Sue Watson has done it again with another brilliantly addictive book. A great story line with excellent characters that I just couldn't stop reading, full of twists and turns and one hell of an ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book which I can thoroughly recommend and a well deserved five stars from me.

Hannah is the most annoying yet interesting, trusting yet doubtful, stupid yet smart character in 2020. I was swept up in the love story wanting it to be true as much as Hannah. I’ve ignored the red flags myself, given the benefit of the doubt, forgiven when I should have left. Watching Hannah justify the happenings made me squirm yet rage as some seemed so familiar. I had to keep reading even though it’s so claustrophobic I was becoming dizzy. Great writing again from Sue Watson. Makes you finish the book in record time. Oh, and that ending. Gulp.

Hannah wasn’t ready to get back on the dating scene after she’s split from her ex Tom, but her boss an best friend convinced her to join a dating app where she was matched with Alex, who seems to be Hannahs perfect match... but is he too perfect? I found this book truly gripping and I read it within a day, a true page turner. I also found it to be a good eye opener about the modern world, where everything is online, maybe we do share too much information about ourselves these days. I would highly recommend this book, it was brilliant! A well deserved 5 stars.

While well written for the most part I hated the characters in this book and very nearly stopped reading at the end of almost every chapter. While I was compelled to keep reading I can't say I enjoyed anything about this book unfortunately.
Hannah is a horribly desperate, people pleasing type who falls in love at the drop of her knickers and is willing to ignore glaringly obvious warning signs to get her happily ever after.
Alex is a psychopath willing to do anything to get his happily ever after.
Together their relationship is twisted and toxic in the extreme.

Gosh this really is a creepy book of obsessive love and controlling relationships. Sometimes it’s obvious to others looking in that something is too perfect to be true but when you are in those first throws of love you ignore the small signs that suggest something is not quite right and even when his stalker ex seems to be targeting you love is all that matters. As things take a more controlling route is everything as it seems between any of the characters in this creepy thriller. I loved it

The first half of the story was compelling but then it becomes a bit far fetched and the ending is just way out there.

All the millennials out there know the struggle of online dating these days.
Its somewhat throwing caution to the wind and TRUSTING STRANGERS.
But we do that everyday and have our fair share of dating horror stories to share. ( One of my guilty pleasures is to listen to them, its kind of weirdly hilarious ).

But then there's a creepy and dark side to online dating which is bizarre and obsessed stalkers and the oh so charming psychopaths.

FIRST DATE is a story about Hannah who is a hopeless romantic, people's pleaser and utterly daft sometimes. She has suffered the wrath of a broken and forlorn childhood with a drug addict mother and hence always dreamed of the comforts a safe haven aka HOME.

Now, she is a 36 year old woman who is looking for love when she is suggested by her best friend and boss, JAS to join an online dating app.
She meets "ALEX" who is like a match made in heaven who likes everything she likes and this uncanny camaraderie of the first date turns into a relationship right off the bat. Then begins the scary stalker fiasco with RANDOM ROSES AND ANTI LOVE NOTES, feelings of being followed etc etc.

The story was riveting, thrilling but repetitive and long winded at times. It could have been shorter.
I enjoyed reading the story and thought I knew who was causing the ordeal to our BLIND IN LOVE protagonist but BOY I WAS WRONG! The ending is unexpected!

This is my first book by Sue Watson and I plan on reading more of her as this book was UNPUTDOWNABLE.

Thankyou NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an e ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“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 met Alex through a dating app. They appear to click in what they want in life and everything seems perfect. Jaz, Hannah’s boss and friend warns her “if it is too good to be true it probably is” however Hannah won;t listen and after a breakup a year ago which hurt her thinks Alex could be “the one”. Hannahs childhood was spent in care and foster homes hence she has never had a “forever” and this is what she is desperately seeking after all of the instability she has gone through. Alex tells her that she is exactly the woman he has been searching for. Things don’t quite add up and Alex shows rather more than jealousy when Hannah is talking to a co- worker and she receives a rather threatening message in a bunch of flowers who she thinks is from her ex. Hannah is now thinking Jaz’s words may well be right. One to put you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant writing that gives the air of tension and curveballs to throw the reader off course- just how I like it and one to leave you with a smile!
(rest of links as part of blog tour)

The sign of a good book is when you're thinking about it in between reading sessions and want to get back to it. This is how I felt about First Date by Sue Watson.

The tension throughout the novel was palpable from the moment Hannah and Alex meet. The clues are there from the beginning that Alex might not be Mr Perfect. Sometimes this frustrated me in that Hannah could be oblivious. She's a smart woman who works as a social worker and therefore should be adept at spotting risks. I wanted to shake her at times! That said, we've all put rose-tinted glasses on with certain relationships, particularly at the beginning.

This isn't a clear cut story though. The plot transcends what the reader might initially believe it to be focused upon. Hannah's life is more complicated than an infatuation.

