𝒀𝒐𝒖, 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒘, 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚, 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒖𝒙𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒎.

The premise of this book was solid, and the reviews were stellar, but it ended up just being ok with me. My biggest issue, through no fault of the author, was the vernacular. Most of the dialogue was just so far removed from what I'm used to that I had to really concentrate to decode what was being said.

Kirsty is heavily pregnant and is working her last few shifts as a midwife when she sees him in the hospital--the boy who broke her heart so many years ago. She calls his name, but he doesn't answer. When she approaches, he feigns puzzlement, but she knows it's him. Meanwhile, ominous things are happening in her neighborhood. An elderly neighbor goes missing, and there's an unfamiliar car that's begun appearing at odd times.

What unravels was definitely unhinged, but I just couldn't get invested in the story. I found the big twist to require much more of a suspension of disbelief than I usually give in thrillers. I kept reading to see how everything would play out. I've read other books by this author and have mixed reviews on many. I don't think this is the author for me, but there are many glowing reviews for all of her titles, so definitely give her a try if you're a lover of thrillers. This was 2.5 stars rounded up for me. Thank you to Bookouture for the early copy. At the time this review was written, this title was expected to publish on January 6, 2025.

The Perfect Boyfriend is a crazy wild read that keeps you guessing to the final page.

Kristy and Dougie are expecting their first child any day when Kristy sees a face from her past.

That face belongs to Hughie .

Hughie says he is not who she thinks he is. (Understatement)

Their story is unfolds with a dual pov and you want to tell Kristy just run for your life and leave the past alone.

Buckle up because it gets crazy: secrets, lies, murder, twists and turns that hit you rapidly.

The Perfect Boyfriend is a book you shouldn't miss.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the privilege of reading and reviewing this wild story.

Overall a good read although I found it a bit slow to start with and I did find Kirsty annoying in the beginning. It did gather pace and it was an excellent page turner which did get me gripped throughout. The characters were well described and it did add to the storytelling for me personally.

First time author for me but I think I would read more from her in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I can recommend.

Oh my goodness, what a rollercoaster of a read. So many twists and turns to keep you on your toes. I especially love a good punchy ending and this certainly delivered that. This is the first book I have read by this author and will definitely give other books a try if this is the quality of their writing. It was a very easy read, flowed well with lots of believable characters. I do love a psychological thriller totally full of suspense that keeps you up all night because you simply can’t put it down.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

Name :- The Perfect Boyfriend
Author : S E Lynes
Genre : Psychological Thriller
Plot :- S.E. Lynes' The Perfect Boyfriend is a psychological thriller that promises intrigue and suspense but ultimately delivers a mixed reading experience. The story revolves around Kirsty, whose life is upended when she spots her high-school boyfriend Hughie—believed to have vanished years ago. What follows is a tale of obsession, secrets, and a chilling game of cat and mouse.
Likes :-
1 Compelling Premise: The idea of a past love reappearing under mysterious circumstances sets up an engaging mystery that draws readers in.
Dislikes :-
1 Pacing Issues: The story unfolds unevenly, with a slow buildup that occasionally drags and a rushed resolution that leaves loose ends.
2 Predictable Twists: While the premise is intriguing, some of the twists feel clichéd or underwhelming, reducing the impact of the climax.
3 Character Development: Kirsty’s actions often feel inconsistent, making it difficult to fully empathize with her, while Hughie’s motivations could have been explored in greater detail.
Overall Impression :-
The Perfect Boyfriend is an average thriller that delivers moments of suspense but struggles to maintain its momentum or fully realize its potential. While it has an intriguing setup and some tense moments, the predictable twists and pacing issues may leave readers wanting more. It’s a decent read for fans of domestic thrillers but may not stand out in a crowded genre.
My rating : 3/5

Another great thriller by S. E Lynes, I was so excited to read The Perfect Boyfriend, it was full of suspense that was quite hard to put down.

Wow! I have read most of S.E. Lynes' books and I have to say this one has been my favourite so far. I loved every second, couldn't put it down. I even left the husband by himself on an evening to go and read without him. I didn't want this one to end.

This book did have enjoyable twists and turns that I did not see coming. However, I was not invested in any of the characters. I felt the characters did not have many layers/depth. I also found that the story was not smoothly tied together- it was hard to connect different details. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity!

