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The Boyfriend
What if your exes were being killed off one by one?
Adele has had a colourful romantic past but has finally found her soulmate, Tom. They are engaged and she is looking forward to a future of blissful happiness.
Until she realises her ex-boyfriends are turning up dead.
At first the deaths seem accidental, but soon a sinister pattern emerges. All of Adele’s former partners are being killed off - in the order she dated them.
As the body count grows, Adele has to figure out who is doing this and why.
Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until the killer gets to Tom…
Adele has had a colourful romantic past but has finally found her soulmate, Tom. They are engaged and she is looking forward to a future of blissful happiness.
Until she realises her ex-boyfriends are turning up dead.
At first the deaths seem accidental, but soon a sinister pattern emerges. All of Adele’s former partners are being killed off - in the order she dated them.
As the body count grows, Adele has to figure out who is doing this and why.
Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until the killer gets to Tom…
266 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2021
3233 people are currently reading
2308 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Hurst
98 books4,317 followersDaniel Hurst is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of fast paced psychological thrillers. His most popular titles include Til Death Do Us Part, The Passenger and The Doctor's Wife, the latter title reaching #1 on the Amazon UK Kindle store in February 2023. A regular KDP Select All Star since he became a full-time author in 2021, Daniel prides himself on writing fast, releasing stories often and engaging with his readers.
You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'
You can visit him at www.danielhurstbooks.com, where you can also download a copy of his FREE thriller 'Just One Second.'
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
September 3, 2022
“Another one bites the dust
Hey I’m gonna’ get you too
Another one bites the dust” songwriter John Deacon. Performed by Queen
Adele is finally ready to settle down and get married. She’s leaving all her boyfriends and affairs in the past once and for all. Now suddenly, one by one they’re all dying under very strange circumstances. Is her fiancé next in line? Why won’t the police listen to her!?
I thought this premise was unique, captivating my attention immediately. Had me second-guessing all potential perpetrators the entire way through. And one by one, the police slowly cleared my suspects!🤣 Must be losing my detectives eye!🕵️♀️
A super speedy thriller! I finished the audio in one afternoon. If you’re looking for a quick, thrilling audio to listen on your daily commute or flight to the beach this would be a perfect fit.
3.5⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media🎧
Hey I’m gonna’ get you too
Another one bites the dust” songwriter John Deacon. Performed by Queen
Adele is finally ready to settle down and get married. She’s leaving all her boyfriends and affairs in the past once and for all. Now suddenly, one by one they’re all dying under very strange circumstances. Is her fiancé next in line? Why won’t the police listen to her!?
I thought this premise was unique, captivating my attention immediately. Had me second-guessing all potential perpetrators the entire way through. And one by one, the police slowly cleared my suspects!🤣 Must be losing my detectives eye!🕵️♀️
A super speedy thriller! I finished the audio in one afternoon. If you’re looking for a quick, thrilling audio to listen on your daily commute or flight to the beach this would be a perfect fit.
3.5⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media🎧
June 21, 2023
Pretty entertaining despite it being a bit OTT
August 3, 2022
3.5 stars
Adele has finally found her soulmate in Tom. They are engaged and planning their wedding. But then Adele's ex-boyfriends are dying one after the other. Accidental deaths? Initially they appear to be accidental, but soon Adele and the police begin to believe the men, who are dying in the order she dated them are being murdered. Believing that Tom will be the final victim, Adele tries to find the killer herself (while doing some heavy drinking).
This was an entertaining and fast read/listen. Things moved at a nice pace. Readers/listeners get the POV of Adele and "The boyfriend". Readers are not given his identity and as Adele's boyfriends were being killed off, I kept wondering which boyfriend??
Enjoyable, entertaining, and engaging!
I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrators did a great job.
#TheBoyfriend #NetGalley
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Adele has finally found her soulmate in Tom. They are engaged and planning their wedding. But then Adele's ex-boyfriends are dying one after the other. Accidental deaths? Initially they appear to be accidental, but soon Adele and the police begin to believe the men, who are dying in the order she dated them are being murdered. Believing that Tom will be the final victim, Adele tries to find the killer herself (while doing some heavy drinking).
This was an entertaining and fast read/listen. Things moved at a nice pace. Readers/listeners get the POV of Adele and "The boyfriend". Readers are not given his identity and as Adele's boyfriends were being killed off, I kept wondering which boyfriend??
Enjoyable, entertaining, and engaging!
I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrators did a great job.
#TheBoyfriend #NetGalley
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
September 7, 2021
"Ten minutes in East Woods, and you would think that the world is full of lovers."
The Boyfriend
by Daniel Hurst
OK mystery and domestic suspense fans! I have found your next book!
The boyfriend was seriously addicting. I could not stop reading it!
So try to imagine this: Everybody you have ever dated/had a relationship with, fell in love with, kissed, had an affair with, got engaged to, went out with, etc etc!
They're all being murdered.
At first you think it is a coincidence when the first one dies. Because it doesn't look like murder at all.
But how about -- when number two dies? And then number three? And then.....
See where I'm going with this?
What a great idea for a book! And it was NOT easy to figure out. I did not guess correctly.
I really like this author. I recently read "The promotion" which I did not enjoy as much as this one and only rated a three but that wasn't because of the writing, it was because of the plot.
No such issues here. This book was so good, I seriously considered rating it a five, something I rarely do with domestic thrillers.
You will suspect EVERYONE. And I do mean everyone.
It is also a race against time. See, Adele, the hapless girlfriend is now engaged -- and she realizes the killer is systematically working their way through all her exes until the only one left is the man she loves and is about to marry.
She knows what's going on -- but what if people do not believe her?
You will suspect friends, lovers, family, the narrator, small characters who make cameos, smaller characters, social media buddies, strangers -- the list goes on.
