Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Although this book was a little like a “Lifetime” movie, I have to admit I was very entertained. Some of the twists were somewhat predictable but I was still motivated to keep reading until the very twisty end, which brought my rating up from 3 to 4 stars. I would definitely classify this as a guilty pleasure. Deception, suspicion and a dash of paranoia are the perfect ingredients for this unputdownable psychological thriller. First Date is a quick, soapy thriller with an ending that made it worthwhile.

I had read some middling reviews on this book but have to disagree, really loved it.
Hannah has grown up within foster families and longs to be in a strong relationship of her own. After breaking up with Tom, she is talked into on line dating and consequently meets Alex. He appears to be the man of her dreams and they find they have such a lot in common. However it soon becomes apparent that Alex does not always state the truth, especially when he owns up to having a wife who still yearns for him.
Whilst Hannah remains oblivious to the strong warning lights of a controlling partner, the reader is drawn into the plot of a man who wants total control, whatever the cost.

This book had a twist at the end which i absolutely didn't see coming. Absolutely loved it, highly recommend.

Ohhhhh this one had me from page 1, line 1. I couldn't put it down because I was just waiting for a secret to be revealed. Sue Watson has done it again because the wait was worth it!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I would also like to give 5 stars for the cover. And yes, the cover is very fitting to the story :-)

Sue Watson is a talented storyteller and expertly crafts a shocking, twisty tale ..... 'First Date' is her latest novel and the tension levels are at an all time high by the end of Hannah’s story. I must admit that I'm not overly fond of the protagonist, Hannah as she is shockingly ignorant of the circumstances around her. At times, I wanted to call out ’Hannah, listen to your friends’. Hannah desperately wants to be in love and loved in return – she wants the husband, kids, dog and possible even the white picket fence (she did discuss this topic with Alex on their first date!). And it seems that she is willing to overlook all of the danger signs in a bid to find her happy ever after. Her friends and boss do try to talk Hannah around but she is so excited to have found her ‘true love’ that she continues to ignore their advice and is even willing to walk away from her friends, rather than listen to them. As my frustration with Hannah grew, I did wonder why I continued to read the novel – why? Well, because Watson creates such an intriguing world with layers of tension building up so slowly that you are pulled right into the story. Twisty, compelling and dam intriguing. Read ‘First Date’.

I had seen a lot of early rave reviews for this book, so I was excited to see it come up next on my reading list. As with anything that is hyped, there was a high bar to be matched.
I would have to say that for me, the bar was largely met.
Right from the start, Alex was too perfect. I mean, nobody has those many particulars in common with someone on a first date. It usually takes time to find out that many commonalities.
I liked how the author gave us this “warning shot” at the very beginning, because it allowed me to be suspicious of Alex throughout. And there were plenty of other signs along the way.
This was a good tactic plot-wise, because even when I thought that maybe Alex was right about certain things, he was already untrustworthy, so it became a circular game of who was right and who was overreacting. It kept me off-balance as much as Hannah was.
She was an interesting character. It was obvious that her past colored how she reacted to the events of the story. There’s a saying that people who help other people often have a hard time helping themselves.
Hannah is a social worker – and while she seems to have a good intuition when it comes to her job, she is clearly blind when it comes to her personal life. This is largely due to her past and what she has always dreamt of her life being, but I do believe there was a blind spot where she couldn’t see what Jas was telling her (and what was quite obvious).
I also found myself yelling at her (in my head) to wake up and get a clue because all of the red flags were flying high!
In a way that worked for the plot, because it made it more difficult to know if Alex was telling the truth at any given point, which in turn led to his character being even more questionable. That being said, it does turn out that Alex was right about some things. The whole thing is honestly just a mind twist, and the author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing.
However, I did guess one of the biggest twists fairly early on and had a strong feeling about another one. This ended up being in direct conflict with reviewers who said they had no idea.
I think that’s partly the issue with seeing reviews of a book before reading it, at least for me. Even if there are no spoilers, they can still mess with the perception of the book. I was expecting to be totally in the dark the whole time – but I wasn’t.
The actuality rarely lives up to the hype. I felt the same way about the movie “Beauty and the Beast” (the original animated). Everybody raved about it, said it was amazing, one-of-a-kind, etc.
I’ll admit to waiting to see it until it had been out for a few months (that was the days where movies stayed in theaters longer than three weeks). And while I was enchanted by it, I was partly right. It was beautiful and extremely well-done, but not the “end all/be all” people made it out to be.
I feel the same way about this book. But it did teach me a valuable lesson. I think that I will stop reading all other reviews prior to reading a book, as I have a feeling I would have liked it even more if I didn’t have an expectation going in.

I was really looking forward to reading First Date as I had read good things about it. I thought it was ok, although I disliked the main character Hannah as she was meant to be an intellegent woman but she totally ignored all the obvious signs. I enjoyed the twist at the end which I did not see coming.

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC

First Date is my first and definitely not my last read by this author. I love a good page turner- one of those stories that I just can’t put down, I gotta keep reading until the last page. Well this is one of those stories.

