Date Night follows married couple Libby and Sean. After a disastrous night out in attempts to squash some insecurities Libby has, the couple returns home to find their babysitter missing and their daughter alone. The story continues along going back and forth between Libby being arrested for suspicion of murder to before date night. Lots of great twists and turns along the way and a very big twist at the end that I honestly didn't see coming.

Sean and Libby return home after their night out to discover their young baby sitter Sasha is missing and their 4 year old daughter Alice home alone.

This is just the beginning of a nightmare for all involved and with so many secrets you don’t know who to believe and where the real truth lies.

And to top it all - Never in a million years would I have worked out that twist at the end.

Great read - really enjoyed it .
Many thanks to Netgalley And Bookouture for an ARC for my honest review.

Even though I had trouble with the story going back and forth in time, it was only half way through the book that it really picked up for me. And then it was a fantastic journey. A great read!

Well - you could have knocked me down with a feather! But forgive me, I’m getting ahead of myself, after being completely stunned by the ending of this one!

A date night - on the face of it, something that a couple should look forward to, something to be enjoyed. For Libby and Sean that means a meal at their favourite restaurant. They’d been having a few problems recently, after a note was left on Libby’s car saying that Sean was having an affair. Sean completely denies it and he arranges this rare night out to talk things over in a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Having left their 4 year old daughter Alice with Sasha, who’s one of Libby’s employees and also a regular babysitter, they leave home, hopeful that tonight will put everything right. Only it doesn’t! They have a massive row and return home early to find that Sasha isn’t there, and Alice has been left on her own - fortunately she’s unharmed and fast asleep, but this is completely out of character for Sasha - she may be only 17 but she’s a really steady and reliable girl. All of her belongings are still there however, even her phone, the tv is still on, Sasha’s half eaten meal sits on the table, so whatever’s happened, it looks like it happened without warning, and that’s clearly not a good sign.

As details of what happened to Sasha are very slowly and tantalisingly revealed, you’ll find that not everything is as cut and dried as it appears to be, and that many of the characters will be caught under a cloud of suspicion, not least Libby, who’s arrested on suspicion of murder, even though the police haven’t found a body.

This is a deliciously dark and tangled web of burdensome and consuming lies, and deeply hidden truths. The characters, whilst not always sympathetic, are well fleshed out and mostly believable. The twists in the plot are convincing, and in some cases (as with the ending) well disguised and completely surprising!

I had mixed feelings about this book, mainly because I found myself confused at times with the leaping backwards and forwards. The seemingly perfect relationship between husband and wife, Sean and Libby, living the country dream with daughter, Alice, unravelled fairly rapidly on the basis of a malicious note. However, I persevered as a fan of the author's previous work and was glad I did. She certainly knows how to ramp up the tension, and the ending was absolutely unexpected (if a little too 'out there' for my liking). Still, an entertaining read if you enjoy thrillers with more twists and turns than a theme park rollercoaster.

Date Night is a story of a date that turns into the night from hell. Libby and Sean both have busy careers and a young daughter to care for. When Libby gets a strange note on her car that claims her husband is having an affair she feels her life begin to spin out of control. When they plan a special date night to talk and clear the air, the unthinkable happens to someone very close to them. Incredible suspense that kept me up half the night to finish. I literally did not figure out what really happened until the I read the end of the book. Well written story that moves seamlessly between before the date and after. Excellent suspense novel. Highly recommend.

Wow, this book immediately drew me in and kept me concocting reasons to ignore chores so that I could race back to it. Seriously, I don’t come across many books like this, but it had me glued to it. I’d even find myself waking up and reading a chapter in the night.

Here’s the gist of the story: Everything is going great with Libby and her husband Sean until she finds a note on her windshield. It says her husband is cheating on her. Even though Sean denies cheating, the seed of doubt has been planted.

Their marriage immediately feels the strain of doubt beginning to separate them. So they both agree to set a date night, in hopes of putting things back on the right track. Unfortunately, the evening of their date the topic again turns to infidelity after Sean continually receives texts that he doesn’t acknowledge or share with his wife. Naturally, anger and tension replace any thoughts of patching up their relationship.

Returning home early Libby relates that they found the babysitter missing and their young daughter in bed asleep. Both she and her husband are beside themselves.

This fast-moving psychological story is told in Libby’s voice. The chapters move back and forth between past, days leading up to their date, and present, after she is arrested for the murder of their babysitter.

What Concerned Me:
It was slightly disruptive for it to go back and forth between past and present. But not bad, if I paid attention to the chapter headings.


What I Liked Best:
I love a book that grabs my attention from the getgo. And for me, about the time it started to slow, something new would happen to draw me right back.

Though the ending is quite unexpected, it isn’t so far fetched that I couldn’t go along with it.

Absolutely a winner for me! I will certainly be reading more books by this author.

Another exciting book from the pen of Samantha Hayes. I was quite honestly flummoxed with this one and truly hadn’t worked it out until it was all laid bare for me. It has it all, mystery, suspected foul play, romance and betrayal.

Another winner from Samantha Hayes who is one of my favourite writers.
Date Night is another cleverly plotted book and I raced through it, not wanting to put it down. The characters and story were crafted so cleverly and it had me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book.

Date Night by Samantha Hayes is an easy read psychological drama with an ending that will bowl you over with surprise.

Libby aged thirty nine is her own boss of a growing gourmet catering business and her husband Sean is the local vet. They live with their four year old daughter Alice in their dream home known as Chestnut Cottage. Sean also has a fifteen year old son Dan from his past marriage.

Libby finds a disturbing note left on her car windscreen regarding her husband Sean one morning that will change her life forever. She doesn’t know whether to believe the note or not but is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Libby and Sean return home early from their 'date night’ which turned sour, they find that their baby-sitter Sasha is nowhere to be found and they’re shocked that their young daughter Alice has been left all alone.

Libby unexpectedly finds herself arrested on suspicion of murder but Sasha’s body is nowhere to be found.

Wow I didn’t see the ending coming, so many twists and turns, secrets and lies. If you love a thriller that’s a challenge to predict the ending, then this is it! The conclusion was so unexpected and shocking, a great read.

5 Stars from me!

This is one head f*** of a book! If you like to not have a clue what is going on then this is the book for you!

Date Night is so clever, the story reveals itself in layers and with each new layer you realise that the the version of events you've just read about may not have exactly have been wrong but it might not have contained ALL of the truth.

I was genuinely delighted the first time I realised it and then again and again as the little layers of new information started coming through.

Bloody genius.

This is one seriously messed up psychological thriller/domestic drama -- and I mean that in the nicest way.

What it's about: A marriage doesn't sour overnight, but when Libby finds a note on her car windshield stating that her husband of 5 years, veterinarian Sean Randell is cheating on her, things start to fall apart quickly. She doesn't mean to be a jealous shrew. But that happens. He can't reassure her enough that it isn't true. In an effort to get themselves back on track, because Libby really does love him, they plan an evening out at a local restaurant. Sean's mom, Marion, typically babysits their four-year-old daughter, Alice, but she has a meeting at church so they ask Sasha, a 17-year-old girl who sometimes works with Libby in her catering business, to come over for the evening. The "date night" doesn't go quite as hoped. They argue, Libby accuses, Sean is checking his phone constantly. They call an end and head home only to find that Sasha is missing and Alice has been left alone in the house. What follows is the epitome of unreliable narration as the police get involved and question Libby and Sean. NO SPOILERS.

Why you should read it: There is so much going on in this book that it's hard to make any kind of determination as to what has happened to Sasha. Libby is a catastrophic mess and is either crying or blabbering on about this or that and can't seem to answer any questions. Since she's the main character and the one who's telling the story in different time shifts, it takes awhile to figure out what's gone on. Without giving it all away, I really can't say too much about the other characters in the book but there are many, some more likeable than others. I like the writing even as the style made it a bit more difficult to read but I think that was purposeful in that it is probably meant to prevent the reader from making the leap necessary for the conclusion to work and be a surprise twist. I like guessing games with psychological thrillers and enjoy them more if I'm made to work for it. This one strung me along longer than others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I've read other books by this author and will definitely keep an eye out for future releases.

This was certainly a page turner! A very fast read which at times was a bit confusing just because of how it was told. I certainly wasn’t expecting that ending! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

I received a free copy of Date Night from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha Hayes, you are brilliant!

I have to warn you that once you starting reading this book you won't be able to stop. It's that good.
Full of twists and turns. The suspense and mistery so real and palpable.
It kept me guessing until the last chapter.
I absolutely loved this book!
Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster.
I highly recommend this book.

A fantastic novel full of twist and turns throughout.

I’d definitely say this is a slow burner but, I feel it’s needed! The storyline is split in a dual narrative of now and then... it swaps about in no order but this is great as you’re drip fed the clues making you suspect everyone.

Once you get to the magical halfway point you get the little snippets of a twist and on to where everything is revealed and my word it’s an absolute corker!

Amazing storyline with a fabulous twist!

Add it to that pile!! 😂😂

When Libby finds a note on her windshield suggesting that Sean, her husband, is having an affair insecurities arise and cracks begin to form in their marriage. So why not plan a date night to reconnect?The night doesn’t really go as planned so they return home early, only to find their babysitter gone and their little girl left alone.

With Libby then getting arrested on suspicion of murder, everyone’s lives begin to unravel as more questions arise, stories don’t seem to match up and there’s no body.

Date Night by @samanthahayes.author is a crafty thriller which had me questioning and guessing until the end. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @bookouture for this advanced reading copy which is scheduled for release August 20 2019.

Libby and Sean with their 4 year old daughter Alice seem happy together, although with them both working long hours their relationship has run a little stale. Libby runs her own business and Sean works long hours as a partner in a veterinary practise.

When Libby receives a mystery note saying Sean is cheating on her they agree to a date night to reassure her he is faithful, which ends up with them arguing as Sean’s phone keeps beeping as he gets numerous messages and he won’t say who they are from. When they return home their babysitter Sasha has disappeared leaving all her belongings behind!! Where has Sasha gone and why do the police believe Libby has killed her.

This book had me hooked from the start, it’s told from the prospective of Libby starting from the date of her arrest to the days leading up to the Date Night. There are lots of twists along the way to keep you on the edge of you’re seat. Love when you are reading a book and you really can’t see the ending coming and with this book it was an explosive ending.

A must read book to all psychological thriller fans.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

A date night out... ending in MURDER. I enjoyed the writing style of this a lot, it felt like it flowed really nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I do think it could have been shorter, it felt a bit dragged out and rushed at the end. I’m one for an action packed book for the majority of it, rather than BAM at the end. The ending wasn’t something I had guessed! Which is always a great thing.

This book surprised me. I thought I would know how it ended (which I usually do before I'm halfway through) but I actually didn't see it coming the way it did. I was hooked from the beginning. There were only a few instances that I would get a little mixed up but that quickly resolved itself. It is told from a "Before" and an "After" point of view. If you like domestic/psychological thrillers, you should definitely add this to your reading list. Looking forward to seeing other titles from this author!

Blimey, what a read. Read this book in less than a day. I was gripped from the beginning to the end
Sasha long is babysitting for Sean and Libby. Earlier in the week Libby got a note on her car telling her that her husband was having an affair. Things get heated during the meal and they return early. Only to find Sasha missing, the house unlocked and their daughter Alice asleep in bed.
So where has Sasha gone. What’s happened to her.? The book is told in the past and the present. It will hold your attention and draw you in. Then hit you with the outcome that you certainly won’t be expecting.