Definitely a super quick read that kept my attention. I enjoyed the multiple POVs, and obviously it is a short story but still felt rushed at the end. I loved the premise and honestly would have liked it more as a full novel with a few twists.

The premise of this book looked good, and while I haven't read anything by this author before, I thought I'd give it a try. It was a very interesting story, and I wish it would've been a longer novel. 3.5 stars

BAD DATE follows four disturbed individuals: Faye, a former child actor; Poppy, her best friend and assistant; Wolf, Faye’s fourteen year old son; and Ollie, the man who has always loved her.

The story begins with Faye joining an exclusive dating app under a fake name and matching with Ollie. Faye is the only somewhat understandable person in this story, and the author could write a full length novel on these characters if Faye doesn’t get herself and her son therapy.

I was a bit confused with Faye’s celebrity status. She hasn’t had a job interview in months and is losing her home, but she is still invited to award shows, has a podcast with seven million listeners, and is hounded by paparazzi.

I think this would have been better as a novella, or at the very least, if it had been given an epilogue.

Fay Roper is a divorced single mom and a globally famous actress. She’s also unlucky in love. Maybe because the last thing Fay wants in a man is yet another superfan. But somehow, every time she has a boyfriend who isn’t a stalker, he abruptly disappears from her life. With the help of her best friend and right-hand woman, Poppy, Fay decides to change the game and join an exclusive new dating app under a false identity. A subscriber named Oliver takes the bait. But Oliver likes to play games too. And only one of them can win.

A thrilling ride from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

In this short story, a washed up actress and her best friend conspire to set up a man on fake dates. It was a quick easy read. The teenage son was properly creepy. I would have liked another Oliver chapter at the end to see the fallout.

This is my first time reading something from Ellery Lloyd and I am quite excited.

At first, I thought I was reading something cheesy and corny because of the podcast opening segment. Luckily, I kept an open mind because the book got better and better. There were times when the author left some breadcrumbs which left me either confused or having an "aha" moment, and the balance between the two worked for me in keeping the mystery of the story. I liked the characters even though Wolf often left a bad taste in my mouth. I like how they are not clueless or doormat-y but very tactical.

I like that it is a short story because everything is so fast-paced and purposeful, but also I wish there was another chapter or an epilogue to close the book better. Other than that, kudos to the book and the author, I liked it! It is quite different from the other mystery books I have read. Will definitely read some more from the author.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a quick thriller that stems from one of the females characters dates. She has a plan to incriminate him in murders that have been happening, to her exes; however she has known all along who has been doing them and she needs to protect this other person! This story was fast paced but it was a bit confusing. I recommend it if you just want a quick thriller read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ellory Lloyd, and Amazon Short stories for allowing me to review this ARC!

I wasn't sure where this book was going for the first half and was blind sided by the last few chapters. I Read it in one sitting curious to see who was going to be the 'Bad' party of the date.
Wonderful short read.

*This witty and fast-paced novel follows Fay Roper, a world-famous actress and single mom who’s grown weary of failed relationships and obsessive fans. Determined to take control of her love life, Fay dives into the world of anonymous online dating, only to match with the enigmatic Oliver—who’s hiding secrets of his own. What begins as a playful deception quickly spirals into a high-stakes emotional chess match, full of twists, flirtation, and unexpected vulnerability. With sharp dialogue, layered characters, and a fresh take on fame and romance, this book delivers both heart and intrigue in equal measure.*

4 Star Rating for Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd

What a great mystery/thriller shorty story brought to us by Ellery Lloyd. Bad Date is a sharp, fast-paced psychological thriller that dives into the dangers of modern dating and identity. Fay Roper, a washed up actress that is fed up with stalkers and failed romances, joins an exclusive dating app under a fake name, only to match with someone who has secrets of his own.

In just 58 pages, Ellery Lloyd packs a lot of tension, glamour, and deception into this short story. It is twisty, addictive, and perfect for fans of dark, high-stakes thrillers.

A few reveals feel a touch rushed, which is to be expected with only so many words. I found myself wanting just a bit more time with the characters to really feel the emotional stakes. I would love for this to be turned into a full length novel or potentially a series of short stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this short story!