It is VERY hard to figure out.
The situation is so bizarre, it will leave you transfixed and you will want to match wits with the writer and figure it all out!
So, friends -- so many of you love this type of book -- I am telling you, you will want to add this one. It's a fast and furious read which I finished in one sitting and the ending was good -- I was very satisfied at the end of this book.
Four mysterious and sparkly stars! Read it.
The Boyfriend
by Daniel Hurst
OK mystery and domestic suspense fans! I have found your next book!
The boyfriend was seriously addicting. I could not stop reading it!
So try to imagine this: Everybody you have ever dated/had a relationship with, fell in love with, kissed, had an affair with, got engaged to, went out with, etc etc!
They're all being murdered.
At first you think it is a coincidence when the first one dies. Because it doesn't look like murder at all.
But how about -- when number two dies? And then number three? And then.....
See where I'm going with this?
What a great idea for a book! And it was NOT easy to figure out. I did not guess correctly.
I really like this author. I recently read "The promotion" which I did not enjoy as much as this one and only rated a three but that wasn't because of the writing, it was because of the plot.
No such issues here. This book was so good, I seriously considered rating it a five, something I rarely do with domestic thrillers.
You will suspect EVERYONE. And I do mean everyone.
It is also a race against time. See, Adele, the hapless girlfriend is now engaged -- and she realizes the killer is systematically working their way through all her exes until the only one left is the man she loves and is about to marry.
She knows what's going on -- but what if people do not believe her?
You will suspect friends, lovers, family, the narrator, small characters who make cameos, smaller characters, social media buddies, strangers -- the list goes on.
It is VERY hard to figure out.
The situation is so bizarre, it will leave you transfixed and you will want to match wits with the writer and figure it all out!
So, friends -- so many of you love this type of book -- I am telling you, you will want to add this one. It's a fast and furious read which I finished in one sitting and the ending was good -- I was very satisfied at the end of this book.
Four mysterious and sparkly stars! Read it.
January 21, 2023
3.65⭐ rounded up for the audiobook.
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, suicide references
Adele has had 5 serious boyfriends before she finds the one to settle down with, Tom. Each boyfriend starts dying in mysterious ways one by one. After the 3rd death Adele starts to thinks that maybe she is somehow linked to the murderer. Soon enough she knows she's right when she receives a text that says "3 down 3 to go". She goes to the police, but they aren't taking her too seriously.
It's mostly told in the 1st person by Adele and we get a few chapters from 'the boyfriend'. I liked this one well enough and I was engaged throughout. I thought I had the killer figured out a few times, but nope. Who is this mysterious boyfriend? You'll have to wait until the end to find out.
Lorna Bennett and Chris Devon did a good job narrating for 7 hours and 42 minutes, easy to follow at 2x. One thing I will say about Lorna is that while her male voices were overall okay she slowed down her voice for them, almost like she had to think about it.
Overall, a quick read/listen with some suspenseful moments. Adele did a bit too much drinking for my liking, but a decent book nonetheless. This is my first time with this author and it won't be my last.
*Thanks to Dreamscape Media, Daniel Hurst and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, suicide references
Adele has had 5 serious boyfriends before she finds the one to settle down with, Tom. Each boyfriend starts dying in mysterious ways one by one. After the 3rd death Adele starts to thinks that maybe she is somehow linked to the murderer. Soon enough she knows she's right when she receives a text that says "3 down 3 to go". She goes to the police, but they aren't taking her too seriously.
It's mostly told in the 1st person by Adele and we get a few chapters from 'the boyfriend'. I liked this one well enough and I was engaged throughout. I thought I had the killer figured out a few times, but nope. Who is this mysterious boyfriend? You'll have to wait until the end to find out.
Lorna Bennett and Chris Devon did a good job narrating for 7 hours and 42 minutes, easy to follow at 2x. One thing I will say about Lorna is that while her male voices were overall okay she slowed down her voice for them, almost like she had to think about it.
Overall, a quick read/listen with some suspenseful moments. Adele did a bit too much drinking for my liking, but a decent book nonetheless. This is my first time with this author and it won't be my last.
*Thanks to Dreamscape Media, Daniel Hurst and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
July 29, 2021
Adele is finally in a satisfying relationship with Tom and finally wants to settle down if she would only just stop drinking so much when she goes out with her best friend Nicola. The excessive drinking is starting to cause a rift in her blissful relationship. One day Adele receives a text that her first real boyfriend committed suicide and it hits her very hard and then a short time later another ex dies in an auto accident and but after the third ex-boyfriend, Adele is suspicious that someone is targeting all her ex's and Tom could possibly be next. When she goes to the police they dismiss her as a drama queen until some other unexpected events occur. Why is all this happening around Adele? Can she solve the deadly mystery surrounding herself or does someone want to see Adele dead at the end of all this. Who is targeting Adele and Why?
This was a fast-paced and fun read. There were many humorous moments throughout the story yet it was not a dark or cozy mystery by any means. I found this story to be very entertaining and enjoyable although not a thought provoking type of book but a clever little mystery. I would recommend this book to readers who want a lighter type of mystery for a change of pace. I enjoyed the writing style and would like to read more of Daniel Hurst's books in the future.
I want to thank the publisher "Inkubator Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this entertaining story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this book a rating of 3 TANTALIZING 🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
This was a fast-paced and fun read. There were many humorous moments throughout the story yet it was not a dark or cozy mystery by any means. I found this story to be very entertaining and enjoyable although not a thought provoking type of book but a clever little mystery. I would recommend this book to readers who want a lighter type of mystery for a change of pace. I enjoyed the writing style and would like to read more of Daniel Hurst's books in the future.
