The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
💔 The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden — Spoiler-Rich Review
⭐ 4.5 out of 5 stars | A funny, twisty thriller that kept me guessing (and laughing!)
🚨 SPOILER WARNING: I’m diving deep into the twists, so stop reading now if you want to stay unspoiled.
💭 My Honest Take
I really enjoyed The Boyfriend! Like so many of Freida McFadden’s books, this one kept me guessing — and the final twist totally blindsided me.
✅ The ending was clever and unexpected.
✅ The humor? Honestly, it cracked me up — there were legit laugh-out-loud moments, especially in Sydney’s disastrous dating escapades.
✅ Online dating struggles? SO relatable.
But not everything worked perfectly. The motive for certain murders felt shaky. Specifically, we’re told Daisy killed Allison to keep her quiet because Allison supposedly witnessed Tom’s father’s murder. But realistically… if Allison saw something like that, why wouldn’t she go straight to the police instead of waiting around? That part didn’t fully hold together for me.
Still — the humor and clever plotting made this a standout. I rated it 4.5 (the story itself felt more like a 3.5, but the writing and fun factor earned it that extra star).
📝 The Full Plot
Sydney Shaw is navigating the treacherous waters of online dating when she has a bad Cynch date with Kevin. He turns aggressive after she refuses a kiss — but a mysterious man intervenes, scaring Kevin off. Sydney’s disappointed when this good Samaritan doesn’t ask her out.
Enter Sydney’s friend circle:
👉 Bonnie, her neighbor, who’s crushing on a mystery doctor
👉 Gretchen, her bestie
👉 Randy, Gretchen’s boyfriend
👉 Jake, Sydney’s ex-boyfriend who’s also a cop
Not long after, Bonnie is found murdered. Jake tells Sydney that Bonnie’s supposed doctor crush had been texting from a burner phone — big red flag.
Months later, Sydney faints on a date (nosebleeds: the ultimate romance killer), and her earlier rescuer turns up again — this time introducing himself as Dr. Tom Brown. They hit it off, but weird signs start popping up:
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His last name seems to change
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He uses a burner phone
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He gets cagey about his past
Sydney’s gut tells her something’s off, and things escalate when she finds a black scrunchie at Tom’s place — like one Bonnie wore. Convinced Tom was Bonnie’s mystery man and maybe her killer, she hands his water bottle to Jake for prints. Turns out: Tom’s prints are at multiple murder scenes. But — plot twist — he’s got airtight alibis.
Tom warns Sydney that she’s in danger. She pieces together that Randy is the real threat. But the big shocker? Gretchen is actually Daisy, Tom’s high school sweetheart with a violent past. She’s been the one orchestrating everything — stalking Tom, killing off women he dates, and eliminating anyone she sees as a threat.
In flashbacks, we learn that Daisy (Gretchen) killed Tom’s dad (after Tom attacked him), murdered Brandi in jealousy, and framed Tom’s friend Slug for everything. Tom, unable to let go of his twisted loyalty, agrees to run away with Gretchen.
The book closes with Sydney receiving a creepy “gift” — a lock of hair and a note from Tom saying Kevin (her bad date) won’t bother her again. Sydney stays silent.
🌟 Final Thoughts
✅ Freida nails the twists — I didn’t see this one coming at all.
✅ The humor made it extra enjoyable.
✅ Sydney’s online dating journey felt so real and funny.
⚠️ Some of the logic behind certain murders felt thin, but I was entertained enough to forgive it.
📌 Where to Buy The Boyfriend
📚 If you liked The Boyfriend, check out:
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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
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The Coworker by Freida McFadden
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Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
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