Two things you can be pretty confident of when you pick up a book by Louise Jensen is that a) you are going to have a really good time reading a book by a very assured and capable writer and b) you better prepare yourself for a flipping roller coaster of a ride as she turns your understanding on its head and manipulates your feelings with nearly each and every page turn. This is exactly what you are provided, once more, when you pick up a copy of The Date, her latest psychological thriller.

Now this is not the first time I have read a book around the subject of prosopagnosia, or in layman's terms - face blindness - and as I have another book along a similar vein, it won't be the last either, but I have to admit that in spite of this I find the whole idea and subject matter fascinating. Louise Jensen has taken a very complicated and life changing condition and woven it into the heart of a story which is ultimately quite twisted and very compelling.

Ali is someone we can perhaps all recognise, recently separated, living with a friend and trying to get her life back on track. Reluctantly she agrees to the idea of going on a date with someone she meets over a dating app and when the big night comes ... well, let's just say things get a little out of hand and from that point onward things start to get very, very scary. Ali wakes at home with a head injury, no memory of the night before and worse still - lacking the ability to recognise anybody, not even her brother. The whole world seems alien to her, voices she recognises but cannot associate with faces, people she remembers but that one crucial night she cannot get back. Her friend and housemate is gone, cutting of all ties to Ali and she doesn't know why. Desperate to find out what happened, Ali turns to a former neighbour for help - and that it where it gets interesting.

Now as much as this is a mystery or thriller of a very high standard as always, it is just as interesting to me to see the way in which Louise Jensen has crafted the character of Ali. She is quite a complicated soul, a family history which has coloured her future and as both her parents are gone she was the primary family to her younger brother, Ben. The impact that her condition has upon her and her relationship with her brother is very well portrayed - the confusion and apprehension Ali feels, how scared and overwhelmed she is in not being able to recognise people and yet the small comfort or recognition from something about them be it a hair style or a pair of glasses. It all feels real, authentic, and it is clear that the author has done her research. The whole situation adds a layer of not only mystery but also tension to the story as it is primarily told from Ali's point of view and her inability to remember or identify people adds an element of mistrust to everything we see.

The story itself ... Well I don't want to say any more about the plot but it is quite cleverly constructed and with many twists and turns to keep me guessing, I was kept not only on the edge of my seat, but also in the dark until almost the end of the book, just as it should be. Was this a date gone wrong or something far more sinister. What did happen to Ali that night and will she ever find the truth. There are so many people who don't appear to be telling Ali the whole truth, and while I had my suspicions about Ali's friends, I'm not going to tell you if I was right or wrong in what I thought. Read the book for yourself and see what you think. I'll be honest and say I certainly wasn't expecting that ending.

If you like a good old psychological thriller or domestic noir, in this case with a slightly unusual twist, then The Date is quite probably the book you should pick up next. Gripping, tense and occasionally chilling, this book kept me hooked from the off. I never fail to be happy after reading a Louise Jensen book and this was another perfect example as to why. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

prosopagnosia.... frontal lobe damage that makes it impossible to identify someone through facial recognition. Imagine waking up and always seeing a strangers face on everyone. That thought alone strikes terror in me throughout the book. The book itself is a masterful thriller on how one date can spiral your whole life out of control. Four stars of entertainment! This is one of those books where no one is who they seem and everyone has a secret.

My partner doesn’t read fiction and we often have conversations where we discuss why I love it and he doesn’t. His main argument seems to be that he doesn’t see the point of reading ‘made up stories’ and he likes to read non-fiction. Putting aside my counter-argument as to why he doesn’t feel the same about the sometimes ridiculously OTT movies and TV shows he is prepared to watch (also, made up stories!), the main thrust of my rebuttal would be that good fiction books will always hold some kernel of truth about the world and human experience. Without that, we can’t relate to them and they won’t draw us in, and I have learned a lot from a well-researched book, even if it is fiction.

This book is a case in point. Before I saw the pre-release information about this book and heard the author talking about it, I had never heard of prosopagnosia or facial blindness, never mind how common it is. This is a fascinating hook for the book to revolve on and the author has done a great job of portraying the daily hurdles that someone suffering from this condition has to contend with and the hardships that brings. Imagine not being able to recognise your own face, or the people you love. How would you be able to trust that people are who they say they are? I found the whole subject, and how the main characters learns skills to compensate fascinating.

This is also a really powerful premise on which to base a psychological thriller and this one does not disappoint. If you have read any of Louise’s books before, you will know what to expect and I think her writing is just getting better and better. This book twists and turns like an eel, you think you know what is happening but then she throws another curveball at you, and then another, until your head is spinning right up until the final chapter.

The real skill of this book is making something disturbing out of an every day environment, making the reader believe that this could actually be happening to someone they know, in their street. None of us know what goes on behind a suburban front door. You hear it every day in the papers when the neighbours of the latest villain to hit the front page are all interviewed and are surprised to hear what he/she is accused of because they always seemed so ‘quiet and normal’. Who knows what Mr. Jones from number 15 is up to in this garage? When might your path cross with his in a case of bad karma? These thoughts are more creepy to me than an exaggerated horror film because of the banal possibilities. It’s enough to give you nightmares and this author taps into that brilliantly.

I found the main characters in this book very relatable, more so perhaps than in Louise’s last book, which allowed me to be carried right into the heart of the story from the beginning. I really cared what happened to her and my heart was in my mouth, racing to the end of the novel as fast as possible to find out her fate. Pace of page-turning is the mark of a great thriller and my eyes and fingers were whirring, resenting the everyday intrusions that made me put the book down for the odd minute.

This is a great book in this genre, probably her best yet, and you should definitely pick up a copy today..

This thriller has quite a unique premise.

The author mixes an unusual condition with a truly gripping thriller.

While I did figure out the 'who' in everything prior to the reveal, I was still in this - I simply had to know if I was right.

I did have some issues with a few of the characters, but the book kept me reading until the end.

Very good and suspenseful read!

Alison Taylor has been separated from her husband, Matt, for nearly a year. She is staying with her friend, Chrissie, who appears to be a happy-go-lucky, party girl. Alison lets Chrissie and another friend talk her into joining a dating site. The morning after her first date with a guy, she wakes up in her bed bruised, bloody, and ill with no memory of what happened. When she looks in the mirror, the face looking back at her is not hers. The next thing she hears is a man’s voice and it sounds like her brother, Ben. But when she looks at him, it’s not Ben’s face that she sees.

Ben takes her to the hospital where she is given a battery of tests. Alison learns that she has suffered a brain injury leaving her unable to recognize faces and it could be permanent.

Back in the place she shares with Chrissie, she is upset that Chrissie has not returned home and she worries about her. But soon, Alison starts receiving notes mocking her inability to remember things and adding that this person knows what she’s done and when she does remember, she will regret it.

Alison is scared and is thrust back to her 12th birthday when tragedy struck her family. Could this be what has caused this recent incident? Who hates her so much that they are terrorizing her like this?

This story twists and turns taking the reader back to Alison’s childhood and back to the present. We see how the author has woven a perfectly braided mystery that keeps not only Alison but the reader guessing all the way to the very end. I enjoyed the book very much and I think others will as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I couldn't put this down! The author just grabs the reader and doesn't let them go, so I recommend leaving aside enough time to read this in one sitting.

I read the gift and loved it so I’ve been eagerly waiting for The Date, and Louise Jensen didn’t disappoint. She knows how to write a nail biter that leaves you up all night biting your nails in anxiety.

This book had me on the edge of my seat!! It’s nailbiting and full of unexpected twists and turns.

After Ali splits from her husband she is encouraged to go on a blind date. It’s just the thing to help her move on but is it?

She wakes up with no memory of her date . Her keys and her purse are missing and her car has been in an accident. Her flat mate is also missing and she had blood on her hands!! Just what has happened? With a pounding head , Ali looks in the mirror and realises she doesn’t recognise her own reflection!! The suspense jumped off every page!

I found myself engrossed in my own theory’s of what was happening only to find out a few pages later I was wrong!! The little pieces of the book were weaved together expertly to leave me gasping at the end.

A truly thrilling read which had me page turning well into the night!! Thank you to netgalley and Bookoutre for my chance to read this excellent book.

Gripping fast paced thriller. Superb thriller that had me hooked from the very first chapter. Ali, recently separated from her husband doesn’t really want to date so soon but buoyed along by her friends what harm could 1 date really cause. An absolute nightmare that’s what. Brilliantly plotted from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Well this was my first venture into the works of Louise Jensen and after having finished this book The Date, I knew without a doubt that I'd be hunting down her other books to read.

So 'The Date', had me completely captivated throughout and I was gripped from start to finish.  The storyline was outstandingly brilliant and really well written. 

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to a disorder called Prosopagnosia otherwise known as face blindness, the inability to recognize faces. Well the whole concept of this disorder completely messed with my head as I never even knew that such a disorder existed. It really did get me thinking about different things.

I was literally glued to this book until the very last page, just could not put it down, there were plenty of surprises and twists which had me guessing throughout trying figure out how it would all turn out.

This really is one of those books that'll have you sitting on the edge of your seat in eager anticipation as to what will happen next. Don't believe me, then be sure to read this book yourself.