I want to thank the publisher "Inkubator Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this entertaining story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this book a rating of 3 TANTALIZING 🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
November 26, 2024
This is a quick read full of shocking twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night. Daniel Hurst is definitely an auto-read author. All of his books, this one included, kept me on the edge of my seat. Entertaining, suspenseful and never disappointing describe all of his addictive thrillers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 13, 2023
This book has a lot of good reviews and I feel a bit guilty to write a bad one.
Adele is a 36-year-old accountant who was recently engaged to Tom and was ready to start planning their wedding when her first boyfriend committed suicide. And after this one after another, all her former boyfriends die from different causes. Were these deaths a coincidence or these people were murdered? Police don't take her concerns seriously at the beginning and start to investigate only when the number of dead boyfriends approaches the end of the list.
I didn't like the book because I came to hate Adele more and more. She is a selfish alcoholic who doesn't really care about her fiancee's feelings. She is drunk 4 times during the working week and is going to work with a headache. She promises not to drink, but she consumes bottle after bottle. She even passes off on the kitchen floor.
Adele is a very selfish person and I don't understand how Tom wants to marry her or why somebody is going to kill 6 people because of love for Adele.
This book reminded me of The House Across the Lake which also got only 2 stars from me because of an alcoholic heroine.
Daniel Hurst has a lot of good books, but this one seems written in a rush and the story looks unreal and raw.
Adele is a 36-year-old accountant who was recently engaged to Tom and was ready to start planning their wedding when her first boyfriend committed suicide. And after this one after another, all her former boyfriends die from different causes. Were these deaths a coincidence or these people were murdered? Police don't take her concerns seriously at the beginning and start to investigate only when the number of dead boyfriends approaches the end of the list.
I didn't like the book because I came to hate Adele more and more. She is a selfish alcoholic who doesn't really care about her fiancee's feelings. She is drunk 4 times during the working week and is going to work with a headache. She promises not to drink, but she consumes bottle after bottle. She even passes off on the kitchen floor.
Adele is a very selfish person and I don't understand how Tom wants to marry her or why somebody is going to kill 6 people because of love for Adele.
This book reminded me of The House Across the Lake which also got only 2 stars from me because of an alcoholic heroine.
Daniel Hurst has a lot of good books, but this one seems written in a rush and the story looks unreal and raw.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2022
Someone is killing off all of your ex-boyfriends.
What's a gal to do?
In "The Boyfriend", Adele is engaged to Tom, the love of her life and sixth boyfriend. When planning her wedding, Adele gets notified daily about the deaths of her five previous beaus.
Will her fiance Tom be the next victim?
Even though the book had a very, very slow start, author Daniel Hurst is a gifted storyteller who always keeps readers engaged and second-guessing until the final chapter.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT. Since the murderer's name was not mentioned until the very end of the book, I was unable to guess the ending.
Did Daniel Hurst purposely not introduce the murderer early on because he did not want readers to guess the murderer's identity?
I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators were good but not great.
I am a huge fan of Daniel Hurst and will continue to listen to his fast-paced and captivating popcorn thrillers.
Some of Daniel Hurst's books are better than others and, unfortunately, this was not one of his besties.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What's a gal to do?
In "The Boyfriend", Adele is engaged to Tom, the love of her life and sixth boyfriend. When planning her wedding, Adele gets notified daily about the deaths of her five previous beaus.
Will her fiance Tom be the next victim?
Even though the book had a very, very slow start, author Daniel Hurst is a gifted storyteller who always keeps readers engaged and second-guessing until the final chapter.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT. Since the murderer's name was not mentioned until the very end of the book, I was unable to guess the ending.
Did Daniel Hurst purposely not introduce the murderer early on because he did not want readers to guess the murderer's identity?
I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators were good but not great.
I am a huge fan of Daniel Hurst and will continue to listen to his fast-paced and captivating popcorn thrillers.
Some of Daniel Hurst's books are better than others and, unfortunately, this was not one of his besties.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2022
Who is the killer?
Her past boyfriends are dropping dead and the very last one - her fiancé is next. Will she and the police figure out who is behind the murders in time to save her husband? Good read.
Her past boyfriends are dropping dead and the very last one - her fiancé is next. Will she and the police figure out who is behind the murders in time to save her husband? Good read.
June 21, 2021
This is peak r/menwritingwomen. There's so much wrong with Adele, and it's not the fact that she's clearly an alcoholic who never learned to grow up and take a hold of herself or how she has terrible friends who only fuel her fire and send her spilling into madness because she cannot add two and two together on her own; she's extremely unlikable and annoying, completely self-absorbed and too worried about herself enough to care about others, with little to no backbone or courage in order to take on what's in front of her.
It's specially awful considering that she's the protagonist of the story, and you are supposed to root or her as the story goes on and starts to "unravel" the mystery regarding the sudden deaths of her ex-boyfriends. She does very little once she realizes that the pieces are adding up and that she's the link that connects the spree of murders, and I get it, she went to the police, yet… why couldn't she investigate the matter herself?
It would have been a huge plus for the story to involve Adele in these murders: have her go and ask questions regarding Shaun's mental health to his parents or previous classmates that perhaps kept in contact with him after school, approach Calum's family and see if they had noticed anything weird with their garage before the accident, inquired how exactly did the fire start in Ryan's house, and after hearing how Ash was being followed by a hooded man left her feelings towards him aside in order to seek him out and made sure he made it home safely herself. Her lack of interest is astonishing considering how worried she is over her soon to be husband is from joining the body count, she just leaves everything to the police despise them being incredible unreliable and treating her as if she was insane all the way until Ash was found dead.
It was infuriating. The more she complained about her situation the stronger my negative feelings towards her became, and perhaps that was the only reason I finished reading this book… and I am almost glad I did, because what happened next truly was something else.
