A psychological thriller about love, control, and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of protection. Parker James Thomas is the kind of man who believes in doing the right thing. As a fifth-grade teacher, he's made a life out of caring-for his students, for his dog, for his new girlfriend, Mack. But when he meets Mack's family, he discovers something he can't ignore: her mother's long-term boyfriend, Richard, is cruel, volatile, and dangerous. At first, Parker only wants to help. He knows the signs of abuse. He's spent years rescuing others, from his little sister to the children in his classroom. But the more he learns about Richard-and about Mack's mother's refusal to leave him-the more Parker's concern twists into obsession. When Richard and Mack's mother suddenly marry, Parker's protective instincts become something darker. He convinces himself that love requires action, and that peace is something you sometimes have to take by force. Told through the voice of a man who mistakes devotion for destiny, The Boyfriend's Burden is an intimate, slow-burn psychological thriller that explores the line between care and control-and the chilling lengths to which love will go when it believes it's right.