The story is told from Alison's point of view; interrupted by short thoughts from the perpetrator.
Her helplessness due to her memory gaps and her `face blindness` - paired with the suptile `actions` of the perpetrator - are at times very nerve-wracking.
Only towards the end of the book do the many confusions and assumptions become clear. Guilt, punishment and lack of trust are central points; but also love in all its different forms.- The end is unexpected... Almost with a hint of sadness...

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Date is the best yet to come from Louise Jensen. An unusual and clever psychological thriller where the protagonist, Ali, suffers from face blindness and amnesia after a blind date goes badly wrong.

Separated from her husband Matt, Ali relies on her brother Ben for support as she recovers her memory but meanwhile she believes she is being stalked by her blind date. Her friend and flatmate, Chrissy, who was with her that fateful evening has also gone missing and Ali gets questioned by the police.

The story switches back and forth between the present day situation and events during Abi and Ben's childhood ending with a great twist that I didn't see coming. Louise Jensen's fans will love The Date. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review it.

The fact I read this book in 3 (well actually just over 2 days) speaks volumes. I can understand why this genre is also known as 'grip-lit' - it most definitely had me gripped. Louise Jenson does not shy away from the dark stuff, the heart-breaking in fact, and wow does she pack a lot of plot into a short space. From the first pages you are thrown into the depths of mystery, suspense and a fair amount of terror, picking up the back story and context as you are pulled along on Alison's harrowing ordeal.

As a result, it did feel like it took me a while to actually care about Alison or really get to grips with her as a character, and the secondary characters too. But this did come eventually and as I read the final third of the book, I felt the depth in the intricacies of her and her family's story. Jenson handles these huge and heart-breaking realities with confidence and I was particularly moved by Alison's brief wonderings on love.

I think this book ticks the boxes of an enthralling psychological thriller. Fast paced and full of mystery, you can't help but keep guessing at where it is going and who it is that is lurking in the shadows.

Would I recommend this book?

It would be fairer to say 'I liked' this book as opposed to 'I really liked it' making my personal rating more like 3 stars. However, this is largely because I've realised I'm not that keen on psychological thrillers, as I once was (due to a change in my reading trends, not this book), and I don't think it's fair to pull down the ratings of this book on account of that. So 4 stars it is! I would therefore definitely recommend it to those who enjoy a good psychological thriller.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Louise Jensen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is literally the definition of a thriller. Loved it! Very fast moving, right from the start. There were so many twists and turns, you were constantly kept guessing. I was sure I had it all figured out and then another twist would come my way. Great story line, brilliant writing style. I love that the author included at the end of her book, her inspiration for it. It made me love the book even more! I have never heard of prosopagnosia. Bravo to Louise Jensen for bringing attention to it. I look forward to reading more of her books! Very enjoyable read!
#TheDate#NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A novel that has many twists and turns. After a night out Ali is injured and disoriented with a missing roommate. With no family to speak of and on a brink of divorce Ali calls her brother Ben to take her to the hospital.
Ali is trying to piece the night together, but can’t because of her head injury.

This is fantastic and will continue to read this author.

Give Louise Jensen the words and she will give you the most incredible suspense! It's hard to believe that her books could get even better but here is the proof, it's called The Date and it's exceeded all my expectations. It's so good, I find it difficult to even put the right words together for this review. Where ideas like this come from? How does she put such an engaging and broad story together with so much detail and pulls it off?

Alison, despite her reservations, goes for a date with a total stranger she's met on dating site. Little did she know, that night will change her life forever. This story is so fast pacing and was full of so many unexpected twists and revelations. It's not only the fact that Ali loses ability to recognize faces, she is also terrorized by someone and chased by her never forgotten past and memories. Some secrets are buried so deep, they should never be revealed  but someone knows the biggest secret Ali carries hidden within herself since childhood.

No one has ever given me the thrill, I get when reading Louise Jensen's books. They are seriously getting better and better and this one topped it all off. She takes you right in the middle of the story and it's like watching a film (if not being one of the cast) and all feelings are so true and real. I was flipping pages on my Kindle faster than I could read and I was seriously concerned my Kindle won't take the pressure :)

What else can happen now?

Who is behind the notes?

Who's face is it?

You will suspect everyone and when all your suspicions fall apart you won't believe the ending!

Hats off to Louise Jensen, keep the books coming. You are doing what you were born to do, write amazing books that keep us on the edge of the seat.

The Date is a very fast paced book and hard to put down. It grabes you right from the beginning and has you guessing till the very end. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Louise Jensen
The Date

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My SPOILER FREE Review

This is the fourth novel I have read by the talented Louise Jensen. The first three were all brillant, 5 star must reads if you love a psychological thriller. ( The Gift, The Sister, The Surrogate)

So as I sat down to read The Date, I thought can she do it again. Can LJ be able to create a story that pulls me in, creep me out, but makes me keep turning page after page until I am bleary eyed but want to read more.....

