3.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Setting ~ Scotland
Publication date ~ January 6, 2025
Publisher ~ Bookouture
Est Page Count ~ 376 (p+ 55 chapters)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 10 minutes
Narrator ~ Tamsin Kennard
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ flashbacks, transcripts

Kirsty gets a blast from the past when she sees an old boyfriend who left her without a trace 10 or so years ago. She’s so sure it’s him, but he says he has no clue who she is. Are her pregnant hormones playing tricks on her or is he lying for some reason? She’s making it her mission to find out.

Kirsty was a pretty good sleuth. Not only is she trying to figure out what’s going on with the ex, Hughie, but her elderly neighbor is missing and no one is taking her seriously. Not even her partner, Dougie. Speaking of Dougie did I miss something all along, or was that a ‘twist?’

One little quibble ~ Kirsty badmouths the cop for being young and inexperienced. Umm, hello, everyone is inexperienced when they are first starting out. Yeah, he might not have taken her as seriously as he should have, but I wouldn’t base that on his age.

One more little quibble ~ not a fan of the title really as it doesn’t make much sense.

Overall, the pace was pretty steady. Not sure it had much thriller, edge of my seatness going on, but I was engaged throughout.

Narration notes:
She does a pretty great job. Her male voices are kind of believable.

Narrator is very good. Story takes place in Scotland and I, as an American, had no problem understanding her with all the different regional accents she did.

This is my first read by this author and even though I have given it an average rating, I will give this author another try at a later date. The MC is an unreliable narrator and the author has done a her job with that because the MC drove me nuts. She's 35 weeks pregnant and does nothing but cry-ALL THE TIME. She figures something out then doubts herself then makes dumb decisions because of her doubt. Only thing that really makes this a bit wonky is the fact that the "boyfriend" was a 29-year-old man that went back to high school after finding his grandmother after his mother died whom he didn't need to be living with anymore anyway and blames his shitty life on her. Kids are dumb but I don't believe that a man could be passed off as a teen-we see it all the time in TV and it's obvious the actors are not teens. MC does address this problem at the end but I just don't see it. The last twist really made this book 3 stars prior to that it had only earned 2.5 stars. And I liked that it was interviews for a true crime series.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Her- Kirsty is heading home, eagerly anticipating a peaceful and joyful evening ahead, when she suddenly spots something unbelievable. It’s him—her high-school sweetheart, the one she cherished until he mysteriously disappeared. Her heart skips a beat as she recognizes a familiar face after all these years. She calls out to him, and when he turns around, he wears a polite but puzzled look. “I’m sorry,” he says. “Do I know you?” Determined to uncover the truth, Kirsty believes he’s concealing something important. She’s determined to find a way to prove it.
Him- He knew she would recognize him right away. It’s just his luck that they crossed paths again. He had his reasons for disappearing, and now that he’s returned, he has some plans in mind. He worries that she might interfere with those plans.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
The narrative unfolds through two viewpoints. The narrator had a nice voice, but I believe the story could have been more engaging with dual narration, particularly since we hear from both Kirsty and her high school ex. There were moments when the story dragged on and felt a bit repetitive, although it did shine in certain areas. Overall, the writing style was clear and the plot progressed well, which kept me interested. While the book was decent, it didn’t quite stand out for me.

Thank You @Netgalley and @Bookouture for allowing me to review this ALC.

The Perfect Boyfriend follows Kirsty, a pregnant nurse working in the maternity ward, as she nears the end of her pregnancy. Her life takes a strange turn when she runs into a man who might be her ex—the same one who ghosted her ten years ago. Determined to figure out who he really is, Kirsty starts digging for answers. But as she does, her stress levels rise, and her behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Is she right to trust her instincts, or is it just the stress and hormones of pregnancy playing tricks on her?

This story had a great pace, and I really enjoyed the twists along the way. The dual point-of-view format added an extra layer to the story that kept me hooked and the narrator did a great job.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Kristy, a dedicated midwife, is navigating a busy life when she unexpectedly encounters a man who looks exactly like her ex-boyfriend, Hughey. The problem? He insists he isn’t the person she remembers. Confused and shaken, Kristy’s thoughts spiral as she becomes determined to uncover the truth about this mysterious man and his connection to her past. As she digs deeper, her world begins to unravel in ways she never anticipated.

I found parts of the story to be a little wordy, but that matched Kristy’s inner turmoil. Kristy’s character was incredibly frustrating but in a good way! Her relentless pursuit of answers, even when it seemed irrational, kept me hooked and eager to see if her theories were correct.

