First thank you to galley books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Gwen is a 20 something that just broke up with her boyfriend. She starts dating using an app and soon discovers the guys she is going out with are being murdered afterwards.

What I liked: this was a fast paced fun popcorn thriller with dark humor in it. Gwen is not the most likable main character but she does deliver some good one liners. I liked her dark humor at the beginning and wish that would have continued throughout the book. It is a quick read and enjoyed reading about her dates.

I had such high hopes for this book, as the premise sounds incredible. Unfortunately, it does not deliver accordingly. The pacing was off, the characters were annoying (to me), and the plot isn't nearly as exciting as it seems. The main character is constantly involving herself in police business and making everything worse. On top of that, the main detective on the case is brand new and flirts with her the entire book, only for her to notice in the last ~50 pages and throw herself at him. The main character was a truly awful friend, and seemed like an even worst first date. I'm a fan of an unlikable main character, but she was truly just an annoying, pick-me, irritating human being. The backstory of why she's like that never comes to light, and that made me dislike her even more. I need someone else to write this premise in a less awful manner, please and thank you.

This was a fun read, definitely leaning into the darker side of things, but all in all a fun read. I don't think this was so much a Bridget Jones comparison, but I see why they want you to think that going in.

This started out very funny and almost in dark humor even if it was a bit self-destructive. It then turned even darker but I still enjoyed it and would count this is a thriller and very well done who-dun-it ... this will make you think twice about dating apps as you try to figure out the killer. Very satisfying ending!

Swiped comes out next week on May 21, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

I've done some bad things.

I don't mean your everyday, run-of-the-mill misdemeanors. Listen, I'll freely admit I've got at least two more credit cards than I need, a mild potato chip addiction, and I really, really need to work on my core. No, I'm talking about the truly awful things, the ones you'd like to bury so deep that you can pretend they never actually happened.

Rough estimate, I'd say I have done maybe fourteen things, total, that the Dalai Lama would raise a concerned eyebrow at. But out of all of them, I'd say the second-worst thing I'd ever done was currently unfolding right in front of me: my best friend's hen do, aka the hen do from hell (I say "hell," but I was pretty sure even the devil had never been forced to drink Bellinis out of penis-shaped straws at 8:30 p.m. in Cameo on a Thursday evening).

0.5 ⭐️. If I could give this book zero stars, I would. Going into this book, I really thought it was right up my alley -- a young thirty-something navigating online dating and running into a true crime adventure. Everything about this book was WRONG.

From the jump, something felt off about these characters. We open up at a bachelorette/ hen party where the main character is "celebrating" her best friend's upcoming nuptials. She is supposedly the maid of honor for a friend whom she has been close with for years and years...yet she is questioning everything about the upcoming marriage and dips out of the bachelorette early. Throughout the book, she asks her best friend "are you really sure, no really, are you sure you want to marry this man?" It's just not how supportive friends talk. A GOOD FRIEND would care about their best friend more than this main character is.

As I continue reading, everything about this main character's actions and thoughts around dating seemed "off" -- she goes on a million and a half dates, references herself as being a "manic pixie girl" in her former relationship, and sleeps with the first person who gives her a little bit of attention. Then I looked into the author more and everything clicked into place...the author is a man using a vague author name (presumably to hide the fact that this book about female dating is written by the very type of person the main character is DATING).. The author allegedly went on a number of dates and used various dating apps as "research" for this book....but it's obvious he didn't learn anything.

The only characters that actually had any dimension were the MEN whom the main character went on dates with. Please see some excerpts from the book that (I think were meant to be ~satire~ but actually read as the author's inner monologue -- his true thoughts):

-- "I love women," he says. "And by love, I actually mean respect. I'm actually really pissed that my latest screenplay doesn't pass the Bechdel test. Granted it's an arbitrary bar to judge by, and my work has some feminist theme in it that are hopefully a little more deep-rooted than that, but I do worry about it.

-- " I mean, the characters are all women, of course, which was really refreshing to write. They're all fighting over the same man, a rather dashing chap names Jeb. It really helped me write the female struggle. --- I MEAN WHAT!!!!!!

-- "You think it's not my place, as a man, to tell these women's stories. You're quite right, we've heard enough male voices now. Time to let women have a go. Now, normally, I'd totally agree, but I really think this might be my best work, so maybe we could make an exception for little old me?" -- BRO, WHAT! Are we supposed to APPLAUD you to RECOGNIZING this? and YET you STILL wrote a book centering women & the female perspective of dating with this SH!!T peppered into it?

