#FirstDate #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with ARC.
This is the second book to me by sue weston after * The sister in law* but not like it, the characters are boring and i don't like them special Hannah, i hate that kind of girl who is walking blindly because of love.

Another storming read from Sue Watson! I love her easy writing style, which makes you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend. Until... everything starts going pear-shaped in a big way and slowly and steadily we can see what's happening, even if our main character seems oblivious, or in denial. The author cleverly misdirects us throughout, and having convinced myself I knew what was going on and you think it's all over, but no, you'd be wrong! Oh my goodness, it must be my favourite book ending I've read this year - right up to the last line!

Hannah’s first date with Alex goes like a dream as she’s certain she has indeed Met her Match as the online dating site suggests. They both want three children, a golden Labrador and their perfect holiday is a cottage in Devon. Too good to be true? Well of course otherwise it would be a very short book! Alex’s behaviour is odd from the start which becomes increasingly worrying to Hannah’s best friend and boss, Jas.

There are sections of this that I enjoyed in this easy read. There are some moments of tension and strange and disturbing events but sadly these are not maintained in this unevenly paced plot and they fizzle out. The end is really good, it’s surprisingly left field and one I didn’t see coming.

The biggest problem for me is that Hannah must be the most irritating and blinkered lead characters I’ve come across in a while. She is so malleable, she ignores warning signs that are almost flashing neon. It made me want to shake her and tell her to see reality. As for Alex, well the least said but manipulative and controlling should cover it.

Overall, it’s an uneven read with some good sections.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and sometimes I just wanted to slap Hannah so much!! There were some twisty parts and an overall good read,

I am a huge Sue Watson fan. In fact I literally try to grab a copy of her books the second I can get my hands on them. She has mastered the thriller genre and I have enjoyed her last three books so much that she is a must read.

That being said, this one just was very hard for me to connect with for some reason. The first date that Alex and Hannah had, felt like it lasted forever. I got a bit bored waiting around in their homes..waiting for something to happen. Hannah...oh Hannah...get a clue girlfriend. It was painful to watch her overlook how creepy her internet date really was.

Then the last 1/3 of the book took off into another gear. The twists and turns were what I had hoped for all along. As we sped to the end, I got a twist that caught me totally off guard. I only wish the entire book was as suspense filled as the last couple of chapters. Even though this one for some reason didn't pull me in as I had hoped, I do look forward to more from this author!

It was the perfect First Date, as Sue Watson's latest thriller indicates. Hannah took a chance with online dating. The profile for someone named Alex that she liked not only showed quite a handsome guy, but he matched her almost completely. When they have that first date, he checks even more boxes. Things couldn't be going any better for Hannah when she begins dating Alex. Coming from a difficult past as a foster child, Hannah often wondered if she would ever find stability. She need look no further - Alex is the perfect date, the perfect man.

A busy social worker who has seen far too many broken families, Hannah would rather exercise caution in her dating life. However, she soon throws caution to the wind when it looks like Alex is the man she will fall in love with, perhaps even finding her forever happiness.

Hannah may be happy as to how things are progressing with Alex, but her friends and coworkers, Jas and Harry, aren't as keen to what they see. As much as they would like for Hannah to slow down and to show caution, she just can't. He. Is. The. One.

Alex knows what he wants and pulls out all of the stops for Hannah, easily matching her needs at every turn. This begs the question: Are things too good to be true? Hannah doesn't want to believe that, and Alex goes the extra mile to remove any doubts she might have. However, along the way, things begin to take on an air of uncertainty, especially as Alex's true colors begin to shine through.

What a thrilling book! Now, as a reader, knowing going in that this is a psychological thriller, well, we know that things are not always as they seem. In this engrossing read I was kept on the edge of my seat because I knew something was going to happen. All along I sensed a "creep" factor with Alex and I love how Sue Watson led us down the twisty road to see his true nature, all while hoping against hope that Hannah would see the light.

I love the draw I had to Hannah. I wanted to take her by the hand and pull her away from Alex. That proved my investment in this incredibly well-written book. We as the reader could see his controlling nature, and why she couldn't was frustrating. Lastly, as if watching all of this drama unfold, it was truly exciting to find myself fully drawn to this book, especially with the final twist. I never saw it coming and can only say: Very well done.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

I love Sue Watson books!! Her writing style is so readable and I find getting in to her stories and characters very easy.

Hannah the main character seems to be unlucky in love. Her first relationship with Tom has broken down and she seems to have found the perfect partner in Alex who wants to share everything with her. The fine line between love and control is explored in this book. To the outsider many red flags appear but toxic relationships are complex and when you are in one yourself your vision sometimes can be blurred.

I read this book quickly thanks to the well written and perfectly paced storyline. The twist at the end was fantastic not what I was expecting at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this brilliant twisty thriller.

I really enjoyed the previous Sue Watson books that I have read. For some reason, this book just didn't do it for me. The book started strong (even though I found Alex super creepy and too good to be true). Although I finished the book, it wasn't one of my favorites. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

WOW this is a twisted thriller that I couldn't stop reading!!! It has to do with a dating app that becomes more like a stalker app! Lots of twists and turns and I can't wait to read more by this author. I don't want to say to to much because I like going in blind but I HIGHLY recommend this one for anyone who loves a good twisted thriller!

