Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced ebook copy for an honest review, and to the author Sue Watson.

This book is about a woman in search of the perfect relationship who decides to give the online dating scene a shot. She thinks she has met Mr. perfect when he wants everything she does, but her friends continue to warn her when multiple red flags start popping up with him, in this romantic thriller.

Pros: intriguing story line, well developed characters, story flows well, etc.
Cons: I could not stand the two main characters, Hannah and Alex. Hannah ignores every single red flag, and is irritatingly desperate to the point I disliked her more than Alex. It just wasn’t my cup of tea but I’m sure others would enjoy it, I really don’t like any romance novels either so this may contribute to my dislike of the characters.

I would compare this book to the series “you” and would recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of creepy thriller.

This book made me a better writer, yes writer. All the elements of a story were there but it was up to me to create interesting plot lines because the author failed to do so. I almost exclusively read thrillers and murdery type novels. I believe this was billed as such otherwise I wouldn't have requested it. Ninety percent of it was a rehashing of how awkward of a relationship Hannah had gotten herself into. Desperate and single, she was willing to trade her independence, decision-making and self-esteem at the chance for a happy romantic relationship. It became a sad version of a romance novel gone wrong. But not "thrilling" at all. But I read it. And then in about four pages at the end the author reveals, almost by bullet points, how she planted the antagonists actions and deceptions throughout. It was almost maddening for a reader who has witnessed brilliantly woven plots of intrigue and sleight of hand with character development and revelations. Perhaps my expectations were too high or the genre was misconstrued. Either way I am grateful bookouture entrusted me with an ARC. Not for me, but would never discourage another reader from trying it!

The old adage, "If it's too good to be true" takes a turn in this one. Or does it? Our heroine has survived a very difficult childhood and is now a caring social worker. When she meets the man of her dreams she falls fast and hard. But strange things keep happening so who is making her new life frightening? Is is him, is it his ex, her ex or could it be someone else? The descriptive for this book is on point and will keep you engaged all the way through!

I must say that the title and the cover looked very intriguing and I was super excited for it ! But sadly, I did not end up liking it as much as I thought I would :( It was a good thriller with a couple of twists that are not really predictable but nothing spectacular ! I liked the writing style and found it to be quite fast-paced but I did not like the characters at all and was not wowed by the ending. I really wanted to like it more :(

This was my first Sue Watson novel and I must say, I was hesitant to read it because the plot sounded so predictable. However, I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong at every turn! This story was completely gripping, I read it in one sitting and it’s currently 2 AM as I type this because I literally couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this one!

Oh no! This book was just ok. A little too predictable/eh. Thanks for my copy in exchange for an honest review though

Hannak has done everything to make sure her life is safe and secure. Her childhood had been unstable growing up in Foster care. She now works as a social worker, she's thirty six years old and worries that she might never fall in love. She joins a dating app and meets Alex. They had lots in common: music, food, they both want to travel the world and much more. Hannah's friends are not keen on him. But Hannah thinks he's perfect.

There is no such thing as a perfect man and Hannah is deluded. She thinks she's met her perfect match in Alex. This is a gripping page Turner. Hannah annoyed me on several levels, I cojld ot be,I've her at times. I didnt know if she was just nieve or just plain stupid. I'm also,glad I'm not on a dating app as this book was quite an eye opener to the modern world. I did find the book dipped a bit in the middle. But the ending , WOW, what a complete surprise that was. Some of the twists were predictable but the last one I never saw coming.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SueWatson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I believe First Date by Sue Watson was a good read but a little slow to get moving. I had a difficult time really connecting with the characters as they all seemed so flawed. Hannah doesn't know the meaning of “red flags” and is very gullible for a woman her age. Her new boyfriend Alex is the clingiest man and it made me despise him very early on. Her friends are also on the dramatic side and I couldn't aww myself being friends with them. The good parts started the last quarter of the book and their were some excited twist and turns.

I was really looking forward to reading this one and I wasn’t disappointed. I really liked the way the story was written having almost everyone seem a bit suspect. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending. I will surely be reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Hannah meets Alex on a dating app. Is it too good to be true that he just happens to have all the same interests as she does. All the way down to the type of dog or vacation. Alex starts to act very weird and it worries her friends and co-workers. But Hannah is clueless throughout the book. And it becomes increasingly annoying. Not very consistent within the story.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

A sinister psychological thriller where nobody is what they seem! I enjoyed this book and certainly wasn't anticipating the ending!

Finally a thriller that isn’t cut and dry! The idea of the perfect man is something that everyone dreams about and Hannah believes she met him on a dating app. He likes everything she does and his hopes and dreams for the future meet hers. So she falls in head over heels, but over time, the real Alex starts to reveal himself and he isn’t as perfect as he seems. The crazy twist at the end was perfect. Definitely recommend.

