All of that changes one day, when she sees Hughie Reynolds at the hospital. He’s a new anesthesiologist there, but Kirsty has known him for a long time. They were friends, then dated for awhile when they were in school, but Hughie wanted to have sex and Kirsty wasn’t ready. After she declined his advances, he vanished, just leaving her with a cruel note telling her that he never loved her.

Eleven years later, when she sees him, Kirsty’s first reaction is to hide. Her shock gave her the courage to go up to him and say hello, but Hughie seems confused. He has an English accent, his name is Barry, and he has no idea who Kirsty is. She KNOWS it is him, but everyone ignores her as being hormonal, even when things start happening that don’t seem right


I love this kind of thriller that will make you think harder

The story started off strong and managed to hold my interest enough to make me want to keep reading. However, some elements felt too far-fetched, and there were many moments where the plot seemed implausible, especially with certain things being too obvious for Kirsty to overlook. I also found her supposedly loving partner to be unsupportive and often came across as gaslighting her throughout the story. Unfortunately, the ending fell flat and left me feeling underwhelmed.

The Perfect Boyfriend is definitely a book that messes with your head. Psychological Thriller is the perfect way to describe this. It’s my first book by S.E. Lynes and I was not disappointed. It has twists and turns that made you think and I have to admit that I did not see the very end coming! Fantastic twisted ending!! I highly recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This book was absolutely riveting from beginning to end.

Our heroine, Kirsty, is a midwife and also pregnant. When she sees an ex-boyfriend at the hospital where she works, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. He was her first love, but he had broken her heart the day he just disappeared from her life.

I was really invested in Kirsty, but OMG, my poor heart nearly gave out a couple of times when she put herself and her unborn baby at risk.

All the unexpected twists, the simmering dark secrets, the way the tension is built up and up, kept me turning the pages well into the night. And, even when I thought there could not possibly be any more surprises, this author managed to write the biggest twist of all!

It may only be January, but I know this will be still in my top five at the end of 2025.

S. E. Lynes, you deserve every accolade going for your superb storytelling.

S.E. Lynes’ “The Perfect Boyfriend” is a good psychological thriller dealing with obsession, memory, and the darker sides of seemingly perfect relationships. This gripping novel intertwines the perspectives of Kirsty and Hughie, creating a narrative filled with suspense and emotional intensity.

I always know what I am going to get when I read an SE Lynes novel, a fast paced psychological thriller, well plotted with interesting characters that is impossible to put down.

Kirsty is living a quiet life, looking forward to a peaceful evening when she encounters someone she thought she’d never see again, her high-school boyfriend who vanished without a trace years ago. The shock of seeing those pale blue eyes leaves her shaken. Yet, when she approaches him, he denies knowing her, leaving Kirsty with more questions than answers.

The story pivots between Kirsty’s desperate need for clarity and Hughie’s internal conflict. While Kirsty is certain he is lying and sets out to prove it, Hughie is equally unsettled. He knows Kirsty has recognized him, and it’s clear that their meeting was not part of his plans. Hughie’s return to their hometown is shrouded in secrecy, and the tension builds as his hidden motives slowly unravel.

“The Perfect Boyfriend” is a compelling psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. S.E. Lynes has crafted a story where past and present intertwine in a way that is both heart-wrenching and chilling. The novel’s twists and turns are expertly timed, making it a page-turner that will leave readers pondering the nature of relationships and the secrets we keep.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adore this author and will read anything they have written or will write. New favorite! Will purchase for libraries.

The Perfect Boyfriend by S.E. Lynes and narrated by Tamsin Kennard was another superb book especially as I am a big fan of this author. Every book I have read or listened to have been excellent from start to finish and this one was No different. It was full of twists and turns throughout with brilliant characters and a great story line.

The narratorTamsin Kennard was excellent and I enjoyed listening to The Perfect Boyfriend especially as she used used different accents for every character, she made this audiobook come alive! Superb! she out did herself.

I highly recommend the audiobook, it was brilliant.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture audio/Bookouture for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I loved this book. It grabbed my attention from start to finish, and the ending was crazy and unexpected. It's a must-read.

SPOLIERS IN REVIEW 2.5 stars. This book was maddening. Kirsty is heavily pregnant and has very real concerns about her elderly friend. Her spouse acts like she is insane for being worried. She is totally gaslighted by her spouse the entire book. Why is it crazy to be concerned for an elderly friend!? The house was clearly in a state of complete disarray at one point and that’s not cause for concern? It seemed so unrealistic that Kirsty’s spouse would just make her feel and seem crazy for being concerned. Kirsty also bothered me a lot because for a lover of crime shows, she was unable to make a calm clear statement to the cops so they would take her seriously. She let other people’s doubts make her second guess herself and make her look unreliable.
I did really like getting the two points of view. It was interesting to have both sides of the story right away. I didn’t like how dragged out it was and really the only twists of the story was Dougie and Huey’s age. Everything else was pretty obvious. This just wasn’t the book for me.

It's a 3.75/4 for me

Special thanks to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to review this ARC copy.

Kirsty is employed as a midwife at the hospital. She is leaving after assisting with a baby's birth when she notices a man. She is certain that she has seen him before! It's Hughie Reynolds, her lover from high school! However, one day he simply got up and left her alone. However, he informs her she's wrong when she comes up to him.Then odd things begin to happen, and Kirsty finds herself interfering in this man's affairs.