Much more disappointing than anything else was the reason why all this came to be. It was so big of a let down that I could not believe I had spent all that time only to find out at the end that some incel couldn't move on from something he directly caused and had to go on a murder spree twenty years later in order to fulfill his little fantasy. That was it, and there's no way in heaven I can convince myself that there's something in Adele that drew all these six man towards her let alone have one stalk her for such a long time over such stupid reasons.
In the end, she has her big day and gets to make up with all the people who she either accused of being the ones behind the deaths of her previous partners or neglected because she was being a genuine bad friend, while she is celebrating we get told that she attended the court hearings for the trials instead of actually showing us those much more exciting moments than thoughts about finally achieving happiness and marrying the love her life.
If this is a psychological thriller, then I clearly must be a nuclear physicist.
It's specially awful considering that she's the protagonist of the story, and you are supposed to root or her as the story goes on and starts to "unravel" the mystery regarding the sudden deaths of her ex-boyfriends. She does very little once she realizes that the pieces are adding up and that she's the link that connects the spree of murders, and I get it, she went to the police, yet… why couldn't she investigate the matter herself?
It would have been a huge plus for the story to involve Adele in these murders: have her go and ask questions regarding Shaun's mental health to his parents or previous classmates that perhaps kept in contact with him after school, approach Calum's family and see if they had noticed anything weird with their garage before the accident, inquired how exactly did the fire start in Ryan's house, and after hearing how Ash was being followed by a hooded man left her feelings towards him aside in order to seek him out and made sure he made it home safely herself. Her lack of interest is astonishing considering how worried she is over her soon to be husband is from joining the body count, she just leaves everything to the police despise them being incredible unreliable and treating her as if she was insane all the way until Ash was found dead.
It was infuriating. The more she complained about her situation the stronger my negative feelings towards her became, and perhaps that was the only reason I finished reading this book… and I am almost glad I did, because what happened next truly was something else.
Much more disappointing than anything else was the reason why all this came to be. It was so big of a let down that I could not believe I had spent all that time only to find out at the end that some incel couldn't move on from something he directly caused and had to go on a murder spree twenty years later in order to fulfill his little fantasy. That was it, and there's no way in heaven I can convince myself that there's something in Adele that drew all these six man towards her let alone have one stalk her for such a long time over such stupid reasons.
In the end, she has her big day and gets to make up with all the people who she either accused of being the ones behind the deaths of her previous partners or neglected because she was being a genuine bad friend, while she is celebrating we get told that she attended the court hearings for the trials instead of actually showing us those much more exciting moments than thoughts about finally achieving happiness and marrying the love her life.
If this is a psychological thriller, then I clearly must be a nuclear physicist.
June 15, 2021
Digital copy received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Adele is a 36 year old, young-at-heart and fun female who is madly in love with her fiancé Tom. She has a supportive best friend and feels lucky to have found her soul mate after the dating life she has had since the tender age of 16. It all seems to be going well until Adele realizes that her exes are being killed in the order that she dated them. No one truly believes her, not even Tom, who she believes will be killed last.
Pros: Interesting and quick read. It kept me reading (only because I wanted to know who the killer was).
Cons: Adele was one of the most immature, destructive, self-absorbed, toxic, narcissistic and oblivious character I have ever had the displeasure of reading about in a book. I was taken aback by her lack of deep thought process. I am still taken aback and appalled.
For example: After her first ex dies (suicide), she has this internal dialogue to debate whether she should attend the funeral because of how it would make her (as well as Tom) feel. She then proceeds to do some online research to figure out if she should attend. HUH??? Even after the first ex committed suicide, she only thought of herself rather than think of how the family may want support, may want to see his close friends so that they could share stories and memories of the deceased etc. She somehow made herself the centre of attention in someone else's tragedy.
Another thing which struck me as off was her level of drinking. Is that a normal British practice or European norm to get drunk multiple times during the week? This girl was an alcoholic. She, just like real alcoholics, always find a way to justify their reasons for drinking. AND, she had the audacity to judge someone else's relationship with alcohol, "I first noticed that he seemed to have an unhealthy relationship with booze during some of our early dates, where I suspected he had already been drinking a little before he turned up." This is a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.
I still do not see why Tom loved Adele, nor why Adele loved Tom. There was no chemistry between the two, he was just as immature and narcissistic as Adele. But I guess because of that they deserved each other. How does a man get jealous of a dead ex lover? "I can see why Tom might not have liked the idea of me doing something that involved an ex-partner." Did the author knowingly create unlikeable and self-absorbed characters? Or that's the personalities he really wanted to portray all for the reason of character development. If its the latter then sadly there was no point because by the end there was no still no character development. I thought there would have been an arc since the author painted Adele as the carefree, drunk, impulsive young female in the start of the story.
I found other issues with these characters such as their communication, or should I say lack thereof? For a couple who are planning a wedding, why did she have a habit of not communicating with her partner? Its a recipe for disaster and simply proves that she wasn't ready for marriage.
As for her obliviousness, as well as his. JESUS. TAKE. THE. WHEEL. Adele: "Why did the intruder smash this picture? Is the past connected to what's happening now? HUH? Isn't it obvious? The killer is killing off all her PAST lovers? I'm sorry but I've never met an Accountant void of analytical skills. This baffled me.
In another scene, Tom, who now believes Adele's theory that someone is killing all her ex lovers, proceeds to open the door after hearing a knock on the door. Does he check the peephole? No, he doesn't. Does he ask who's there? No, he also doesn't. He opens the door only to be stabbed because of his stupidity. Somehow I thought he deserved death simply because he was acting dumb in that moment.
I'm tempted to give it 1 star but that wouldn't be fair. It did hold my interest.
