This book is such a hidden gem! It took me awhile to finally pick it up (despite being the one to request it...) but once I did, I could not put it down. It's a little longer than I would normally like, but I finished this in no more than two settings. As someone who normally loves to savor the books she reads, especially when they're four or five star reads, that's saying a lot!

There were so many things to love about this novel, but what it boils down to for me (and what I tell my friends when they ask for a recommendation), is that this is a painfully accurate description of the anxiety anyone feels when dating in the age of social media. I was uncomfortably cringing through so many parts of this book simply because I had been in the main character's shoes far more times than I'm willing to admit. As a happily married woman now, I can reflect on the moments I've spent googling my exes, their exes, their families, their criminal records, you get the picture... I can't believe this is a debut novel but I'm so glad I found it and will recommend it to anyone who is or has been coming of age in the digital age.

I tried reading this many times but couldn’t get into it. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. Giving it 3 stars as to not being down the book just because I lost interest

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. But I'm not sure if I would want to read more by this author.

The idea of this was interesting, but the delivery left some to be desired. I ended up skimming the last bit.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

This was a good read for anyone alive today who has googled a new friend, new coworker, or new love interest (which is essentially everyone). It shows the dangers of formulating theories from the internet and believing everything you see or read, and how that affects real life relationships and blurs the lines between reality and what is merely on the screen in front of us.

Ok so I totally thought this was going to take a MUCH darker turn given what happened to the ex.

Ana has moved from Perth to Melbourne following a breakup and is looking to start over. She has a new job, meets a new guy, Evan.

But she obsessively stalks Evan online and learns his last ex died in a hit and run. She becomes obsessed with this relationship and the ex girlfriend. However anytime she tried to get Evan to talk about his ex, he shuts down and pushes Ana away.

Eventually some truths come to light that give a new perspective to all Ana found online.

Maybe spoilery, but at the end I wonder if Ana learned her lesson as there’s a spark of a new flame.

Billed as 'Fleabag' meets 'Rebecca', I was VERY intrigued to dig into Search History. And while it didn't quite meet those marks for me, it was still an enjoyable read. There were moments throughout where I found myself thinking 'really? are you torturing yourself with your ex's Instagram again?' But then remembered how easily it is for us to fall down the rabbit hole of the internet. It's a portrait of modern dating and the pitfalls of having the chance to research your date before you even meet them. While it lagged it some places, ultimately I enjoyed the ride.

Search History is one cringeworthy choice after another in a spiral of everyday bad choices that felt like an awkward encounter I couldn't look away from. Ana's obsession with her boyfriend's dead girlfriend felt like just the right amount of realistic obsessive internet behavior we all occasionally partake in. I found myself wishing she'd make better choices while also recognizing I'd probably make somewhat similar choices in that situation. Social media really does encourage you to be your worst self. A little like the Guest but without the unhinged chaos this is less a story about women at their worst and more a story of a woman trying to do her best and just not quite able to quiet the doubt in her anxious mind.

I wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t get into it.

Ended up DNF around the 23% mark. Maybe I’ll come back to it.

Is this book about me and my obsessive rabbit holes? How nosy I am? It totally could be and it hooked me from beginning to end. A delicious read.

When her long-term relationship ends, Ana moves from Perth to Melbourne to start over. When she meets Evan, he almost seems too good to be true. But an online search reveals to Ana that his beloved ex-girlfriend died just a year prior, and Evan has never mentioned her. As Ana and Evan’s relationship grows, Emily dives deeper and deeper into the online life of Evan’s ex. Her constant online searching evolves into a spiral of comparison, doubt, and self-sabotage.

The cover of the novel led me to assume this would be a light and silly romance, and I was delightfully surprised by what I found instead. This is a sharp and intelligent novel about the complications of modern dating, the contradictions between our online selves and our real selves, and the role social media plays in our lives. Amy Taylor’s writing is unflinchingly honest and had me laughing, cringing, and horrified throughout. Reading this felt like revealing secrets too embarrassing to admit even to myself. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book's fast-paced nature keeps readers hooked, weaving a tale that raises thought-provoking questions about the true selves we present online versus the ones we keep private.

Modern dating is a nightmare, and Search History probably does too good of a job conveying why that is. I read this book in an afternoon, so it had the right page-turning pace I’m looking for. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I’m not sure if it’s because the story hits too close to home (we all either are or have those “FBI agent” friends who can find a guy’s life history in 4 seconds), or if it’s because the characters were all so self-involved you didn’t necessarily want to root for them. Bottom line, I think you should read this book if you’ve been out of the dating game awhile, but if you’re out there dating, you live this reality, and you should pass. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for my ARC.

