Fellow Freida McFadden fans, what do we think of her brand new book, The Boyfriend? My Review with Spoilers for The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden will include a plot summary, spoilers and the ending explained. Will you like this book? I will reveal all….
Review with Spoilers for The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Here’s what’s covered in the post:
- Is this a good McFadden, or a less good one?
- What is The Boyfriend About? A Plot Summary
- Who is the Serial Killer in The Boyfriend
- The Ending of The Boyfriend, Explained
How does The Boyfriend compared to Frieda McFadden’s other books?
Unfortunately, I think it’s in The Teacher and The Co-Worker and The Housemaid is Watching territory.
If you’re not familiar with McFadden, she self-published a bunch of books and than was signed to a traditional publisher.
Her highest rated books are ones she self-published:
- The Housemaid (2022; 4.32 rating)
- The Housemaid’s Secret (2023; 4.24 rating)
And most of her lowest rated books are ones that were traditionally published:
- The Co-Worker (2023; 3.78)
- The Teacher (2024; 3.9)
- The Housemaid is Watching (2024; 3.9)
For now, The Boyfriend has a high Goodreads rating, but it just came out TODAY and those who have read it are probably super-fans. I expect that rating to fall, probably to The Teacher level (which is still not a bad rating at all!)
There’s one exception, The Gift, which was a self-published novella and has extremely low ratings.
I find this interesting. I think her writing improved in the traditional published books (possibly with more editing support). But I also think that her pace and plotting got draggy and her wackiness got toned down.
Why I Didn’t Love The Boyfriend
I found it REALLY slow.
To me, Freida McFadden’s strength is her plotting and her relatable main characters. Her weakness is character development/motivation. And sometimes logic.
The Boyfriend has two timelines, one in the past and one in the present.
In the present, a thirty-something woman named Sydney is dating around using an app called Cynch. But when Sydney learns that there’s a serial killer who might be using the app to find victims, she’s freaked out. But the plot was 10% suspense and 90% Sydney going to yoga class and dating.
The Boyfriend also has a teen element, like The Teacher
In the past, a teenager named Tom is in love with a girl named Daisy (is this a Great Gatsby reference?). But Daisy’s friend Alison is trying to break them up, and Tom is struggling to cope with his abusive, alcoholic father. I didn’t love the teen plot line, which felt very YA.
There are only a handful of characters (as is typical for McFadden) so my main two questions are:
- Who is the serial killer?
- What is the connection between the past plotline and the present?
Those are spoilers, so let’s discuss!
Who was the Serial Killer in The Boyfriend by Frieda McFadden
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If you want a scene-by-scene recap of the book, I will make a new post. Just tell me in comments!
I figured it out. I just had this feeling.
I got half way through listening to the audio at 1.5 speed and I was bored, but kinda wanted to know the ending so I came here. Thanks!
Glad to help. I thought The Wife Upstairs by her on audio was so good!
for about 1/2 I was certain it was tom but then I thought was their away it could be slug? Then for a short time I thought it could be Allison and the body they found was fake. But daisy was so sweet. I would have never thought it was her. But then why does she kill Allison. Allison hates tom!
lol I read this book a year ago and I can’t remember even one thing about it!!