Adele is a 36 year old, young-at-heart and fun female who is madly in love with her fiancé Tom. She has a supportive best friend and feels lucky to have found her soul mate after the dating life she has had since the tender age of 16. It all seems to be going well until Adele realizes that her exes are being killed in the order that she dated them. No one truly believes her, not even Tom, who she believes will be killed last.
Pros: Interesting and quick read. It kept me reading (only because I wanted to know who the killer was).
Cons: Adele was one of the most immature, destructive, self-absorbed, toxic, narcissistic and oblivious character I have ever had the displeasure of reading about in a book. I was taken aback by her lack of deep thought process. I am still taken aback and appalled.
For example: After her first ex dies (suicide), she has this internal dialogue to debate whether she should attend the funeral because of how it would make her (as well as Tom) feel. She then proceeds to do some online research to figure out if she should attend. HUH??? Even after the first ex committed suicide, she only thought of herself rather than think of how the family may want support, may want to see his close friends so that they could share stories and memories of the deceased etc. She somehow made herself the centre of attention in someone else's tragedy.
Another thing which struck me as off was her level of drinking. Is that a normal British practice or European norm to get drunk multiple times during the week? This girl was an alcoholic. She, just like real alcoholics, always find a way to justify their reasons for drinking. AND, she had the audacity to judge someone else's relationship with alcohol, "I first noticed that he seemed to have an unhealthy relationship with booze during some of our early dates, where I suspected he had already been drinking a little before he turned up." This is a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.
I still do not see why Tom loved Adele, nor why Adele loved Tom. There was no chemistry between the two, he was just as immature and narcissistic as Adele. But I guess because of that they deserved each other. How does a man get jealous of a dead ex lover? "I can see why Tom might not have liked the idea of me doing something that involved an ex-partner." Did the author knowingly create unlikeable and self-absorbed characters? Or that's the personalities he really wanted to portray all for the reason of character development. If its the latter then sadly there was no point because by the end there was no still no character development. I thought there would have been an arc since the author painted Adele as the carefree, drunk, impulsive young female in the start of the story.
I found other issues with these characters such as their communication, or should I say lack thereof? For a couple who are planning a wedding, why did she have a habit of not communicating with her partner? Its a recipe for disaster and simply proves that she wasn't ready for marriage.
As for her obliviousness, as well as his. JESUS. TAKE. THE. WHEEL. Adele: "Why did the intruder smash this picture? Is the past connected to what's happening now? HUH? Isn't it obvious? The killer is killing off all her PAST lovers? I'm sorry but I've never met an Accountant void of analytical skills. This baffled me.
In another scene, Tom, who now believes Adele's theory that someone is killing all her ex lovers, proceeds to open the door after hearing a knock on the door. Does he check the peephole? No, he doesn't. Does he ask who's there? No, he also doesn't. He opens the door only to be stabbed because of his stupidity. Somehow I thought he deserved death simply because he was acting dumb in that moment.
I'm tempted to give it 1 star but that wouldn't be fair. It did hold my interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
Adele is a 36-year-old woman who is planning her wedding to Tom who sounds like a near-perfect man although a bit controlling. Then again, Adele seems to need some control since she tends to drink too much when she's out with her friends and behaves like a much younger version of herself. Everything goes haywire when her ex-boyfriends start to die one by one and she doesn't believe it's coincidental.
Although it's not a deep thought-provoking book, I enjoyed it. I've read a few of Daniel Hurst's books recently and like his style although this wasn't one of his better ones. There was some repetition of facts that got annoying after a while and none of the characters made much of an impression, but it was a quick and easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book which was released on June 20, 2021.
Although it's not a deep thought-provoking book, I enjoyed it. I've read a few of Daniel Hurst's books recently and like his style although this wasn't one of his better ones. There was some repetition of facts that got annoying after a while and none of the characters made much of an impression, but it was a quick and easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book which was released on June 20, 2021.
February 10, 2025
I've been making my way through the Daniel Hurst boxed thriller set, and The Boyfriend is my least favorite so far. I could not relate to the main character, a self-absorbed, immature 36-year-old woman with an unhealthy relationship with both alcohol and her fiancé. The premise had potential, but the resolution kind of came out of nowhere and was a bit OTT.
June 20, 2021
The Boyfriend is a compelling psychological thriller about a woman whose ex-boyfriends become the target of a spree killer and where nothing and no one is what they seem. 36-year-old Adele Davies is currently engaged to Tom Barton and is planning their lavish wedding. She's madly in love with him and believes in her heart of hearts that he is the one. In the past she's had 5 serious relationships, Tom is the sixth, that ended for one reason or another usually via mutual agreement or Adele finishing them herself. Enter Adele’s seemingly supportive best friend and fellow drunkard, Nicola, who often seems like a bad influence on her. They drink profusely and attend nightclubs despite being older than the average crowd; maybe they're just young at heart.
Tom doesn’t particularly like Nicola due to this and gets annoyed when Adele goes out and fails to inform him of where she is or when she will be returning home. They meet up frequently and on one of those catch-ups, Nicola receives a message informing her that Shaun Gibson, Adele’s first boyfriend, has been found hanged in the woods in a suspected suicide. Then Calum Jenkins, who she dated after Shaun, dies in a car accident. As her ex-partners keep dying, Adele realises that someone is responsible for killing these guys. Can she get to the bottom of who is carrying out these slayings before they target Tom? This is a compelling and original thriller with plenty of drama, twists, red herrings and a mystery at its heart. I raced through it as it's a quick read with highly unlikeable characters and a captivating plot.
Tom doesn’t particularly like Nicola due to this and gets annoyed when Adele goes out and fails to inform him of where she is or when she will be returning home. They meet up frequently and on one of those catch-ups, Nicola receives a message informing her that Shaun Gibson, Adele’s first boyfriend, has been found hanged in the woods in a suspected suicide. Then Calum Jenkins, who she dated after Shaun, dies in a car accident. As her ex-partners keep dying, Adele realises that someone is responsible for killing these guys. Can she get to the bottom of who is carrying out these slayings before they target Tom? This is a compelling and original thriller with plenty of drama, twists, red herrings and a mystery at its heart. I raced through it as it's a quick read with highly unlikeable characters and a captivating plot.
