Having never read anything by Sue Watson, and having seen lots of buzz around this book, I was intrigued to pick it up. The story of Hannah who has had a difficult childhood and is determined her life is going to be different, - when she meets Alex online, he seems to be the perfect man and she is quickly planning her future with him. Her friends are less convinced he is all that he appears but Hannah is all too willing to overlook his flaws in her search for her "happy ever after".

I must confess I have mixed feelings about this book - for an intelligent woman, Hannah seemed all too prepared to forgive all the red flags and I therefore found her a little annoying as a character, which meant the middle of the book dipped a little for me. That said, I did want to keep reading and it proved to be worth it, as there is a twist at the end that I absolutely did not see coming. So many books seem to peter out towards the end and this was absolutely not the case with this one, so I applaud Watson for that. Overall an enjoyable, quick read with such a clever ending that its definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a pleasant surprise this book was, I’m not usually one for a psychological thriller – I’m a bit scaredy cat to be honest but I just couldn’t put this book down.

Hannah and Jas are best friends, they’re both unhappily single for very different reasons. Hannah falls in love too quickly and ends up unhappy in a relationship because of it. Jas is a widow. The pair of them work together as Social Workers and after not having the best starts to life, understand each other and their clients because of it.

On one of their girly nights out, Jas talks Hannah into giving online dating a try again and very soon she see’s the profile of a handsome lawyer who lives nearby, this was Alex.

Hannah and Alex meet up and end up falling in love quickly. They have so much in common, its like they are destined to be together.

The last quarter of this book is where it gets gripping, with complicated social work cases and Alex’s past coming to light it becomes exciting and shocking.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is that there weren’t too many characters to focus on. It didn’t get too complicated in having to think of who knows who and how, it was simply work and Alex.

If you like a gripping read, buy the book now! Yes, Hannah sounds a little bit stubborn at times but once you remember that love is blind, you’ll see past it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

After reading ‘First Date’ I pity my next read as this is one tough act to follow!

Formerly in state care herself, Hannah is a social worker who can’t believe her luck when she has the dream first date with Alex. He seems equally into her and the relationship very quickly progresses. Hannah’s best friend, Jess, seems more immune to Alex’ charms and when Hannah begins to experience a series of strange and unfortunate events we begin to wonder just who really has Hannah’s best interests at heart...

This is SUCH a gripping story. I can not stress this enough. My life is enhanced by having a good read in it - and this one totally delivered!

The characters were developed to perfection. The plot simultaneously dark and twisty ...and as for the ending - just WOW!

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy. Massive thanks to author Sue Watson for writing such an engaging novel!

It has an interesting plot, and it leaves you with intrigue every time you read more, in general it was an entertaining book and I recommend it if you want to read something "light" or if you are tired of watching series on Netlifx.

First Date by Sue Watson

is Red flag a word ? 🚩🚩
Do you listen to your gut ? I do !

They’re two types of girls in this world.

There’s Hannah’s and there’s Jas’s. I’m a Jas , short for Amanda. JK. 😎
Hannah has this ideology about life and relationships and gives guys umpteen chances , to make the same mistake over and over again. I am a JAS, I don’t take any BS from anyone and I listen to my gut- but like Jas is , I am always there for my friends. As well as Hannah is too.

And as frustrating as she (Hannah) was to me, I couldn’t put the book down. I just rooted for Hannah the whole time. The book starts to piece together around 50% but the end , whoah. I didn’t expect that at all. Nope , not one bit. Hannah finally finds her voice... and does what she has to do.

But no one , no one is as smooth as Harry. Don’t forget that ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Sue Watson for the book

Wow, what a fun thriller this was! First Date follows a woman named Hannah who immediately enters a relationship with Alex. The story then indulges in Hannah's entanglement of work, friends, and incorporating her new guy into the picture. But we quickly learn that Alex has secrets that jeopardize Hannah's feelings for him, and those secrets are revealed throughout the book is fun ways that the reader doesn't necessarily see coming! Bottom line: Hannah needs a new dating pool, because the ones that are pining for her are psycho.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for a free edition of First Date in exchange for an honest review. I loved how quickly I read this story, the author did a great job of making the story flow easily and gripping the reader from the very beginning! I could tell Alex was bad news bears from the get go, which made me a bit irritated at Hannah for not picking up on the red flags, especially when her best friend and boss, Jas was trying to get her to see how crazy Alex was! Hannah would have quick revelations that she needed to break up with him, but then fall right back under his spell!

My heart began racing during the last few chapters of the book. At first I thought the climax of the story was lacking, but the author turned up the excitement right when she needed to! And Chapter 40 and the Epilogue definitely sealed the deal that this was more of a 4 star thriller than the 3 star I was gearing myself up to give. I even thought the last two chapters should have been switched in terms of perspective, but those last few sentences clearly made me see the author made the right choice in sequence because now I'm left wondering how Hannah's story continues even after the book was finished!

