The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden Summary

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller about Sydney Shaw, a 34-year-old woman navigating the dangerous world of online dating in New York City. When she meets the seemingly perfect doctor Tom, a string of brutal murders targeting women who date their killer puts Sydney in grave danger. The novel alternates between Sydney's present-day story and Tom's violent past, exploring themes of obsession, deception, and the dark side of modern romance.

The Boyfriend is perfect for fans of fast-paced psychological thrillers who enjoy unpredictable plot twists and dark humor. Readers who appreciate Freida McFadden's signature short chapters and addictive storytelling style will find this book engaging. It's ideal for those interested in stories about modern dating dangers, obsessive relationships, and unreliable characters. However, readers seeking deeply complex protagonists or literary fiction may find the character development lacking.

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden delivers the author's trademark fast-paced, addictive reading experience with an unexpected twist ending. While it keeps readers hooked through dual timelines and suspenseful pacing, reviews are mixed—some found the protagonist frustratingly naive and the ending disappointing. If you enjoy Freida McFadden's previous work like The Housemaid and appreciate quick thriller reads over character depth, it's worth your time. The book is best approached with moderate expectations.

The Boyfriend uses a dual-timeline narrative structure that alternates between Sydney Shaw's present-day story and Tom Brewer's past as a troubled high school student. Sydney's storyline follows her dangerous experiences with online dating through the app Cynch, while Tom's chapters reveal his abusive childhood and obsessive relationship with a girl named Daisy. These parallel narratives eventually converge, connecting Tom's violent past with Sydney's present danger and revealing how their lives intertwine in unexpected ways.

Sydney Shaw is the 34-year-old protagonist of The Boyfriend, an accountant living in Manhattan with notoriously bad luck in dating. She's characterized as desperate to find a boyfriend, which readers describe as her defining personality trait throughout the novel. Sydney makes questionable decisions that put her in danger, including staying on dates with aggressive men and failing to recognize red flags. Her journey involves navigating online dating while becoming entangled in a murder investigation that threatens her life.

The Boyfriend explores obsession and control through Tom's fixation on violence and power in relationships. Trust and deception emerge as central themes, showing how betrayal damages connections and hidden motives challenge authenticity in romance. The novel examines identity and self-perception, with characters adopting aliases and losing themselves in fabricated personas. Modern dating in the digital age is critiqued through the Cynch app, highlighting vulnerability, authenticity concerns, and intensified trust issues technology introduces to romantic relationships.

Online dating serves as the catalyst for danger in The Boyfriend, with Sydney using the app Cynch to meet potential partners. Her first date with Kevin, who catfished her with fake photos, nearly turns violent before a stranger intervenes. The novel critiques modern dating culture by showing how apps create opportunities for deception, manipulation, and predatory behavior. The dating app backdrop connects to the serial killer plotline, as the murderer targets victims he meets online, making Sydney's pursuit of romance increasingly perilous.

The major twist in The Boyfriend reveals that Sydney's friend Gretchen is actually Daisy from Tom's past, obsessed with him and orchestrating events behind the scenes. This revelation exposes Daisy's true identity and hidden motives throughout the story. Tom ultimately decides to escape with Daisy, who understands his troubled mind despite his dark tendencies. The novel concludes with Sydney receiving a mysterious package from Tom and Daisy while attempting to reunite with her ex-boyfriend Jake, suggesting their story continues beyond the book's ending.

The Boyfriend received criticism for its frustratingly naive protagonist, with reviewers calling Sydney Shaw the "most obnoxious fmc ever written" who makes consistently poor decisions. Critics found her desperate need for a boyfriend overshadowed character development and made her one-dimensional. The ending disappointed many readers who felt the setup didn't justify the conclusion. Some felt the twist, while unexpected, wasn't jaw-dropping compared to Freida McFadden's other novels. Reviewers also noted the lack of character growth and questioned Sydney's survival given her terrible judgment throughout the story.

The Boyfriend maintains Freida McFadden's signature style of fast-paced chapters, dark humor, and unexpected twists but received mixed reviews compared to her bestseller The Housemaid. Readers noted it follows her pattern of featuring naive female protagonists who make questionable decisions, similar to characters in The Inmate and Never Lie. While some found it lacked the "classic Freida McFadden twist," it still delivered the addictive, page-turning experience her books are known for. Publisher's Weekly describes it as keeping "the author's trademark twists coming fast and furious."

Tom Brewer is a central character whose story unfolds through past timeline chapters, revealing his troubled childhood with an abusive father and early interest in violence. In the present, he appears as Dr. Tom Brown, a charming doctor with a dark exterior hiding his violent tendencies. Tom's complex relationship with Daisy from his past connects to the present-day murders and Sydney's investigation. His character embodies the novel's themes of obsession and control, as he navigates between his public persona as a respectable doctor and his hidden violent impulses.

The Boyfriend hooks readers through Freida McFadden's mastery of short, fast-paced chapters that create the irresistible "one more chapter" effect. The dual timeline structure keeps readers engaged by alternating between Sydney's present danger and Tom's mysterious past, building suspense about how the narratives connect. McFadden's writing style makes the book difficult to put down, with readers reporting they finish it in just three hours despite character frustrations. The constant questioning of which characters to trust and the promise of an unexpected twist maintain momentum throughout the 360 pages.