This is one of those stories where everyone feels a little suspect. And everyone in Hannah's life is telling her not to trust someone else, but to trust them. It all started on a first date that seemed too good to be true. And Hannah has a way of ignoring red flags, with her new guy, with her friends, with threatening calls and gifts.

But most of this story seemed to be more about a controlling relationship and an overbearing friend than about anything really ominous. The end was a total shock to me, though. It was a good twist I didn't see coming!

Fast Paced, Gripping, have you on the edge of your seat physiological thriller!

Just Wow! This book was written very well. I loved the fact that this book played out like a real life story. You often here of bad first dates or bad internet meets/ dates. This book hit the nail on the head. Usually if it is too good to be true it usually is. At first I couldn't believe Hannah couldn't see all the red flags. But then, I was thinking that, that is exactly how it plays out. That individuals who are in similar situations usually are blind to what others see as a red flag (or multiple red flags). Then came the Final Twist. I think Hannah needs to quit dating for awhile LOL.

Summary According to Me:
Meet Hannah
Hannah seems to have bad luck with her choice in men. After her last failed attempt at a boyfriend, Hannah turns to online dating to hopefully find the love of her life. She soon meets Alex.

Meet Alex
Alex has just got out of a semi long relationship. He too wants to find the one. After creating an online profile for a dating app, he stumbles upon Hannah's profile . But is this the first time they have met?

Relationships can sometimes seem to good to be true, Some even turn a blind eye to the negative things friends and family have to say about them. But if the friends and family are actually concerned, it can still be difficult to separate what is reality and what is wishful thinking. But, what happens when your friends have their own motives for your relationship. That is when it could get very messy!

I loved everything about this book.

This is a gripping book that not only has one twist but TWO! I couldn't believe it.

Oh Hannah. For such an intelligent woman with such a caring heart, how could you fall for Alex's manipulation? Wasn't there any part of you that, after catching him in multiple lies, wanted to do a bit of investigating into whether or not he was actually telling the truth?

I have to be honest, through most of this book I was just irritated with Hannah. It seemed like a straightforward 2-star book about a woman getting manipulated by her smarmy boyfriend and being way too naive to see what he was doing to her and ignoring the waving arms of her friends alerting her to the behavior.

And then...almost a little too late, but just in the nick of time...the book has some fantastic twists that make the entire experience completely worthwhile. I love everything about how the book wrapped up and the juicy revelations presented. This is a fairly quick read and if you can stick with it through Hannah's eye-rolling behavior, the payoff is so very worth it.

This one just didn't do it for me. I found Hannah to just be so irritating and ridiculous.

I did like the writing style of this author and would definitely read another of her books.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The story centres around Hannah, who, after some disastrous dates, finds her perfect match in Alex. Hannah is a Social Worker and works in a small office comprising of her, her boss and best friend Jas, and two other social workers called Harry and Samerra. They are a group of friends as well as colleagues. Hannah and Alex’s relationship go from strength to strength until strange things start to happen. There’s many secrets and lies in this book and Hannah isn’t sure who she can completely trust as everyone seems to have a hidden agenda.

This is a great psychological thriller, and the ending was surprising after I was certain I knew how it was going to end. I’ve read all of Sue Watson’s previous psychological thrillers and have enjoyed every one, and this one was no different. The story was strong, quite creepy, and left me shouting at Hannah for being so blind in places. The characters were great, not particularly relatable, but that made the storyline creepier. I would highly recommend this book.

This is my second book by Ms Watson, the first one being Our Little Lies. So in comparison this book was much better with regard to the plot. Having said that, the character Hannah felt unbelievable as to how long a woman could be blind. Before taking some big decisions wouldn't she at least verify the person to confirm if he is who he says he is? Such plot holes and repetitive scenes of control aside, the conclusion ties everything up neatly. This is more of a domestic drama than a mystery thriller. 3.5 stars

Hannah, over 30, working in Social services is close friends with her boss Jas. Trying to find a boyfriend, or rather a steady relationship, Jas encourages Hannah to try an App to find a date and thus begins the story of Hannah and Alex.
On the first date itself Hannah and Alex realise they share the same dreams and have the same tastes in many other aspects of their lives. As they keep meeting and discovering common ground, Hannah's colleagues find it all a bit too good to be true. They try to warn her but she brushes it away. She is so in love. But then something about Alex seems a bit mysterious and evasive. In the end all's well that ends well.
Hannah does come across as both strong and a bit of a pushover at times. Overall I liked the plot line and the taut ending. Very engaging read. Likeable characters at the Office.
Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for the ARC

3 stars...

This book was definitely on the slow side. I found myself waiting and waiting for something to happen throughout most of the first 75% of the book...it was just pages and pages of red flags from the main character’s boyfriend and her justifying everything he did. Honestly most of the characters in this book were just irritating and I found it hard to care about anything that happened to them. I was debating a 2 star rating throughout most of the book but bumped it up to a 3 after the ending, which actually turned out to be surprisingly good compared to the rest of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.