Recently separated from her husband, Ali has been persuaded by her friends to sign up to a dating app. On Saturday night she had her first date. Its now Sunday morning. Waking up alone in the house that she shares with a friend Ali knows that something is terribly wrong. She is hurt, she can't remember anything and the face in the mirror isn't her. What on earth happened?

A head injury has left Ali with a condition that means that she can't recognise faces - even her own. Prosopagnosia is also known as face blindness and although it normally affects people from birth it can be brought on by trauma. Struggling to come to terms with her new condition Ali is still trying to piece together what really happened to her on her date. The facial blindness means that she finds herself mistrusting everyone around her. The only face that stays the same is the photo of her late mother. Her only constant in an ever changing world.

Slowly Ali starts to investigate what happened and as she gets closer to the truth she realises that her life and those dearest to her are all in mortal danger.

Jenson really keeps you in the dark in this twisty thriller and I didn't see that ending coming at all! A genuine page turner that will keep you guessing to the very last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
After much persuasion by her friends, Ali goes out on a Saturday night, hoping to meet the handsome stranger she has been chatting with online. When she wakes up on Sunday morning, she has no recollection of what happened the night before, her clothing is covered in blood and she has, literally, lost her memory. Her friends, family and those closest to her are completely unrecognizable to her and no one seems to be able to answer any questions about what happened that night. As the days go on, her best friend, Chrissy, is deemed to be a “missing person” and soon the cops are asking questions. Questions that Ali can’t answer.
“The Date” by Louise Jensen has taken all of my expectations and blown them out of the water. I never did get around to reading Jensen’s three other novels, and I am surely kicking myself for it now.
“The Date” is completely and totally un-putdownable. Every chapter ends with a cliff hanger that left me desperate to keep reading, and the suspense-fueled plotline kept me on the edge of my seat.
This novel is creepy on many different levels, and has everything that a psychological thriller should have. The “whodunit” component is there of course, and the path to the actual ending is full of twists and turns, speculation and questioning. When the end arrives, it wraps itself up in a nice, succinct package, and is both unpredictable and completely satisfying.
Hands down, this novel took me by surprise in all the best ways. My next move will be to immediately check out the rest of Jensen’s novels.

I loved the characters and their interaction was superb, I literally had no idea where the story was going and then everything I thought I’d guessed right went straight out the window!!

Ali Taylor is estranged from her husband Matthew and living with her divorced friend Chrissy, right next door from her lifelong friend Jules and James. They support Ali as she and Matt try to find common ground and start a dialogue that may help them sort out their differences. One night Ali’s friends persuade her to join a dating agency and she soon discovers a gentle sounding man called Ewan. Eventually Ali arranges to meet him at the Prism bar and Chrissy goes along with her.
The next morning Ali wakes up and straight away she has the feeling that something is wrong. She aches all over and the clothing that she had worn on her date is scattered everywhere. She has the mother of all headaches. Not only that but blood is engrained into her nails and she has a head wound. She cannot remember anything about what happened and as she stares into the mirror she is startled to see that she doesn’t look at all like herself. She is looking at a complete stranger.
Her younger brother Ben takes her straight to A&E where she undergoes an examination and a series of tests, eventually receiving the devastating diagnosis of prosopagnosia, which the doctor tells her is also called face blindness. It is a cognitive disorder of face perception in which the ability to recognize familiar faces, including one's own face, is seriously impaired. In fact she may only be able to recognise 1 out of 1,000 faces. She is devastated; it is all too much to take in.
When Ben takes her home and she is eventually left on her own, she is stalked by an unknown male who is bent on playing mind games with her. He looks through her window, bangs on the door continuously, leaves packages for her; all with threats and hints that she will be in grave trouble with the law if she reports her attack. Her stalker is angry and determined to make Ali’s life a misery. He may even plan to kill her. She dare not seek help or confide in anyone as she is guarding secrets from her past. Does her attacker know what had happened? She has only Branwell her faithful dog for company because Chrissy has gone away on holiday while the shop is being refurbished. Puzzlingly she has also deleted Ali from her Facebook account, making Ali wonder whatever had happened for her friend to unfriend her. Things go from bad to worse at breakneck speed.
This novel is an absolute cracker of a psychological thriller. I was filled with empathy for Ali. She was all alone and frightened of everything. Imagine not recognising your friends and family. Everywhere she went she would not know her friends from complete strangers, or even from her stalker. She was desperate to unlock from her mind what had happened the night she had been attacked so that she could piece together the clues that may unmask her adversary. The storytelling is full of menace, tension and delivered with superb aplomb and at a terrific pace. The back story of Ali and Ben’s childhood is revealed through poignant memories of happier family times. It is a heart breaking story for two young children to have gone through. When the two stories are seamlessly merged, the truth is laid bare by the most frightening and unexpected plot twist of them all. I loved the measured ending as well.
Thank you for my copy of 'The Date', received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture, all in return for an honest unbiased review. It is a very good read and I will be thinking about this novel long into the future. It’s a 4.5* review from me.