Hearing a book described as Rebecca meets Fleabag sets very high expectations, but this book lived up to them!

"Search History" by Amy Taylor is a compelling debut novel that delves into the complexities of modern relationships in the digital age. The protagonist, Ana, moves to Melbourne after a breakup and starts a new relationship with Evan. She becomes obsessed with Evan's deceased ex-girlfriend, Emily, leading her down a rabbit hole of social media stalking. The novel is a sharp commentary on the "extremely online" culture of millennials, exploring themes like the gamification of relationships and the impact of constant access to information about others.

Ana, a typical white millennial woman, works in a tech startup and communicates through gifs and memes. Her character embodies the cynicism and disaffection common among her generation, contrasting with the motivational culture around her. The novel cleverly uses Ana's phone as a gateway to key discoveries, emphasizing the blurred lines between the digital and physical worlds.

The narrative also touches on the fear and inequality women face, from experiences teetering on non-consensual sex to casual sexism. However, these themes sometimes feel secondary to the main plot about Emily. Despite this, "Search History" remains a fast-paced, addictive read that captures the double-edged sword of living in an information-rich world. It's a cautionary tale that resonates with anyone familiar with the pitfalls of online obsession and the need to occasionally disconnect.

extremely relatable and a good look into the confusing, exciting, painful, happy mess of dating, working, living, in today’s modern age. it was an easy, quick read. the call backs to experiences from the mc’s childhood and how they play into her present life were very powerful.

“A serious blend of Fleabag and Rebecca with the pulse of modern-day existence” is the quote that lured me to Search History, a novel traversing the minefield that is dating in the 21st century. Ana knows how to dig up readily available info on a potential beau's ex and she becomes obsessed. What could go wrong?

Ana can't help herself. She lives to see what appears next on her screen. The whole adventure feels a little cringey, a lot stalkery, every page making me relieved not to be dating. Cheers to Ana and her escapades and here's to hoping, for her sake, she learns something [a girl can dream!] for the next time.

Search History didn't quite live up to the blurb, but admittedly I'm probably not the target audience. I wanted it to take a twisty turn into thriller-land (the breadcrumbs were there) but alas it was not meant to be.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

this book is trying very hard to be Of The Moment and loses its plot in that attempt. nothing attached me to the characters, and i wasn't interested in what happened next, so i DNF.

Finding herself floundering post break-up, Ana moves from Perth to Melbourne hoping to find a fresh start she feels is out of reach at home. She lands a job at a start-up and an apartment with a kind, elderly neighbor who takes a liking to her. Meeting Evan in a bar gives her hope that maybe things really are starting to look up. Fueled by curiosity and the modern day self-defense drive a bad relationship (or a catfish) instills, she gives into the urge to Google her new interest. Instead of finding clarity, Ana quickly finds herself sinking into self doubt and obsession upon discovering Emily, Evan's ex-girlfriend, died unexpectedly the previous year. Can Ana compete with the instagrid-perfect girl Evan devoted four years to? How can she know if he won't even talk about her?

Taylor's debut hits on a particular branch of millennial insecurity many are familiar with in the wake of the social media bloom. Her writing style successfully moves the story along, but the actual pacing was a little off for me. The first two thirds of the book were laser focused on Emily and Evan, leaving some of the more interesting tidbits—new friendships, complex family dynamics, and work perils—that rounded Ana out as a character feeling like an afterthought. The balance will likely work better for some readers, but for me, it made Ana difficult to relate to and her trajectory feel stagnant without reason.

Dating in a digital world really sucks. SEARCH HISTORY does a good job of illustrating said fact. When Ana suffers a bad breakup, she moves to Melbourne and tries online dating. After yet another terrible experience, she meets Evan and is thrilled to find someone who is funny and kind. Still, Ana can't resist looking Evan up online, where she discovers his previous girlfriend, Emily, died in a tragic accident. Ana becomes obsessed: not with Evan, but Emily, cyberstalking Evan's late girlfriend and allowing her to become a shadow in their relationship, even though he rarely mentions her.

This is a very generational read: Ana overshares consistently, and the book is filled with references to apps and current culture. It's certainly a true portrayal, in many ways, of dating in today's environment and even how much we let online culture affect our world. We get snippets of Ana's life after her move to Melbourne and anytime something in her present reminds her of the past, she'll go back in time and share a story. The switches in time can be a bit jarring, and it's hard to keep up reading momentum with the format.

Ana's obsession with Emily seems incredibly frustrating at times. You want to shake her and have her focus on being present in her own world (the point of the story, no doubt). This story is depressing at times, sometimes irritating, but also funny and honest (her portrayal of her divorced parents especially hit home). I'm sure it will resonate with a certain group of people.