My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Gallery Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Thriller, Comedy
Language: Peppered with swearing and some crude remarks

SWIPED caught my attention because of the combo of being a comedy and thriller. I love how the main character has to discover who the serial killer is before her best friend's wedding. And of course, everyone thinks the killer is her.

I think anyone who wants a light and breezy thriller will love this one.

Happy reading!

I loved this one! Such a hilarious and twisty read. Gwen is a newly single woman in her late twenties dating using the Connector app. She has gone on a half dozen bad dates in the past couple of weeks and soon finds some of her previous suitors have been murdered following their dates. This puts her in the middle of a police investigation, where she is a person of interest. The tone is immense! There were so many times I was laughing out loud while reading. Gwen is likable and funny, but her life is a bit of a mess. She is brash and impulsive, and I loved living in her world. Her dates are over the top bad, with one date crying at the bar over an ex and another who leaves with a broken hand after Gwen has hit him with a club at mini golf. I had a couple of suspicions of who the killer was while reading it. This was such a hilarious read. I devoured it!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 stars

Every time I talk to a friend who is looking to start dating, I hear about another dating app. There’s always at least 2-3 I’ve never heard of before. (And for my friends just looking for, umm, fun, there are apps for that, too!)

Ever since she and her boyfriend broke up, Gwen has been trying to find the magic with someone new. And with her best friend and roommate getting ready to move out and get married, Gwen has become addicted to swiping on Connector, and enjoys the thrill when she is notified of a match.

Unfortunately, while many of the men she matches with seem terrific, in reality, they’re all just different degrees of awful. There’s the one who’s still hung up on his ex, the racist yet handsy woman-hater, the secretly married guy, etc. But still, she keeps hoping that she’ll luck out and find the right guy.

Then she finds out one of the guys she went out with was found dead, and all signs point to murder. As more men die, the only thing that connects them is they all went out on one disastrous date with Gwen. The police are starting to wonder if Gwen might be a dangerous killer, but she’s determined to figure out who’s really responsible, and why they’re targeting her.

This is a fun thriller that definitely does keep you guessing. Gwen is really a mess, but you feel for her as her life is imploding. Sure, you have to suspend your disbelief at times, but it didn’t bother me that much. I just enjoyed this look at how crazy the online dating world can be!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy of this one. The book will publish 5/21.

Thank you Gallery Books/Scout Press for my #gifted copy of Swiped!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐝
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋.𝐌. 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

I found this book to be so unique and I loved how it was a thriller that had a bit of a comedic twist to it! I think this one will be a hit with anyone who has ever ventured into the world of online dating. I found this book to a quick and fun read and one I would definitely recommend if you are looking for an entertaining thriller.

Gwen’s life has turned quite messy. She’s recently single and has quit her job to open her own coffee shop. With her best friend getting married, she finds herself spending more and more time on dating apps to fill the void and try to find love. But when a string of murders occur in her small town, she is startled to find that each of the victims have all been on a date with her. Before long, Gwen finds that she is the main suspect in their deaths, and the only way to clear her name is to track down her previous dates if they are still alive.

I loved the premise of this book. I’ve never used a dating app before, but know plenty of people who have, so I found this to be such a fun concept for a book and I really enjoyed how well the author infused humor into this thriller. This was a quick and fun read and definitely a good one to pack for the pool or beach this summer!

Posted on Goodreads on May 16, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 17, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 21, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Four solid stars for this light hearted, serial killer yet romantic book. Honestly, the plot was clever, had all the right villains and Gwen is perfectly likable. There were a few slowish parts but the plot was compelling enough to ignore them.

In looking back on this book, I totally should have solidly known whodunnit. However, the book was really that clever (as was the killer!) that I didn’t even see it or didn’t consider it as more than a “could it be?”.

Advance reader copy provided by Gallery Books + NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Quick and exciting thriller, but the plot jumped the shark a bit, and took the main character in a direction I couldn't get on board with. However, I'd definitely pick up another thriller by this author for the fun ride.