First Date is an intense psychological thriller on steroids with one shocking revelation after another culminating into an explosive ending!

All Hannah wants in life is to fall in love and settle down with someone. She wants her happily ever after. Unfortunately, most of her relationships end badly with some such as her last being very bitter.

Through her best friend's prodding, she decides to join a dating app and seems to strike gold on her first pick. Alex, her date, is a lawyer, wants the same number of children, even the same type of dog! His work compliments her work as a social worker. They both had somewhat bad childhoods and can relate to one another on so many levels.

They have an immediate connection and he invites her over to his house for dinner. During dinner, although still smitten, Hannah sees perhaps a few tiny cracks, but chalks them up to getting to know someone new.

On the other hand, Hannah's friends and workmates seem to feel she is jumping into this relationship too quickly. Perhaps she should slow down. But Hannah truly believes he is the one. It doesn't matter that he possibly has hidden a few issues from his past relationship from her. She herself thinks her ex-boyfriend could be stalking her so she somewhat understands. Hannah chalks it up to being in a new relationship and not wanting to mess things up. Or maybe he is just trying too hard.

But then Hannah begins to run out of excuses for Alex's very odd behavior. She finally admits to herself, something her best friend has been constantly telling her, that she could be dating someone who is a bit crazy. And now not only are her friends concerned, but she is as well!

When strange this begin to happen to Hannah she becomes convinced that not only is Alex not her dream boyfriend, but possibly a sociopathic stalking nightmare! It seems he wants her all to himself and will go to any length to have her. What has she gotten herself into?? How on earth does she get herself out?

As First Date races to its highly unanticipated, jaw-dropping conclusion, we can only hope Hannah will come out of this experience with better intuition as to who her next boyfriend should be.

Thank you so much #NetGalley #Bookouture #FirstDate #SueWatson for the advanced copy,

Social worker Hannah has had an unhappy life, growing up in care herself and now dealing with vulnerable children. So when she goes on a date with Alex, she is thrilled to meet a kindred spirit and finally feels like her life has some happiness. But is Alex really as perfect as he appears...?
First Date is one of those books that sweeps you into the plot immediately and then has you want to yell as the lead character ignores the warning signs and the sage advice of her friends. I found myself clenching my jaw with frustration as Hannah repeatedly ignores the clues that something's not right.
Hannah is a likeable character, dedicated to her job helping others. I understand her difficult past and recent break up have made her vulnerable and I wanted her to find happiness. Her love blindness to Alex's faults was completely exasperating yet I could see how desperate she was to cling to the ideal of perfection that he initially offered.
Alex was completely overwhelming, although we never see things from his perspective. He has also had a troubled past but this has manifested itself in a different way to Hannah and made him obsessive.
I felt that the ending fizzled out a little bit before wham! the final couple of chapters made my jaw drop and hands rub together in glee. No spoilers!
Overall, First Date will have you enjoyably fizzing with tension.

Hannah is a vulnerable young lady and she thinks is a magnet for bad relations, but she doesn't figure it out not even at the end of the book. Poor, naive Hannah. This is great, wait, more than a great thriller, it kept me awake for hours.
Thank you Netgalley for this copy. I will definitely read more of Sue Watson.

I have to say this story kept me guessing. But I absolutely hated the main character. Hannah, just seemed dumb to me. I hated the relationship she so desperately wanted and needed with Alex. She can't see the red flags that pop up daily when she's around him. Alex, the so called lawyer. The guy that wants exactly what Hannah wants out of life. The guy that hates her friends and is obsessed with her. The guy that is great at manipulation. Finding ways to explain every little thing she doubts. I didn't like him either in this story. Although, He's not the only player in this thriller.
Hannah is a social worker. Worried for one of her young clients. Her friends are her co-workers, that's the life of her job. She has to be available for her clients at all times, but now she has a boyfriend that doesn't want to share her time with anyone. Alex is the guy she meets from an online dating service. He's exactly what she wanted. He wants exactly the same things in life. He's handsome, and has a good job. But from the first date the reader knows immediately something is off with this guy.
The way the story is written it's like you have a bit of knowledge from an outside perspective. It's kind of weird. I think the book was way longer then it needed to be and the characters were just annoying.
The ending just neatly gets wrapped up with the explanation of all that was wrong.
I'd give it 1.5 stars for the possibility of being entertaining outside of the annoyance factor of the main characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in
exchange for an honest review.

Liked but didn’t love! Being a single girl, I would not have tolerated 1/10th of this date! Slightly unrealistic but entertaining. I rate this book a 3.1! Thanks Netgalley!

The second book by Sue Watson that I’ve read and once again I was blown away, especially by her opening chapter. Not because of gruesomeness but because straight away it had that creepy feel of a stalker book! This is another favourite themes of mine in thriller books!