Sue Watson explores characters' inner lives, secrets, and their needs. Many of the characters were relatable.

I mainly enjoyed the ending. It made sense and to a degree, I didn't see some of it coming. There was a large information chapter near the end that slowed down the action. The details were necessary but maybe they could have been executed a different way rather than having a character giving so many details squeezed into a chapter. The final chapter has the wow factor though.

I would definitely recommend this book. I love novels that explore the complexities of relationships and what people hide from each other. Sue Watson does this with great skill.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my early copy of the novel for which I've written an honest review.

Somebody help me now! This book confused the hell of me! How can a book start as two starred, below the average reading ( no thanks to dislikable heroine) and end as five starred, WTH, this is deliciously twisty and smart reading, it blew my mind!

Yes, I hate the guts of the heroine. I wanted to punch her several times. I want to hire Cobra Kai members and their sensei Johnny Lawrence beat the sh*t out of her! ( because their motto is “no mercy”)

Dear Hannah acted like the most brainless, naivest, dumbest woman in the literature history. She falls in love with the guy at first date, starts planning their grandchildren’s wedding menu throughout their dinner, ignoring to good to be true signs. She has to move her head up to see neon signs above Alex’s head tells her he is a bad guy, duh! Throughout my read I actually hear Billy Eilish’s song blast from the speakers ( later I found, my bestie Ashley turned on the music so loud to attract my attention. But it fit with my reading chapters! So I didn’t care!)

At first I thought she doesn’t belong to a thriller. She truly deserves a place in a chic lit or melodramatic romcom or fairytale ( she can be estranged cousin of Snow White or step sister of Frozen’s Elsa)

She already has problematic breakup with her ex Tom. Now she thinks he sent her flowers with a threatening note and she thinks somebody broke into her car! But all those things start to happen after her first date with Alex.

I’m not gonna give more clues. But I have to admit: Alex did so many unacceptable things and Hannah acted like loyal puppy, finding excuses for his behavior. It repeated over and over! I plan to dnf this one! But my instincts tell me I have to finish it because the author’s previous book “ Sister in Law” was one of my favorite reads of this year and I was still so sure she’s extremely smart enough to rock my world with big twist. And she did.

I fell in love with last %10 part of the book and I hated the rest of it.

So should I give average 3.5 stars ( 2 stars for %90 and 5 stars for %10) rounding up to 4 or let it stay as 3 stars because I still find heroine ultra illogical, punchable and annoying.
I think heroine ruined my mood. This was still fast, easy, riveting reading and I love the authors flawed, dysfunctional characterizations, twisty revelations and the ending was marvelous but it could be more enjoyable reading for me with less detestable MCs.

Don’t get me wrong! This is still a good reading with great potentials and clever, unexpected twists. It’s still better than most thrillers I’ve read this year. And I still like to read the upcoming works of the author but this book could be a little better without too many repetitive angsty argument chapters of Hannah and Alex and it would be nice to be introduced a heroine with a backbone.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this gripping arc with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I found myself flicking through the pages of ‘First Date’ way into the early hours of the morning, on my Kindle, in the dark, because I was as gripped as a gripped thing. I found Hannah’s relationship with Adam totally addictive and I couldn’t wait to carry on reading so that I could consume more.

Once on this rollercoaster, it was easy to feel as trapped as Hannah. I kept thinking, ‘I like Adam’ then ‘I’m not sure,’ then ‘ooh, err.’ Are her colleagues right? Who is right? And what’s with the other characters? I won’t elaborate as I don’t want to spoil any surprises.

Jas’s character was fantastic as a friendly sidekick to Hannah and I really enjoyed how their relationship moved about during the story. I also live in Worcester where the novel was set and in my view, it was the perfect setting for this story.

This book will have you prickling at the neck as you turn the pages. It did with me. I certainly hoped for Hannah to find a happy ending. Sue Watson has a way with words where I as the reader couldn’t help feeling totally immersed in the main character’s life. The ending was KAPOW!!!

This story is creepily addictive and I’m already wondering when the next one is out. Waiting (taps fingernails on table) - hehe!

This book is exactly what I needed to read at the moment. It's a light psychological thriller about social worker Hannah, who meets too-good-to-be-true Alex around the time that someone appears to be stalking her. I have read all of Sue Watson's books and enjoyed them, especially The Sister in Law so I had high hopes.

I really enjoyed reading this. It's obvious to the reader that Alex comes with some huge red flags but Hannah is so desperate to be loved and to get her happy ending that she ignores them and from that point it's kind of like watching a car crash in slow motion.

I liked how real the relationships felt and Hannah's struggle with trying to balance her new relationship, her career and her friendships. I guessed where quite a few of the plot lines were heading but I didn't expect the ending. It does all fit together though and I actually really like how it ended.

I would recommend this as a good, solid, character-driven read if you're not in the mood for anything too heavy.