The dual perspectives added richness to the narrative, providing insight into different angles of the story. The audiobook narration brought the characters and suspense to life, making the twists even more impactful. The ending was packed with surprises I didn’t see coming.

The narrator had a pleasant voice, but I couldn’t help but feel the story would have been more immersive with dual narration, especially since we get perspectives from both Kirsty and her high school ex. The premise had so much potential - a high school boyfriend reappearing out of nowhere, sparking intrigue and danger. But I struggled to see how the title connected with the plot. The “perfect boyfriend” in question was anything but, considering he ghosted Kirsty and treated her poorly back in the day.

Both Kirsty and the ex-boyfriend were weighed down by excessive internal dialogue, which slowed the pacing. I found myself frustrated with some of Kirsty’s choices - especially with her being a very pregnant woman taking unnecessary risks. It felt far-fetched at times and pulled me out of the story.

The story dragged in parts and became repetitive, though it did have its moments. Some of the twists genuinely surprised me, which kept me engaged enough to see it through to the end.

While I enjoyed a few of the surprises and appreciated the narrator’s performance, the pacing and believability left me wanting more.

I was given an ARC of the audio version from NetGalley. In the beginning I thought this story was going to be completely different than it ended up being based on the description. I enjoyed the plot very much. It wasn’t super twisty, but I did suspect a different person to be involved. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this early before publication. I will say I loved how this book started off. I was definitely hooked wanting to know everything. Unfortunately, midway through the book I was annoyed with the main character and the supporting characters. The supporting characters felt like they may have been gaslighting the main character. What kept me intrigued with the book and kept me from DNF'ing the audiobook was wanting to know if this lady was crazy and imaging things. I wanted to know how it all ended. The Scottish narrator I loved but it may be difficult for some listeners to follow. I think this book is good for those of you who are new with reading thrillers, others who may be avid thriller readers may find this book a bit of a dragged on story.

I was instantly hooked on this story and my focus was held throughout as the story unfolded and the secrets were revealed.

There is nothing special about this story, but there's also nothing wrong. It's an okay triller, which kept me interested enough to carry on with the story.
The 1st half focuses on the disappearance of an elderly woman. Our protagonist was her close neighbour and somewhat carer. One day, she displayed a strange behaviour and by the next day, she was missing. I had an issue of no-one believing her and telling her not to go to the police; the behaviour displayed was completely against the norm and if it was me, who couldn't get in touch with a neighbour I saw on a daily basis, and her texts didn't sound anything like herself..I would phone the police immediately.
The theme of this book is that no one believes Kirsty, and pregnancy is being used as an excuse for this. So basically, if you're pregnant, you're crazy.
When it came to the end, and the explanation for the events of the book, it was a loooooong monologue, so we were told and told the whole history by his side, not showed anything, just told all that pass. And then there was a twist in the twist which got me even more confused 😂

Issues:
I really can't understand how you can pass a 29 year old for a 15 year old!!
I actually was very confused by the ages!
I was also confused by the fact that Kirsty husband is a woman, they go by Douguie and i thought i kept hearing the word husband but then Kirsty says she, bear in mind I was listen to the audiobook so maybe I misunderstood something? It just felt like it was dropped in there to make the book "inclusive"? Without much thought being it!

Pros:
Good how everything tied up in the end, for a moment there, I couldn't see how it was going to, considering that there was no apparent connection between the characters.
Twists and twists to make you dizzy 😵
I don't think anyone can guess the twist in the twist 😂

have read and really enjoyed a book by this author previously and found them well plotted and domestic which are two of my main requirements for a thriller. I have been in a thriller phase over December and was really looking forward to reading this.

Clearly a narrator’s voice is very important to the success of an audiobook and whilst this narrator had a great and very easy to listen to voice, I wasn’t totally convinced that she was Kirsty. There were a lot of different voices in the book and I think she voiced some of these well, and others not so well. I would prefer for a male to have voiced the part of Hughie.

At the beginning of the story we witness an attempted murder with the book then stepping back to look at the events which led to this point. Kirsty is a pregnant midwife looking forward to the imminent arrival of her child. She has become anxious about the welfare of an elderly neighbour and friend, Joan, who is behaving strangely. One day at the hospital she spots a man who appears to be her ex boyfriend who left abruptly. He denies he is the ex and has a new name and identity. Then Joan goes missing and her body is found in the sea. Kirsty is convinced that she has been murdered and that her ex boyfriend is involved. But no one will believe her.

