The narration is absolutly perfect in this one! I was so into it. The book is weird but a good weird. I definitely enjoyed it. I love all the twists. I love how the protagonist tried to figure it all out.

This would have been a 4 until the final chapter when our main character reveals that her partner is a woman. I had the audio arc and thought I misheard. Like, did she just call her husband she/her? I hate that they did that. The only time it could come into play is when the lady thought she was 'with her husband' on the dock. There was no reason to hide her queer identity, but also, why make her queer at all? (Coming from a queer person)

I think as far as thrillers go it was pretty good. Lots of twists and turns. However I do that a lot of the issues could have been resolved if our main character had spoken to anyone with a brain at the police station.

Narrators did a good job. :)

The Perfect Boyfriend by S.E. Lynes
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard

What makes a perfect boyfriend? Is an eighteen year old girl even able to really know she has the perfect boyfriend? When a teenager thinks one thing and then the boyfriend proves another, will she still be carrying the scars a decade later?

Over a decade after Hughie dumped Kirsty in the most devastating manner, Kirsty and Dougie are a happy couple, expecting a baby in a few weeks, looking forward to all the wonderful things to come in their lives. But then midwife Kirsty sees Hughie at her place of work but he acts like he doesn't know her, that she has the wrong person. Yes, he's aged greatly, looks much older than he should look, but Kirsty knows this is Hughie and she wants an explanation for how he left her in such a hurtful manner.

But Kirsty should have left well enough alone. As is often the case with stories like this one, I rolled my eyes at many of the unwise things Kirsty does. Remember, she's about to pop out a baby any minute and one second she's mad because people are blaming her wild accusations on hormones and the next minute she's willing to use hormones as an excuse for her actions. As much as I side eyed Kirsty for some things, I fumed at how Dougie dismissed Kirsty's very valid worries over their elderly neighbor. To the dog house with you, Dougie! I'm not saying whether the neighbor needed help or not but I sure do feel for anyone who just might, maybe, need checking on from Dougie because it's not going to happen.

Pop the popcorn and have a seat as Kirsty becomes an action figure in her last weeks of pregnancy. What do I know, I've never had a baby but where do these extremely pregnant women in fiction get the energy to do what they do? Tamsin Kennard narrates and I always know I'm in for a ride when she's narrating.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Woah!!! What did I just read??
This. Was. CRAZY!!

Kind of a dual timeline in that the story keeps bouncing back and forth between HS years and current day, but, wow! Just…wow!

Kirsty is now married with a baby on the way (soon). She works as a midwife.
When she sees what she believes CANNOT be real, she falters. Could it POSSIBLY be Hughie? The guy who walked right out on her years ago? It can’t possibly be!
But there he is. AND…He’s a doctor!

She finally decides to confront him…straight out. But, he totally denies it’s him. And, he must be right. I mean, even the name is different…

But the more time that goes by, the more she believes it IS him!

As Kirsty goes on a sprint to get to the bottom of this, things start to unravel for him and for her. But the closer she seems to get to discover anything, the more threats she receives as well….

This was a true nail biter! Scary…especially with the pregnancy. AND…keeps you hanging on…right…to…the…very…end!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook! **** This is due to be released on 1/6/24, so look for it soon!! ****

#ThePerfectBoyfriend by #SELynes and narrated beautifully by #TamsinKennard.

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First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to an advanced and free audio copy of this book.
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me that much. I've tried before, twice, to read a book by this author and I actually DNFed those both times, but it is what people say "third time's a charm". So I requested this book so that I could try this author again. And even though I did manage to finish (for the first time) a book by this author - which I totally give it to the audiobook narrator -, I realise S.E.Lynes is not for me. I don't connect with her characters or barely appreciate her writing.
Also, I expected a domestic thriller when I read the synopsis of this book, and it isn't, really.
Basically, I didn't hate this book but I'm sure I won't even remember it in a month or two.
Guess it's safe to say I'm not right audience for this book, or for this author in general.

