What if every time you found ‘the perfect date,’ he showed up dead the following day?

Freaky, right?!

Just ask Carolina ‘Caz’ Sessions, dog-walker extraordinaire. After the first time she and her Border Collie rescue mutt, Joe, discovered a former date in the bushes when out walking, she realized it was more than a coincidence. Moving back to her childhood home to reduce stress after the first ‘Incident’ doesn’t look like it was the best option … it’s still happening! This realization drives her to delete the dating app that started it all … SeeMe.

Does this swift action stop her dates from dying?

When she bumps into an old school friend, Colette Stevens, and agrees to house sit for a week, Caz’s past comes back to haunt her and dead dates resurfacing is only one in a list of traumas she’s now dealing with. It’s not the break she was looking for at all. You’ll be yelling at the choices Caz makes and shaking your head at her seeming naivety. The twist will pop out of nowhere and you’ll agree that Crouch really knows how to write a suspenseful domestic suspense novel!

If you haven’t read anything by the Queen of Domestic Noir yet, put this one on your list! It’s dark and twisty and very addictive and focuses on toxic relationships.

If you love dogs, this one’s for you, too.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

"The Perfect Date" by Julia Crouch is the perfect summer read. I was immediately captivated by the premise, drawn into the book's gripping world of tension and intrigue.

The book revolves around Caroline (aka Caz), a teacher from London who came back to Brighton to take care of her disabled mother after finding the dead body of a man she dated on one of her walks. Bad luck seems to follow her around, as she finds the body of another man she dated while walking her dogs. She met both men through a dating app, but is it just a coincidence?? When Marcy, an ex-childhood friend and a wealthy divorcee in the present, asked her to house-sit and take care of her dog for a week, Caz agrees. After all, that's the life she would have led if Marcy hadn't spoiled it for her. The plot thickens when odd things start happening around Caz, and the spiral of events that transpire will have you enthralled.

There's nothing I like more than a good psychological thriller, and this one fits the bill perfectly with mysterious deaths, an original premise, and red herrings aplenty to keep the pages turning. All of the characters are vividly described and well-drawn. I especially liked Caz’s gay best friend, Damian, and her artist mum, Ruth. They had colorful personalities!

While some of Caz's decisions felt downright stupid, such as going back to the isolated scene of the crime, hiding things from the police, or hooking up with the wrong guys, I still liked her and rooted for her. A woman who loves dogs is a woman after my own heart. I liked her dog, Joe, who seems smarter than his owner, and her connection with him and the rest of the dogs she took care of. I also loved the setting and writing.

With themes of toxic friendship, dating, dog caring, stalking, and abuse, the author has weaved a tale that I enjoyed reading. Although I had my suspensions, the author managed to throw me a curveball I didn't see coming. In sum, the characters are impressive, the plot is exciting, and the writing is super. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a unique tale with distinct characters.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

WOW

This book was spectacular. Julia Crouch has such an interesting way of making you doubt and distrust every single character in this book.

I like thrillers that completely blindsight me. And when I tell you I was BLIND-SIGHTED by this plot twist! Like I said, every character seemed suspicious at one point or another, including the main character, Caz, which brings into question unreliable narrating. I love novels with an unreliable narrator/storyline. This book truly had that!

I won’t put spoilers, but there were some moments within the book (towards the end) that felt a little unrealistic. If this storyline had happened in real life, I feel as if the scenario would have ended differently. Regardless, I wasn’t necessarily upset about it I quite enjoyed a change! I really liked how everything came full circle (back to Ruth) at the end.

This book single handedly just got me back into thrillers after a slump! Rating it 4.5, but rounding up to a 5!

*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC!*

When dog-walker Caz stumbles across a dead body while working one morning, the horror is amplified by the fact that this isn’t the first body she has found. Oh, and the fact that the dead body is a guy she’s been seeing, which is exactly the scenario that occurred 8 months previously and blew up her life.

Still reeling, when her former best friend - and dog walking client - texts asking her to house- and dog-sit for a few days, it seems to Caz that some time alone is just what she needs to recover. But there’s something off about the state in which the house has been left. And why is the over-friendly neighbour digging graves at night…?

I enjoyed The Perfect Date a great deal even if, as is the case with most thrillers, it stretches credulity at points. And while at times I wanted to shake Caz, her actions stay just this side of explicable, while the secondary characters - especially Caz’s gay best friend Damian and artist mum Ruth - are well drawn and relatable.