At the age of thirty six Hannah is looking for love and when she finds Alex she thinks she’s found the perfect man. Unfortunately she ignores the red flags.

This is a well written psychological thriller that I really enjoyed. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy of First Date. WOW, I LOVE a book like this one! Of course it was a bit much with the main character, you wanted her to stop being so naive BUT what a Fast and Great read. These are the type of books that make me go back for more psychological thrillers. The ending was sooooo unexpected, an amazing twist ! Thank you Sue Watson for a Fantastic read.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. The story didn't go where I expected, which makes a nice change. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Thankyou to @bookoture and @netgalley for this review copy.

Definitely not the book for me.

Hannah has done everything to make sure her life is safe and secure. A long way from her unstable childhood growing up in foster care, she’s content with her sweet, little, messy apartment and her satisfying job as a social worker. She quietly worries that, aged 36, she might never fall in love. But otherwise her life is where she wants it to be.

Until, encouraged by her best friend to join a dating app, she meets Alex. He’s irresistibly handsome. He loves the same music as her. The same food as well. They both dream of travelling the world but agree they’d be equally happy escaping to a cottage by the beach in Devon. Both of them would love to own a Labrador one day. It’s like he’s made for her. It’s like he’s too good to be true.

Hannah’s friends aren’t so sure about him. But Hannah thinks he’s perfect.

She’s been waiting her whole life to meet a man like Alex. But he’s been waiting too. And once he has her, he’ll never let her go…

Ughhhh this book was just such a struggle for me to read. Instead of a domestic psychological thriller it felt like I was reading a textbook on gaslighting 101. It was painful to watch the main character Hannah ignore all the red flags her partner Alex was displaying, and her behaviour during their relationship was brainless at best. The book was repetitive and quite boring to read, a lot of the storyline is just Alex and Hannah arguing in different locations.

I was excited initially expecting some huge and revealing twist that would make me love Hannah and flip the story upside down (think ‘The Gilded Cage’ or ‘The Other Mrs Parish’) but that twist never came. Of course the author does try to throw a twist in however it felt like an afterthought thrown in to try and make things make sense, aka like the producers trying to make Dan Gossip Girl.

This book serves as a good lesson for two things:
1. Your friends know best, if they repeatedly tell you your partner is a creepy, controlling, abusive psycho, listen to them!
2. If your partner treats you at all how Alex treats Hannah in this novel you are in an abusive relationship and need help.

A very disappointing novel and not one I would recommend reading. Let me know if you read this and have a different opinion to discuss!

They say it takes three dates to let down your guard and act like yourself at the start of a relationship. How do you know when someone you’ve just met is being authentic? Sue Watson’s latest thriller delves into this.

Hannah is single and comes from foster care which inspired her to go into social work. She cares deeply for her job. Her last relationship just didn’t work and she’s been a little gun shy, but she goes on an incredible first date with Alex where they have almost everything in common. As they get to know each other, her best friend keeps cautioning her to take her time and make sure he’s the right one, but when Alex is so nurturing and encouraging, Hannah’s sure he’s worth it. As Hannah and Alex grow closer, Alex keeps pulling her away from her friends.

With a cast of characters that were sometimes at odds with each other, I was pulled in wondering who was reliable. Do you believe your best friend or is she jealous in what you’ve found? I enjoyed watching their relationship progress and even yelled at Hannah more than once for her choices. And you’ll never see the ending coming. Another solid slow burn thriller for Sue Watson.

Hannah, a social worker, has recently ended her long term relationship with her boyfriend, Tom. Her best friend and boss, Jas, is pushing Hannah to get back into the dating world and to try out dating apps. While searching an app Hannah comes across the profile of Alex, a solicitor, and they agree to meet for a first date.
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Their first date is absolutely perfect and Hannah falls head of heels for Alex instantly. Their relationship progresses quickly however Hannah starts seeing some red flags but chooses to ignore them. Hannah eventually discovers people are not always who they seem to be.
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When I first read the premise of this one my interest was definitely peaked. I don’t have a lot of experience with first dates as I have been with my wife for 16 years and I can’t even remember how hard it is to be in the dating world. I thought Hannah’s character was okay but she missed a lot of signs that her relationship was not what it seemed and made me doubt her intelligence. I found the beginning of the story to be attention grabbing but it did drag a bit towards the middle. The saving grace was for sure the ending which took a completely surprising twist and made me go WOW.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson.
Hannah is 36 year old social worker who met Alex, a lawyer, on an online dating app.
During most of the book I wanted to shake Hannah and tell her “wake up girl” . She was a frustrating character.
Being a social worker she should have seen the red flags a mile away.
Alex was a controlling person from the get go.
There were a lot of twist and turns. The last chapter was jaw dropping and did not expect that turn at all.
This was a well written twisty thriller which makes you happy not to be on the dating scene.
Recommend