Gwen Turner's life is in a weird place. She should have everything figured out... in fact she had it all put together only a few months ago. But now she's broken up with her boyfriend, left her stable job to open her own coffee shop and she's stuck going on dates with terrible men from a terrible dating app. When a string of murders happens in her quiet seaside town, Gwen's surprised to learn that she has a connection to all the men murdered - they've all been on dates with her. Before she knows it, Gwen finds herself as the main suspect and knows the only way to clear her name is to investigate herself.

This was a pretty quick and fun read. It kept me guessing and hypothesizing from the moment that you learn that the men being murdered had all gone on one date with our main protagonist. The story kept me guessing from the moment it was revealed who the killer truly was. At first I was worried the author was going to take an easy route out with who it was, but I was in fact so surprised when it was exposed. The only major issue I had with the book was that the pacing felt a little off and the relationships Gwen had with the people she had in her life were not very well explained or developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for an early edition of the book in exchange for an honest review.

{Book Review} Swiped by L.M. Chilton

Alright. You had me at online dating and men getting murdered as a thriller premise. My hands are up, you got me! Thank you @gallerybooks for the review copy!

When the men Gwen has been going on dates with start turning up dead, fingers are pointing to her or a very big coincidence. Now, I (like all women I like to believe) imagine any guy I’ve ever dated or who has ghosted as dying after I stop talking to them. Dark? Idk probably but have you BEEN on the dating scene lately? It is rough, let me tell you. So this book felt like a fun and on the nose story to get lost in.

This book was addicting. Easy to get into, pacing very fast especially as the bodies start stacking up. Gwen was involved during the entire investigation, much to the detectives chagrin. This is where the book lost me a little bit. Her over-the-top desire to try to figure it out herself and get ahead of the police and all the foibles that came with it ended up being a little too campy for me. I expected a level of this but overall became a little too much for me.

I really enjoyed the reveals and the ending was one I wasn’t expecting so that is always a treat with a mystery/thriller. I think if you’re in or adjacent to the online dating world or ever experienced the pain and suffering of if and being ghosted, you might be entitled to compensation by living out your dark daydreams with this book. Happy swiping!

SWIPED is out May 21!!

Swiped by L.M. Chilton is a uniquely captivating narrative, blending the contemporary world of dating apps with the chilling suspense of a serial killer thriller.  This fusion serves as a compelling mirror to our society, keeping the reader engrossed in its twists and turns.

Gwen Turner, a frequent dating app user, finds herself on a series of disastrous dates. Each one is worse than the last, so she blocks every guy after just one date.  However, when these men start turning up dead, Gwen is the only one who realizes that someone is targeting her past dates, staging their deaths at the locations of their disastrous encounters.

The story swiftly alternates between Gwen's disastrous dates and the unfolding murder mystery. This unexpected blend of genres is truly captivating. The fast pace, characteristic of a serial killer story, keeps the reader engaged. The unreliability of Gwen's narration, like the cherry on top of a dessert, adds to the mystery, making it even more puzzling.

Swiped is the perfect blend of genres that entertained and delighted me.

Gwen has recently broken up with her boyfriend, Noah and is running their dream coffee truck on the beach. She’s preparing for her besties wedding and hitting up her dating app like nobodies’ business but so far, they’ve all been duds for one reason or another. When she finds out about one of her dates being murdered, its not long before the police are at her door to question her and soon, there’s a string of failed dates meeting nefarious endings.

Gwen’s the main suspect, of course, but as she investigates each of the men she’s dated, she comes face to face with the mistakes of her past.
I really enjoyed this one. The humor and wit were on par and did give this more of a light-hearted feel despite the murderous content but still, humor gets me every time.

Gwen herself is a bit self-sabotaging but still entertains with her hilarious dates gone wrong.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

From the first page until the last I was totally surprised, shocked and at the edge of my seat! this thriller was a whirlwind it was a page turner and id def recommend it to others . this book almost let you think you knew what was going on but then dis a drastic 180! I loved it. this was a quick fast easy read! I loved the modern and up to date twists and turns especially surrounding online dating ! such and eye opener

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.