Release: Apr 3, 2025
Publisher: booksgosocial

Rating: 4.25 ★

Summary:
Sonya Romano is tired of disastrous internet dates, but she never intended for anyone to die. After a rough day at work and an unsettling first date, she decides to start teaching dishonest men a lesson. But when one of them—a married man pretending to be single—falls to his death after their confrontation, she realizes she’s in over her head. Meanwhile, Jake Parker, a former Pulitzer-nominated journalist at his lowest point, is assigned to go undercover and write a clickbait story about dating apps. When another married man is murdered, Jake begins to suspect a serial killer is targeting cheaters. As he gets closer to the truth, Sonya scrambles to cover her tracks. Their paths inevitably cross, and despite a growing attraction, neither fully trusts the other. But what they don’t know is that a far more dangerous predator is lurking nearby—one that could make them the next targets if they don’t uncover the truth in time.

Review:
Swipe is a fast-paced thriller that combines modern online dating culture with a gripping murder mystery. Sonya is a sharp and determined protagonist, and her investigative skills make for a compelling read as she pieces together the case. The book does a great job of weaving suspense with realistic journalism, and the twists keep the story engaging. While some aspects of the mystery might feel familiar, the blend of digital-age dangers and classic investigative work adds a fresh spin. If you like crime thrillers with strong female leads and well-paced suspense, this one is worth a read.

Favorite Quote:
"aside from the psychopaths, most of us are likely doing the best we can with the hand we're dealt."

Swipe had an intriguing premise and a strong start, but overall it fell a little flat for me. The pacing is quick and the writing is accessible, which makes it an easy, fast read, but that might also be part of the issue. Everything seems to fall into place a little too easily. Characters make big decisions without much hesitation, conflicts resolve with minimal resistance, and even the more dramatic moments lack real tension or stakes.

The twists, while clearly meant to be shocking, didn’t feel entirely convincing. I found myself anticipating most of them before they happened, and the few that caught me off guard still felt underdeveloped. I wanted more buildup, more complexity, and a deeper sense of consequence for the choices characters were making.

That said, there’s definitely an audience for this kind of story. If you enjoy light thrillers that don’t demand too much emotional investment or suspension of disbelief, Swipe could be an enjoyable pick. It’s the kind of book you can breeze through in a day or two. But if you’re looking for something twisty and layered with a lot of depth or realism, this might leave you a little underwhelmed.

Swipe by Bonnie Traymore and R.G. Belsky is an electrifying thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. , Swipe is an absolute must-read. It’s a smart, thrilling page-turner that will leave you thinking long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!

I loved this book! Swipe is a great book. I loved how well the authors complemented eachother. The flow and variation in writing styles between them added an extra later to this book. The icing on top!

The characters were relatable and the twists keep you guessing. I loved the online dating plot. Absolutely worth a read! Make sure to check it out on publication day May 1st!

This book I could not put down loved it from beginning to end. I would highly recommend!! This isn't like something ie read before.

I really enjoyed the collaboration of a thriller writer and a crime writer for this story about the craziness of online dating. It did get a little bogged down with the police involvement though imo. But it's fast-paced and keeps you turning the pages trying to figure out who is killing married men cheating on their spouses on a dating app. There are also some really bad dates that were fun to read, and the ending was a complete surprise.

If you’ve ever done online dating this is a must read! There are some crazy people out there but murder? That’s even crazier! This book is a page turner. It hooks you from the beginning and you just gotta keep turning the pages! There are twists you will not see coming and I love it when a great story does that! This book has a little of everything and I just couldn’t read it quick enough! It’s sooooo good! Read it!! This one will come highly recommended!

3.5 stars, rounded down!

Swipe's premise was super interesting to me - a online dating app story, revenge, and thriller all wrapped in one. I was hooked from the book description. Unfortunately things fell pretty flat for me once I started reading. I can't say that I really liked any of the characters and didn't seem to connect with them or any of their choices in the plot. The final twist seemed to come out of left field without really carving out their storyline throughout the book. Swipe was definitely a mindless, quick, fun read which is not necessarily a bad thing to some readers (think Freida McFadden-ish).

Overall, I would recommend Swipe to someone looking to escape for an afternoon quick read about how bad the dating world can be with a thriller element thrown in.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked all the morally grey areas in this book as well as the exposing of how dating apps can be used. I did not even thing for a second who the psychopath was until the reveal.

Overall very fun, the characters were great and I got a nice surprise at the end.

I picked this book because I liked the story line. Many people use dating apps recently, but I never really had a chance to read stories about it.
This book was well written! Easy to follow and I liked the twist. I highly recommend people to read it!

My synopsis: “Is be dead? He must be.” I couldn’t let it go. I needed to teach him a lesson.” Sonya is on dating apps and not having much luck, as the men seem to be rude or married. One is even her sister’s husband. She is messaging a single man called Matt Furman, but he keeps making excuses as to why he can’t meet her. She figures out he’s married and follows him on his usual hike to confront him about being unfaithful to his wife. He accidentally falls off a cliff into the Hudson River in-front of Sonya, and she doesn’t call for help as who would believe she didn’t follow him to kill him? Police initially rule it as an accident as they presume he was taking a selfie and slipped, but another married man on the same dating app is murdered and it can’t be a coincidence.