The answer ladies and gents is that not only can she do all of those things but she does it better than in the first three novels.

The Date is a story about Ali, recently separated from her husband and goes on a dating website after being encouraged by friends to get back out there. So she agrees to meet a guy at a bar but brings her friend for back up and The Date begins.

The way Jensen describes a scene you feel almost like you are watching it on the big screen and you want to cover your eyes one moment and your mouth is hanging open on others. The surprises and plot twists are brilliantly placed and jaw dropping! She weaves a story that even till the very end leaves you saying... OMG!

I happily rate this book as another 5 Star Must Read Psychological Thriller! Brilliantly written and I can’t wait for the next tale that Louise Jensen shares!

I was really excited to receive this book, being a huge Louise Jenson fan - and it most certainly did not disappoint! Imagine waking up with no memory of the night before, with injuries so severe that your brain is permanently damaged! Well this happens to Ali, recently separated and living with a friend, she is persuaded to go on a blind date! From the minute she wakes up the morning after, the reader is thrown into a rollercoaster journey with twists and turns right the way through. Some of this book actually terrified me it was so sinister, but for most of it I was just moving blindly from suspect to suspect waiting for the next twist! Who is out to destroy Ali, and why! Cannot recommend this book enough!

Wow! What an incredible book. I was hooked after the first chapter. This thriller really had me on the edge of my seat. It is like a rollercoaster ride - building up, building up.. You don't know what to expect and then BAM, you need to hang on. It's really that good! Ms. Jensen's well developed plot and characters are on point and she's done excellent research on "face blindness". I never knew such a condition even existed.

I didn't want to put it down - and stayed up well past my bedtime reading! An excellent suspenseful thriller that moves quickly. I didn't want it to end.

I totally recommend The Date! Now I need to go back and read her other books.

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion*

The Date by Louise Jensen finds Ali separated fro her husband, Matt. Her friends talk Ali into signing up for a dating app. Ali goes on one date and wakes up feeling hungover (date rape drug?) and bruised on throat, wrists and a bump on the head with blood. No purse or phone. No memory whatsoever about the night before. She is staying at Chrissy's house, but Chrissie is not home. So, Ali's brother, Ben, takes her to the hospital. She finds out that she has prosopagnona - lack of facial recognition, which is most likely permanent. At home she receives flowers with a note "enjoy the date, bitch". When Ali picks up her dog from Matt, she doesn't recognize him. Ali freaks out and is afraid to be alone. She really hopes that Matt wants to get back together, She finds out that her REAL name is and that something awful happened on her 12th birthday. Chrissy has yet to return and the word, "Murderer" is painted on Chrissy & Ali's front door. Ali begins to slowly remember what happened at that birthday party. The rest is an interesting and well thought out conclusion. Can't leave spoilers here! A really good book, but the characters are not very likeable. Supposed to be that way? An enjoyable read with a few interesting twists. Should read! Thanks to NetGallery and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this!

The Date by Louise Jenson is a psychological thriller that has plenty of action. Ali has been on a blind date and wakes up the following morning to find that she has been hurt but has no memory of the incident. She has a head injury and it turns out she is now left with a condition that makes her unable to recognise faces, not even her own. She begins to believe that the person who attacked her is now planning to hurt her even more and is now terrified and can trust no one. This book has quite a few twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Date was an outstanding psychology thriller that had me hooked, I loved every minute of it, I highly recommend this one.

This was my first Louise Jenson book and I honestly can't believe I have waited until now! She is super talented!! I would give more than 5 stars if I could!!

Still not over the separation from her husband Ali reluctantly agrees to go on a blind date with a man she meets online. The next day she awakes with no recollection of the date or any events that took place all night. All she knows is something terrible happened. But, what?

The Date is absolutely incredible! I was hooked from the very first page. Every chapter had me on the edge of my seat and just when I thought I had it figured out Louise threw another twist in the mix! The amount of thought and research that must have gone into this book is amazing. It's suspenseful, thrilling, fast paced and emotional. It is hard for a book to make me cry but this one had me in tears!

I absolutely LOVED it and would highly recommend it!! I can't wait to read her other books now!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I have really enjoyed all of the author's previous books and this was no exception. The main characters suffers with a terrifying condition - the inability to recognise and remember faces. That aspect made this a rather unsettling and creepy book. The book has certain chapters where the attacker tells his side of the story and this was really interesting to read. I loved how everything came together at the end and there were a few unbelievable twists.

This was a book that really kept me up and I could not put it down. I highly recommend it.

What a page turner of a book this is. Just when I thought I had worked it out ....... bam........ another brilliant twist, again and again. This is definitely an edge of your seat story that you won't be able to put down. Amazing.

Wow, I would give this a 10 out of 5 stars if I could!

The amount of emotions I felt whilst reading this book are still with me and I think this story will stay with me for a long time to come. An absolutely fantastic, heart-pumping, twisted, thrill-seeking read that I could not put down and I thoroughly recommend!

It is obvious Louise Jensen has thoroughly researched the conditions within this story. The Date gripped me from the very first page as the main character, Ali, comes to the realisation that she is suffering from Prosopagnosia or Face Blindness. This was something I was only vaguely aware of but Louise Jensen explained the condition in so much emotional detail and the story just flowed beautifully. I felt like I was with Ali as she experienced the utter fear that she cannot recognise anyone she loves, or even herself. Followed then by the complete horror when Ali tries to find comfort in watching a TV programme, as I often do for escapism, to find that she can't even recognise any of the characters on the screen. The sheer magnitude of this illness is horrifying and yet I can't help but be fascinated.

I am trying so hard not to give anything away. I knew this story was centred on Ali suffering from Face Blindness, but discovering a disease that is very personal to me had me in a complete mess. Louise Jensen incorporated this very cleverly and described the affects of this debilitating disease in a way that had me in tears. It is hard not to identify with Ali and I found myself on a heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster.

Throughout the whole book I was left guessing. I was downright shocked to find out the identity of Ali's tormentor. I have to say I was thinking along the same lines as the main character and then Louise Jensen decides to add another couple of twists!

The Sister was brilliant, but the Date completely knocked my socks off! This is absolutely my favourite Jensen book so far. I will most definitely be pre-ordering my hard copy! I hope Louise Jensen has another book out soon for me to devour in a matter of hours!

If you are a fan of this genre, don't miss out! BUY THE DATE NOW!!!!

What should have been a good night out turns into a nightmare for Ali. I have to admit I have never come across the condition that Ali ends up finding herself with after a blow to the head. She is unable to recognise people's faces. I couldn't begin to imagine how hard it must be to try and carry on as normal living with it. Not recognising a husband, a friend. Was certainly very intriguing learning about it.

Not only can poor Ali not recognise people, she can't remember what happened on her night out. The story flicks between Ali and an unknown character that obviously means her harm. We have no idea who this person is and boy was it fun trying to work out who it was. I was so sure I had worked it out and was feeling so smug waiting for it to be confirmed only to be well and truly wrong and pretty gobsmacked to say the least.

This is such a tense read. You can feel it building throughout the story and I was racing through the pages to see how it was going to turn out. I found Ali's past as intriguing as what was going on in the present and readers certainly won't be disappointed.

The Date is a heart stopping read! The author took me on an extremely twisted journey so I had no clue whether I was coming or going. This book ticks everything I want and would expect from this genre. Loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. Ali wakes up in the morning after a blind date. She has been hurt and has no memory of the night before. She is also left with a condition where she no longer recognises people. Even her husband, family and friends. Her life starts to spiral out of control in the scariest ways possible!!. I had this book read in twenty four hours. It was brilliant. Get reading folks!! I'd highly recommended it.

The premise of this book is very clever. Having gone on a blind date, Alison wakes up the next morning knowing she's been hurt but with no memory of how or why. A blow to the head has resulted in amnesia and prosopagnosia (face blindness) which leaves her unable to recognise the faces of people she's met before, including her closest friends and family and even her own face. As a result, she finds it difficult to trust people and impossible to know who it is that seems intent on ruining her life.

I found Alison to be an engaging and real protagonist whose fears and struggles with the prosopagnosia and amnesia she is suffering were well crafted and believable. Jensen had obviously done a significant amount of research on the topic and the difficulties faced by people who have prosopagnosia were explored sensitively. This novel will help to raise awareness of the condition for people who previously had little or no knowledge of what it is and also help readers to understand what sufferers might be going through.

Enough doubt was cast over the people in Alison's life to make it possible to believe that almost any of them could be responsible for what she is going through and, as you'd expect from a Jensen novel, there are twists and turns galore. My first instinct about who Ali's tormentor might be turned out to be correct, but Jensen had led me in so many different directions between that first instinct and the denouement that it still came as a bit of a surprise. There were also a couple of smaller twists which I saw coming, but that didn't detract from the story.

My one disappointment is that there were a couple of loose ends which were not tied up. One particular lie told to Alison was never addressed and I know it will bug me that I don't know the motivation behind telling that lie or whether Alison ever confronted the person who told it.

Overall I found this to be an enjoyable and engaging read and I'd definitely recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.