I am so disappointed! I have seen nothing but praise for Louise Jensen books and I was very excited to finally try one. The beautiful cover, intriguing synopsis, and all the glowing reviews had me convinced The Date would be one of my favorite books of the year. Unfortunately, the hype going into this set my expectations way too high.

The whole temporary amnesia angle is never one of my favorite tropes, but I thought the Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness) set this one apart a bit. I have only read one other book that had a character afflicted with this so it still felt fresh. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live with this disability and I felt the book did a pretty good job describing how debilitating it could be, but also how you can learn to live with it.

That is pretty much the end of what I liked about this book, though. I really had to push myself to finish this one. It might just be my current mood, but I just had a hard time getting into this. I found Ali kind of annoying, to be honest. I also never felt like we really got to know any of the other characters very well. Jensen did do a good job of keeping me guessing for awhile, making everyone in Ali’s life a bit suspicious, but as the book went on I started to really narrow down the villain to one character and I ended up being right. There was one red herring that made me right away guess the truth. I’m guessing that when that truth was revealed it was supposed to be the big shocking twist? It felt cliched to me and I can’t believe that many Mystery fans would be surprised by it.

Overall, The Date was disappointing to me. Maybe if my expectations weren’t quite so high I would have enjoyed it a bit more. But other than the Face Blindness plotline, the story was kind of cliched and I was completely underwhelmed by what was supposed to be the big twist. However, I seem to really be in the minority with this opinion, so it still may be worth trying.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and turns and kept me guessing right til the end. I couldn't put it down and was reading well into the night.

A wonderful 5 star review with an unusual premise. Imagine waking up and not recognising yourself when you look in the mirror? A fast-paced thriller that I read in one sitting and with delightful well-rounded characters and an excellent end. I’ll leave Amazon feedback tomorrow

I remember seeing this book when the cover was revealed and thinking what a fantastic cover it looked (it does help that purple is my favourite colour!) and that I just had to read it. The Date is a spine tingling psychological thriller which will have you hiding behind a cushion and checking the locks on the doors before you go to bed!

Alison Taylor wakes up one morning knowing that something bad has happened to her. She has blood on her head and feels battered and bruised. She has no idea what happened on the previous night apart from she was meeting a man she had met on a dating website, something she had been persuaded to do by her friends following her separation from her husband. Now, she doesn’t recognise her friends, family or even herself in the mirror. What on earth happened to Alison that night?

The opening few chapters immediately got me hooked, but in a “peering out through my fingers” sort of way. I couldn’t think of anything worse of not just being able to remember what happened, but knowing something bad had because of all the injuries I had sustained. After being taken to hospital by her brother Ben, Alison is told the bump to the head has caused ‘Face Blindness’ – the inability to recognise faces or facial features (the book did give its proper medical terminology, but it was a very big word and I can’t remember it, let alone spell it!) Basically Alison was not able to recognise anybody, including herself. She could recognise voices and clothes but not actual faces. I mean, what a fantastic plot for a book. It is completely original and something I’ve never read about. But it did leave me wondering where this story was going!

As the book moved on, it began to show that Alison’s inability to not recognise people made it very difficult for her to know who to trust. There were also a lot of unanswered questions with which Alison was getting nowhere fast. Without giving too much more of the plot away, it’s safe to say that the book certainly made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, it was that creepy. The plot was well thought out and researched and the author kept the suspense building throughout the book until the explosive finale.

It had many twists and turns to reach the big reveal and I didn’t guess for one second how this book was going to end. A very clever mixture of fact, great characters and fantastic writing! I am in awe of this author’s imagination and story-telling and would highly recommend this book! Fantastic!

I've read and reviewed all of Jensen's previous books and I can't recommend them highly enough; The Sister, The Gift & The Surrogate.  If you want a guaranteed emotive, twisty, shocker of a read then look no further than Ms Jensen.

With this in mind, I was really looking forward to making a start on The Date.  Ali is heading out on her first date since reluctantly separating from her husband, Matt.  The following morning she wakes dazed and confused, slowly realising that something terrible has happened, that she's been subjected to an unknown trauma.  The effects are devastating, the doctors tell Ali that she now suffers from prosopagnosia; face blindness.  Now I have to be honest here.  I have recently read another book where the main character suffered from the same condition.  I have no experience of face blindness myself and struggle to visualise how sufferers live their lives but I think, having that previous experience (albeit reading a book!) did diminish the shock factor.  The news of Ali's new condition didn't hit me as hard as it would a reader coming to prosopagnosia for the first time.  However, what really resonated with me was how utterly terrified Ali was.  She has no memory of the date which changed her life forever.  She's broken and bruised and suddenly, thanks to the face blindness very, very alone and she can't trust anyone.  Absolutely terrifying.

Jensen is a master at making you think one thing whilst doing some clever sleight of hand under the table so you're never really sure what to expect.  I don't think I have ever been as surprised as I was at the end of The Surrogate, Jensen's previous book.  Which put me on my guard this time around.  I was obsessed with looking for clues and hints.  I'm delighted to confirm that once again the author worked her seemingly effortless magic and I was miles out in my predictions.  I had concocted all manner of possible scenarios, all but the one it actually was!

Ali's past is a lot more complicated than it first seems and I enjoyed reading the flashbacks to her childhood.  As childhoods go, Ali's wasn't the greatest but again, for reasons you do not expect at first.  It was fascinating to see the events which made her the woman she is, the birth of the guilt she carries so heavily as an adult.  I felt enormously sorry for her many times throughout the book but strangely, I struggled to like her.  Ali is a character who will be loved by many readers but for me, she lacked gumption; I wanted her to be a little more kick-ass and a little less whiny and timid.

Would I recommend this book?  I would, but then I would highly recommend ALL of Jensen's books as she is a step above most other writers in the same genre.  The Date is bursting at the seams with shedloads of delicious intriguing suspense. The ending was an absolutely perfect fit for the story and I can't stop picturing that final scene in my head and wondering to myself....

Four and a half stars out of five.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Date.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

This book was hit and miss with me. It was a good beach read but not overly memorable or super twisty. It fell a little flat but a perfect one sitting book.

Absolutely fantastic. Love a book where you just don’t know so you just can’t put it down. Love all her books excellent work

Thank you NetGalley, Louise Jensen and BookOuture for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Ali wakes up one morning with blood on her hands and a terrible throbbing headache. Why can’t she remember what happened last night? Feeling very unwell, she goes into the washroom and is shocked by what she sees. She knows it’s her own face, but she doesn’t recognize it! Turns out the problem isn’t just her own face, she doesn’t recognize anyone’s face!

This is the first book that I have read by Lousie Jensen and I have to say, right from the first couple chapters, I was intrigued. I sat down on a day off and read the entire thing in one sitting! I love that all the chapters are pretty short and I enjoy that Ali even slowly gets flashbacks on what happened the night previously. I also liked that this is a whole new concept to me, the Prosopagnosia, being unable to recognize faces. It’s so smart to find something completely new to readers, while letting the world know about a condition that is pretty rare but does affect people all over the world.

I really enjoyed that because Ali couldn’t recognize faces, we were all just assuming who did all this to her. I loved the twist at the end and I loved how we find out not only who is doing this to Ali now, but why. That’s a whole other twist and I am all for multiple twists! I enjoyed how many people played their parts in this without knowing that they were helping someone get away with a crime, and just because they wanted to get away with what they did no matter how small. I really enjoyed this novel and I will definitely be picking up more by Louise Jensen!

Wow!!! I loved it!!! So many twists and turns my head is spinning ! This is what psychological thrillers are all about! I can’t remember the last time I read one of these books to near the end still not being able to see what was coming! I would highly recommend ! Five stars!

Louise Jensen is an author that I’m always excited to read and as soon as I got my grubby little hands on The Date, I settled down to immerse myself in her latest creation. And this one absolutely blew my mind!! What a fantastic premise for this psychological thriller!

Imagine waking up one morning unable to remember what happened the night before. Sounds like the hangover from hell doesn’t it? But what if there were more to the memory loss than just alcohol after a big night out? What if you looked in the mirror and couldn’t recognise your own face? That’s the awful predicament facing Ali, a young woman recently separated from her husband, when she awakes the morning after her first date with a new man. Not only does she remember nothing of the date, she is now suffering from prosopagnosia (face blindness) which is scarier than her memory loss! I had heard of this condition before but never seen it used in this way as the main plot point in a psychological thriller. It worked perfectly though!

I always love how much I become involved in Louise Jensens books and I quickly found myself swept along by the storyline here. I had no idea where it was heading so I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns it threw up at me along the way. I really felt for Ali, her fear at discovering she could no longer recognise the people closest to her was palpable and I found myself wondering about how much life revolves around a simple thing such as recognition of friends, loved ones and enemies.

The Date is a wonderfully engrossing and intriguing book. Louise Jensen delivers a beautifully descriptive narrative full of emotional ups and downs, building up a storm of tension ready to come crashing down with the shocking and unexpected denouement. She is definitely one of my favourite authors around at the moment and continues to both delight and surprise me with her ability to create believable, character driven psychological suspense.

Highly recommended by me!