January 1, 2023
I am a huge Daniel Hurst fan, and also a huge audiobook fan so was so excited for this. The last audio from Hurst, The Couple in the Cabin, was a fabulous listen.
Urgh. I couldn't get through this book. The narrator was not someth!ing I could put myself through. I dreaded every time I was going to put it on. I won't say much more, but it didn't work for me, and I didn't care enough for the plot to continue.
Urgh. I couldn't get through this book. The narrator was not someth!ing I could put myself through. I dreaded every time I was going to put it on. I won't say much more, but it didn't work for me, and I didn't care enough for the plot to continue.
August 5, 2022
I like author Daniel Hurst, and will read anything with his name on it. He’s got the skill to entertain a reader. The Boyfriend was a good book, a solid 3 for 1) keeping the reader listening and 2) providing an interesting scenario. It wasn’t one of my favorites from him though because no matter how hard I tried, I just did not care for the main character Adele. She’s presented as a not yet mature 30 something who, despite having a fiance at home, LOVES to go out and get drunk. A lot. She talks about this too and how she should grow up. At the very least, she should respect her partner and tell him when she plans to be out till the early hours and come home plastered. Repeatedly.
The premise is that her many boyfriends start ending up dead. Like a lot. She attends the first funeral, catches up with old friends, and, of course, doesn’t tell fiance Tom because he gets jealous. Of going to a funeral for a dead ex. Ok. Red flag ladies. Adele finds his jealousy endearing because that shows he loves her. A parade of red flags right here.
Fast forward through the next and the next getting killed. A red herring which did fool me (so congrats Hurst), but by the end, I no longer cared who ended up dead.
I listened to the audiobook which releases 8/23/22 (the paper version released in 2021) and I felt the dual narrators Lorna Bennett and Chris Devon did fine jobs voicing each character.
The premise is that her many boyfriends start ending up dead. Like a lot. She attends the first funeral, catches up with old friends, and, of course, doesn’t tell fiance Tom because he gets jealous. Of going to a funeral for a dead ex. Ok. Red flag ladies. Adele finds his jealousy endearing because that shows he loves her. A parade of red flags right here.
Fast forward through the next and the next getting killed. A red herring which did fool me (so congrats Hurst), but by the end, I no longer cared who ended up dead.
I listened to the audiobook which releases 8/23/22 (the paper version released in 2021) and I felt the dual narrators Lorna Bennett and Chris Devon did fine jobs voicing each character.
December 16, 2022
Adele is finally settling down to get married. But while she is planning her wedding, her exes start having accidents. One by one they die.
The police won’t believe her, her fiancé won’t believe her… but she wants to find who is behind these deaths?
A fun and quick read.
The police won’t believe her, her fiancé won’t believe her… but she wants to find who is behind these deaths?
A fun and quick read.
October 19, 2023
Book #14 by Daniel Hurst on my reading/audio binge with this author was great to listen to. Adele finds out her ex-boyfriends are being found dead and she’s worried her now fiancé could be next. This was a fast audio to listen to and once again, DH does not disappoint. It started off a little slow for me and I didn’t love the narrators this time around but I will give it 4 stars since it didn’t grab me from the very beginning. Maybe it was the narrators? What should I listen to next of his?
August 4, 2022
I’ve seen books by this author making the rounds on Kindle Unlimited for a while now and I’ve been interested so when I received an advanced release copy of the upcoming audio in exchange for an honest review, I decided to borrow it on KU too and read along with the audio which I love because it’s so handy. The narration was great.
Adele is out with a friend and finds out that her ex dies, seemingly by suicide. She’s shocked. He’s married with a family. It’s tragic. She finally stumbles in drunk to her current fiancé Tom. He’s irritated but under the circumstances, he understands. This becomes a common theme through the book though and it gets annoying.
She decides to go to her ex’s funeral. Again she gets drunk, I assume at the funeral bar? Not sure what kind of funeral this is! Anyway she’s stumbling home again and finds out another ex is dead. This is getting too weird. She’s the only link between them and it’s clear these aren’t accidents.
Between Adele’s slurred drunken words, we get chapters of “The Boyfriend” which are super creepy and give us an interesting glimpse into the mind of the bad guy, who we assume is one of her exes or he wanted to be.
Rumors are swirling and obviously her every move is being scrutinized because of her boyfriends dying but she’s mostly consumed by her daily hangovers.
This was an interesting and quick read but I am begging authors to stop relying so much on drunk female narrators. It’s very popular right now but played out and sometimes downright annoying. This one didn’t really require the idiocies of a drunk. It just made her more of a self-absorbed and unsympathetic character. It did have a neat ending and epilogue though so it’s worth it I just wish authors would use this trope less.
Adele is out with a friend and finds out that her ex dies, seemingly by suicide. She’s shocked. He’s married with a family. It’s tragic. She finally stumbles in drunk to her current fiancé Tom. He’s irritated but under the circumstances, he understands. This becomes a common theme through the book though and it gets annoying.
She decides to go to her ex’s funeral. Again she gets drunk, I assume at the funeral bar? Not sure what kind of funeral this is! Anyway she’s stumbling home again and finds out another ex is dead. This is getting too weird. She’s the only link between them and it’s clear these aren’t accidents.
Between Adele’s slurred drunken words, we get chapters of “The Boyfriend” which are super creepy and give us an interesting glimpse into the mind of the bad guy, who we assume is one of her exes or he wanted to be.