I'm so over this book. It was such a waste and this author should NEVER write about women again.


(t/y to NetGalley & Galley/Scout Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review)

For readers who:
- like thrillers
- know the pain of online dating

This book sucked me in. It was easy to keep reading and the chapters were short. Honestly, though, it seems pretty easy to figure out the whodunit, and Gwen, the main character, seemed to miss everything that was laid right in front of her. The ending felt rushed., and I didn't care for it.
An okay read for me.

This was a quick, easy read that definitely kept me guessing. The MC is witty and the best sort of mess, making her super relatable. This would make a great summer beach read.

Title: Swiped by L.M. Chilton
Publication Date- 05/21/24
Publisher- Gallery
Overall Rating- 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say this was an all around good mystery novel. Swiped is basically a cozy mystery mixed with modern technology and dating. I found it very entertaining, enjoyable and a surprising ending. The story is very palpable, the main character is just so much fun to be around and to experience the story from her point of view. Also, it felt refreshing and unique. Pacing wise, it’s a good mix between taking time to build characters and building suspense. I thought the reveal was satisfying, made sense and didn’t involve too many twists. I do in fact recommend!

Thank you to @gallerybooks for the free book! Also thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for providing an ebook ARC option for me as well!

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, Gwen is in a vulnerable state. Her business isn’t doing well, her best friend and roommate is about to move out and get married, and she’s lost on what direction her life will take next. Gwen decides to distract herself by downloading a dating app and going on a string of dates. Unfortunately, her dates are now being found dead and she’s the prime suspect.

This was such a fun read! Gwen’s character was funny and likable as she tried to figure out who was murdering her dates. The twists kept me turning pages and I enjoyed the ending as well.

When navigating the tricky dating world terrain, there are a few things we hope to discover: connection, happiness, and, most of all, love. Death is certainly not on that list. Unfortunately for Gwen Turner, the protagonist in L.M. Chilton’s “Swiped,” her dating escapades turn deadly when a series of murders in her small English town all have one thing in common — the men died briefly after going on a date with her.

Gwen begins digging into the case in an attempt to clear her name while also reconnecting with the few still-alive failed dating app matchups to warn them of the potential danger. What ensues is a hilarious, mischievous string of grim sexcapades and a thoughtful look at modern online dating. Come for the unique, enticing, low-stakes mystery; stay for the can’t-look-away questionable choices of a 20-something who has no idea what she’s doing.

All Gwen wanted was a date. And now, thanks to the dating app Connector, she's a suspect in a string of murders of men she met on the app. This is a snarky, funny, sometimes silly murder mystery which sees Gwen set out not only to clear herself but also to stop the madness. She tracks down info on all of her dates, looking for commonalities and so on. She's a mess in so many ways but she's also determined. Chilton has done a nice job keeping the tension up, knowing when to inject humor, and in creating vivid characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good popcorn read.

I met my husband on a dating app, so suffice it to say, this was a fun time to read.

Gwen Turner is just getting out of a relationship and decides to go on a dating app called Connector to date around and get over her ex. However, all of the men she meets end up being total losers, and they start turning up dead one by one. The police think she may be the killer, but she is determined to prove her innocence and find the real killer herself.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and honestly reminded me of a few bad dates I went on. My favorite part of this book was actually reading about all of the bad dates. This was witty; there were a ton of entertaining one-liners and a lot of red herrings… and I mean A LOT. I had whiplash because by 80%, I must have thought to myself, “I figured it out!” multiple times. And I was wrong basically every time 😂. By the end, I was like AHAH! But I mean, it was the end by that point so the author really got me a few times!

This felt like a mix between The One by John Marrs and Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera. The sassy main character being accused of murder, mild romance between the accused and someone investigating the crimes, and online dating horrors was a really awesome combo.

This wasn’t perfect, and I admittedly did roll my eyes a few times at the main character’s decision-making and how the police behaved, but overall this was a solid popcorn thriller. This was bingeable and also, unfortunately, relatable if any of you also have online dating horror stories (without the murder, of course).

Thank you NetGalley & Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Gwen is a woman who recently went through a breakup. To get back out there, she decides to use a dating app. Gwen has gone on a lot of dates because they all end badly. Things turn to even worse when her dates start being killed off one by one and the police suspect her as the killer.