This is the first book by S E Lynes and Im so glad I did! I really liked the synopsis and the premise of the whole story and S E Lynes delivered, The storyline was told on 2 POV's. This duel POV in first person which worked very well in building the characters and the plot line. This book starts out slowly and soon gathers pace throughout the book. Each character is well defined, different in their strengths and easy to follow. I love the foreshadowing and even if you do work out the finale, the twists are good and believable.

I will be picking up more books by S E Lynes in the future. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this eArc.

4.5 stars , 4 stars for other review sites .

Kirsty is a Midwife and at work one day when she is sure that she sees her ex boyfriend from high school. She is shocked as he suddenly vanished all those years ago. When she tries to talk to the man she assumes to be her ex, he is puzzled and says he does not know her. Kirsty is certain he’s lying and just needs to prove it.

This sounded like a great premise so I was really keen to read it when I saw it. I am really pleased that I picked this up! The story starts off slowly building the plot and the back story, then suddenly goes into crazy directions and a faster pace. The last part of the book is full of action and suspense and has you glued to the pages.

The characters were strongly written and I really got a feel for Kirsty especially. I could understand her feelings and thoughts. I enjoyed that it was told in more than one point of view, as this makes it easier to understand the events that led up to the current moment. What I really enjoyed about this thriller however, was all the twists and turns. I certainly wasn’t expecting some of them! I am eagerly anticipating this author’s next book now. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Two huge shocking twists at the end I did not see coming! Kirsty is a midwife and runs into an ex boyfriend one night on shift. He denies knowing her. As things start to happen to her and neighbors, she knows it’s all connected but no one believes her. While the connections were very predictable, the ending was not! The one issue I have is the dialect was super annoying. Just looked like someone that didn’t know how to spell

First off, kudos to the author for successfully making me despise Hugh—his webs of lies unfold in such a way that each revelation feels more shocking than the last (though perhaps some of them come off as flat, ultimately). The contrast between him and our main character Kirsty, who is portrayed as the epitome of innocence, creates a compelling dynamic, with Hugh serving as her binary opposite, her antithesis. However, I found myself wanting more from our protagonist. While her innocence is clear, I would have loved to see her explored in a more complex, multi-dimensional way. She felt somewhat stagnant, lacking the depth needed to fully balance out Hugh’s character. The differing perspectives between the two made for an interesting read, and the tension built throughout. Altogether, it’s a sensible novel that delivers on intrigue, but could have benefitted from deeper character exploration and a more satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

Wow, the book starts right away!

You dive right into the story and immediately want to know what's going on. I was so glued to my kindle and wanted to help Kirty so much!!

The writing was smooth and easy to read. No unnecessary long lines or fillers. The POV switch between Kirsty and Hughie was perfectly done. Not too many characters to get confused with

An absolutely wild journey!

* I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book is a definite page turner. Things get chaotic and wild! I really liked the way that this story was written as excerpts from a documentary, I thought that was very original. I loved Kirsty and related to her wanting to see the good in people. Hughie... Ugh, narcissistic and manipulative like every good antagonist. The only thing that I had an issue with was the Scottish dialect and phrases. I would get sucked into the story and then someone would say something that I had never heard before. But that is a teeny tiny minor thing that took nothing away from the overall of the book. This was my first book from this author and it definitely will not be my last.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and S.E Lynes!!
Expected publishing date January 6th 2025.

I’m a big fan of Lynes and her books. She has time and time again impressed me with solid and emotional psychological thrillers, so I was very happy when I saw another one that could be requested by NetGalley.

In this we follow two main characters, and what becomes a tense discovery of the past and what happened there. The writing was as always top notch, one of the reasons I always veer toward Lynse’s books. It just flows effortlessly and there were many beautiful sentences and psychological insights that spoke to me. The action truly ramped up in the last chapters, and it was very intense. Every mystery was tied up nicely, so it didn’t leave any unanswered questions. The only thing I was a bit baffled by was one of the twists that I couldn’t quite figure out why we needed. It had little to do with the rest of the story, so even if I was surprised I just didn’t get why it was important to add it (maybe I missed something)

Overall a solid read and it only cements my devotion towards the author. Well done, yet again!