Jake Parker is a journalist who has been tasked with writing an article on his first hand experience of online dating. He begins investigating Matt Furman’s death and goes in search of the women he was messaging on dating apps as he doesn’t believe it was an accident. He goes on dates with women he believes also dated Matt, one of the women being Sonya.

My review: This was a solid psychological thriller and was written well. It was a quick easy read as I finished it in a day, so if you’re new to the genre I would recommend this book. It had a great concept about the dangers of online dating, it had a good pace and built tension well. I liked the chapters swapping from Jake and Sonya’s POVs, but I found some twists too predictable hence not 4/5. I liked Sonya’s character and she was the only one I particularly connected with. I liked the detective feel of trying to figure out how it was all connected before the characters did.

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Sonya Ramono is trying to find love and like many today is accessing dating apps to hopefully find the love of her life. However, this issue with these apps is people are easily able to hide behind a persona that may not represent reality. Sonya discovers some of the men she has met are not actually single but married. She decides to confront one on a walking trail, but he falls to his death leaving her in a dire position. This sets off the story and we delve into this very unpredictable world.

Jake Parker is a journalist who has had a very successful career winning a Pulitzer Prize, but his career has taken a large dive, and he has taken on a role doing a story on dating apps, what kind of people use them and what effects they have on their lives.

I really enjoyed the book; everyone is hiding something, even the major characters and the action builds as the book progresses. I liked Sonya but we only received a limited back story about her, so I kept wondering how far her involvement went. It just shows that in the dating app world you should proceed cautiously.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

From the very first line, Swipe grips you and refuses to let go. A psychological thriller that blends humor with chilling suspense, this novel follows a vigilante of the modern dating world and the journalist unknowingly chasing her trail. The dual POV structure masterfully builds tension, keeping readers on edge as we anticipate their inevitable collision.

The pacing is sharp and relentless, with short, snappy chapters that propel the story forward. Every date holds the suspense of false aliases—will they finally cross paths? The blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and dark psychological twists makes for an engaging and unpredictable ride. The modern dating scene is both hilariously accurate and eerily dangerous, intertwining moments of levity with deeply unsettling truths.

With thought-provoking lines like, “Because if you can’t show the world who you really are, you disappear,” the novel offers more than just thrills—it examines identity, deception, and justice in the digital age. The red herrings keep you guessing in real time, and just when you think you have it figured out, another twist knocks you off balance.

While Swipe delivers a wildly entertaining thriller, it also leaves you with a lingering sense of unease—an ending that satisfies yet teases the unknown. A must-read for fans of twisty, psychological suspense with a unique and witty edge.

Was very happy to be approved for this book immediately on @netgalley . I was hoping for a fast, gripping, popcorn thriller and I was not disappointed.

A short and easy read of a woman sick of cheating married men online and wanting to get a bit of payback and teach them a lesson. We loveeee a woman’s revenge story!

But then more characters appear and none of them seem completely innocent. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has some secrets. Meanwhile Jack is hoping to turn his low-level online dating article into something much bigger. As he goes on a series of dates with a stream of women and collects some wild stories of his own, he tries to unravel the sinister goings on in the world on online dating at the moment.

I was hooked and steamed through these pages completely swept up in it all and trying to figure out who, if anyone, could be trusted.

Would highly recommend for a fast-paced and scandalous good time.

Thanks again to @netgalley and @booksgosocialgroup for my digital copy of this book.

4.5/5

I LOVED this book! It was a quick read and had many twists that I did not see coming. Up until the last sentences! So happy I was able to read it!

Thank you Netgalley for receiving this ARC. I really enjoyed this book and raced through it in one sitting. I connected with the characters and loved the face pacing of the book. I definitely did not expect the twist in the end!

I give this book 3.75 stars. Right off the bat, I got sucked into the characters. The ending had a twist that I didn't expect.

Thanks to Netgalley and Booksgosocial for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sonya is sick of getting burned on a dating app by married men and/or creepy men, so she sets out to confront Matt, a married man while he is on a hike and send the video to his wife. But then he falls off a cliff while trying to stop her recordings and she doesn't alert anyone to his death. Meanwhile Jake is a legitimate journalist now working at a rag after the newspaper he worked for had headcount reductions. His latest assignment is to write a story about dating apps. He starts to think that Matt's death wasn't an accident and begins investigating.

3.5 stars.

I thought this was a pretty good story. My issue was that I think that things came together a little too easily with Jake getting suspicious about Matt's death and with the detective deciding to see it his way. I also thought the character development was light. But it was an interesting premise and there were some surprises along the way.

I loved the premise of this book - psychological thriller about dating apps - however it turned out to be a slightly easier read rather than a nail biting thriller. It was a fast paced book but I felt by the end it fell flat slightly. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the read entirely as I do think the premise of a murder mystery surrounding online dating brought a fresh spin and it was a genre of thriller I hadn’t explored before. I gave it 3 stars as overall it was a fairly enjoyable popcorn thriller.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book and the twist was unexpected. I felt the characters were believable the plot was good!