Unfortunately, this wasn't a good read for me and I really struggled to end it.
First, the main character: the was too naive and too plain dumb for me to connect to her. She is a 32 year old social worker behaves like a 16 year old and accepts all of the crazy creepy controlling behaviors of her boyfriend.
Second, all the writing seamed a little dumbed down, like I was reading a YA novel (which I don't usually read because I don't like the type of writing).
I guessed almost all of the minor plot twists miles away. Then, I kept hoping for the big plot twist, but it was too little, too late for me.
The character development in this book is practically non-existent and that really bothered me in the end.

With all of this being said, this isn't a bad book, maybe a good idea for someone younger (good cautionary tale) or new to the genre. I just expected more, being a huge fan of thriller books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the gifted digital ARC of the latest thriller by Sue Watson - a definite must-read author for me. 4 stars for a twisted look into the dating world.

Hannah had a tough childhood but she's basically happy in her life now - she works as a social worker and she has a strong group of friends. But she just broke up with Tom, her boyfriend of a couple of years, because he just wasn't very into her. About to give up on love, her best friend/boss convinces her to give a dating app a try. Her very first match, Alex, seems to be an absolutely perfect fit and Hannah starts falling fast and hard. But is he too good to be true?

The first part of this book was like one of those horror movies where you scream at the characters to not go down into the basement alone at night. There were so many red flags - but love is blind and things are easily explained away. The second part of this book ramped up and became gripping as I raced through to see how things would end up - and was still surprised at the end. Definitely a book to make you think about the internet dating world and how quickly infatuation can become obsession.

So I struggled with this one a little bit. I could not wrap my mind around how many red flags Hannah ignored. It wasn't like they were married with children and she was trapped. She just met the guy and was already ignoring the fact that he's doing really creepy things that should have made any sane person run for miles and miles. It made it unbelievable for me at times, and even made me not feel sorry for her when she wound up in difficult situations. Which sounds AWFUL, I know! But I felt like there should have been a little bit more of a build up with their relationship in order to really believe that she'd be willing to overlook these actions of his. Especially with her having a job in social work, she should be more aware of reading situations and people. She even went on to recognize the traits of his that weren't acceptable, and yet allowed herself to shrug all of that in an instant. It was honestly infuriating.

As far as the twists went, some of them were a little predictable, but I didn't see the last one coming. I thought it was all heading somewhere else. So that was nice.

In the end, I think I would have enjoyed it more if different steps were taken in the beginning. It turned me off from feeling sympathy for the victim and becoming really invested. I did feel a lot of anger and emotions while reading this though, so well done in that aspect!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Watson and Bookouture for the ARC of First Date. This is my personal review in exchange for the ARC.
Hannah annoyed me the entire time I was reading this book. She never reacted to any of the red flags that were right in front of her. I had no interest in her at all. It took me a while to get into the book, but it just did not hold my attention enough to care what happened to either her or Alex.

Having read another Sue Watson novel, The Sister-in-Law, I had some idea what to expect from this one, First Date and I wasn't wrong as, from the outset, it was a wonderful read for me.

About the Book:
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…

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.

Which is good. Because Alex knows she’s perfect for him too. In fact, she’s exactly the girl he’s been looking for…

And nothing Hannah’s done to make her life safe will ever be enough.

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller about dark obsession and internet dating. Fans of The Wife Between Us, Friend Request and Gone Girl will adore this unputdownable twisted love story.

My Thoughts:
I loved First Date, a fantastic, juicy, domestic thriller and an engrossing story by Sue Watson! It was a thoroughly riveting and compulsive story with a sound plot, perfect pacing, and this talented author's writing style suited me well. I appreciated the way Sue Watson created a subtly oppressive feeling of apprehension and a sense of foreboding, surreptitiously notching up the tension until everything eventually reached peak point. Relationship dynamics and bonds were deftly described and the characters so well-drawn and portrayed with an interesting, authentic cluster of layers that I regularly found myself shouting at my e-reader! Hannah was especially frustrating and I frequently felt incensed with her, and as for Alex...well, I won't spoil the story!

First Date was a tale of secrets, relationship tensions and trust, duplicity, jealousy, manipulation, deception, toxicity and power to name but a few. There was absolutely no room for boredom and I was held in its thrall from the very first page. This was an excellent and exhilarating novel, complete with a surprising, twisty resolution. Very highly recommended and well worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

First Date is the perfect psychological thriller. It will make you breathless, on the edge of your seat, trying to telepathically convince a character in a book that she is in danger. She won’t hear you.

Hannah is a 36 year old social worker, not long out of a two year relationship and feeling her biological clock ticking. So when her boss Jaz convinces her to try online dating, she sets up a profile. Almost immediately, she’s matched with the handsome Alex, a solicitor who turns their first date into the perfect evening Hannah has always dreamed of. Their relationship blossoms quickly and soon they are spending every night together. Hannah’s officemates, Jax, Harry and Sameera, are concerned that things are progressing too quickly but Hannah ignores them. Then the threats start. There are lies. There is a stalker. Hannah starts to have doubts about Alex but is he the problem?

Obsession and manipulation are themes in the First Date. While the reader suspects this from the first chapter (who steals a lipstick stained napkin?) and sees Hannah as too trusting, Sue Watson skillfully shows why Hannah has a need to believe and help people. I’m not leaving any spoilers here. Just know that saying this is a thriller with many twists and turns is a massive understatement. Put First Date at the top of your to be read list. You won’t be sorry. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for this ARC.

Another great book from Sue Watson.
Hannah meets Alex on a dating app and feels like they were meant to be together. Small things like having a Labrador, going to Devon and even how many children they want all match so Hannah falls for him quickly.
Alex then suggests putting a ‘find me’ trace on her phone as there had been problems with his ex wife and this is where the trouble starts.
Alex can’t let Hannah out of his sight for long and her friends have noticed they she doesn’t spend much time out with them.
Hannah queries why he’s being so possessive but he talks his way out of it.
An incident following a night out could change Alex’s life for the worse, but he has thought of a way around it, much to Hannah’s horror.
The story ended a bit abruptly but then carried on from another angle which was a bit unexpected.
This is a great psychological thriller.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this book.
It was a slow burn, but it sure kept me gripped. I was so desperate to know what was happening next.
I found the protagonist , Hannah -to be incredibly naive. She really annoyed me at times. Her mates were warning her against her new beau, yet she just kept going on with her new 'love'.
I was completely hooked, despite finding Hannah incredibly annoying. I was just desperate to know what she was setting herself up for.
I did predict the ending (the twist) and I was slightly let down by the ending - hence the 4* review but overall I really enjoyed this book, and I was completely gripped. I just wish it had more of an original ending and plot twist!!

When Hannah Weston, a 36-year-old social worker, meets Alex Higham, a solicitor, online via Meet your Match, she thinks she’s found the perfect man. They have so much in common and want the same things, right down to the number of children (three), the Labrador and the holidays in Devon.

Alex is handsome, charming and really keen on Hannah. Her friends at work aren’t so sure about him as she’s prone to falling in love easily and getting infatuated. They’re worried that history is being repeated and she doesn’t really know him at all. She’s clever but a bit naive and easily persuaded and distracted.

Things were tricky after she split up with her ex, Tom, as he didn’t take it very well, and as she begins a whirlwind romance with Alex, strange events happen, which Hannah is convinced Tom is responsible for.

Hannah had a difficult childhood and moved into a foster home aged nine when her mum couldn’t cope. Alex also had a unhappy time as a child and things were tough with his parents. The couple are both vulnerable after lacking this parental support and drawn to each other by all their similarities.

The story is tense and builds well as Hannah completely misses all the red flags that are waving and it’s like watching a car crash about to happen as she ignores the advice from her boss and best friend, Jasmine (Jas), 42, and constantly justifies all the overbearing and worrying things that Alex says and does. He’s creepy and dotes on her far too much and wants her to be with him all the time.

At times, I was shaking my head and felt like shouting at Hannah as she blindly ignored his obsessive, intense and controlling behaviour. Alex begins to alienate her from her friends and says that they don’t have her best interests at heart or they fancy her, in the case of a male colleague. The relationship gets more and more unhealthy as the story progresses and they both lose control of life and reality in different ways. Things have to come to a head in one way or another, and they certainly do!

Overall, I really enjoyed First Date – it was well written and cleverly plotted and kept me entertained throughout, just revealing enough of the story to leave me wanting more. The gripping story was claustrophobic and intense and had me frantically turning the pages in horror. There are some good twists and turns, red herrings and moments of misdirection and I was shocked by some of the reveals later in the book!

Hannah is on a first date after meeting Alex on a dating app. He seems perfect, but is he really as perfect as he seems? This page turner kept me gripped until the early hours. I had to find out what was going on. I didn't know who to trust. Creepy and very tense. Full of twists and turns, I couldn't sleep after finishing. Just brilliant. Will definitely be reading Sue Watson again. I wish I hadn't left it so long to read her books.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First Date by Sue Watson is an extremely interesting and readable psychological thriller. The book releases today and I can't stress enough that if you are a reader with a special place in your heart for mystery/ thrillers, you must get to it ASAP.
Book Blurb

First Date is the story of Hannah who 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 who is irresistibly handsome, loves the same music as her and the same food as well. 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.

Which is good. Because Alex knows she’s perfect for him too. In fact, she’s exactly the girl he’s been looking for…

And nothing Hannah’s done to make her life safe will ever be enough now.

My take on First Date

I could have read the book in one sitting if I had not been distracted by common things like feeding two kids and cleaning the house! Yes, the book even with its flaws (Perfect is a myth, no?) is an engaging read. Hannah isn't exactly the person I would like to be but then she, the heroine of our story is a girl whose heart is at the right place.

She has suffered an ass of a boyfriend and when encouraged by her best friend, joins a dating app and finds the perfect guy within minutes. Sounds surreal, doesn't it?

Believe you me, as a seasoned thriller reader, as I read the book I could see almost all the red flags which Hannah chooses to ignore (throughout) and thought to myself I must really change the genre preference or maybe attempt writing a book or two myself. I was smug as I thought,"Oh, I know where this is going!" Its a given that this is a thriller and some nasty things are bound to happen. But soon after nothing that I predicted worked out.

The book surprised me with its progression and welcome change in pace as we delve deeper into Hannah's and Alex's affairs. The writing is charged with electricity and why not! Watson was a TV producer with BBC and in my opinion uses her experience of the moving picture quite well in creating imageries with her words. I could almost feel Alex's presence or see in my mind all of Hannah's colleagues and her office as well.

The ending is just what it should have been and I am not going to spoil it by telling you just what it is, but trust me you are in for a shock and a surprise as you near the finishing line. So my dear reader, pick this pacy, psychological thriller at the earliest and I am sure you will not regret it.

The ending is just what it should have been and I am not going to spoil it by telling you just what it is, but trust me you are in for a shock and a surprise as you near the finishing line. So my dear reader, pick this pacy, psychological thriller at the earliest and I am sure you will not regret it.

Thank You Netgalley and BOOKOUTURE for the ARC! This review is based on my honest opinion

Hannah at the insistence of her friend/colleague from work Jas goes on a date with a man named Alex, whom she met through online. Alex seems to be what Hannah has always dreamed of for a life partner--a handsome and charming solicitor who seems to share the same interests as Hannah. The two then embarked a relationship. But as their relationship continues, Hannah starts receiving roses with a threatening note and a musty aftershave in her car. Is someone stalking her or is Alex obsessed with her.

This is the first book I have read from this author. Initially, this book was boring at the beginning but then soon towards the middle, it got more and more interesting--learning more about Hannah's relationship with her work colleagues, Jas, Sameera and Harry (particularly with Jas) and also her work as a social worker, as how she handles her case with a teenager named Chloe. The story was interesting, with Jas thinking Hannah is going too fast or that Alex is creepy. Is she right or is she plain jealous that Hannah is moving on? And with the façade Alex is showering Hannah with expensive gifts and love, is he obsessed with her or does he simply overprotective of her by showing her too much love? These are the questions that tumble the reader and so the author did a good job of making the reader want to know more. There were twists and turns in the book and the ending...it was good! The ending was so unexpected and I didn't really expect that nail biting twist in the end!

Overall this is a good book--unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night. Worth four stars!

Impressed! This book grabbed me from page one. It moves along fast and kept me on the edge of my seat.
For most of this book I was thinking, "Hannah! What is wrong with you! Open your eyes!" I was so mad at her, that she didnt see the obvious, but at the same time my heart went out to her, as she just wanted to believe this love was real. The twists were terrific, I often switched my angst from Hannah to Alex to Helen and back to Hannah.
I definitely didnt see the end coming. Wow!
5 stars. I am looking forward to another Sue Watson book!

I loved Sue’s last book The sister in law so I was really excited for this one. Now a word of warning before you start this book, have paracetamol at hand. What for? You may ask. Well I have never been so frustrated and irked by a character before in my whole reading history. It got to the point where I wanted to bang my head against a brick wall and the alarm bells going off were deafening. (Hence the paracetamol).

But in Hannah’s defence she is love blind and just wants a happy ever after. As is often the case though if it seems too good to be true it pretty much always is.

Sue has taken the subject matter of controlling and coercive behaviour that unfortunately a lot of women may find themselves in and often excuse as being caring and thoughtful. Even professional and intelligent women can fall for it as is the case with Hannah. Her colleague’s warnings fall on deaf ears and it progressively gets worse as you read on. If I had been reading a physical copy it would have been thrown down in anger a lot but not going to wreck my kindle.

The characters are thoroughly believable and it’s down to the author’s coercion that you end up making excuses for them too when you are explaining their actions. That to me was a very clever move but as with her previous book it’s the sucker punch endings that she writes with probably unbridled glee and I imagine her shouting take that suckers! Bet you didn’t see that coming!

Another fun and thrilling read from an author who is definitely on my must read list.

Hannah is almost desperate to have a man in her life .... a man who will love her, a couple of kids, a beautiful home, who is kind and loyal. Impossible?

She thinks so until she meets Alex through a dating app. He's everything she wants in a man. They have so many things in common .. it's like he was made for her.

That's all right .. because she's the woman he's been looking for. And now that he's found her, he plans on keeping her forever.

Hannah's friends and co-workers don't like him. In their eyes, he's possessive, controlling, To Hannah, he's loving and caring, something she never had growing up. But then.. the lies start. And who is the woman following Hannah? Alex says she's an old girlfriend ... maybe bent on hurting Hannah. And in trying to protect her, he has turned his house into everything Hannah would want .. no need to ever leave again.....

Well written, this story is full of twists and turns. Is Alex the controlling monster her best friend thinks he is? Does her friend want him to herself .. something that Alex suggests? Who do you believe? The characters are deftly drawn and will not soon be forgotten. The suspense holds steady until the very last unexpected, surprising conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the ultimate thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The reader doesn’t know who is telling the truth or lying in this book. I kept wanting to read and not stop. I loved the ending of the book! I would definitely be reading more books by this author.

Wow wow wow!!!! What a gripping, edge of your seat, thrill ride, stunner this book is!! I could not get enough!! I highly recommend this book to thriller fans!!

Well Sue Watson has done it again for me, this book had me hooked from the first page.

Hannah thinks she’s met the man of her dreams but has she?? I kept wondering if she would ever realise what was going on in her life.

A fantastic page turner which has so many twists and turns I didn’t see them coming. I was shocked at the end and never suspected the outcome. Definitely 5 stars from me. Can’t wait for the next book 📖

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review

Jas Hannah’s best friend insists it’s time for Hannah to rejoin the dating world after her break up with Tom. Things fizzled out and turned a little nasty after Tom was suspended from his job after an email was sent from his computer.

Hannah takes Jas’s advice and meets Alex on a dating site and their first date couldn’t have gone smoother. They had so much in common and by the end Alex had told Hannah they were going to get married one day. At the time this didn’t seem like a red flag but what came next was a bumpy ride.

Hannah thinks he’s perfect and starts to justify the red flags. She thought it was too good to be true but prevailed and they fell hard and fast. But Alex has secrets and some thing just doesn’t add up. Alex knows she’s perfect because he’s been looking for her!

This little physiological thriller had me questioning everyone and their motives. The curve ball at the end shocked me!

Sue Watson is an absolutely fantastic Author and I’ve loved all of her books! The Sister In Law was our Book of the Month for September and kept me guessing right up until the end with all the twists and turns. I thought it was brilliant and that Sue could not top it…boy was I wrong… Enter… First Date!

Sue has a writing style that lures you in. She writes about normal people and their normal lives. She rocks you into a gentle state of a false sense of security. You know this is a Psychological Thriller. You know it’s going to go pear-shaped pretty soon. But Sue is very clever at immersing you in the story and then whipping your legs out from under you. Not content with doing this once, she does it over and over again. Every twist will shock and her misdirections are frustratingly brilliant.

I also must add that the main character, Hannah, is incredibly frustrating. I really like Sue’s ability to create such characters as there’s nearly always one or two in her books that I inherently dislike and I always think it’s easy to create a likeable character but harder to create a frustrating one!

First Date is out TODAY! So for all you Sue Watson fans, now is the time to get your next fix of her brilliant Psychological Thrillers.