4/5 stars, and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for other Julia Crouch novels.

This was amazing, and had me shocked on multiple occasions. This book has you guessing from start to finish, which is something I love when it comes to thrillers. This was definitely a page turner for me, and even though it was my first book by this author, it will definitely not be my last!

I was hooked from the first chapter and would have finished it within a day if I didn’t have work!

I loved the writing style and how just when you thought you had figured it out, something happened to make you doubt yourself. Lots of twists and turns made for a book that was hard to put down (I read the last 50% of the book in only a few hours) and had me talking to my friends and family about (whilst trying not to give away spoilers!) when I wasn’t reading it.

That to me is the sign of a good book. I don’t often give five stars and after reading the synopsis I had high hopes and really didn’t want to be disappointed but I can tell you I wasn’t.

Loved this book!

I found this book to be super slow and easily predictable. I definitely think there are people who are going to love it but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The premise of this book had me hooked. Professional dog-walker, Caz, is on her typical morning walk when one of the dogs finds a dead body. It’s not just any dead body, though. It’s a man Caz knows and had been dating. As horrible as that is, that was not the first time that had happened. Six months prior, Caz stumbled across the dead body of another man she had been dating. What are the odds?

Well, apparently to Caz, it’s not a coincidence at all. She doesn’t find it strange that two men she dated were murdered and left for her to find. And when other things happen, she doesn’t find those things strange either. She is very gullible and trusting of the wrong people, which is infuriating to me for a main character. There were many instances when I wanted to scream at Caz for what she was doing.

Ignoring how annoying Caz is, the story itself did keep me reading. I figured out the twist rather early in the story, but wanted to see how the pieces all fit together. For me, this was a “whydunit” and not a “whodunit”. I was reading to figure out the motive because that seemed to be the biggest mystery.

Dog lovers will enjoy the canine characters in this book. The author does a fantastic job at bringing to life Caz’s dog, Joe, and the other dogs that Caz walks. They each had their own personalities and Joe was certainly much smarter than Caz.

My official rating is 3.5 stars, but I am rounding it up to 4 stars. I think there are some readers who will love this and rate it much higher than I did. Readers who love watching horror movies and screaming at the tv over how stupid the main character is will love this book. If you like books in which you know you are smarter than the heroine, read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Caz returns to take care of her mother after a man she has been dating ends up dead. While walking dogs as her new business, she comes across another dead body-again someone she has been dating. Then her former bff asks her to house sit so she can take care of her ailing mother. Things start happening. People start appearing. Some good twists but overall very slow and average.

A superb, psychological thriller, mostly set in Macey's house, where Caz is dog sitting for her. Caz, horrible coincidence or bad luck, when on two separate occasions married men [whom she has dated on an app] she happens to stumble upon murdered whilst out walking her dogs!
I liked all the creepy characters and the suspense, not knowing who to believe or to trust. It's really intriguing how as the plot unfolds, all the connections in the characters' lives unravell.
One not to be missed.

This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read, if a bit predictable at times. There were a few similarities between Caz and my life (not the dates being found murdered part thankfully) so that made it more appealing to me. Although at times I found my self shouting “why on earth are you doing that” to her.
Overall though I enjoyed it, and it did make me intrigued to look at what else Julia Crouch has written, which is a good sign.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
I’m out on an early morning dog walk when I find the body. It’s Harry, the man I was dating. It should be the worst thing that has ever happened to me… But it has happened to me before.

Six months ago I found the body of Ash, another man I’d been seeing. The police arrested me, and the trauma nearly destroyed me. I moved back home and changed my life.

Now, it’s a bright sunny morning, the air is fresh, and I’m finally feeling like I can move on. I can’t wait for my second date with Harry…
Then my rescue dog starts barking. I follow the sound to see what he’s found, and then I realise what it is. Who it is. I back away, trembling. My heart pounding, I call the police and wait for them to come. But I don't tell them I recognize the dead man. If I did, I know I’d be their number one suspect.

