First Date by Sue Watson
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 9th October 2020
Published: 16th October 2020
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
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.
MY REVIEW:
If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
But that didn't stop Hannah.
As a huge Sue Watson fan, I literally pounced on the chance to take part in this blog tour, thereby requesting the book. I've not read her romance books...but her thrillers? She has the genre mastered! And she almost always creates a character that gets so under your skin you want to throttle them!
Enter Hannah. Thirty six, single, somewhat content...but lonely. After coming out of a loveless relationship where she felt taken for granted, she's content with her life in her messy little flat and her job as a social worker. Her life is a long way from her unstable childhood growing up in the foster care system. But she secretly feels that she might never find that "Mr Right" and fall in love.
Until her best friend, and boss, Jas encourages her to join a dating app "Meet Your Match". After a few hilarious experiences with some of the dates - from one of them shaving his legs and dressing in women's clothes to another wanting to brush her hair with his mother's hairbrush, who has been dead ten years - Hannah just can't find anyone that she connects with. And then, she meets Alex. Not only is he gorgeous but he loves the same music as her, the same food, even the same wine. They both want a golden Labrador, three kids and escaping to a cosy cottage in coastal Devon. It's like he's made for her. Soul mates. This in itself is a red flag. No one is THAT perfect...surely.
The morning after their first date, Hannah comes in to work all loved up and on cloud nine. She regales Jas with every aspect of their perfect evening, oblivious to her friend's reservations. Hannah believes him to be kind and considerate but Jas isn't so sure. But Hannah has waited too long for "Mr Right" that she isn't going to let her friend's unfounded suspicions deter her. After all, Jas hasn't even met him and already she is pointing out "red flags". But Hannah refuses to see them, perceiving "love and kindness" for what Jas recognised as "possessive and controlling". And it only got worse.
When a gorgeous bunch of roses arrive at work, her colleagues start jeering "he's a keeper" and "I don't recall my husband every buying me flowers and we've been married 30 years!" but Hannah is secretly thrilled by Alex's attentive thoughtfulness. Until she opens the attached card. The message on there is so bitter and threatening even I recoiled when I read it. Hannah's immediate thoughts go to her ex Tom, who took their break-up badly. But I wasn't so sure...and I don't think Jas was either. And then climbing into her car one evening after work, she can smell a woman's perfume and the blanket she keeps on the back seat has moved. Who has broken into her car...and why?
But it doesn't stop there.
Soon Hannah is jumping at shadows in the belief that Alex's crazy ex is wanting to harm her, justifying his appearance at every place she goes. She can't even enjoy one night out with her friends without Alex turning up, citing "Helen was in the area" and he wanted to make sure she was safe. In reality, what was screaming at me by this point was "coercive control" and that he just wanted Hannah to himself and couldn't bare her having a life that didn't include him. But Alex was creating a world that just involved him and Hannah...but Hannah couldn't see it. Being all loved up made her blind to his faults...and even when she did begin to question his behaviour she then talked herself out of it and justified it instead!
Hannah has to be the dumbest, naivest, most brainless woman I have ever read. To have all those red flags and STILL she didn't see them. Who is that stupid? OK, so he was to perfect on their first date...but then who isn't? It's all about being on your best behaviour to impress. But Alex didn't just impress, he reeled her in without even trying. But my first real red flag was when she was "lost" trying to find her way to his house...and he suggested finding her through a location app. I was like NOOOO! Don't be so stupid, woman!! Who would even allow location access to their phone to another person...a person you had only just met. Hannah. Then he double locks the doors, keeping the keys in his pocket. Another red flag. And this is just their third date! The rest of the red flags just keep coming thick and fast...while Hannah remains thick and slow.
Honestly, Hannah doesn't belong in a thriller. She belongs in a rom-com or some chick lit where everyone lives happily ever after. I didn't dislike her. I just thought she was an idiot. And Alex? Don't get me started on him. Manipulative, possessive and controlling should cover it. But she's a woman who's meant to have a brain...clearly she didn't throughout most of the story. I would have left Alex long ago if I were Hannah. I don't care what sob story he fed me. He lied, he stalked, he lied, he was overbearing, he lied, he lied, he lied. What part of that did she not get? Even after he was caught out, she continued making excuses for him. And when she finally did show some gumption, I didn't cheer exactly...more like shouted "about bloody time, woman!" I didn't particularly like either of them but perhaps we weren't meant to.
The ending, when it came, gave a shocking twist that most won't see coming. I admit to getting an inkling towards the end in about the third last chapter, suspecting there was something else at play that we weren't seeing. And when it was revealed I wasn't surprised but I was shocked that I hadn't seen it coming before I did. But in true Sue Watson style, it didn't end there. She gives us a final twist at the very end that brings everything to a neat and satisfying conclusion. Well done, Ms Watson!
Suffice to say, as irritating as Hannah was, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thankfully she didn't get under my skin like Ella did in her previous thriller "The Sister in Law". Ella was smart, but Hannah was naive to the point of stupidity. I don't think I can say that enough because I doubt any woman would ignore all warning signs and red flags that Hannah did.
A compelling read that pushes all your buttons, FIRST DATE is addictive and fast paced from beginning to end. It may even seem a little predictable as the reader can clearly see what's happening even if the blinkered main character can't, but don't let that predictability fool you...because nothing is as it seems.
A clever and well written domestic thriller, FIRST DATE is a gripping read of twisted obsession that will send you through a range of emotions and leave you shocked by the end.
Such a brilliant read I read in one sitting...with an even better ending!
Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers.
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Sue Watson's addictive thriller FIRST DATE.
I would like to thank #SueWatson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #FirstDate in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.
Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written sixteen novels (many involving cake), and many have been translated into several languages. Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her latest thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST, THE SISTER-IN-LAW and FIRST DATE out on October 16th.
Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her family in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing - okay, procrastinating, eating cake (for research purposes), and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.
Sue explored the darker side of life for her latest book 'Our Little Lies,' a dark, psychological thriller completely devoid of cake. She's hoping this change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.
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