Based on the cover/title this book was nothing that I expected. I was expecting more of a domestic thriller that was hastily created, but this was really well thought psychological thriller that played on many angles. I loved how small the world was (because as I get older I find that it's true) and that the protagonist was just a kind person in the wrong place at the wrong time. The twist with Dougie i felt was unnecessary -if you want that situation in your book just make it so, hiding their nature didn't add to the story at all. Still a very interesting tale with lots of twists to keep us all entertained.
Thank you to NetGalley, S.E. Lynes, and Bookoture Audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and was eagerly waiting to see how things would unfold. I did have to pull my mindset out of normal thriller zone because it is quite clear what’s going on, it’s really just the details that make up the intrigue. I did find it quite interesting that although I feel like I knew most of what was happening that I was still quite involved in the storyline.

I enjoyed the audiobook narration as well. The narration is with an accent that correlates with the setting of the book. As an American listener it was still easy to understand the narration.

Enjoyed!!!!! So I listened to this one as an audiobook and I’m so glad that I did. I really felt like I was inside the story living all these characters lives with them. I felt everything they did and when they did. It was amazing. What was also amazing was the narration. What an awesome job was done with it. Ok now let’s talk about this one. Where do I even start????? This author did such a great job with the characters. I liked them all. They each brought something to the story that made it wonderful. Some of it was good and some of it was bad. That brings me to the story itself. It was intriguing and had me gripped the entire time. Once I read the blurb I just knew I had to find out more. Last but not least that shocking ending. It was a real treat and had me so surprised. I will be thinking about this one for a while. I’ve read this author before and she never disappoints. This one was no different and I can’t wait for her next book.

Now, this is a great mystery thriller what will keep you guessing till the end.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookuture Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Listened to the audio book and felt like I was in the story. Did not see that ending at all, had it all figured out and then nope I did not.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for the book #ThePerfectBoyfriend by #SELynes. Kristy and Huey used to date in high school, that is until he disappeared and only left a nasty letter. Years later, while at work at the hospital, Kristy runs into a man that resembles Huey and confronts him. He insists that he is not the same person. Is she losing her mind or did she just stumble upon some major trouble? Can she make sense of all of this?

3.5 stars - Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for an ARC copy of The Perfect Boyfriend! This was my second audio book and it did not disappoint. I loved the narration, they did a fantastic job of depicting the tone (digust, dislike, panic, etc.). I did find the description of the book should have had a little bit more context (like Kristie was married, was very pregnant, etc.). I was thrown off a little during the first chapter or two because of that. The book had a few twists that I didn't see coming, and a few that I did. Overall I enjoyed the book and gave it a 3.5 stars.

Kirsty is just finishing up her day working as a midwife. She is 35 weeks pregnant herself and is ready to head home and rest. On her way out the door, she sees someone from her past and calls his name, but he claims his name is Barry and continues walking away from her. But Kirsty would know Hughie anywhere, he was her high school love after all. But she hadn't seen him since he suddenly disappeared when she was 18 years old. In the following days, Kirsty can't stop thinking about Hughie and why he would claim to be someone else, her neighbor and friend goes missing, and Kirsty feels like someone is following her, trying to do her harm.

This book was fast paced and full of twists, lies, and deceptions. The story is told from Kirsty and Hughie's POV. There was one reveal towards the end of the book that I was expecting more from, and I thought I knew where it was going, but it went nowhere. Just a like twist thrown in later with no purpose that it was not revealed sooner. Everything else was finished up nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ALC for review. Expected publisction date is January 6, 2025.

What did I just listen to?? 😳🎧 I have whiplash from all the twists!

Finishing her shift at the hospital, pregnant midwife Kirsty sees her ex-boyfriend, Hughie - the same ex-boyfriend who ghosted her in college and left her devastated. Except, this man claims to be someone named Barry who has never seen Kirsty before. And that’s just the beginning …. Kirsty is left questioning her sanity and determined to figure out what is going on.