Rumors are swirling and obviously her every move is being scrutinized because of her boyfriends dying but she’s mostly consumed by her daily hangovers.
This was an interesting and quick read but I am begging authors to stop relying so much on drunk female narrators. It’s very popular right now but played out and sometimes downright annoying. This one didn’t really require the idiocies of a drunk. It just made her more of a self-absorbed and unsympathetic character. It did have a neat ending and epilogue though so it’s worth it I just wish authors would use this trope less.
June 7, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Author Daniel Hurst for this ARC.
I believe in coincidences, sure. But, like, a coincidence here and there. One after another sends off alarm bells and Adele is most certainly in the danger zone--first, a high school boyfriend commits sucked, the right after the funeral another ex is reported dead from a car crash. Nope, nope, no! Something is not right here, but what? And who's behind it? And why?
She's got a wonderful, dreamy husband, and as a fan of Hurst's writing, he's obviously suspect number one. But what in the world would be his motive for killing his finance's exes from a long, long ago past life? She has a best friend who sometimes acts a little fishy, and every time Adele is with here they get into shenanigans, usually drunk. Then--boom--the perspective of someone known only as "The Boyfriend" comes into play as he stalks Adele. Who is this creep and what is his deal?
The relationship Adele has with her fiance is so weird and stiff. He's jealous and a bit controlling. She gives him zero respect and sees partying as a priority over him. No way that marriage lasts. They don't spend quality time together nor do they seem to love each other in any romantic way. There were several red herrings along the way of this rather intriguing mystery but the ending was so disappointing. After all that and the person came out of left field, which is not a twist. This story had great potential, but it needs some work. A lot was repeated in Adele's inner monologue and I got quite bored in some chapters, sludging through.
I believe in coincidences, sure. But, like, a coincidence here and there. One after another sends off alarm bells and Adele is most certainly in the danger zone--first, a high school boyfriend commits sucked, the right after the funeral another ex is reported dead from a car crash. Nope, nope, no! Something is not right here, but what? And who's behind it? And why?
She's got a wonderful, dreamy husband, and as a fan of Hurst's writing, he's obviously suspect number one. But what in the world would be his motive for killing his finance's exes from a long, long ago past life? She has a best friend who sometimes acts a little fishy, and every time Adele is with here they get into shenanigans, usually drunk. Then--boom--the perspective of someone known only as "The Boyfriend" comes into play as he stalks Adele. Who is this creep and what is his deal?
The relationship Adele has with her fiance is so weird and stiff. He's jealous and a bit controlling. She gives him zero respect and sees partying as a priority over him. No way that marriage lasts. They don't spend quality time together nor do they seem to love each other in any romantic way. There were several red herrings along the way of this rather intriguing mystery but the ending was so disappointing. After all that and the person came out of left field, which is not a twist. This story had great potential, but it needs some work. A lot was repeated in Adele's inner monologue and I got quite bored in some chapters, sludging through.
August 19, 2022
This was not my favorite read; not even close. Adele has to be the worst main character I have ever read about: she's self-absorbed and completely annoying. I really have a hard time believing anyone can like her. Her destructive behavior makes her almost pathetic. I couldn't connect with her and found her hemming and hawing about telling her fiance, the person she's supposed to spend the rest of her life with, about going to the funeral of her ex-boyfriend. Did she really think her fiance was going to be jealous of a dead person?!!! None of it made sense. Is it because a man is writing what a woman should feel? Maybe. I don't know. All I know is that I could not get through this and will not be trying anything else by this author.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
August 6, 2022
Sigh. That was really stupid.
I was in the mood for a good mystery and I liked the idea of all this woman's ex-boyfriends turning up dead. Sounded good enough to me. However, the events leading up to these deaths were dumb and not well thought out. At the big reveal, I could feel my eyes rolling so hard to the back of my head.
Maybe I need to give mysteries a little break for a while because I am just not finding what I need.
I was in the mood for a good mystery and I liked the idea of all this woman's ex-boyfriends turning up dead. Sounded good enough to me. However, the events leading up to these deaths were dumb and not well thought out. At the big reveal, I could feel my eyes rolling so hard to the back of my head.
Maybe I need to give mysteries a little break for a while because I am just not finding what I need.
February 9, 2022
One of the worst books I've ever read. Childish, boring, drivel. I found it hard to finish but I wanted to see what the"nerve shredding ending" was. I ended up being annoyed and highly disappointed. The whole Rachel thing was eye rolling, ridiculous. Who the hell cares about a friendship that ended in elementary school? The constant complaining about Adele having 6 relationships in her 36 year old life was stupid. "I didn't know you had so many boyfriends." As another commenter stated, this is classic menwritingwomen. This whole bland, wordy story is about two drunks and an incel. Do not recommend.
June 23, 2021
Thank you NetGalley, author Daniel Hurst, and Inkubator Books publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3 stars
Who might want to erase a person's past relationships?
Adele is a 36 year old woman, who is madly in love with her fiancé Tom. She has a supportive best friend and feels lucky to have found her soul mate after a string of boyfriends she has had since the tender age of 16. It all seems to be going well until Adele realizes that her exes are being killed in the order that she dated them. No one truly believes her, not even Tom, who she believes will be killed last.
This book had a very interesting premise. I found this book to be a quick and interesting story. The characters really not all that likeable nor fully developed. I did not really feel the chemistry between Adele and Tom. I was not sure why they were in a relationship in the first place, but especially getting married. I found myself questioning and suspecting many of the characters throughout the book as well as what motive they might have for the killing spree. The ending was a little bit of a let down. Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but fell short of delivering a great book. I would be interested in reading more books by this author in the future.
3 stars
Who might want to erase a person's past relationships?
