This book!! Action packed, suspenseful.. I loved it. Loved the characters and the ending. Would definitely recommend to any thriller lovers!

When Jodie finds her murdered ex-boyfriend's t-shirt when clearing out her dad's attic, it sets off a chain of events and opens up a range of new questions about her family. Jodie sets out to uncover the truth about who her father really was, and certainly gets more than she bargained for throughout the book.

A thrilling read, packed full of action and incidents. I had somewhat figured out the culprit, however there were various red flags with a multitude of characters that really did keep the reader guessing. Without spoilers, one event towards the end of the book did take me by surprise. However on reflection it did fit with that particular characters development. A good read, with a satisfying ending, would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for the complimentary ARC copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes.

After her father's funeral, Jodie is going through her father's home, hoping to clear it out. While going through boxes in his attic, she finds a shirt. Not any shirt, but the shirt her boyfriend, Ben was wearing the last time he was seen sixteen years ago! Shocked, full of questions, and uneasy, Jodie can't believe what she has found. Why, why, why did her father have Ben's shirt?


Jodie has a lot on her plate, her son is being difficult, her brother's wife is furious Jodie was given her father's home. Jodie's isn't quite sure herself why her father left everything to her and her brother. As Jodie begins to learn more from a family friend, she begins to take a closer look at those in her life.

While reading, I was taking a closer at the characters in this book as well. I found this book to be gripping and I enjoyed doing my own super sleuthing while lining up my suspects and trying to deduce whodunit.

This book had a fair amount of suspense and twists along the way. Family secrets are the name of the game in this book. Will you guess whodunit, or will Wilkinson pull the wool over your eyes?

Gripping, tense and full of secrets.

#TheBoyfriend #NetGalley

3.5 stars

Thank you to Bookouture 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.

Y'all this book was a RIDE. It's a psychological thriller with a heavy amount of morality and ethics.⁣
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Jodie, grappling with the sudden loss of her dad, is cleaning out the house when she finds a shirt that belong to her boyfriend...who went missing, and was presumed dead, 20 years ago. One man was convicted of his death even though a body was never found. That man is being released from prison on parole and coming back to the small town. Jodie has no idea what to do with the shirt she found in her dad's attic and the book follows her as she tries to figure out what really happened the night her boyfriend went missing.⁣
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This book was a bit slow imo, but by 65% it was reveal after reveal after reveal. The whole story was just Jodie trying to decide if she wanted to bring the shirt to the police or leave it. The book also shows how this small town deals with a convicted murderer even though he claims innocence. Thinking about the book now, it's kinda bleak. ⁣
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There was also a subplot with Jodie's 14 year old son thrown in the mix. Tbh I kinda felt like that could have been explored a bit more to really add to the story.⁣
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This was my first Kerry Wilkinson book and I can already tell I'll be hunting for his other books! ⁣
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THE BOYFRIEND is available now.⁣
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Thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For me, this was a 3* Good Read. A decent drama / thriller about a woman who discovers her ex-boyfriend's t-shirt in her dead father's attic. The boyfriend disappeared many years previously.

What follows is Jodie and her attempt to find out why the t-shirt was there and what happened to her boyfriend.

I found it a bit boring at times, but, it's definitely worth sticking with as the ending ties things up well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to preview.

First, I want to thank Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with the book so I may bring you this review!

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Kerry Wilkinson’s storytelling of The Boyfriend totally captivated my attention straight from the first to the last page. It was a wild emotional roller coaster ride from yelling at your kindle, revelations that will shock you. It is a book you will want to go and put on the top of your must read list!

Kerry gave us readers a very interesting concept to think about. How well do we really know our parents or loved ones?! In this story Jodi’s father had just passed and she had found her late boyfriend's jersey in his house. The big mystery is WHY?! What really happened to Ben?! It was a wild ride with a lot of twists and turns to find out.

There are very important issues such as bullying that are addressed in this issue.

3.5 stars ☆ This book drew me by its cover and its blurb so I was so excited to read it.

I loved the short chapters because usually if it’s a thriller book I like short chapters more than long chapters and in this book it got me engaged with what was happening. It’s been told in 3rd pov which was fine with me since the writing was so easy to read. The ending left me in shock and emotional but at some times it felt like the story was dragged on a bit even if it’s a slow-burn mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC !!