This has a really interesting plot and I loved the domesticity. The early parts of the book where Kirsty is trying to contact Joan and even searching her home are really compelling and very tense! Added to this a really nerve-wracking car ride when Kirsty finds her brakes aren’t working! I think for me there were two issues affecting my read. I wasn’t convinced in the viability of the boyfriend’s story. Without going into depth or spoiling plots there was an age detail which I struggled with. I was also really uncomfortable with his narrative.

I will definitely read more by this author as I think she writes compelling thrillers.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for my audiobook.

I enjoyed the twist and turns in this. At first I was confused because it started off as a thriller so fast. It went quickly into the mystery of it. Not that it is a bad thing! I did find myself having to backtrack but after the first 3 chapters I was able to piece it together.
Most psychological thriller books tend to be a lot alike but the storyline of this wasn’t a typical storyline you hear. It’s nice to hear something different.
My favorite line from this has to be when Kristi says, “What happens to you doesn’t define you. Don’t let your something bad stop you from doing what you want. Don’t let it define you.”

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read “The Perfect Boyfriend.” I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and the narrator did a really good job with the audiobook! I also loved how it had the POV of the girl and her missing ex who mysteriously returned years later. The things I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the main female character, she kept annoying me with the dangerous choices she was making throughout the whole book while being heavily pregnant, I also started to get confused towards the end of the book with the amount of lies that were told from the ex. Overall I did enjoy this book and would definitely read from the same author again!

The Perfect Boyfriend was a great psychological thriller that had me hooked from the start. I thought the plot was really well paced, with just enough doubt placed on Kirsty to question whether she was a reliable narrator, while also giving enough details to build conclusions about what probably happened. The only reason for the 4-star review is parts of the ending - I thought that the "bad guy" was just a little bit overly evil/sinister to be quite believable. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was a wild ride from start to finish!

I was provided both the eBook and audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Bookouture and the author for letting me read it early!

The Perfect Boyfriend by S.E. Lynes had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The cover of the book was striking and promised an intriguing psychological thriller, which initially drew me in. However, the story itself unfolded at a pace that felt frustratingly slow, and I found it hard to stay fully engaged. The story centers around Kirsty and is told in her POV through transcripts. The Perfect Boyfriend just didn’t deliver the suspense or thrill I had hoped for. Though the book does explore some intriguing psychological themes, I would have preferred a more engaging and faster-paced narrative.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Perfect Boyfriend.

The Perfect Boyfriend by S.E. Lynes gripped me immediately. However, once the focus shifted from Kirsty and Huey to Kirsty and a neighbor, I became bored and annoyed, as it had very little to do with the blurb of the book. I expected a cat-and-mouse game between them, but it felt more like a Nancy Drew mystery. Once that side plot was resolved, the story refocused on their game of wits, eventually revealing some obvious secrets and some shocking ones.

All in all, it’s a good book that I rate 3 stars due to the feeling of being deceived and the dragging middle section. I will likely read more of Lynes' books.

Tamsin Kennard is amazing, as usual!

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.

This book was full of lies and twists galore. Ok, so the title is irrelevant to the story and it's not an entirely realistic storyline, but it was suspenseful and kept me interested throughout. Also, the narration was very well done. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a gifted ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audio version of this book in exchange for my reviews. The narration was easy to listen to and had a pleasant cadence. The story was mysterious and had me getting through it quickly. However there were parts of the story line where I felt very confused as a listener, almost as if I had missed big sections of the book. I did finish this book and there were many twists and turns I didnt expect.

Thank you NetGalley! I enjoy this author. I couldn’t completely get into the story. I found it a bit far fetched and predictable. Which was unfortunate because I wants to like it

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest by S.E. Lynes, with the audio perfectly narrated by Tamsin Kennard. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

Kirsty is happily married and pregnant, working as a midwife. At the hospital one day, she runs into a man she instantly recognizes as Hughie, her former boyfriend who disappeared years ago. But the man insists she is mistaken.

Told from both Kirsty and Hughie’s POV through a documentary, as well as from the past so that the reader gets both sides of the story. I liked the past glimpses – the characters felt like real teenagers, and you could feel the angst. This is a twisty one that had me gasping at one point – didn’t see that coming, although not sure it necessarily needed to be a big surprise? Loved the accents and thought the narration was perfect. As always with SE Lynes’ books, this was a well-written psychological thriller that will keep you guessing.