From there, we learn about the main character Hannah, a loveable but gullible social worker. She’s a character you can’t help but love but as chapters progress you learn about her new ‘friend’ from her first date. He is detestable and a spoilt brat evolves through the following chapters. Together though despite their differences ensues a love story that’s both sickening and adorable at the same time.

A great story of a group of friends, all with their own reasons to keep Hannah safe.

I’m pleased to say that Sue Watson has become another of my favourite authors. No doubt any other thrillers of hers I read I will love just as much as the ones already read

I just enjoyed this book sooooo much!!! I couldn’t wait to continue reading it and was surprised and excited by the twists and turns. There are so many characters in this book – all fully fleshed out and interesting – and I was puiled along with the various happenings while being dazzled and confused = just like the main character Hannah was. This is my favorite type of book – a psychological thriller who keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Hannah wants love with family, friends and a romantic interest. She joins a dating app. She is surrounded by loved ones. Who is gaslighting her? Is anyone? Who should she trust? Anybody? Herself?

I don’t like spoilers, so I don’t put them in my reviews. I have purchased more of her books and look forward to reading them soon. Sue Watson’s style of writing pulls you along at rapid speed, but without requiring you to retain more than your brain can handle. Easy breezy and fun!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Well it’s been a while since I’ve been truly able to say my heart was in my mouth while reading a book!

Hannah matches with Alex on a dating site, their first date is perfect, he seems to want everything that she wants and be exactly what she needs. As the weeks go on, the honeymoon period continues, they are falling for each other hard, how could Hannah get so lucky….. Then a fly in the ointment, beginning first with a delivery of red roses to her in work, however, with a sinister poem… is Hannah’s ex angry that she has found someone, he didn’t take their break up well. Other small things happen over the course of the weeks, Hannah also discovers Alex has been lying to her. Hannah’s friends don’t trust Alex, they think he has too much control over her, she is slowly withdrawing from them, the girly nights are almost zilch… she’s bewitched by him, totally besotted, he can do no wrong….. can he?

I just wanted to scream at Hannah, cop the hell on, get out now while the going is goodish!!! How many red flags does she need before she sees the truth? This was a rollercoaster of a ride with so many twists and turns and the ending…. WOWSERS like being hit by a truck, did not in any way see that coming!!!!

Hannah has the perfect first date after a long overdue break up with Tom. Hannah is a really kind 38 year old social worker, well liked by her co-workers and clients. When she meets Alex through a dating app, everything just falls into place, he's good looking, has a great job and career and a beautiful home. But, he also has a past. I enjoyed this journey into Hannah and Alex's relationship and how it evolved. Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this one.

Solid 4.5/5!

The ending of this book was absolutely perfect. The beginning started off slow, and it was hard to like Hannah's character at times...how can someone ignore so many red flags? But man, once the pieces fell together I was so impressed.

This story follows Hannah and Alex from their first date on. Everything seems perfect, but can it be TOO perfect? The story picked up around 40% and from there I couldn't put it down. I was so pleased by the ending and how everything just came together to give you the perfect psychological thriller. When you can't guess the ending, you know it's a good book!

I'd highly recommend this read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! 4.5 stars. The ending was such a wild ride, I wish I had a seatbelt! I stayed up late finishing it and I was glad I did. It did not disappoint. The premise of this is perfection. Online dating that is too good to be true, or is it? Hannah is looking for a guy, and Alex seems perfect. He is sweet and caring and shares many common interests with Hannah. Jas is Hannah's skeptical best friend. They have a fun friendship and their relationship adds to the book. (I am now dying to try a Porn Star martini.) The only negative is that the pace slowed in the middle. The audience doesn't need long to realize Hannah wasn't going to act on the red flags, but I thought the author did a great job of explaining why she didn't. A must read for the ending though for sure! Looking forward to more from the author!

For me, this book was like watching the horror movie where the main character is approaching the dark basement/alley and you are yelling at the screen saying “No!”

Because of her unstable childhood, Hannah was looking for love and a supportive life partner. Then she meets Alex who seems to tick all the right boxes. However, not is all as it seems. Maybe because I knew the premise of the book, I could see the red flags in her relationship. Even though the author gave credible justification for Hannah to overlook certain behaviours, I was skimming the last third of the book because, for me, Hannah kept giving Alex a free pass. But there was an interesting and unexpected twist at the end that redeemed the book for me.

I appreciate the chance to read this book. While Hannah frustrated me (so many red flags!) this was a quick read for me! Thank you again for allowing me to read the book. My review will be forthcoming on goodreads.

I must admit, this book wasn't my favorite. I didn't love it, but i also didn't hate it. I'd heard a lot of really good things about it, but it fell short of the hype.
I like the idea of the book and it was well-written - I just didn't like Hannah. I liked the ending as well - I thought I had it figured out but it definitely surprised me!
I would definitely read another book from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.