Think You Can Spot A Red Flag? The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden Will Prove You Wrong.

If you have ever been on a bad date and thought wow that was awful, let me introduce you to Sydney Shaw, who takes the absolute worst dating experience to a whole new level. Because it turns out, getting ghosted or having a guy talk about his ex all night isn't so bad when the alternative is, you know, potentially being murdered.

Freida Mcfadden's The Boyfriend is the ultimate psychological thriller about love, trust, and the terrifying realization that the person you're falling for might not be who they say they are (and I don't mean catfishing). This book had me second guessing everything- and just when I thought I had it figured out- PLOT TWIST.

Let's talk about why this story will ruin your trust issues forever.

Sydney Shaw is just your average single woman in New York, fed up with dating nightmares. She's dealt with the worst of the worst- cheaters, liars, guys still obsessed with their ex, guys who conveniently "forget" their wallet at dinner. She's about to give up on dating entirely when she meets Tom- cue swoons.

Tom is perfect. Handsome, successful, a doctor (obviously). He seems genuinely into her, and says all the right things and for once, Sydney feels like she's finally found someone worth trusting. But here's the problem: Tom is a pathological liar.

At first, the lies are small. He tells her his last name is Brown when it's really Brewer. It's not a big deal when you think about it, sometimes you don't want to give your real name to a stranger you just met, but after a relationship starts to bloom you need to come clean. Tom didn't, he waited for Sydney to find out and then tried to gaslight her. Red flag. THEN he told her he worked at one hospital but when she looks it up? No record of him. Suspicious? Of course, but Sydney seems to ignore the red flags because she wants to believe in him.

That's the terrifying about this book, we've all been there. Maybe not with a potential serial killer (hopefully), but we've all given people the benefit of the doubt when we shouldn't have. We've all overlooked red flags because we wanted to believe someone was good. Sydney knows something is wrong, but she convinces herself it's nothing. Because it so perfect otherwise. Right? One of the interesting aspects of this book is how it plays with Sydney's trust issues- not just with Tom, but with men in general. After years of failed relationships, she finally finds someone she wants to commit to... and the second she starts to trust him, doubt creeps in.

That's what makes The Boyfriend such a psychological mind game. Sydney isn't just questioning Tom- she's questioning herself. Am i being paranoid? Am i overreacting? Maybe I'm just scared to be in a relationship again. And honestly, i felt that. We are so used to telling ourselves Don't be crazy. Don't assume the worst. Give people a chance. But then, what happens when your gut is right? Sydney is constantly flipping between;

Tom is amazing, I'm overthinking!

Wait, he lied about his job... RED FLAG.

But he's so kind to me... maybe it's a misunderstanding...

WHY IS SOMEONE FOLLOWING ME?

It's the emotional rollercoaster from hell, and i was right there with her.

I was so sure I had this figured out. Yom is shady as hell. The evidence is right there. And yet... BOY I WAS WRONG.

Freida McFadden played me like a fiddle. Just when i thought i had it all pieced together, she pulled the rug out from under me and left me staring at the page in shock. It's the kind of twist that makes you want to flip back through the book and scream at yourself, HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS?! That's what makes this book so damn good. McFadden keeps you on your toes the entire time.

Should you read this? Of course, but keep an open mind because ANYONE can be the perpetrator in this book...