formulaic, The Boyfriend is worth giving a chance. It’s still a classic McFadden thriller, but with a shocking unpredictability that surprised even me.