I enjoyed this one! a twisty read that made me never want to stop listening. i enjoyed the narrator of this audio book.

Thank you so luck. SEL is a favorite author. I couldn’t put this down. I would have preferred it without the Houghie chapters. I don’t think they were needed and the story would have better without them. The confessional at the end could be kept although again it would be stronger if a police officer said this or she figured it out herself. I also found it hard to believe he was 29 at the time - 22/23 might have been more believable

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook book arc, the narrator did an amazing job with the story, but I agree with the other reviews that this story isn’t for everyone. While I enjoyed the book, it doesn’t really stand out against some of the other thrillers I have read.
Adding on that I find a lot of mystery books the main character is a woman that no one believes and they just brush her off cause she pregnant. I found after a while it to be more irritating than anything. 3 stars from me and I struggled to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for access to this audio ARC.

I was determined to finish the book even though at times I was really struggling to get through it. The title and plot synopsis had intrigued me, but unfortunately I felt like the book didn’t live up to the hype. The story development was slow, and I felt like there was a lot of repetition, making it hard to stay fully engaged. I also found the characters somewhat annoying and couldn’t gel with them. The twists seemed odd and unfitting, especially the finale one. For want of not giving away any spoilers, I don’t think gender identity had any relevance to the plot and wasn’t sure why it was needed. Sadly I wasn’t gripped, very little suspense and I wasn’t concerned how it ended.

"That's the thing about unresolved history. It's the moth, isn't it? That damn flame. So bright, so dazzling, so warm until it's not warm anymore."

A pregnant nurse working in labor and delivery is on break after assisting in a difficult birth when she sees someone from her past. It's her ex, who was her best friend and beloved by even her family, who vanished on her when they were teens, leaving scars and trust issues behind.

She should confront him. She thought he might even be dead! No, she's married now. She is due any day now. She should leave this alone.

But we know she's not going to leave it alone. When she sees him, he pretends not to recognize her! Did he take a clunk to the head or what? He's up to something, and she's going to find out what that is, even if it puts her in danger.

This was another great book by SE Lynes! Always a twisty tale that sucks you in. The narrator was great too.

Kristy is a pregnant midwife who believes she saw her ex boyfriend who had willingly vanished from her life years before. I was reeled in from the beginning until midway through the story finding myself so irritated by the main characters. The pacing of this story was also painfully slow. The title of the book made zero sense and the ending was beyond disappointing. This book was not for me.
2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I did enjoy this fast ;past thriller and I look forward to reading more by this author........Kirsty is working as a midwife at the local hospital when she sees her ex-boyfriend Hughie from her high school days. She can't believe it but she would know those eyes anywhere so Kirsty is shocked when he says he is not Hughie and that he does not know her. Even though she can't believe it she moves on and puts it out of her mind. Maybe it's her pregnancy hormones playing tricks on her. Kirsty has more important things to worry about when she cannot get ahold ofd her eldery neighbour. Why is she not answering the phone and where could she possibly be? Could all these bizarre circumstances be connected somehow.......we shall see....Enjoy!!!

3.5*... Tamsin Kennard has captivated me once again with her flawless narration. I'll listen to anything she reads, knowing she'll capture all the dialects and even male voices effortlessly. The Perfect Boyfriend (not sure of the significance of this title...when Kirsty had her old beau he was far from perfect even then) started off strong. I thought the character development was well-done and I enjoyed the setting. I certainly could not have predicted all the murderer had been through leading them to the ultimate crime. But once it becomes clear "whodunnit," the story sort of trails off a little in my opinion. Overall recommended for all domestic thriller fans, especially those set in Scotland and read by Kennard!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARL! All opinions are mine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!

This was my first read of 2025 and it just fell a bit short. It was a good story and the ending had a twist but it was slow getting there. I also found the FMC to be very repetitive and it seemed like she was saying the same thing over and over again just in different ways.

I think if it was a bit faster paced then it would have been 4 stars!

But just because I found it a tad slow, doesn’t mean you won’t devour it and love it! Still definitely worth the read!

Audiobook version of The Perfect Boyfriend by S.E. Lynes (narrated by Tasmin Kennard)

My first book by S.E. Lynes was impressive. It started off a little slow, but picked up quickly and kept my attention throughout. The ending was excellent, in my opinion. It tied everything together as well as added even more plot twists than expected. I even gasped out loud at some. I thought the narrator was great and was perfect for this book. I am very much looking forward to reading more by this author. Thank you @NetGalley for my advanced DRC and for introducing me to a new author!


#ThePerfectBoyfriend #SELynes #NetGalley

The plot centers on a woman who, on the verge of giving birth, mysteriously encounters her ex-boyfriend who had disappeared years earlier. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite meet my expectations, and I found myself losing interest at times. The storyline felt a bit far-fetched, and I struggled to connect with the main characters. While the narration may have impacted my experience, making it perhaps better suited as a traditional read rather than an audiobook, it simply wasn’t to my taste. This isn’t a reflection on the author’s skill but rather a matter of personal preference.

I thought that the narrators were a bit hard to understand but it could be just the accent.

It took me awhile to get into the story but as it went on I was kind of stuck and I just had to finish. I kind of guessed what would take place by almost the end of the book.

The ending dragged on for far too long in my opinion but overall it was an ok read!

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.