Hot thriller about dating and (too much) attraction? Sign me up.

Meet Hannah, a calm, safety-first type of gal, lover of anything cozy. At 36, she hasn't met anyone worth sharing her life with, so she gets on a dating app and meets Alex. He is handsome, appealing, and has EXACTLY the same dreams and goals as her. While Alex looks like the perfect match, Hannah's friends have some doubts - perhaps for a good reason.

First Date is a totally gipping read which explores the human nature and yearnign for safety, comfort and love - as much as the dark side of the same nature which pushes some people do to the unthinkable.

The only thing I didn't love quite as much as the story was the writing. I thought it was too elementary and simple, which didn't spoil my experience but didn't make it better either.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing is ever as it seems. A captivating thriller that will keep you on the edge until the last word. Sue Watson's book reads like real life. The characters are easily relatable. There are some crazy people out there. I find that Hannah is an irritating character. She is easily manipulated. After going on so many dates and having relationships not work out time after time, I would think that Hannah would have some insight into reading a person. Yet, Hannah, as a character has so many flaws. The ending was not a disappointment and kept up with the flow of the story. Definitely a book that would love to see become a movie.

Thank you to the Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was totally taken by the surprise twist at the end when I thought the book had already ended! Respect to the author for this, it rarely happens! All in all an intriguing book, with characters you hate, and characters you’d like to shake and tell them to wake up. It is not a scary psychological thriller per se, more of a building up, questioning yourself, and creepy stalker suspense.

At times it feels like the story is not moving forward, and it’s a bit repetitive. I realize the story is reflecting real life, and obsessed stalker kind of people behave like this, but I still feel like the book could have been a bit shorter.

Nonetheless, it is a good book, written by a skilled author, who can really dig into the deepest corners of a human mind. It is not easy being a human, and in this book there are several people with typical behavior that annoys people around them. These people are presented very accurately. I also enjoy the way it’s written that a person you might see as a bad person, is still just a human, and might not be as bad as you perceive him or her. Darkness can live and grow within anyone. I think the author has skillfully showed the reader that you can never really fully know another person.

First Date by Sue Watson is another fabulous read from an author who has very quickly become a favourite. This is a story that will grab you from the start, and have you tearing through the pages. Creepy, suspenseful, and wholly satisfying, you will want to add this one to your TBR immediately.

Hannah has just come out of a bad relationship when she decides to have a go at online dating. When the gorgeous Alex appears on her screen, she is thrilled to think that she has finally met her match. On an idyllic first date, Hannah is pleasantly surprised to find that she and Alex have much in common, and appear to want all of the same things out of life. Could a first date be more perfect? But as the relationship intensifies, Hannah must acknowledge that a romantic ideal is sometimes quite different from the reality of sharing your life.

Ms Watson does an outstanding job of sustaining the tense vibe that permeates the entirety of the narrative, and I was completely unsettled from the very outset. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

This has been a book which I have found utterly impossible to put down. I have devoured this book in just one sitting. 
Watson has gripped me from the beginning and made it completely impossible for me to put this one down. There is absolutely no way I could predict where this was going. 
Reading this book has made me cringe on many occasions. The relationship is so unhealthy, Alex is a character who uses Hannah's emotions to control her and make her feel bad. I have strongly disliked him throughout. 
I've been so frustrated by Hannah for being so forgiving and putting up with the behaviour she has. Definitely had moments where I've wanted to slap her. 
This has been completely unpredictable and I haven't been able to predict anything that was taking place in this book. 
Watson has created another gem that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. You'll be gripped and kept guessing by this five star delight. I highly recommend this one.

This book was my first by this author and a surprise for me. How does a social worker attract these types of men despite their training?

What did I like? I’m all in for a suspenseful read, add in an obsessive attraction that’s unhealthy and I’m hooked. Hannah has a hero complex because she needs to save people which makes her a target for wounded men with possessive issues. The story just snowballs until I’m assured that everyone is the culprit. Great story though.

Would I buy or recommend? If you love these types of books and the blurb caught your eye then you’ll probably enjoy the story. The ending could have lasted a bit longer but I understand why the author left it hang.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left this opinion. Four stars!

Another great read from this Author.
Pulls you in making you think you are the crazy one. Fantastic all the way through but loved the ending the most. Pick this one up you wont be disappointed

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

#FirstDate #NetGalley
Watson never fails to impress. A must read.
You thought that you've found your perfect partner, a partner to spend rest of your life with. You'll never let him go if he will come in your life, will you? But don't worry, he feels the same for you.
He wants to enter in your life. He wants your love, your house. He will never let you go.
He's not your dream but your perfect nightmare.
I was intrigued by Watson's concept and I must say that she's definitely working hard to impress again and again. I loved the plot, dialogues and characterization. Narration of the story is buttery smooth.
I'll do more promotion once the book will come in the markets.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy of this brilliant psychological thriller.