What to read next
10 books like The Boyfriend
Sydney's dates, Tom's medical identity, coastal murders, past timeline, and small lies give ordinary courtship rituals a steady threat. The picks below take that appeal in different directions.
Read our review of The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden.
Best matches
Three strong places to start
If you only want three picks, start here.
Best overall
Fastest read
Best alternative
Choose by reading mood
Where to start
For the fastest read
The Coworker
FastFor the darkest read
Woman Down
DarkFor the strongest romance
Alchemy of Secrets
CentralFor the easiest entry
Never Lie
AccessibleThe full shortlist
Why each book belongs here
See what each pick shares with The Boyfriend, and where it goes in a different direction.
1
The Coworker
- Pace
- Fast
- Darkness
- Dark
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
Why this matches
- Different because
- The Coworker offers stronger social comedy and competing office narratives without a dating plot.
2
Never Lie
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
Why this matches
- Different because
- Never Lie is more confined and structurally satisfying through its hidden therapy tapes.
3
The Teacher
- Pace
- Fast
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
Why this matches
- Different because
- The Teacher uses marriage and school scandal for a more provocative but less coherent set of twists.
4
The Housemaid's Secret
- Pace
- Fast
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
5
The Inmate
- Pace
- Fast
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
6
Alchemy of Secrets
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Central
- Difficulty
- Accessible
7
Woman Down
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Dark
- Romance
- Central
- Difficulty
- Moderate
8
Permafrost
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Moderate
9
Sphere
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Dark
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Accessible
10
The Sentence
- Pace
- Brisk
- Darkness
- Moderate
- Romance
- Minimal
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Side-by-side
Pace, darkness, romance, and difficulty
| Book | Pace | Darkness | Romance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Boyfriend | Fast | Moderate | Minimal | Accessible |
| The Coworker | Fast | Dark | Minimal | Accessible |
| Never Lie | Brisk | Moderate | Minimal | Accessible |
| The Teacher | Fast | Moderate | Minimal | Accessible |
| The Housemaid's Secret | Fast | Moderate | Minimal | Accessible |
| The Inmate | Fast | Moderate | Minimal | Accessible |
| Alchemy of Secrets | Brisk | Moderate | Central | Accessible |
| Woman Down | Brisk | Dark | Central | Moderate |
| Permafrost | Brisk | Moderate | Minimal | Moderate |
| Sphere | Brisk | Dark | Minimal | Accessible |
| The Sentence | Brisk | Moderate | Minimal | Moderate |
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