This was an excellent short story that absolutely flew by!! I had so much fun reading this. If you need a thriller that gives you whiplash I definitely recommend this one.

Ellery Lloyd brings a short story about Fay, a famous actress on the downward slope of her career. She meets a man on Raya, and starts dating him under an assumed name. Her teenageson Wolf, is extremely jealous and possessive and Fay also has issues with stalkers. These dates are not what they seem and her new boyfriend is in for trouble.

I thought this was fun, and it could’ve been developed into a longer novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy of the short story.

Predictable, but good.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd is a short thriller story. Short, sweet and spicy (not in the romantic way). I loved the suspense and twists packed in a short book. Well executed
I got a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley. This is my honest review

I’ve never understood the term, “deliciously wicked” until now. This short story has to be one of my all-time favorites!

It starts with two podcasters, Poppy and Fay. Watch out- they’re more than just podcasters! Two friends that are there for each other through anything- And I mean anything.

Bad Date is a must read by Ellery Lloyd!

4.5⭐️
This was so twisty and grabbed my attention immediately! I actually wish it had been a full length book. Everything wasn’t what it seemed, and I liked that we had glimpses into all 3 of the characters perspectives as things unraveled. The ending made sense but felt a little abrupt, I wanted the book to keep going haha

This was a quick and easy read. I didn’t know anything about it which made it fun. If you like a revenge-type story, I think you’ll like this one.

NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, thank you for this advanced copy of Ellery Lloyd’s short story.

Previous reviewed on GoodReads - extended review here

So I love a good creepy chiller short story - hold your cries of 'wth is wrong with her' I literally studied criminology, this book is straight up my alley... in theory. I originally saw this book on first reads amazon, then saw it on here and came back for round two except here's the thing, the flow is off for me. Totally off.

You are thrown in head first which usually works wonders but on this one I was left a bit baffled, also seeing a scripted writing style so early on had me questioning whether this was a novella written as a novella or if I had misjudged the book entirely - I hadn't but yeah it threw me off.

The FMC works with me, she's way too mothering of her son's utterly appalling (read: m*rderous) behaviour and while it is explained away, and I do empathise, it got annoying. I just wanted to shake her, like Fay pull yourself together, snap out of it, your son m*rders men for you and you're doing pick me boy mum behaviour of 'oh he didn't mean it' OF COURSE HE DID!!! He removed them from earth.

But the son???

Wolf needs to be put in a box for hibernation for a little way. My guy is CREEPY, beaten only by Mr Creepy love (?) interest wannabe, enter stage right Oliver. And to think I used to like the name Oliver. Not anymore I don't. Being inside his 'head' and reading his thoughts was disturbing on another level - yes I know, crim student here, you'd think I'd be able to cope but clearly it was a bit too creepy for my tastes. Still he got what he deserved in this case so can't go too hard on that plotline.

All that said this in an amazing concept for a short story and I liked that it was a short story with this concept rather than dragged out over 300 plus pages. The ending is very abrupt as a word of warning but it works for the book and the story so I'll drop my beef with it...

Bad Date is a fast, twisty little thriller that hooked me right away. I loved the setup with celebrity dating apps, secrets, and a friendship at the heart of the story. It’s definitely bingeable in one sitting. It was a fun, quick read that left me wanting more from Ellery Lloyd.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

Ever been on a date where you wanted to pretend to be someone else to get a 2nd date? Fay does! As a famous single mom who is unlucky in love she has to put her best foot out on a dating app but what happens when she swipes right on someone with ulterior motives. Intriguing and a quick read.

Bad Date is a quick, engaging thriller that had my attention rapt from beginning to end. The story is about two people starting to date, and neither person is who they appear to be. The twist was interesting, and the ending was unexpected. I do think that the story could have been longer because I don't think the characters were really developed and nobody was very likable. Still, it was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the digital arc.

This was a fun short story thriller! Perfect if you want a quick read.

I’m not usually a thriller reader but Ellery Lord’s Bad Date made me want to change that! Faye Roper is an actress who has been attracting creepy stalkers since she shot to fame in her teens. Now a divorced, single mum, struggling financially and unlucky in love, Faye relies on her BFF/PA Poppy to help her out with everything from her love life to finances to parenting her spoiled son Wolf. The story is set in London and told through first-person but multiple POVs, including Faye’s latest mysterious date, Ollie…

I don’t want to give anything away but this story made my skin crawl and made me a lot more sympathetic toward actors and actresses dealing w paparazzi and stalkers that infiltrate every aspect of their life. The story’s only 58 pages long, but the ending did feel a little rushed and a tiny bit like something might’ve been missing. I still enjoyed it and look forward to checking out more from this author and others like them! I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for an easy, thrilling, single-sitting read that had a couple of twists!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ellery Lloyd for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A nice short story. It is difficult to comment without spoiling some parts of the book, but I can say that it kept me hooked for the entirety of it and the intended tension was immersive. Although, I felt that the plot was a bit too shallow, and could have been explored better, even in 50 something pages. Maybe if we knew a bit more about the characters before we got to learn about another certain character, it could've helped; I felt that the action started too soon.

A fun, satisfying read overall!

This is a short story following a famous woman getting back at a stalker. A super quick read that I wish wrapped up better. Also the steroids?!?!?!

A washed up actress, an assistant, and a stalker wind up in a deadly game in the dating world. This is a very good short story with interesting characters and plot. The story could have gone on a little longer as the ending felt cut off. Still a quick interesting read.

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.