Another fantastic read from this oh so talented author. I don’t think Kerry Wilkinson has a bad book in him, every single one delivers on the nail
Jodie’s father, a respected member of the community dies, but it’s not just her Dad that she loses that day. A discovery amongst his possessions proves to be the catalyst for her losing just about everything she’s believed in, treasured and everyone she’s loved
A stonking good read

The Boyfriend is yet another addictive thriller from Kerry Wilkinson. The description alone had me hooked and the story kept me guessing all the way through. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Jodie's dad, ex-mayor Martin Parker, has died and she's in the attic of her childhood home when she spots an old green T-shirt that her boyfriend Ben was wearing on the day he went missing nearly twenty years ago when she was sixteen.

This exciting and compelling tale kept me guessing right until the end. I was gripped all the way through and I couldn't put it down, reading it in one sitting. A dark and very well-written story that this reader recommends very highly.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

While Jodie is going through her father’s things after he passed away, she is shocked to discover a T-shirt that belonged to her boyfriend Ben of twenty years ago. Their last parting is forever imprinted on her brain which makes it easy for her to recognize that T-shirt. But, as Ben was tragically murdered, Jodie can’t help but wonder why her father had that T-shirt.

Her father was every man to every person. Beloved and respected. Now Jodie has to wonder about him so she looks for answers. Meanwhile, Jodie is dealing with another conflict. Her father left everything to her, but nothing to her brother. Then, there is someone following Jodie about town. Could the person charged with Ben’s murder be innocent, and was her father involved in any way? While looking for answers, Jodie is also struggling with the tentative relationship she has with her son Owen. With these things doing on, will Jodie be able to find the answers she seeks?

In this character-driven story, readers are given privy to Jodie - her feelings, her concerns, and her motives. The Boyfriend is a compelling story, with shocking twists and a heartbreaking ending. Kerry Wilkinson has written another stellar book for his fans to devour.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/ECm9KMBznE4

I've never read anything by Wilkinson before, but after finding myself totally immersed in the pages of The Boyfriend I can't wait to read his other works.

Skillfully plotted and well written with just the right temperature of simmer, anything faster would have risked ruining the whole book.

The Boyfriend takes you on a mind bender ride, it certainly keeps you guessing, and makes you wonder just how well you know your family.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I found this story rather slow in the beginning. It just didn’t grip me the way other psychological thrillers have before.

4.5 stars.
Jodie has returned to her childhood home to clear it out after the death of her father. She is up in the attic rooting through some old boxes when she makes a shocking discovery. She comes across an old T-shirt that used to belong to her first boyfriend, Ben. The boy she dated nearly 20 years ago when she was 16. No big deal, just a few memories to be evoked? Not really. You see, the T-shirt was the one that Ben was wearing on the day he went missing. Never to be seen again.
How is it that it is in her father's attic? Did he have something to do with Ben's disappearance? Obviously she can't ask him now, he's dead. And anyway, someone else is in prison for the crime, even though the body was never found, convicted on her evidence to boot. Jodie is beside herself with what to do. And then she finds out that the man in prison for Ben's murder is on the verge of being released...
Oh my days... what a tangled web... And Jodie weaved a good one back in the day when she testified in court. And that's not all she has to contend with as her son is getting in trouble at school, her ex is not helping matters, and her sister's marriage is in tatters. She's supposed to be the glue that holds it all together but this discovery has knocked her for six.
As she starts to delve into what could have happened all those years ago, she starts to wonder about everyone. Was it her father, his father, her brother, the man accused and convicted. So many thoughts spinning around in her head.
But the truth, when it is eventually revealed, is shocking... and that's all I'm saying.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love this author's books. All of them. Series and stand-alone. He has a right talent in creating some wonderful characters, mostly female, like in this book. Jodie is the latest in a long line of cracking characters he has created. He also is a great people watcher as his sly observations really do enhance his characters, along with some really great banter between them. Pacing is good as usual and matches the narrative all the way through. Ramping up to the shocking, didn't see it coming, ending. Which, I must add, left me speechless but satisfied.
All in all, another winner from one of my favourite authors. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is more of a family drama than I was expecting. The characters are interesting. It's a bit of an emotional read in the last third. Until then the pacing is slow. There are a couple mysteries happening and they have some tension. Mainly what this book does is make you think. What would you do? And do you really know your loved ones? As a mother I was able to appreciate Jodie. The ending wasn't satisfying for me. I felt like a few characters had no reckoning and the one who least deserved it had a huge one. But it was very real life.