I read this book in a few hours since it moves quickly and has brief chapters that captivated me from the start to the final page. The story's deeper undertones may not be well conveyed by the title, but the twists more than make up for it. The book's unusual style, which included audio from a documentary on Kirsty and Hughie, was something I really enjoyed. It offered an intriguing complexity to the plot.The POV swapping was fantastic. Reading the story from both points of view was intriguing to me and gave the narrative a lot more nuance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this earc! This was one Captivating suspense novel! I’m excited to look into more of the authors work in the future.

The Perfect Boyfriend is a psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. S.E. Lynes had me guessing until the very end. This was my first read by this author but it most definitely won't be my last.

Having previously read and enjoyed several other books by Lynes, I knew exactly what to expect from her writing style and the calibre of her world building.

Narrated from the POV of main characters Kirsty and the 'perfect boyfriend' Hughie, The Perfect Boyfriend doesn't disappoint. It took me on a twisty whirlwind ride fueled by deception and lies. It's fast paced, gripping and oh, so addictive.

Characters are complex and while I found I couldn't form any emotional attachments to them they certainly made for a great read.

A solid and thoroughly enjoyable read.

I think this book was pretty awesome. I read it in just a few days. It's got some great twists along the way it took me a few chapters to get into it but once I did I just couldn't let go.. I would definitely be reading more books by this author. I just love the type of books where you can't put them down because you just have to know what's going to happen next and this is one of those books..

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Perfect Boyfriend is the latest to be released by popular UK thriller author S.E. Lynda.
Kirsty and Dougie have a great life and are expecting.
Pregnant Kirsty is a midwife who sees her ex teenage boyfriend, Hughie while working.
After she approaches him, he denies that it’s him.
Kirsty believes it’s really him and believes he’s lying.
She begins investigating and the truth soon unravels……
I was initially intrigued by this book and once I started I was quite enjoyed it.
The storyline as it begun was about Kirsty and Hughie and was giving off thriller vibes but it switched and became jumbled and went slightly left field.
The blurb is kind of misleading and the title should be something different.
Anyway it’s a moderate read and the ending was a little anticlimactic.

The Perfect Boyfriend is a psychological thriller that delves into the dark secrets that can linger beneath the surface of seemingly innocent relationships. This was my first book by S.E. Lynes and I enjoyed her ability to weave a suspenseful story that kept me guessing. Kirsty unexpectly bumps into her high-school boyfriend, a guy she adored until he mysteriously vanished from her life. However, the reunion takes a chilling turn when he doesn't recognize her, leaving her with a sense of unease and a desire for answer. At first you begin to wonder if this is just the over active imagination of an overworked pregnant midwife and that she is losing her mind. But you soon get the dual perspectives of both Kirsty and the old boyfriend, Hughie, which makes you realize there is more to the story. But as the book goes on you still aren't sure if it is actually Hughie or if something sinister is going on in Kirsty's life. When her elderly neighbor goes missing strange things continue to happen in Kirsty's life and she's not sure how this all fits into her unexpect run in with the guy who looks like Hughie. As she begins to involve her self in the disappearance of her neighbor she begins to put her own self and baby in danger. If you are in the mood for a thrilling read filled with suspense and unexpected twists pick up S.E. Lynes' new book.

Good grief this book is just mind-blowing!
Kirsty is a heavily pregnant midwife who see's an old flame whilst she is working. I loved her train of thought and how she believed in herself when everybody around her tried to make her doubt herself.
This book will keep you awake at night wondering if she is right, especially as the twist and turns keep coming.
Very clever writing and a superb read, I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book. Had me guessing all the way through as to whether or not Kirsty was on the right track. Lots of twists and turns along the way including some real shockers. Fast paced and engaging throughout with some great characters.

Wow. Kirsty is a midwife and expecting a baby herself is so near her maternity leave when one day she sees an old boyfriend at the hospital she works at.
Things then take a turn or two is he him? Is he?
This is just a drag into it thriller that you honestly can guess but then you’re wrong.
So good!

Kirsty is heavily pregnant, hormones racing, working super hard as a hospital midwife on shift. One shift she sees a ghost from the past, a ghost who broke nae shattered her heart and a ghost she never thought she see again. But is she seeing things? Everyone around her thinks she is.

I loved Kirsty. I’ve been in her position, heavily pregnant, stretched with work and knackered from the disrupted sleep that comes part and parcel with a bump. Lynes encapsulated that perfectly especially the “precious cargo” everyone refers to! Kirsty’s concern for both her patients and her friends is so endearing, the way she calms the mum in labour at the beginning is just what midwife should be like. Some might say her concern towards her neighbour is overbearing but if that had been my elderly relative, I’d want someone close by looking out for them.

The way Lynes switched the chapter perspectives between Kirsty and “him” (as the blurb suggests) packed the dialogue with intrigue and got me hooked. I found Kirsty’s voice quite steady but I did start to question whether she was reliable. My hormones have frequently made me question myself particularly when I was pregnant so I did the same with Kirsty.

But then his voice didn’t fill me with confidence. I felt elements of smugness and superiority whether it was deserved or not. The more I heard from this rather puffed up voice, the more I disliked returning to this male narrative!

Lynes has delivered yet another thriller that kept me guessing. The twist was *expletive* shocking as I read but in the post-read comedown, my brain started fitting together the clues to show the breadcrumb trail I’d unassumingly followed. I love this woman’s novels and this is just stunningly brilliant in my book.