Well what a fab read. My heart was in my mouth for most of this.
Hannah meets Alex on a dating app. He loves everything that she does. He sounds perfect but is he ...
If something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Hannah is a senior social worker and Alex a lawyer, they spend most of their time at Alex's house. He tells her he wants to keep her safe and look after her but he seems controlling.
There were times I could have shaken Hannah, tell her to wake up and see what Alex is like but then he does lovely things for her and it's back to square one.
I thought the book was very atmospheric. Good descriptions of when Hannah gets freaked out.
I'm not sure about the last scene when she leaves the cottage and Harry is there. I did guess what happened.
The epilogue was a good twist, wasn't expecting that.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

This was somewhat reminiscent of the older books with the tone and overall ending. I think it reminds me of a non murderous Mary Higgins Clark novel. The ending is the best part and I’m glad i finished it!!

I started First Date last night and finished it this morning. Gripping, well-written, pacy story full of twists and turns that kept me reading. Brilliant!

I decided to read this one because of the buzz online.... Al I can say is.... What the heck did I just read!!

Hannah, poor Hannah. She literally lives everyone's worst nightmare! Alex... Ah, he seems like such a dream boat. Who wouldn't be drawn to him... He seems to know every dream in Hannah's soul.... Every thought... Every need....

Watching Hannah live through what she lived through and you are never 100% sure who is doing what and if what is happening is actually what is happening. I did not see the twists coming!! I think I had my mouth open so long that actual drool was pooling into my lap! Definitely worth picking up but set aside a block of time because you are going to find it very difficult to put down.

It's cleverly put together, fast paced and keeps you guessing right until the end. The writing was a little amateur in places and it did seem to get off topic once or twice but all in all a good psychological read.

If you love your books fast paced, with a twisted simplicity to the story line then this is a must read.

4 stars... I do think it could have gotten away with being edgier and a little more graphic but all in all I was very happy with it.

First Date by Sue Watson
Pub Date 10/16/2020

First Date was an absolutely jaw dropping psychological thriller. The protagonist in this book was ugh annoying af lol. Who falls in love on their first date? Hannah does. Hannah has been waiting for a man like Alex all her life. But Alex has been waiting too. I think I was annoyed by Hannah because she let so much slide, like these aren't gaint red flags.
Alex is weird, obsessive, and just not right. Talk about some unreliable characters.
This book had some very clever and unexpected twist to it that left me floored. That ending omg!!!
This is my first book by Sue Watson but I will definitely be on the look out for more of her books.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of First Date.

I have had lousy first dates, let’s be frank, who hasn’t? It was almost always the guy’s fault. Some of you might know the saga of the caterpillar as I have shared with a few, and it is hilarious every time I recounted it. But this first date took the cake and the icing and the cherries on the top as the heroine Hannah ignored all the signs and saw everything with rose-tinted glasses, including her internet date, Alex. I think I was that naïve when I was a teen. Or maybe not.

This was the incredulous beginning of the story where I wanted to warn Hannah at every point, but she was quite busy spinning her dreams. Then came the threats and break-ins and her own conclusions, but nary a doubt or suspicious eye on the first date. Alex was well etched as he was the true bad boy. He brought fear and ickiness into the prose which made me want to hide from him. Run, Hannah, run…! But she never did. Since I have met quite a few of the innocent women in my real life, I continued with the story.

The story was fast and entertaining, even when I didn’t really agree with Hannah’s decisions. Most times I wanted to bop her one, and that was fun too in its own way, a lot of swear words colored the air. The author’s writing brought out the flaws in both the characters, making me speed up.

Having read all the thrillers by author Sue Watson, I knew she would have more up her sleeve. And I was right. She did come up with massive twists and turns in the latter part of the story. All of them made my head spin and my thriller-y heart sing with joy. Yesss…. that was what I wanted from this book.

Suspense glinted off the prose, the thrill in the lines made me gobble them up faster. With the first half being quite dreary due to Hannah, the second half invigorated me completely and made me understand why I love thrillers so much. They really did make my heart thump faster and louder.

The book was a wonder of sorts, bringing out contrary emotions of hate and love. Overall, compiling the two, I thought the thrill won out and I loved the book. Absolutely a rollercoaster of emotions was this. Wow!!

Hanna is in her late 30’s and looking for the picket fence, the dog, 2.3 kids and romantic holidays in Devon. She meets Alex online with the help of her friend and boss Jas, and all the stars seem to align from the get go. It seemed too good to be true....but was it?

This story had all the right intentions, but it lost a star for me as I found Hannah to be extremely frustrating. Red flags start popping up everywhere but she stupidly stepped around them making me wonder how weak was her character made? I’d hate to think of someone I know buying the rubbish that she was fed in this book by others. It’s hard to explain this without dropping spoilers so I will leave any further comments on this.

The ending of the book, well, what a shock! Definitely didn’t see that coming, but left me hanging right on the very last word! I couldn’t believe the book ended...like that! Like, please give me another chapter! Ugh!

A great page turner, an enjoyable read and I thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.