This is my second book I’ve read, reviewed, and rated 5 stars, by Louise Jensen. This book is definitely a page turner. Ali had to grow up tormented by what her father did and then again with her mom’s illness. She goes on one date and her life is flipped upside down again. Her husband is about to do the unthinkable out of love and there’s so many twists and turns that will have you guessing time and time again on who is out to get Ali. The ending is definitely a shocker over all this book is by far one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read thus far.

Exceptional! Another book added to my list of best books so far this year.
An absolute must read for every fan of this genre.
Very fast paced, superbly gripping and keeps you guessing all the way.

Ali wakes up the morning after a night out on a first date with no memories, a head injury, bruises and blood under her fingernails. How did she get home? What happened to her? Shortly after, she is diagnosed with a condition of face blindness which renders every familiar face to her a relative stranger. Her first date seemingly is stalking her and tormenting her with threatening notes. She's utterly terrified.

I really enjoyed The Date, particularly the first half. The first half of the book is heart stoppingly gripping and claustrophobic. I read the first half in practically one sitting with my mouth open and one hand over my eyes! The situation Ali finds herself in is terrifying in our modern day world and something that happens all too often. The first half of The Date was to me like a cross between Into the Darkest Corner and Before I go to sleep.

However in the second half of the book the pace slowed considerably and the tension that was so utterly gripping and shocking in the first half, fairly fizzled away. Unfortunately I figured out the culprit fairly early on but even so, found it a bit unbelievable and a bit of a let down. It was also inconceivable to me that Ali wouldn't have called the police to report matters and the reason for this, while part of the overall story, wasn't convincing to me.

Overall though I enjoyed the book and I would like to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Ms Jensen for an advance copy of The Date in exchange for my honest opinion.

After going out on a blind date Ali wakes up in the morning bruised , battered with blood on her fingernails but having no idea what happened to her last night.In the hospital along with amnesia she is diagnosed with facial blindness which makes her unable to recognize anybody’s face including her own. Trying to cope with this trauma is hard enough but when she gets threatening messages she knows her nightmare is just beginning.

The Date is a tense psychological thriller full of suspense , twists and turns. An entertaining , engaging read and will eagerly look forward to the next one by Louise Jensen

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Ali, recently separated, has moved in with a friend while she attempts to reconcile with her estranged husband. As her husband Mark continues to push for divorce, Ali slumps into a deeper depression. Her friends convince her to join an online dating app in an attempt to move forward with her life. Ewen's profile strikes Ali as different, he seems kind, and she reluctantly agrees to a date.
Ali wakes up in her room covered in blood; she's sustained head trauma and has no memories of the events that took place the night before. From the bruises on her throat it appears as if someone tried to strangle her. When Ali looks in the mirror to examine the extent of her injuries, she doesn't recognize the person staring back at her. Ali begins to receive threatening notes, implying she did something terrible for which her assailant is seeking revenge. Unable to recognize faces, Ali must piece together the events of that night before her attacker returns to finish what they started.

The Date is an intense mystery/suspense/thriller with a twist. Ali is left with a head injury that affects her ability to recognize faces. Ali’s attacker begins the game of cat and mouse, using her injury to their advantage, Ali is left defenseless unable to identify friend from foe. I really enjoyed the author’s use of this plot twist as a way to increase suspense and leave the reader guessing who it might be. This one had me second guessing myself several times as new information is revealed. Definitely a must read for fans of this genre.

This is the first book I’ve read by Louise Jensen and it certainly won’t be my last.
An amazing psychological thriller that grips you right form the start and keeps you guessing til the end. I changed my mind a few times about ‘whodunnit’ as the information that is woven throughout the book makes you suspect everyone. There were moments in the story where I could hear (in me head) the creepy music you get in horror films just before something happens that makes you jump out of your seat. The story is written in such a way that you can almost imagine yourself in the book with the characters, giving them advice, willing them on or telling them be careful. A must read for any fan of psychological thrillers.