Adele is a 36 year old woman, who is madly in love with her fiancé Tom. She has a supportive best friend and feels lucky to have found her soul mate after a string of boyfriends she has had since the tender age of 16. It all seems to be going well until Adele realizes that her exes are being killed in the order that she dated them. No one truly believes her, not even Tom, who she believes will be killed last.
This book had a very interesting premise. I found this book to be a quick and interesting story. The characters really not all that likeable nor fully developed. I did not really feel the chemistry between Adele and Tom. I was not sure why they were in a relationship in the first place, but especially getting married. I found myself questioning and suspecting many of the characters throughout the book as well as what motive they might have for the killing spree. The ending was a little bit of a let down. Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but fell short of delivering a great book. I would be interested in reading more books by this author in the future.
October 14, 2023
Turned into boresville, a real snoozefest!
May 1, 2022
#TheBoyfriend #NetGalley#Inkubator Books#DanielHurst
An entertaining romp of dying ex boyfriends.
One by one they are dying by accident, suicide or whatever.
Who did it?
Is it random or is it a serial killer?
We follow Adele as she tries to figure things out because she worries that her current boyfriend might be next.
I enjoyed this quick read. I was not pleased with Adele's drinking but overall it was a pleasant way to spend my afternoon.
Who will enjoy the book?
People who like mysteries and thrillers that keep us guessing as we turn pages to find out.
4 ***
As always I thank NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Daniel Hurst for allowing me to honestly read and review the book.
review posted to NetGalley, GoodReads, Wordpress and amazon.
An entertaining romp of dying ex boyfriends.
One by one they are dying by accident, suicide or whatever.
Who did it?
Is it random or is it a serial killer?
We follow Adele as she tries to figure things out because she worries that her current boyfriend might be next.
I enjoyed this quick read. I was not pleased with Adele's drinking but overall it was a pleasant way to spend my afternoon.
Who will enjoy the book?
People who like mysteries and thrillers that keep us guessing as we turn pages to find out.
4 ***
As always I thank NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Daniel Hurst for allowing me to honestly read and review the book.
review posted to NetGalley, GoodReads, Wordpress and amazon.
July 9, 2025
Adele has a happy life and is planning a wedding with her soul mate Tom. One day Adele hears that one of her ex-boyfriends has died by killing himself. Adele is shocked and sad at the tragedy. Then another one of her ex-boyfriends dies in an accident and Adele is again saddened by the tragic events. When another of her ex-boyfriends dies, Adele begins to think this can't be a coincidence - is someone out to get all her ex-partners? She realises she must try to find out what is going on, before all of her ex-boyfriends are killed and Tom is targeted.
A thrilling and tense story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what is going on. The book is really well written and there are a range of interesting characters that you can't help but suspect. The conclusion was shocking and exciting. Definitely recommended, another great book by Daniel Hurst.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.
A thrilling and tense story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what is going on. The book is really well written and there are a range of interesting characters that you can't help but suspect. The conclusion was shocking and exciting. Definitely recommended, another great book by Daniel Hurst.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.
May 24, 2021
When someone starts killing off Adele’s ex boyfriends, she becomes increasingly nervous for her current finance, and more confused as to who it could be. Is someone really taking the lives of the men she has loved at one time or another, and when will they stop.
Fast paced and quick chapters keep you interested and wanting to read, however, that’s where it ended for me. The writing was childish. The character development was completely missing. The main relationship was piss poor and toxic. I could not get on board to care about this book. I was more confused as to why so,eons would care about Adele at all, never mind enough to kill her exes.
Definitely not the book for me.
Fast paced and quick chapters keep you interested and wanting to read, however, that’s where it ended for me. The writing was childish. The character development was completely missing. The main relationship was piss poor and toxic. I could not get on board to care about this book. I was more confused as to why so,eons would care about Adele at all, never mind enough to kill her exes.
Definitely not the book for me.
August 5, 2022
Solid murder mystery. Adele is engaged and living with her fiancé and ready to plan their wedding. Out of the blue she learns her first real boyfriend has committed suicide. She attends the funeral catching up with old friends. But when her second boyfriend ends up dying in a car accident she begins to think something is amiss. She has had six real relationship and when she receives mysterious she believes someone is killing the men from her past and threatening her future.
I like the premise. You get a good view of Adele’s life as she thinks back on her boyfriends from school, university and beyond. Not all were good men. Sadly I don’t have a lot of empathy for Adele or her fiancé Tom. Although she is professional in her accounting work she spends a surprisingly amount of time getting drunk with her girlfriend. Not just drinks after work. But stumbling home and ignoring your partner drunk. The author does create some tension in the story but because the threats are to her boyfriends and not Adele herself I never feel she is at risk. And since I know very little about Tom, other than she loves him (but not enough to stay home and not get drunk with her friend), I didn’t care that danger is heading his way.
I listened to audiobook and Lorna Bennett carries the majority of the telling with only a few chapters for Chris Devon. Lorna with her British accent brings does well as Adele telling her story. The story flows quickly the audiobook taking 7.5 hours. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I like the premise. You get a good view of Adele’s life as she thinks back on her boyfriends from school, university and beyond. Not all were good men. Sadly I don’t have a lot of empathy for Adele or her fiancé Tom. Although she is professional in her accounting work she spends a surprisingly amount of time getting drunk with her girlfriend. Not just drinks after work. But stumbling home and ignoring your partner drunk. The author does create some tension in the story but because the threats are to her boyfriends and not Adele herself I never feel she is at risk. And since I know very little about Tom, other than she loves him (but not enough to stay home and not get drunk with her friend), I didn’t care that danger is heading his way.
I listened to audiobook and Lorna Bennett carries the majority of the telling with only a few chapters for Chris Devon. Lorna with her British accent brings does well as Adele telling her story. The story flows quickly the audiobook taking 7.5 hours. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
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