Gripped me from the first page with a shocking cliff-hanger at the end! I was enthralled throughout this book due to the fast pace and constant revelations. When Jodie finds the t-shirt belonging to her teenage boyfriend who went missing in her deceased father's attic, the unravelling of family secrets begins. Was her father involved? What other explanation could there be? Edge of your sofa reading! I will be looking out for more from this author.

Kerry Wilkinson strikes again, doling out another of the psychological thrillers he is known for. 'The Boyfriend' depicts the tale of Jodie, who we are introduced to in the first chapter. The main protagonist and sole narrator, she is struggling in the aftermath of her father's death, especially as he was a major public figure in their small community. Surrounded by constant reminders of him, she goes to clean out her childhood home and stumbles upon a startling revelation in the attic- a t-shirt of her old boyfriend, Ben. Why is this strange, you may ask? Ben disappeared when Jodie was sixteen, presumed dead, and his supposed killer was sentenced to prison. How did his t-shirt end up in her father's house? This question begets the premise of this novel, taking readers on a wild ride through Jodie's past, and how it shaped her future.

So this may sound strange, but the best part of this book for me was the ending. It is important to note- 'The Boyfriend' did not have the traditional happily ever after as a conclusion. There's a saying my Trinidadian mother loves, "The sins of the parents will fall on the children." Without giving any major spoilers, Wilkinson highlights this, making it quite different from the conventional thriller.

Personally, I prefer novels with more flowing prose, whereas the writing style in this one was a bit choppy. For example, Josie's thoughts and movements were oftentimes chaotic, moving from one to the other without much correlation between them. This sometimes made it harder for me to concentrate, and I found myself having to reread certain parts to understand.

With all of the above in mind, I give 'The Boyfriend' a rating of 3 stars. The overarching plotline was solid, and I liked the way it ended, but I did struggle with continuous reading due to the writing style. I recommend this to persons who like twisty thrillers, and books with a difference. There are no instances of obscene language or erotic acts, so this is suitable for children as young as teens. Trigger warnings include death of a loved one and acts of violence. All in all, a great read to pass a few hours, and I cannot wait to read more from Kerry Wilkinson!

*A great many thanks to NetGalley, Kerry Wilkinson, and Bookouture for this ARC. It is important to note that I was under no commitment to provide a positive review, and all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

After inheriting her father’s home, Jodie finds her deceased boyfriend’s Jersey hidden in the attic. Questions immediately arise as Paul McIntosh was tried and convicted of the boyfriends murder years ago. Seeking answers, Jodie enlists help from the local newspaper journalist, Keith Lincoln. Keith reveals a secret that puts suspicions on those close to Jodie. What else is hidden in Jodie’s life will lead to an impactful ending.

The Boyfriend by Kerry Wilkinson was a quick read that kept my interest throughout. I read it all in one day. Wilkinson is a great author who knows how to keep you engaged. Great mystery/thriller with lots of suspects and an ending you won't see coming!

Another skillfully written and plotted whodunnit by Kerry Wilkinson.

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Did I guess who was the ultimate culprit: well, I <i>suspected</i> just about everyone in this story, but in the end, I was suitably flabbergasted.

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The ending was definitely satisfying - will she or won't she.... I'll let you discover this for yourself!

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Highly recommended! My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this thriller in exchange for an honest review!

Who wants to sleep anyway

Kerry Wilkinson certainly knows how to write a book
Full of suspense with plenty of twists and turns
Always easy reading, which you don't want to put down

Thank you netgalley, Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture

Jodie's father dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack. Her dad had been a former mayor and pillar of the community.

While cleaning out her dad's attic, Jodie comes across a T-shirt. Not just any T-shirt. This T-shirt belonged to Jodie's former boyfriend, who disappeared mysteriously years ago.

Why does her dad have the shirt? What was his involvement with the death?

Things are not always what they seem in this small town. Shocking secrets are uncovered as Jodie slowly solves the mystery of what happened and who else was involved.

I rated this book 3 stars. The book was a fast, easy read. It was a very slow build and did not have much suspense. I was very underwhelmed by the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Kerry Wilkinson's books and was so looking forward to reading this novel. I did enjoy this book, but I feel that he has wrote much better novels. The blurb sounded amazing and right up my street. I did find myself skipping paragraphs which for me is not the best sign.

We meet main character, Jodie who is a single parent to her troubled teenager Owen. Her dad, who was a major figure in their community has sadly passed away and left Jodie his house - much to the displeasure of Jodie's brother who ends up with barely nothing.

Whilst starting to clear out her father's attic, she comes across a very familiar green t-shirt. This belonged to her boyfriend, many years ago and unfortunately he went missing one day and was presumed murder by a local man. Jodie needs to figure out what is going on so she tries her best to figure out why her dad has this item in his attic. She is helped by her best friend Fiona, who is going through marriage woes herself.

Lots of things unravel in this novel, I do not want to give too much away. I really did not like the ending, obviously I can not say what happened but I felt horribly awful for Jodie, if you read it then you may know what I mean.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kerry Wilkinson and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

I don't know how it's possible, but this might be the most boring thriller I've ever read?

Jodie, you know...the main character of this book...Jodie? Jodie, the daughter of the man who just died...Jodie? Jodie, who just found the t-shirt of her old missing boyfriend, Jodie? Jodie Jodie Jodie Jodie????? HOW MANY TIMES CAN JODIE BE SAID? I've never hated the name Jodie more in my life.

I'm sure Kerry Wilkinson is a good writer but this ain't it.

Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book: The Boyfriend
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: June 16, 2022

This book was so slow for me! I had to DNF it. I absolutely hate doing that. It bothers me. Sometimes I will go back later and try and read again but I don’t think that will happen with this book. It just didn’t have enough excitement for me and was way too long and drawn out.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is June 16, 2022.

A veritable jigsaw of a book . you find a piece and think where does that fit, but it all comes together in the end. i have read several books by this author and loved them all. You wonder whether Jodie could have changed the outcome by doing anything different at any point?

Tumultuous…
When Jodie finds a tee shirt in the attic of her childhood home, following the death of her father, it leads Jodie on a determined quest for the truth. Before long a catalogue of disastrous events is unleashed. The author has a knack for creating characters that the reader becomes quickly invested in and which are always credible and well rounded. This character led tale is no different as the reader is taken along on Jodie’s tumultuous journey, fed snippets of information along the way and red herrings aplenty, right up to the devastating and shocking denouement. An immersive suspense with a mystery at its’ heart and a solid addition to this author’s canon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This is the first book I’ve read by Kerry Wilkinson and let me tell you, it didn’t not disappoint. I finished it in around 2 days. The short chapters and the suspense kept me going no matter how many times I told myself I want to ‘save’ the book.

We follow Jodie, who is a single mum and whose dad just passed away. We delve into her past and present, but does Jodie really know her own past? What is she left to believe once she unearths her dead ex boyfriend’s t shirt in her deceased dad’s attic? A quest for answers and a battle with morality as Jodie tried to unravel the mystery surrounding her dad and her ex boyfriend’s murder, further complicated when the man imprisoned for this crime finally gets out of prison?

Is she willing to tarnish her dad’s reputation to clear this man’s name?

The only reason why I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because although I loved it, I was expecting a more shocking plot twist but nevertheless, I still recommend this read!

Very, very slow. It wasn't A long book but it took forever to all through, at least that's how it felt. The story was a bit muddled and muddied without clear direction of the main plot. The ending was so sudden and disappointing. Not the worst thriller but certainly not the best.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Jodie’s father has recently died of heart attack and left the family home, that she grew up in, to her. After the funeral she begins to sort through it starting with the attic, a forbidden place when her father was alive. It’s there she finds a t-shirt she recognises and hasn’t seen for years. Not since the last time she saw her first boyfriend. The boyfriend who wasn’t seen again. This sets her wondering why her father has his t-shirt and whether he had anything to do with his disappearance.

This was an interesting story that kept me guessing. It could have done with some editing as it was, for me, overly long. I kept going although my attention wandered at times. It also seems a little rushed at the end, so much crammed into the last few chapters. I did enjoy it and would read other books by the author.

I briefly seen a line in someone else's review and the word that struck me as apt for this book, is underwhelming. I have read many books by this author and really enjoyed them, but this one just never took off.
Jodie finds a tshirt that belonged to her boyfriend who disappeared two decades ago, in her late fathers attic. It opens up so many questions and has Jodie thinking did she ever really know her dad, but she does nothing about it. Everyday she thinks about it, whilst she has dramas with her teenage son Owen and estranged ex (whose name I can't remember) and drinks wine with her friend (whose name I can't remember either) the characters are actually so bland and just decoration for Jodie's storyline, that they are not memorable.
The pace was slow and nothing really ever happened. It lacked an actual plot with action and moving characters. The ending is a massive shock and definitely not a good one. It's a horrendous ending and by this point it's totally pointless. Why? Why? Why? I didn't even realise the final paragraph was the ending, until it just ended and didn't continue. Like seriously!! Why?

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 Jodie is dealing with the death of her father who was an influential figure in the community. While cleaning out his house after his passing she uncovers something that triggers memories from a traumatic incident in her past. Will this discovery change everything? Will it tear apart her family? This book was very well written and I really enjoyed reading it. It kept me gripped and wanted to read more. I highly recommend it and will definitely be checking out more of this author’s books! I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and am leaving an honest and voluntary review. #bookreview #bookreviewer #netgalley #bookcouture #reading #thrillerbooks #bookstagram

Thank you NetGalley and Kerry Wilkinson for the opportunity to read this book before it will publish in the beginning of June. In exchange I’ll give my honest opinion.

2,5⭐️ rounded up to 3 ⭐️

When Jodie’s father passed away, he leaves his house solely to her, leaving out her brother. That gibts already, there will be more behind that story line.

I was first drawn to the cover and reading the book, it all makes sense now.

Jodie finds her boyfriends T shirt in the attic. The problem? Ben disappeared almost 20 years ago, wearing this exact shirt. So what happened with that? We are left with a lot of questions, but I felt the book drifted in a million if other directions.

The book is written in third person. Not my favourite these days, to be honest. My biggest pet peeve is when the author treats us like imbeciles and mentions the name of the mc literally 50 times a page. Jodie here, Jodie this and Jodie that. Personally disturbed me a lot. The writing felt juvenile to me? Everything was fed to us but by bit, traipsing along the story line. It did not go anywhere. I found Jodie to be cold. I expected more feelings about the boyfriend who just disappeared. Even though I. The end we finally get everything. Still. This book could have been sooo good, it just left me wanting more.

I read it after all fairly quickly, but it felt super slow to me as the story was dragging out. We went here, we went there, we ate beans, eggs, toast, chips and this and that. I feel guilty eating this poorly, but sorry, I just can’t.

I started this feeling excited as I've been a massive fan of Kerry Wilkinson, I just couldn't get into this, started great but then got really slow, not one of the best.

An easy read with some suspense and a plot that kept the story flowing. I wasn’t impressed with the ending.