Title: The Boyfriend
Author(s): Freida McFadden
Genre(s): Thriller
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 363
Length: 9h 13m
Narrator(s): Victoria Connolly, Robb Moreira
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book of the Month
Rating: Spice: 
My Thoughts
THE BOYFRIEND is my first Freida McFadden book. While it wasn’t my favorite thriller, it kept me reading and the ending was way different than I was expecting. I’ll definitely give McFadden another go.
The two POVs and timelines were interesting. At first, I didn’t like them because of how McFadden seemed to be setting up one of them. (I mean who writes a book from the killer’s POV from the get-go, right?) Fortunately, I realized there had to be more to what seemed to be happening. I didn’t like the characters very much and I thought one of them was really stupid on more than one occasion. I’m glad I stuck with the story, though, because the twist was a lot of fun because it was so unexpected. For quite a bit of the story, I kept trying to figure out who the killer was. I did figure it out before the big reveal, but only just.
August 2025 Wrap-Up
Books Read
Favorite: Sunrise on the Reaping
Least Favorite: The Boyfriend
Stats
August
Books Read: 5
Pages Read: 1,925
Hours Listened: 57h 58m
Average Rating: 4
Year-to-Date
Books Read: 24
Pages Read: 8,664
Hours Listened: 247h 56m
Average Rating: 4.14
The Lost Apothecary
Author(s): Sarah Penner
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 301
Length: 10h 29m
Narrator(s): Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed THE LOST APOTHECARY. I loved that the story was written in three POVs, two from the past and one from present day. I thought it was an interesting look at how we interpret past events vs what really happened.
I liked both the past story and the present day one, but I thought the past one was a bit more interesting. I thought the idea of an apothecary dispensing poisons to women that wanted to exact revenge on the men who betrayed them was a really fun concept. It made for an interesting mystery.
The Boyfriend
Author(s): Freida McFadden
Genre(s): Thriller
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 363
Length: 9h 13m
Narrator(s): Victoria Connolly, Robb Moreira
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book of the Month
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
THE BOYFRIEND is my first Freida McFadden book. While it wasn’t my favorite thriller, it kept me reading and the ending was way different than I was expecting. I’ll definitely give McFadden another go.
The two POVs and timelines were interesting. At first, I didn’t like them because of how McFadden seemed to be setting up one of them. (I mean who writes a book from the killer’s POV from the get-go, right?) Fortunately, I realized there had to be more to what seemed to be happening. I didn’t like the characters very much and I thought one of them was really stupid on more than one occasion. I’m glad I stuck with the story, though, because the twist was a lot of fun because it was so unexpected. For quite a bit of the story, I kept trying to figure out who the killer was. I did figure it out before the big reveal, but only just.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Author(s): Jojo Moyes
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 438
Length: 12h 21m
Narrator(s): Daisy Ridley
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES was a fun book to read. I enjoyed seeing how one little mixup could cause so much chaos in each of the women’s lives. I wondered how the story would resolve itself and I wasn’t disappointed. I did like one woman more than the other, but both women had their own difficulties and ways of dealing with their circumstances.
I liked the audiobook a lot and listening to Daisy Ridley’s narration. I’m glad I chose this book for my Book of the Month book when I did.
My Friends
Author(s): Fredrik Backman
Genre(s): Contemporary
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 436
Length: 13h 7m
Narrator(s): Marin Ireland
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book Club, Book of the Month
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I don’t know what it is about Fredrik Backman, but he has the ability to tell a story with so much feeling and depth without it being boring or seeming contrived. He writes characters, situations, and the feelings of both better than any other author I’ve read. I love his ability to tell his stories in parts.
MY FRIENDS was a beautiful story about growing up, found family, resilience, and finding the silver lining in really shitty circumstances. It deals with hard topics like bullying, immigration, abuse, sickness, and grief. Even though the story is sad, it’s interspersed with laughter and happiness, and ends with a feeling of hope. There are also a lot of farts (iykyk). This one kept me guessing until the end and I loved taking the journey with the characters.