I can only imagine this 'thriller' would satisfy someone who lives under a rock and has never had any human interaction. 

I know it sounds harsh but there were so Manu red flags in this novel that the protagonist blindly brushed under the carpet that I just couldn't get on board. Having said that I did enjoy the style of writing and the ending did take me a little by surprise so there are things to enjoy.

Hannah is a vulnerable young lady and she thinks is a magnet for bad relations, but she doesn't figure it out not even at the end of the book. Poor, naive Hannah. This is great, wait, more than a great thriller, it kept me awake for hours. 
Thank you Netgalley for this copy. I will definitely read more of Sue Watson.

I have to say this story kept me guessing. But I absolutely hated the main character.  Hannah, just seemed dumb to me. I hated the relationship she so desperately wanted and needed with Alex. She can't see the red flags that pop up daily when she's around him. Alex, the so called lawyer. The guy that wants exactly what Hannah wants out of life. The guy that hates her friends and is obsessed with her. The guy that is great at manipulation. Finding ways to explain every little thing she doubts. I didn't like him either in this story. Although, He's not the only player in this thriller. 
Hannah is a social worker. Worried for one of her young clients. Her friends are her co-workers, that's the life of her job. She has to be available for her clients at all times, but now she has a boyfriend that doesn't want to share her time with anyone. Alex is the guy she meets from an online dating service. He's exactly what she wanted. He wants exactly the same things in life. He's handsome, and has a good job. But from the first date the reader knows immediately something is off with this guy. 
The way the story is written it's like you have a bit of knowledge from an outside perspective. It's kind of weird. I think the book was way longer then it needed to be and the characters were just annoying. 
The ending just neatly gets wrapped up with the explanation of all that was wrong. 
I'd give it 1.5 stars for the possibility of being entertaining outside of the annoyance factor of the main characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in 
exchange for an honest review.

Liked but didn’t love! Being a single girl, I would not have tolerated 1/10th of this date! Slightly unrealistic but entertaining. I rate this book a 3.1! Thanks Netgalley!

The second book by Sue Watson that I’ve read and once again I was blown away, especially by her opening chapter. Not because of gruesomeness but because straight away it had that creepy feel of a stalker book! This is another favourite themes of mine in thriller books! 

From there, we learn about the main character Hannah, a loveable but gullible social worker. She’s a character you can’t help but love but as chapters progress you learn about her new ‘friend’ from her first date. He is detestable and a spoilt brat evolves through the following chapters. Together though despite their differences ensues a love story that’s both sickening and adorable at the same time. 

A great story of a group of friends, all with their own reasons to keep Hannah safe. 

I’m pleased to say that Sue Watson has become another of my favourite authors. No doubt any other thrillers of hers I read I will love just as much as the ones already read

I just enjoyed this book sooooo much!!!  I couldn’t wait to continue reading it and was surprised and excited by the twists and turns.  There are so many characters in this book – all fully fleshed out and interesting – and I was puiled along with the various happenings while being dazzled and confused = just like the main character Hannah was.  This is my favorite type of book – a psychological thriller who keeps me on the edge of my seat.  

Hannah wants love with family, friends and a romantic interest.  She joins a dating app.  She is surrounded by loved ones.  Who is gaslighting her?  Is anyone?  Who should she trust?  Anybody?  Herself? 

I don’t like spoilers, so I don’t put them in my reviews.  I have purchased more of her books and look forward to reading them soon.  Sue Watson’s style of writing pulls you along at rapid speed, but without requiring you to retain more than your brain can handle.  Easy breezy and fun!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Well it’s been a while since I’ve been truly able to say my heart was in my mouth while reading a book!

Hannah matches with Alex on a dating site, their first date is perfect, he seems to want everything that she wants and be exactly what she needs. As the weeks go on, the honeymoon period continues, they are falling for each other hard, how could Hannah get so lucky….. Then a fly in the ointment, beginning first with a delivery of red roses to her in work, however, with a sinister poem… is Hannah’s ex angry that she has found someone, he didn’t take their break up well.  Other small things happen over the course of the weeks, Hannah also discovers Alex has been lying to her. Hannah’s friends don’t trust Alex, they think he has too much control over her, she is slowly withdrawing from them, the girly nights are almost zilch… she’s bewitched by him, totally besotted, he can do no wrong….. can he?

I just wanted to scream at Hannah, cop the hell on, get out now while the going is goodish!!! How many red flags does she need before she sees the truth? This was a rollercoaster of a ride with so many twists and turns and the ending…. WOWSERS like being hit by a truck, did not in any way see that coming!!!!

Hannah has the perfect first date after a long overdue break up with Tom.  Hannah is a really kind 38 year old social worker, well liked by her co-workers and clients.  When she meets Alex through a dating app, everything just falls into place, he's good looking, has a great job and career and a beautiful home.  But, he also has a past.  I enjoyed this journey into Hannah and Alex's relationship and how it evolved.  Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this one.

Solid 4.5/5!

The ending of this book was absolutely perfect. The beginning started off slow, and it was hard to like Hannah's character at times...how can someone ignore so many red flags? But man, once the pieces fell together I was so impressed. 

This story follows Hannah and Alex from their first date on. Everything seems perfect, but can it be TOO perfect? The story picked up around 40% and from there I couldn't put it down. I was so pleased by the ending and how everything just came together to give you the perfect psychological thriller. When you can't guess the ending, you know it's a good book!

I'd highly recommend this read. 
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! 4.5 stars. The ending was such a wild ride, I wish I had a seatbelt! I stayed up late finishing it and I was glad I did. It did not disappoint. The premise of this is perfection. Online dating that is too good to be true, or is it? Hannah is looking for a guy, and Alex seems perfect. He is sweet and caring and shares many common interests with Hannah. Jas is Hannah's skeptical best friend. They have a fun friendship and their relationship adds to the book. (I am now dying to try a Porn Star martini.) The only negative is that the pace slowed in the middle. The audience doesn't need long to realize Hannah wasn't going to act on the red flags, but I thought the author did a great job of explaining why she didn't.  A must read for the ending though for sure! Looking forward to more from the author!

For me, this book was like watching the horror movie where the main character is approaching the dark basement/alley and you are yelling at the screen saying “No!”

Because of her unstable childhood, Hannah was looking for love and a supportive life partner. Then she meets Alex who seems to tick all the right boxes.  However, not is all as it seems.  Maybe because I knew the premise of the book, I could see the red flags in her relationship.  Even though the author gave credible justification for Hannah to overlook certain behaviours, I was skimming the last third of the book because, for me, Hannah kept giving Alex a free pass.  But there was an interesting and unexpected twist at the end that redeemed the book for me.

I appreciate the chance to read this book. While Hannah frustrated me (so many red flags!) this was a quick read for me! Thank you again for allowing me to read the book. My review will be forthcoming on goodreads.

I must admit, this book wasn't my favorite. I didn't love it, but i also didn't hate it. I'd heard a lot of really good things about it, but it fell short of the hype. 
I like the idea of the book and it was well-written - I just didn't like Hannah. I liked the ending as well - I thought I had it figured out but it definitely surprised me!
I would definitely read another book from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sue Watson's books!  I have read her many times.

Like always it is well written, the characters are strong and interesting, the storyline is well developed.  It grabs you from the start!

I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.  This is my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Sitting across from Alex, Hannah believes she has found the one. He wants everything on her list- 3 children, a labrador, and weekends in Devon.  To some, Alex's actions appear controlling and manipulative; however, to Hannah it is his way of showing love.  As their relationship amplifies, secrets and lies begin to surface that has Hannah questioning everything Alex has told and promised her. Who can Hannah trust to help her dissolve the puzzle that is Alex? Or is he as wonderful as Hannah thinks he is?

As a suspenseful page-turner, it was not until the last few chapters that Sue Watson was making me eagerly turn the pages to find out the ending.  The ending was a total shocker and gave me the reason to give it 4/5 stars.