Thank you netgalley for this book. Each page a new emotion, very well written and interesting. I loved all the characters. I will read everything by this author !!!

Ohhhh this book was so good!! A huge story and an intense thriller. Definitely not one to miss at all. I loved every twist and turn in it.

I've just finished reading Sue Watson's "The Sister in Law" and really enjoyed that so I decided to jump straight into reading this one and it didn't disappoint. So thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Hannah and Alex met on a dating app and went on a first date. Hannah learns that they have so much in common, in fact they have everything in common. Alex is the perfect match and it all seems too good to be true. However right from their first date there are little red flags with Alex that make you think he isn't as nice as he seems. Hannah clocks Alex pocketing her used napkin and spoon as they leave the restaurant on their first date but is so taken with him that she ignores her intuition about his bizzarre behaviour. Soon she finds herself in a serious relationship with Alex which quickly turns controlling and claustrophobic.

I love the way Sue Watson writes. She quickly draws you into her story and leaves you feeling dizzy with the many twists and turns she creates. You end up not trusting anyone's intentions. I did like Hannah and found myself telling her to listen to her gut when she believes what Alex is telling her when her intuition is telling her something is wrong. It just highlights how easy it is for women to become trapped in controlling relationships as Hannah did. Oh and that final few twists at the end were fantastic and I didn't see them coming.

I really liked The Sister-in-Law, so I was super excited to pick up First Date. The first third of the book was filled with tension and laid the groundwork for what could have been a few solid twists. However, after that, the plot felt a bit cyclical. The characters were trapped in a repeating pattern of events, and I felt my interest wandering. Ultimately, the ending didn't have the payout I'd hoped for getting through the middle part of the book. This one was a miss for me, but hopefully will be a better fit for other readers.

This is the first book that I have read by Sue Watson and once I started I just couldn’t stop. First Date follows the journey of Hannah who has started to date online after her horrible breakup up with Tom. After several dates with some unsavoury characters, she finally meets Alex. From the very first date there were a lot of red flags which Hannah seemed to ignore which drove me crazy. I think that she was so desperate to find love that she let herself be treated so badly.

Somethings that I liked were the storyline, the interesting characters, the suspense, the twists and turns.

Somethings that I didn’t like were Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, Hannah and Hannah.

The way she acted just made her a character which I couldn’t relate to, most of the time I was yelling at her and fighting the urge to shake her. I actually liked Alex more which is crazy.

This book is a prime example of toxic relationships and gas lighting. For example when Alex tried to poison Hannah against Jas and when he cries to make her feel bad. Even though at times the story was a little slow and everything seemed to repeat, I am really glad that I kept reading. Because OMG the ending was mind blowing and absolutely crazy.

I would definitely be interested in reading more books by Sue Watson.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Wowza! Page turner and a shocking ending you won’t see coming! I thought the whole book that it’s good but predictable. I was wrong. Didn’t see that ending coming! Enjoy. You won’t want to put it down till you finish the book!

Twisted psychological thriller that I could not put down. Hannah is thrilled when she meets Alex on a dating app. Alex seems like the total package until he becomes super controlling and more than a little bit of a stalker. Hannah has a very demanding job as an overworked social worker and is thrilled to find someone with the same goals she has. Excellent story of a toxic relationship with lots of twists and turns. This is my first book by Ms. Watson, but it definitely will not be my last. Highly recommend.

Hannah is a social worker and Alex is a lawyer. Their first date is perfect. A little too perfect. I loved this book, although the main character is a little unrealistic with her willingness to overlook some pretty major red flags. The book dragged a bit at times but made up for that with the last few chapters. I wasn't really surprised by the ending as I had my suspicions along the way.

Thanks to netgalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for the arc

WOW! I read this in one-sitting!

This is an excellent book. Highly engaging and timely, especially with online dating being all the rage!

Well-written and evenly paced.

Highly recommended for fans of domestic thrillers!

Hannah cannot find her ideal man, she has tried online dating ( one of the experiences she recollects is hilarious ) and then she meets Alex, he is perfect, he wants to be with her and love her 24/7....but is this love or is it control?
Her friends are suspicious and think control but they say ‘love is blind’ and Hannah has waited too long for Mr Right and so she ‘lets a few things go’, however by the time she realises it’s too late....almost
And there I shall leave the plot before I give anything away aside from saying this is a book that builds and builds to a surprising and taut ending that is written to surprise and 100% does it’s job
I didn’t particularly like either main player but I dont think you were meant to
A well written pyschological thriller that did as it set out to do, shock!

9/10
5 Stars

Hannah has always done everything in her power to make sure that she is as safe and secure as possible, but after turning 36 years old she’s worried that she’ll spend the rest of her life single. After much persuasion by her friend, she finally agrees to create an online dating profile. This is where she meets Alex and her perfectly shielded life starts to unravel. There’s something that isn’t quite right with Alex, but now that she’s in his grasp is it too late to escape?
 
All I can say is wow, Sue Watson has truly outdone herself with this book. It is absolutely bursting at the seams with twists, turns, jaw-droppers and bombshells! I thoroughly devoured this book, if you’re a fan of mystery and thriller novels then I highly recommend you try this book!