How could this have happened to me again? Who is doing this? Will I be next? And worst of all: is it my fault? Because there are things nobody knows about me…

Oh, I can think of some exes I would like this to happen to…just kidding! A great premise for a novel, and this book did not disappoint as it was nicely twisty and unexpected in the way the story went. You will be surprised at many things that happen in this book which is great as it was in no way predictable. The title is a bit of a misnomer as there is very little dating in the book, but I certainly enjoyed a trip to Brighton and its posh parts…no seagulls (they terrorize me and terrify me) included.

I will recommend this far and wide to my thriller readers which are many as they, too, will never even fathom a guess at who the guilty party is. Or at least until it’s way too late. (I had an inkling but not til almost the end.)

#shortbutsweetreviews

I can guarantee for the right reader, this book is going to hit the spot. Unfortunately I do not think I was that reader. I enjoyed most aspects of this book. Honestly though, these were some pretty terrible, selfish people. Caz is back home after a terrible incident, living with her disabled mom and running a dog walking business when she discovers a dead body of the man she just happens to be dating. Only this isn’t the first time this has happened. Caz makes some really stupid decisions and has some pretty unfortunate friends. A lot of the overall issues could have been fixed with a little communication. I saw this twist coming a mile away. Overall an entertaining if predictable read that I think a lot of people will really love. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher the opportunity to read and review this book.

Whilst I felt like the start was a little slow, I wasn't able to put it down! I had so many questions and concerns - I didn't trust anyone except Joe and Bridget Jones!

I didn't see the twist coming until it was staring right at me! I definitely had my suspicions though. All in all, the ending was tied up perfectly. The book was twisty, dark and unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me an arc for The Perfect Date!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc for The Perfect Date! This book did start off a little slow but worth it in the end so keep reading! I had never read Julia Crouch before but I plan to again. The ending was tied up perfectly and I was never able to predict who had done it. This ended my weekend reading marathon on a high note. 4 stars!

Very much enjoyed this book and realise that I've missed quite a few of her books in the past - will add to Amazon wish list. Good pace and clever plot

The Perfect Date by Julia Crouch was a bit predictable and slow to get involved in the story. The premise reminded me of The Flight Attendant.

The story was not as fast-paced as described, but it was still a fairly good read. I like this writer, so I will read more by this author.

Overall, an okay read for me. This particular book may not be for me, but it was still an interesting premise.

A 3.75 rating out of 5 (rounded to 4).

#ThePerfectDate #NetGalley @bookouture

Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this exceptional thriller that will keep you guessing relentlessly from the very first page until the climactic end. It's a true testament to the genre's brilliance – the unexpected twists and turns are bound to leave you in awe.

This was my inaugural experience with this particular author's work, and I must admit I'm now enticed to delve into more of their literary creations. The seamless flow of the writing had me utterly entranced; it was as if the pages turned themselves. The pace was electrifying, leaving me almost breathless, and I was utterly unprepared for the revelations that were unveiled. The narrative's ability to consistently surprise me was astounding.

The characters within the novel are exquisitely crafted, a facet of the book that I greatly appreciated. It felt as though I had a genuine connection with them, experiencing authentic concern for individuals like Caz and nurturing a profound disdain for others, like Mark. Their portrayal was so vivid that their emotions became palpable to me.

On an unrelated note, I must mention my fondness for the novel's English setting. There's an inexplicable charm in the colloquial expressions and slang that the characters employ – a factor I find curiously appealing, perhaps due to my American background. But I digress.

In summary, I would award this novel around 4.5 stars, a rating that I'm more than willing to round up. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with the advance reader copy in exchange for my candid review.

Wasn't too sure about this book at first, I couldn't get into the storyline but then everything seemed to happen and I couldn't stop reading, just brilliant.

All the characters were good and it turned out to be an edge of seat thriller read for me and I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

this thriller is literally so so good and it will have you guessing from beginning to end and let me just say, it’s always the ones you don’t expect!

i’ve never read from this author before but now i’m tempted to read more! the writing just flowed so nicely and i was HOOKED. i couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and wow. i just didn’t see any of it coming. like at all.

also, the characters in this novel are pretty well written which i also really enjoyed. i felt as if i actually knew them and was genuinely worried for some of them (like caz) or despised their entire existence (like mark!)

lastly, this is entirely off topic but i also really liked that this was a book based in england lol, i always enjoy their slang and i have no idea why to be honest, perhaps it’s because i’m american haha.
anyway ~4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc in exchange for an honest review!