Thank you to Sue Watson, NetGalley, and Bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book is the ultimate thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The reader doesn’t know who is telling the truth or lying in this book. I kept wanting to read and not stop. I loved the ending of the book! Is definitely a page turning thriller

This book was hard for me. I found it to be such an easy and nice read and I thoroughly enjoyed it...until the end. The book had just the right amount of creepiness, distrust and suspense. I didn’t know who to trust, okay maybe I knew who not to trust, but I found myself going back and forth between what I thought was true. I thought Hannah was being a dumb, manipulated girl like we all have in relationships, pushing aside all of the bad things in order to be in “love” and I hated that, as I would hate that for myself or for someone I cared about. 

The ending of this book really threw me. I was enjoying the book and had my ideas of where things were headed and then bam, they just completely changed things and threw in some crazy twists from left field. I feel like I would of liked it better overall if the ending was kept to one twist, instead of multiple. 

But a well written book, with a writing style I enjoyed.

Sue Watson will have her readers jumping out of their skin with her twisted and terrifying new thriller, First Date.

Having grown up in foster care, Hannah had vowed to do whatever it takes to ensure that her adult life would not be as turbulent or as unpredictable as her childhood. Determined to have a settled and stable life, Hannah has achieved most of her objectives. In her mid-thirties, she has a job has loves as a social worker, a great circle of friends who look out for her and her own home. The only fly in the ointment is that she has yet to meet the man of her dreams, however, her best friend has encouraged her to give fate a helping hand and convinces her to join a dating app. Hannah cannot believe her luck when through the app she meets Alex. Charming, handsome and somebody who likes almost all of the same things she does, Alex seems like he has walked out of one of her romantic fantasies. But is he simply too good to be true? Is he hiding something from Hannah? Or are her friends simply over-reacting?

The more time Hannah and Alex spend together, the more she is convinced that he is The One. Not only do they enjoy the same foods and like the same music, but they have similar ambitions and plans for the future. Hannah is busy making plans to travel the world with the man she has grown to love, but is she rushing into things? Should she be so trusting of Alex? With her friends’ repeated warnings to proceed with caution echoing in her ears, Hannah decides to listen to her gut and give Alex her heart instead. But is this the right thing to do? Or has she just made the biggest mistake of her life? Sure, Alex seems exactly like the kind of man she has been looking for all of her life, but could there be a side to him which Hannah is simply blind to? Or are her friends just being overly cautious?

Alex has waited for somebody like Hannah his entire life. Somebody exactly like Hannah. Now that he has her under his spell, he plans to spend the rest of his life doing whatever it takes to keep her close to him. Nothing and nobody is going to come between him and Hannah. And whatever Hannah does and wherever Hannah goes, he will always be right behind her and he will never let her go. Ever.

Sue Watson’s First Date is a chilling, unpredictable and shocking page-turner with twists and turns readers simply won’t see coming and plenty of tension, terror and suspense to keep them chewing their nails to the elbow desperate to find out what happens next. Sue Watson keeps her readers on a knife’s edge and hanging onto her every word with this creepy and petrifying thriller I certainly won’t forget in a hurry!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion if it. Wow! This book was absolutely amazing. Without giving too much away, Hannah is a social worker who grew up in foster homes and after a few failed relationships us looking for her happily ever after. Along comes Alex who she meets on a dating app. All Alex wants is to take care of her, make her happy and keep her safe. Is he too good to be true? Then the lies and secrets start surfacing. There were times I was reading and I thought "how dumb can you be" and other times it was "way to go for standing up for yourself". And of course the ending. I thought it was over and just kept thinking how can an amazing book just end with this ending? Was I wrong when I read the last few chapters!!!! So very good and highly recommend!!!!!

Well I never want to meet Alex! What a creepy f**ker! 
Very happy to be out of the dating pool after finishing First Date.

I hated Hannah as a character, I found her ridiculous and naive BUT she makes for great reading (even if you wish she could hear you shouting through the pages). The tension in the pages is unbearable (in a good way!).

My god the ending! Ahhhhhh you need to read First Date ASAP! It’s incredible.
5/5