Book Review: The Missing Boyfriend

The Missing Boyfriend by Alex Stone will be released on Oct 14, 2025. Olivia’s boyfriend is missing and someone doesn’t want her to forget a pivotal moment from her past…

I enjoyed reading The Missing Boyfriend. Overall, the book was mostly fast-paced, with an often engaging plot, short chapters, and short sentences. The novel included some flashbacks to the protagonist's, Olivia's, past as well. At the beginning, Olivia notices her boyfriend, Callum, of three months is missing. They have lived together for a couple of months, but she realizes she knows almost nothing about him and has no pictures of him. When she reports him missing to the police, she comes under suspicion as well, based on some events in her past.

My Thoughts

In many ways, Olivia seems stuck in the past. We learn more about her past experiences through flashbacks, with a focus on her dream of becoming a classical pianist and how things went wrong. There were some passages and exposition that seemed overly explained or repetitive as Olivia reflected on her past life, parents, mistakes, and regrets. There were moments where I was frustrated because Olivia felt like such a passive participant in her current life. I would like to see her have more agency earlier on in the book.

Photo by Ionela Mat on Unsplash

The direct flashbacks were more engaging to me as a reader. Near the 50 percent mark, the book was starting to feel slow for me. I am glad I persisted, because the plot picked up, suspense increased, and Olivia became a more active participant in her life and the plot. Several revelations came to light about her past as well as Callum's. I think the book is relatively satisfying, but could be improved. I would give this book a 3.5, but will round up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review.