A quick read that started out well but seemed to fall flat about halfway
Didn’t hate it but definitely not a must read for me

I devoured this short story in one sitting! It’s like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets a Freida McFadden thriller, with a stalker twist that keeps you hooked. Fay’s messy dating life and her glamorous yet vulnerable persona make her such an interesting lead. You always think men are the scary ones on the first date—but they never expect it to be you. Her son, Wolf, is the character you want to hate, but Fay feels compelled to protect him at all costs, which adds so much depth and tension. And I loved her dynamic with Poppy—her manager/best friend who always has her back.

This short but to the point story was a good break between books. It had such an interesting concept, but didn’t fully meet the mark on execution. The book itself kept me engaged for the duration, but I wanted and needed more from this to get the full experience. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and author Ellerly Lloyd for the opportunity to read and review this story!

A stalker, catfishing, online profiles, suspense!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

This novella had me hooked from the start and I could not put it down. The story is suspenseful and twisty from the beginning to the end.

Overall, an interesting short story about an obsessive stalker that kept me hooked.

I enjoyed the story being told in different perspectives meaning each character was uncovering parts of the story as well as learning about that individual.

I think Poppy and Fay's characters were lost a bit in the story as Ollie and Wolf's characters are more detailed and made to be disliked.

At times I was a bit confused about Fays celebrity status.

The channels of communication in this are very modern making this story scarily real.

The twist of Ollie and Wolf at the end was a small bit of payback but kinda wanted it to be a tiny bit longer as I think there was a lot more I would have liked a conclusion to.

Two friends decide to catfish one of their stalkers... but when the truth comes out there might be a killer closer to home. In this game of cat and mouse, bodies will be dropping, fake names and cons... and most of all, someone is going to finally pay for everything. This one had such a fun potential but it just kind of abruptly ends and it just leaves you scratching your head asking where the rest of it is and why it just ended like that. It definitely had potential, but mimssed the mark a bit unfortunately.

Release Date: September 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Fay is off on a first date. There's just one problem: He's not what he seems, and he knows more than he appears to.

But then, there might be another problem: Fay also knows more than she appears to.

This is a dark little story. It's clear early on that nobody is what they are trying to present to the world; I'm not sure that any of the characters in this story could be considered mentally stable. Fay is an actress whose career has dried up (and with it her money); Oliver is a fan who badly wants more; Wolf is Fay's son who has never had a normal life; Poppy is Fay's best friend who knows exactly where the bodies are buried. The question is how far each of them is willing to go—and who will have the upper hand in the end.

I liked this more as I got farther into it and it became clear that Fay knew more than she was letting on (did not enjoy being in Oliver's head, thank you). The ending was a bit of a letdown—it was clear that that was the direction the story was going in, but I actually tried to swipe forward to the next page multiple times before realizing that no, the story was over; the ending was that abrupt. Still a fun little thriller (well—can I call this fun, when we had to be in Oliver's head and also contemplate Wolf being let loose on the world?), but I was glad that this was a story rather than a book.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Bad Date follows the Fay Roper, an actress who is struggling in her career and is famously unlucky in love, who turns to an exclusive dating app hoping to avoid any obsessive fans or stalkers. On the app, she meets Oliver who appears normal but is in fact playing a game of his own.

I had previously really enjoyed People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd so I was very excited to read this book, especially as it seem to center on similar themes including appearance vs reality on social media. I thought the premise was intriguing and I enjoyed the writing style in the podcast chapters as the dialogue felt natural and gave you a good sense of the characters and their friendship.

However in general I found the story quite predictable and as this is a short story it all felt quite surface level so we never really get to understand Wolf's motivations or character. I feel like this concept could've worked as a full length novel but I found it felt more like an outline of a story than a fully developed short story.

Overall, unfortunately this story was not for me but I am definitely open to reading more of Ellery Lloyd's books in the future.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman and a man as they go on some dates. Things are not as they seem for either of them.

I liked this short story. It was a quick read and I liked seeing how everything unfolded. I liked the different POVs as well.

The premise was a bit unrealistic but I didn't really mind for this one. I do wish it was a bit longer as well.