Just WOW! The amazing SE Lynes knocks another one out of the park! This was totally enjoyable and left me gobsmacked. This writing is so easy to sink into. Fantastic characters that kept the story clipping along way past my bedtime. Like a roller coaster ride that left me no idea who to trust. Don’t let this one pass you by. Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, SE Lynes and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this cracker of a book.

S.E Lynes has done it again with another fantastic gripping psychological thriller. Once I started I could not put it down it was such a fast paced thriller with such a great storyline. I loved how the characters were written and the writing style. I enjoyed the many twists and turns and wow what an ending of a twist it was really didn’t see it coming. So another excellent thriller by this author which I can’t wait to recommend to everyone. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great thriller.

Reader, never underestimate the power of Susie Lynes to take you, dangle you from a precipice, pull you back up just to drop you again and again and again! With The Perfect Boyfriend, Susie has both amazed me and broken me into a thousand tiny pieces! How on earth can I wait a year for the next book, I am bereft!
I love that Susie has come back up North for her latest novel. Set in Aberdeen, it’s a city I know well, having spent some of my student years there and she has captured the bleakness of the Granite City to perfection. That prologue set against the backdrop of the cruel North Sea invoked terror. The imagery was sublime and terrifying all at once. What a start, what a hook and this was swiftly followed up by a breath holding opening chapter that had me on tenterhooks!
The Perfect Boyfriend follows midwife, Kirsty Shaw, who bumps into a face from the past following a harrowing experience at work. Told from first person point of view, this created a very real sense of immediacy and provided me with that connection with Kirsty. Reading this (and all of Susie Lynes books), I really do experience the novel, it feels as though I am morphing into the vibrant characters she creates, she really knows how to make sure her characters crawl under your skin.
And talking about crawling under your skin, the introduction to Kirsty’s ex, Hughie Reynolds, is simply chilling and as I read about Kirsty’s teenage experiences and anguish with Hughie, I wanted to reach into the pages and wring his scrawny little neck. Hughie also comes to us in the first person and believe me, his is a head that you really do not want to occupy. He is evil personified!
Susie Lynes creates characters I hate to leave, closing the pages gives me anxiety; when I leave them to go to work I spend all day thinking about getting back to them. And when I close the last page over, I’m already grieving for my loss!
As soon as Hughie appears on the scene, a series of very strange and dark coincidences start to occur; Kirsty becomes increasingly preoccupied with the man who maintains he is not who she thinks he is. Dougie, Kirsty’s partner, attributes Kirsty’s anxieties to her pregnancy and her fascination with true crime. And the more others tried to reassure Kirsty the more I was getting ready to roll up my sleeves, jump in and gie her hauners!
There is so much I want to tell you about this story but that would risk dropping some massive spoilers and I’m not going to do that. It is fair to say that Susie Lynes is the absolute Queen of thrillers, of creating relatable characters in ordinary situations that you can imagine yourself in. Reading about Kirsty’s memories about Hughie, triggered so many teenage memories for me, about the feelings you believed to be love and that whole teen anguish and anxiety. And the little Ballerina in the jewellery box, I used to try and see her lying down when the lid closed too!
When you get to the end of this book, so many things you have read start to fall into place, that wonderful feeling of hindsight and this is exactly what Kirsty experiences too as we follow her on her journey.
There’s also a little Easter egg in The Perfect Boyfriend for fans of Susie’s work. I eeked a little when I spotted it and it gave me a wee warm Ready Brek Glow inside. If you know, you’ll know!
Tension simmers like a pot ready to boil over all the way through this book. Crafted to perfection from the creation of relatable characters, to the authenticity of the setting and the sense of experiencing the book and not just reading it, it’s simply sublime. Her prose is almost poetic yet never saccharine and every time she blows my mind!
Filled to the brim with lies, betrayal and secrets, The Perfect Boyfriend, kept me on edge right until the very end, to the point I couldn’t breathe at some points! The rug was well and truly pulled from under my feet more than once with jaw clattering twists and teasing tension. Folks, this is more than “it’s a belter”, it’s right off the belter scale!
Don’t miss it!

This was a strong psychological thriller and had that feel that I wanted from the first book. The concept was strong and enjoyed the overall suspenseful atmosphere that I was looking for. S.E. Lynes has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more from S.E. Lynes.

Literally couldn’t put this book down! Fast paced , full of twists an turns I loved it! Thank you net galley for the early read