Another great read from Kerry Wilkinson.
Jodie is upset about her Dad passing away but makes a start on clearing his house.
She discovers a tshirt in the attic that her boyfriend from 20 years ago wore, but why does her Dad have it?
Ben was killed when Jodie was a teenager and with the person convicted about to be released, it all comes flooding back to her.
With her son behaving badly as well, Jodie certainly had her hands full.
This is a great read as several characters stories are interwoven and there’s a few twists involved.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Jodie assumes the task of clearing out jer father’s home after his death. However, she finds a shirt that belonged to her former beau, who was murdered. A million question Instantly ensue. Did her father murder him? Why does possess the shirt?
Most of the story is Jodie searching for answers and calamities occurring at her father’s house. The character I believed was the true culprit turned out not to be.
It’s a sad, sobering book demonstrating the complexities of family.
I did find the title of,the book not to be a good match with the plot.

The story plot, twists and the way the tension builds up is so good. I liked the whole reveal of story that happened in the climax. I didn't expect it.
Owen's storyline felt like a sidetrack which didn't have much to do with main plot.
This book got me hooked but felt boring at few parts because of long descriptions.
I would recommend this book to thriller lovers.

Thank you @Netgalley and @Bookouture for providing me with ARC.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e arc of The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson. My first novel by Kerry Wilkinson and I loved it.
This is a suspense-thriller - psychological thriller -domestic thriller- novel. 4.5+*.
Synopsis: " He went missing when you were sixteen. Was it all your fault?.... But a terrifying discovery changes everything she knew... The search for answers leads Jodie to an old family friend who knows all her father’s secrets. She can’t shake his questions about her older brother, and the real reason their dad left everything to Jodie, not him... An absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist, about how even the people we love can hide the darkest secrets.
3 things I liked:
1. I never wanted to "stop" reading; fast paced, never a dull moment
2. I liked the MC and was drawn into the characters
3. I love when I cannot guess the end... I made up a version in my mind, but guessed wrong... love when I can't see it!
3 other things ...(not going to do 3 dislikes because there was not really any dislikes, so I will just say other)
a) I imagined a different end... this is not bad really.
b) Once part of the story was hard. Without giving away much the sense of how little we can control, especially as mothers.
c) I bit my nails bad. This is good in terms of rating the story and just bad for my sore fingers.
I was glad to read this one. I would defiantly recommend to thriller lovers. I will be adding more of Kerry Wilkinson's books to my tbr.

3.5 stars, actually.

In all honesty, I enjoyed this book overall, just as I have several other of this prolific author's works. Also in all honesty, though, I can't say it's his best.

The story centers around Jodie Parker, whose father, a much-revered community leader, recently and unexpectedly passed away. He and Jodie's mother aren't together anymore, and in his will he left his house to Jodie, totally shutting out her older brother Mike (who, understandably, isn't pleased about it). But as she goes through the house to get rid of unwanted "stuff," she finds an article of clothing connected to a long-ago boyfriend who is assumed to have been murdered. That makes her question everything she believed about her father; why on earth would he have it at all, much less stored in an attic where she was always forbidden to go?

Answering that question forms the basis of the plot, but it also was a source of frustration for me; it seemed like half the book was taken up with her questioning, musing, wondering, suspicions and indecision about whether or not to involve the police (read: over-the-top repetition). The other details, though, kept things interesting - including her relationship with old friend Fiona, her teenage son Owen, her ex-husband Darren (whose current wife is very pregnant) and her brother, whose wife Samantha is intent on making sure he gets his fair share of the inheritance pie. Complicating the whole mess is Paul McIntosh, who was convicted of murdering Jodie's boyfriend Ben all those years ago but swears he's innocent, decides to return home upon his release from prison.

Jodie waffles back and forth for the rest of the book, and I won't say I'm happy with the ending, which brings a tragedy that complicates that decision even more (if that's possible). But even though there was never any question about what I would do if all this happened to me, the ending does provide food for thought and, for those who might think otherwise, underscores the fact that nothing is written in black and white. In short, it's a more-than-decent choice for reading at the beach or next to a cozy fireplace in winter, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.