I really enjoyed this book! This is one of those thrillers that is humorous and a bit unserious. I also feel like it’s a bit unrealistic. However, I had a great time reading it and I would recommend it to people. Gwen does some stupid stuff but she is pretty funny and relatable. The other characters are all pretty quirky too. I liked the writing style and the pacing as well.

I saw the final twist coming from a mile away. However, I did see some reviews that the twist surprised them so maybe I’m just that good lol. Me predicting the twist doesn’t take away from my enjoyment though.

I loved how we got to look back on all of the dates and see how bad they were. It must be a rough dating world out there.

Overall, it wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me but I did really enjoy it. If you’re looking for a bit of a silly thriller, I would recommend this one!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Gallery books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Short synopsis: After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Gwen Turner has turned to a dating app to find a plus one for her friends wedding. But all her dates are terrible, then wind up dead.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the premise of this, I idea of recent dates dying was a fun unique element to the story.

Definitely a bingeable popcorn thriller, I flyer through this on audio in just a couple hours. A bit predictable but still enjoyable.

Read if you love:
- Popcorn thrillers
- Mystery and romance elements
- Technology
- Humor

Read this if you like:
•popcorn thrillers
•horrible dates
•murders

The premise of this was so interesting. Gwen goes on dating apps and shortly later finds out the people she’s been on dates with have been killed. Parts of this were a bit hard to believe.

This is a perfect fast-paced popcorn thriller centered on the mistrials of Gwen and her horrible dates on a dating app called CONNECTOR.

Gwen's life as she nears 30 is NOT what she expected; she's lost her long-term love and career when she and Noah break up right after they invested in a coffee truck business. Her roommate and long-term bestie is getting married, so Gwen turns to a dating app to attempt to show everyone she is clearly living her best single life. However, when a recent bad date ends up as a murder victim, Gwen is pulled into a police investigation. She starts getting ominous messages from a spoof account named 'Parker' on the app, and her past dates start dropping dead one by one. In order to prove her own lack of involvement, Gwen embarks on some amateur sleuthing and eventual partnership with a hot detective to discover the identity of Parker and hopefully save the lives of her most recent bad dates.

There was a lot to enjoy in this one for me! Gwen's quirky personality and 'Bridget Jones' humor had me laughing out loud and empathizing to her cringe bad dates. I also liked the short chapters, clever twists, and propulsive plot! I think I binged this one in two sittings, and while parts of the plot require you to suspend disbelief, I think thriller lovers will really enjoy this new summer hit.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Gwen signs up for a dating app. However, once she discovers that the first man she went on a date with dies, and then it happens with the next date, the police come knocking.

This was a fun, bingey lighthearted thriller. The dating app angle made the premise original while also adding some humor and romance to the story. On audio, I flew through this and was so entertained. You definitely have to suspend disbelief during parts, but that’s to be expected with popcorn thrillers.

3.75/5⭐️

Swiped is a quick read that is both entertaining and quirky. Gwen is for sure not over her ex, Noah, but she sure is trying to convince everyone that she is. Little does she know that all those she is meeting on Connector (an online dating site) are being picked off one by one. I thought I knew who Parker really was until about 80% through when an absolutely unbelievable twist was thrown in. Swiped would have been a great read of the ending had not been so over the top and honestly just felt thrown together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC.

3.4 (Sorry, I just can’t round up to four stars.)

I’ve never read a mystery like this! And I read predominantly mysteries even belong to a mystery book club. Murder aside, you will think twice about joining a dating app!

Gwen is a hot mess. Such a mess that it’s often a little hard to get behind her or, to start, even want to keep going. Haven’t we all been there on some level, though, especially in our twenties? Maybe not necessarily swiping right on an app for people we probably know in advance aren’t right for us, but maybe drunk on sudden attention or when compliments come our way? Asking for a friend.

If you can get past Gwen’s issues, it really is a clever and fast read. Sometimes it seems like things have been moved too quickly and are glossed over, but I guess I’d rather have that than slowly dwelling on every detail. It’s fantastic new-release season and I have lots to read, so I’m always worried about having a book that’s a “mystery” (not necessarily the crime kind) with an author I don’t know and a premise that could really go either way or be a challenge to get through. Not a problem here once I got going. It’s not fine literature or Christie, but perhaps think of it as the typical romcom of murder mysteries (if you like romcoms). I can’t imagine how they’ll tie a new mystery in, but I believe there’s another “Swiped” book coming. I will definitely check it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you for the ARC. I had high hopes for this book but I just couldn’t really get into it. Maybe I’ve just been removed from the dating scene for too long to feel a connection with this book? I’m not sure.