You’ll be questioning your own sanity, too, as you read this book! I was fully invested in Kirsty’s journey for the truth as she tries to figure out why Hughie is saying he isn’t Hughie and why he’s returned home. As she tries to sort this out, a series of strange events happen and while Kirsty is convinced they are all related, no one else around her is. Are all these events tied together or has Kirsty watched one too many true crime documentaries?

The audiobook’s narrator is absolutely fantastic! The book feels more like a conversation with Kirsty and really pulls you in. She did a superb job!

If you want to go on a wild ride, grab “The Perfect Boyfriend!”

Thank you netgalley, bookouture, and Bookouture Audio for my advance copy!

A twisty drama perfect for fans of messy relationships, Girl on the Train-style distrust of your narrator (but minus the substances), and 2nd chance romance-- erm, no, I meant murder.

Premise - Many years after she's ghosted by her high school boyfriend, Hughie, Kirsty is happily married, pregnant, and working in medicine. But then a new doctor joins the team - and despite a different name and his staunch denials, she's convinced it's Hughie, all grown up. But why would he come back if he doesn't want to be recognized? And is he behind the disappearance of her elderly best friend?

This is a gripping, twisty tale full of drama. Hughie is absolutely hate-able (in a way that didn't make reading his perspective any less fun) and Kirsty is a character I could root for. She's neurotic, sure, and maybe a little obsessive, but in a way that makes you wonder if maybe she's the bad guy... and isn't that fun? I loved being drip-fed the truths until the final shocking reveal. So fun!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Tamsin Kennard. She's incredibly talented and I'll always jump on an audiobook if it's narrated by her! This was as good as her others and she did a brilliant job with both Kirsty and Hughie, as well as all the minor characters. I'd definitely recommend going with the audiobook for this story!

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this audioarc.
This is a psychological thriller about Midwife Kirsty who comes across a man from her past, her former boyfriend who disappeared years ago without a trace so she goes to him and talks to him but he has no idea who she is, or so we think that. This is dual POV from Kirsty and former boyfriend Hugh. Kirsty will do whatever it takes to reveal the identity of Hugh. Soon, secrets unravel and stuff gets pretty interesting. It didn't grasp me too much but I think that's because I was in reading slump. I didn't really like the narrator and I wanted more twists through the story. Not the best I've read but I enjoyed it and if this is your thing I would still recommend.

S.E. Lynes delivers a gripping psychological thriller in The Perfect Boyfriend, a story filled with suspense, twists, and a chilling exploration of obsession and deception. From the very beginning, readers sense that something is deeply off, but the full scope of the danger unfolds gradually, keeping the tension high and the pages turning.

The story takes a dark turn as bodies begin to pile up and an old boyfriend unexpectedly reappears. But is it really him, or is something more sinister at play? Refusing to accept his explanations at face value, the protagonist embarks on an intense investigation, uncovering secrets that push her—and the reader—to the edge of reason.

Lynes skillfully builds suspense, layering intrigue and psychological complexity with each chapter. The pacing is impeccable, and the revelations are both shocking and satisfying. For fans of psychological thrillers, The Perfect Boyfriend is a must-read—a haunting and masterfully constructed tale that will leave readers questioning what they thought they knew.

When I see S.E. Lynes on a cover, I'm going to read it, so when Netgalley listed this one, it was a no brainer. The Perfect Boyfriend on audio was the roller coaster ride I didn't know I needed.

Main character, pregnant midwife Kirsty is living her best life when, out of nowhere, she encounters a man she knows is a former boyfriend who disappeared years earlier. The past/present storyline, the mystery of is he or isn't he, our experience that pregnant main characters in thrillers usually are having hormone brains making the reader question everything......I was there for all of it.

I will not say more because the beauty of this one was going in cold and being gobsmacked at the end.....that is a gift I now pass to you.

Highly recommend on audio as Tamsin Kennard is a pro at telling the story with her voice.

This book releases January 6, 2025 and should go on the tbr right now.