This was the first by this author I have read. But it won't be the last. I devoured this book in one day. I could not put it down! The date is where it started but nothing was quite what expected. Ali woke up sore and sorry but could remember nothing of her date. Scarily she had suffered a head injury which means she could no longer faces. A terrifying condition that the reader can easily relate. But there are a lot of secrets which keep going until the very last page. I am off to find other books by this author!

Reading this latest title from Louise Jensen, I thought I saw the red herring, and I found myself bummed by what I thought was about to happen. BOY was I wrong! And the mere fact that the author had the chops to keep me guessing enables me to tip my hat and give her a 5 star review. I read TONS of mysteries; and when I can't figure it all out, I am thrilled to my toes. Another page turner. And now to catch up on sleep...

This was so incredibly gripping from start to finish. When Ali wakes up unable to remember the night before, you assume the worst. But the truth is so much more than you can imagine. The characters are fab, the writing is perfect and overall I devoured this book.

Now THIS is a five-star thriller! I was drawn into The Date immediately; from the very first page I had a sense of foreboding that carried through to the very end.

I started this book intending to read the opening chapter and then get back to housework, and let’s just say I still have laundry waiting… I couldn’t put it down! I just had to know what was going to happen. My biggest letdown when reading thrillers is that sometimes all the buildup just doesn’t deliver in the end. Boy, does The Date deliver! I can’t stop using exclamation points because I just truly enjoyed it so much.

Louise Jensen paints a vivid picture of Ali, our protagonist’s background, and alludes to how she ended up where she is today – confused and disoriented after going on a date with a stranger she “met” via a dating app. She’s separated from her husband Matt, and not ready to date – but her roommate, Chrissy, and friend Jules convince her to give it a shot. The next morning is when it all starts. Or… has something been playing out in Ali’s life that she was not even aware of? Who can she trust?

This is another book that I would encourage anyone who loves psychological/domestic thrillers to pick up and read without knowing too much about it. You can look for clues all you want, but even if you figure out some of the bigger twists, the delicately woven “why” is just so well done in this book that it really drives everything home. I enjoyed every page of this book. Now off to add the rest of Jensen’s books to my “to read” list…

Thank you to the author & publisher who provided an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Date by Louise Jensen

This is the first novel that I've read by Louise Jensen. She has a new fan.

Thank you Net Gallery and Bookouture for the free book for my honest review.

I have to say this one kept me reading all night, Ms. Jensen writes great characters, plot, and writing prose.

Alison goes on a blind date with a man she met online (yea what could go wrong). Waking up she hurts and has no memory. Her brother Ben talks her into going to the doctor and he diagnosis' her with prosopagnosia. A form of face blindness, Alison's is due to being hit on the head by some object during her date. This book goes back in forth in chapters between adulthood and childhood. We learn how Alison's father left and why, which leads up to the grand finale at the end of book. During the book I knew who the guilty person was, however at the end with the twist, I was so wrong.

I highly recommend for friends and family.

Cherie'

An enjoyable read but a little bit predictable at times.

Ali was an interesting character and I loved the twist her condition gave the story. I did struggled at time with her, she made some really stupid decisions and did not do anything to protect herself.

I absolutely love Louise Jensen so I was so thankful that Bookouture gave me an ARC of her newest book The Date.
I can’t go too much into detail without spoilers but this book had me hooked from chapter one till the very end. It’s fast paced and really kept me guessing and going back and forth with myself. I’ve read many memory loss books but not one quite like this one! Its so unlike the others that it made for some interesting plot points! If you haven’t read a book by this author you should!

Just finished this superb book by Louise Jensen. My heart is still pounding. I could not put this book down a true seat of your pants page turner. Just when you thought you have it all figured out wollap another twist in the plot. Did not see the ending coming. Already recommending this book to everyone I know.

I absolutely adore this author’s books, they are gritty and addictive and this latest release was no different – I read it the day it arrived on my Kindle, finishing it in the early hours of the following morning and have to say that it was brilliant!

I love her writing style anyway and how she can draw you in to the stories but this one for me had an added edge and I was completely addicted and trying to guess where the story was going.

I loved the characters and their interaction was superb, I literally had no idea where the story was going and then everything I thought I’d guessed right went straight out the window!!

I absolutely LOVED it – such a brilliant psychological thriller – no hesitation in giving it 5 stars – you need to read this book now – it really is superb!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars for me sorry!

Others have rated this so high that it obviously must be me.

I just couldn’t gel with the main character and unfortunately I guessed who the bad guy was very early on.

Enjoyable but nothing too amazing.