First Date: An absolutely jaw-dropping psychological thriller

Sue Watson

Oct 2020 · Bookouture

About this ebook

She’s been waiting her whole life to meet a man like Alex. But he’s been waiting too. And once he has her, he’ll never let her go…

 

Hannah has done everything to make sure her life is safe and secure. A long way from her unstable childhood growing up in foster care, she’s content with her sweet, little, messy apartment and her satisfying job as a social worker. She quietly worries that, aged 36, she might never fall in love. But otherwise her life is where she wants it to be.

Until, encouraged by her best friend to join a dating app, she meets Alex. He’s irresistibly handsome. He loves the same music as her. The same food as well. They both dream of travelling the world but agree they’d be equally happy escaping to a cottage by the beach in Devon. Both of them would love to own a Labrador one day. It’s like he’s made for her. It’s like he’s too good to be true.

Hannah’s friends aren’t so sure about him. But Hannah thinks he’s perfect.

Which is good. Because Alex knows she’s perfect for him too. In fact, she’s exactly the girl he’s been looking for…

And nothing Hannah’s done to make her life safe will ever be enough.

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller about dark obsession and internet dating. Fans of The Wife Between Us, Friend Request and Gone Girl will adore this unputdownable twisted love story.

What real readers are saying about First Date:

‘Had me gripped… I was so tense… I had no idea what was going to happen from one chapter to the next… BOOM!! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING AT ALL! I loved it! If I could rate it more than a 5, I would. This has been one of, if not the best thrillers I have read!… Loved loved loved it!’ Kindlewithdanni ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I cannot believe it’s taken me THIS long to discover this queen of the psychological thriller… I’ve read a lot of psychological fiction in my time and don’t think I’ve ever come across such a good twist at the end.’ Ceri’s Little Blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Utterly addictive and I had huge trouble putting it down! This psychological thriller will make you doubt everything and everyone, it is so cleverly put together – just when you think you've got something sussed out, a whole new slant is added… Be warned, there are twists and turns aplenty and don’t take anything at face value... ever!’ Read and Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh flipping hell, what an absolutely thrilling and suspenseful domestic thriller… Honestly couldn’t put it down… Finishing this book gave me goosebumps, it was that good.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Sue Watson, just what have you done to me?! You gave me what I thought would be a fairly predictable story only to twist me all up and leave my jaw hanging! That ending, WOW!’ Misty’s Corner Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Utterly impossible to put down. I devoured this book in just one sitting… Gripped me from the beginning... There is absolutely no way I could predict where this was going… Will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. You’ll be gripped.’ Little Miss Book Lover 86 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh my goodness Sue Watson has knocked it out of the ballpark… My head is still spinning… Twist after twist, jaw dropper after jaw dropper, bombshell after bombshell.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh. My. Gosh. This, this book right here, is the thriller I've been looking for… Ho. Lee. Cow. Folks. I feel like calling it a “plot twist” is an understatement. Literally the author created this reality which she then COMPLETELY flipped on its head… Clear your schedule because you will not be wanting to set this down.’ Lily Michaels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

hirty-six-year-old Hannah is an insecure, sweet girl, still hoping to find the man of her dreams. Her friends encourage her to go on a dating app, and there is Alex. He’s everything she’s ever dreamed of – good looking, considerate, treats her like a queen, and seems to have the same hopes and dreams as she does. Hannah is VERY naïve and overlooks all kinds of red flags in their relationship, but no one can tell her anything negative about Alex. As their wedding day approaches, it becomes clear that Hannah is exactly what Alex has been looking for too, but not in a good way! A lot of the actions of Hannah were unbelievable, like those horror movies where the girl is about to enter the house, and you wanted to grab her and scream in her face! A good look at obsession, internet dating, and a twisted love.

This is one of those stories where everyone feels a little suspect. And everyone in Hannah's life is telling her not to trust someone else, but to trust them. It all started on a first date that seemed too good to be true. And Hannah has a way of ignoring red flags, with her new guy, with her friends, with threatening calls and gifts. But most of this story seemed to be more about a controlling relationship and an overbearing friend than about anything really ominous. The end was a total shock to me, though. It was a good twist I didn't see coming!

Hannah is looking for her perfect man and tries internet dating thanks to her best friend. She meets Mr Perfect, Alex who appears to be everything she is looking for. So many red flags that Hannah didn't seem to take enough notice off. I got extremely frustrated with her and was willing her not to be so gullible. It seemed so far fetched at times that a woman could be so stupid but I guess in love you can be blinkered in real life! A good twist at the end, which had entered my head, but I guess I'm always looking for twists in a psychological thriller. This was a great end to the book. If this doesn't put you off internet dating, nothing will! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc.