The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey

Oct 15, 2018 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, ruby-fiction, e-book, thrillers

The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey is a 2018 Ruby Fiction publication.

Reporter Ella Hope decides to work undercover, trying to catch a wily woman killer. She has agreed to go out on a date with her prime suspect, but before the night is over, she is beaten within an inch of life. Eight months later, still with no clear memory of what happened that night, she is finally able to return home, where she meets her new neighbor, Will. As it happens, Will, is also a reporter, but after Ella’s ordeal, she no The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey is a 2018 Ruby Fiction publication.

Reporter Ella Hope decides to work undercover, trying to catch a wily woman killer. She has agreed to go out on a date with her prime suspect, but before the night is over, she is beaten within an inch of life. Eight months later, still with no clear memory of what happened that night, she is finally able to return home, where she meets her new neighbor, Will. As it happens, Will, is also a reporter, but after Ella’s ordeal, she no longer trusts reporters and has decided to focus on her photography instead. Will, however, becomes interested in Ella’s case, hoping to bring her peace and overdue justice. But, he decides to keep his occupation a secret, fearing she will no longer wish to see him.

Meanwhile, a killer is still on the loose, and Ella’s ordeal may not be over yet-

By now everyone is probably sick of hearing me complain about the overabundance of Psychological Thrillers on the market, and you know that I’ve begun to weed them out of my TBR list in droves. However, I still like to check in now and then to see if I can manage to pluck one out of the pile that doesn’t feel like I’m reading the same book over and over.

Luckily, I made a good choice with this one!!

The premise is unique and interesting. The author did a terrific job of planting seeds of doubt, making it hard to completely trust anyone. One huge standout to this story is Ella’s courageous fight to recover from her debilitating injuries and the mental toughness she exhibited as she fought for her life, the truth, and finally justice.

The pacing is even, although the major spin is awkwardly timed, it was still a big stunner. Readers will most likely figure out a key piece of the plot, but this only seems to intensify the suspense as the book shifts into high gear in a tense scramble to stop the killer before it is too late.

Overall, this one turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, not at all like the many cookie cutter PT’s on the market right now. It is a well- executed pager turner, which went a long way towards restoring my faith in the PT genre. (One slight suggestion would be to also list this one in the romantic suspense category. The romance is not explicit, but is a big part of the story, plus, it would widen the potential audience, pulling in those, like myself, who are burned out on Psychological Thrillers.)

4 stars
...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Dash fan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: blog-tour, netgalley, publisher-review, favorites, profile

5☆ Gripping, Compulsive, Page Turner!

Wow right from the first few pages I had a strong feeling The Fake Date was going to be gripping and suspenseful and I was bang on!

We first meet our main character Ella, violently beaten and left for dead on the deserted Moors.
Or is that what the killer believes?

The start was simply Fantastic!
The reader is thrown straight into this nightmare scene, willing for Ella to survive and be found. You can literally feel Ella's pain, her desperation and need to survi ...more

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Sep 21, 2018 Whispering Stories rated it it was amazing

Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

Twenty-Eight-Year-Old Journalist, Ella Hope has been attacked and left for dead on the North Yorkshire Moors. Unable to move or even make a sound, Ella has realised that this could be the end for her. She had been lying in the cold, muddy field for hours and no-one has passed her by. Eventually, a man walking his dog comes across her body. Luckily Ella is just clinging on to life.

Seven months later and Ella is starting to get her life back in o Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

Twenty-Eight-Year-Old Journalist, Ella Hope has been attacked and left for dead on the North Yorkshire Moors. Unable to move or even make a sound, Ella has realised that this could be the end for her. She had been lying in the cold, muddy field for hours and no-one has passed her by. Eventually, a man walking his dog comes across her body. Luckily Ella is just clinging on to life.

Seven months later and Ella is starting to get her life back in order. After spending weeks in hospital and then an extended stay at her parents home, she is finally ready to move back home. Upon arrival, it would seem that she has a new neighbour, Journalist for a rival newspaper, Will Taylor.

Ella is still in a difficult place and struggling to trust anyone, she likes Will and the two hit it off straight away. However, she hasn’t put the past to bed yet. She is determined to find out who tried to kill her and although someone has been charged with her attack, she doesn’t believe he actually did it. Yes, two of his young wives might have died in suspicious circumstances, but did he really kill them and try to kill her too?

Ella uses all her journalist know-how to discover the truth, but with the culprit not happy that Ella survived this could be a race as to whether Ella can bring them to justice before they try to kill her again.

The Fake Date is a real psychological thriller. It gets inside you and makes you analyse everything about the book. The opening scene is just amazing. Ms. Stacey has really captured what I believe to be a true representation of how someone would think and feel if they thought they were dying and couldn’t help themselves. Memories flooding their thoughts.

Ella is one headstrong character. She needs closure on what happened to her and when doubts come into her mind about the person arrested actually being the culprit, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She knows it is dangerous, but she needs to do it for her own sanity.

Will is just adorable. He’s one of life’s real gentlemen. Being a journalist he knows all about what happened to Ella and is there to help her and support her in whatever way he can.

I did work out the culprit long before they had been revealed but that didn’t take away anything from the plot. I also loved the sections written from the POV of the attacker, some were really creepy and makes you wonder how people think the way they do.

This is an amazing book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The book captivated me and whilst essentially it is a thriller I loved the romantic aspects too, this was a nice touch. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. All I can say is grab a copy and read it now, you won’t be disappointed. ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 Kirsty 📚📖❤️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: choc-lit, ruby

Before I get into the review I want to take a minute to compliment the art work on the cover of the book. Before I saw the blog tour request I'd already downloaded this book to read purely on the basis of the cover. It's really simple; a shoe and broken wine glass but it really stood out for me so thank you to xxxx for the design.

Now the book. I loved it. It's another great page turning romantic suspense story from the Choc Lit offshoot Ruby Fiction. Journalist Ella is brutally attacked and left ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Philomena Callan Cheekypee rated it it was amazing

I’ve not read anything by this author before but wow this is an awesome read.

Ella is attacked real bad and left to die. The story starts off with a graphic portrayal of her pain and fear of being left to die. The first chapter starts the pace brilliantly and I can honestly say the author did a great job of keeping a steady pace.

This was a brilliant read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in a day. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

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Sep 18, 2018 LJ (On The Shelf Reviews) rated it really liked it

The story opens with journalist Ella Hope, beaten, clinging on to life after a brutal attack. She can’t remember how she got there or why but is convinced it’s Rick Greaves who attacked her. She been investigating him after the supposed accidental deaths of his two wives. She’s so convinced he’s guilty but when it comes to trial everything falls apart, it forces her further into her shell.
Another ‘accident’ befalls a romantic conquest of Rick’s but it brings up a lot of questions for Ella.

If Ri The story opens with journalist Ella Hope, beaten, clinging on to life after a brutal attack. She can’t remember how she got there or why but is convinced it’s Rick Greaves who attacked her. She been investigating him after the supposed accidental deaths of his two wives. She’s so convinced he’s guilty but when it comes to trial everything falls apart, it forces her further into her shell.
Another ‘accident’ befalls a romantic conquest of Rick’s but it brings up a lot of questions for Ella.

If Rick isn’t guilty of attacking her or the other women, then who is?

So on the cover of this book it says it’s a psychological thriller but, this is a pet peeve of mine lately, I feel it has been mislabelled. I personally think it’s romance with a side of murder mystery but don’t get that little bit of negativity wrong I still really enjoyed The Fake Date.

I really felt for Ella, the formerly fierce journalist who seemed to go the extra mile for her stories but after the attack. She’s a shell of her former self, jumping at the slightest thing especially when it comes to men. Being the other side of story has also opened her eyes to her fellow reporters and just what they will do to get a story which makes her hate them.

Then in walks Will Taylor, a journalist with a heart of gold and a tragic past (who also happens to be Ella’s neighbour) who tries to convince her that not all reporters are bad by digging into her case and putting himself in danger.

It’s told mostly from Ella and Will’s perspective but there’s also some bits where we get an insight into the killers mind too which I loved. These were sort of tacked onto the end of some of the chapters but I think they may have been better as their own chapters but I don’t know whether this has been changed in the final published novel.

I did manage to guess who did it but I do enjoy following the clues and being right, (that sounded a little more big headed than I intended!). I also liked the fact the romance aspect of the story wasn’t too cheesy, which can be a danger with this type of novel.

The Fake Date mixes the brutal with the sweetness of romance to create an emotional and captivating story. ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Lynda Stacey gets darker with each novel, and this is the darkest and twistiest (my word, sorry!) yet. The first chapter broke me and I kept trying to suss out the baddies, and failed miserably! Gripping stuff, and a fabulous book from an author who I feel still has a lot of shocks and surprises stored up for us readers!

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Aug 23, 2018 Boekenfans added it

Given by Choc Lit (www.facebook.com/groups/boekenfans)

Reviews

By Fany van hemelen

The Fake date has an appealing cover and the excerpt sounds intriguing. I think a psychological thriller is not the right description. For me, it’s a romantic story with suspense and a book with well-described characters. Ella Hope has survived a few months ago a terrible attack. As a journalist, she was trying to found the truth and made an appointment with Rick Greaves. But from that moment her life became hell. Si ...more

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Sep 07, 2018 Els rated it it was amazing

Damage inflicted can lead to substantial consequences ...

The book takes us on a journey people, trying to deal with their past, need to take. If you take a wrong turn on this winding road though, there are side streets that might take you in the worst possible direction ... If you choose well, a happy future awaits.

I would not really label it as a thriller though. In my opinion it's more like a romantic novel with a big dose of suspense, but that did not reduce the reading pleasure at all.

I jus ...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Grass monster rated it it was amazing

The Blurb :
Nine hours and eleven minutes …
That’s how long it’s been since Ella Hope was beaten to within an inch of life and left for dead.
She lies, unable to move and praying for somebody to find her, as she counts down the minutes and wonders who could have hated her so much to have hurt her so badly.
Was it the man she went on a date with the previous evening, the man linked to the deaths of two other women? Or somebody else, somebody who wants her out of the picture so much they’re willing ...more

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Sep 19, 2018 Alison rated it really liked it

While the cover to The Fake Date is stunning it didn’t really draw me into the kind of book it turned out to be. Just looking at the picture I expected another romance so was pleasantly surprised to find while there is a romantic undertone this is definitely a suspense thriller.

Imagine lying in a cold, wet, muddy area at night, unable to move due to pain and only having your watch for company cruelly telling you precisely how many hours, minutes, seconds you have been stuck there, with barely an ...more

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Aug 27, 2018 Neats rated it it was amazing

Ella Hope has been brutally attacked and left for dead on the Yorkshire Moors. Unable to move, she finds herself trying to piece together the events of the night before and desperately hoping that she can stay alive long enough for someone to find her. She remembers being with gym owner Rick Greaves but everything else is a little hazy.

Ella spends several months recuperating at her parent's house and moves back to her own house to try and rebuild her life but learning to trust anyone other than ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Joanna Lambert rated it really liked it

This is Lynda Stacey’s first venture into psychological thriller land. It begins in quite a dramatic way with reporter Ella Hope lying injured out on the moors. She has only a vague idea of what has happened but she does know someone attacked her and she has been badly hurt.

A great start to a story, pulling the reader straight in. What’s different about this psychological thriller is that it is interwoven with a romance between Ella and her new next door neighbour Will, also a reporter. Ella ha ...more

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Oct 17, 2018 Debi Lantzer rated it really liked it

I won't lie - the title of this book had me - I mean a single shoe, a spilled drink - the small print - "That left her fighting for her life...." - it's got you going, doesn't it? This book was available to read and review on NetGalley. I requested it and was denied. I emailed, set forth a plea for my desire to read the book, and was finally approved through the Choc Lit Team and Ruby Fiction. Now that I've read The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey, I'm so glad I did send that follow up request becaus I won't lie - the title of this book had me - I mean a single shoe, a spilled drink - the small print - "That left her fighting for her life...." - it's got you going, doesn't it? This book was available to read and review on NetGalley. I requested it and was denied. I emailed, set forth a plea for my desire to read the book, and was finally approved through the Choc Lit Team and Ruby Fiction. Now that I've read The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey, I'm so glad I did send that follow up request because the book was worth the effort.

Ella Hope is a 28-year old journalist who has been attacked and left for dead. She's has realized she might not survive as she lays in a cold and muddy field for hours praying that someone would find her. Finally a man walking his dog comes across the barely alive Ella. After weeks in the hospital and then a long stay at her parents' house, some seven or eight months later Ella is ready to work toward getting her life back together.

When she gets back home, Ella appears to have a new neighbor, Will Taylor, who works for a rival newspaper and is a journalist as well. Ella likes Will well enough and they seem to hit it off, but not surprisingly, she is struggling with trust issues thanks to her attack. A man has been charged with the attack, but Ella just doesn't believe he did it and wants to find out who really tried to kill her. An added snag to Ella's plan to find the killer is the fact that the killer knows Ella survived the attack and isn't pleased so there's a race against time to get to the bottom of the attacker.

The author did a terrific job of planting seeds of doubt throughout the story, which made it hard for me to completely trust anyone. I really can't say anymore for risk of spoiling the story for anyone, but I will say thanks to the author for forcing me to look hard and pay attention as I tried to discover the killer! The characters in this story are well-written with depth and detail allowing readers to get inside and see how they tick. I really enjoyed the great flowing plot of this story, and I really loved the little extracts of the attacker's point of view giving me chills at some points. The book captivated me as a thriller, and I also enjoyed the romantic aspect as well. Grab a copy - you won't be disappointed!

I received an advanced reader digital copy of this book from the Choc Lit Team through Ruby Fiction in exchange for my review. A positive review was not required. ...more

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Aug 13, 2018 miss j a robinson rated it really liked it

Many thanks to Lynda Stacey, Choc Lit and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I couldn't sleep and picked up this book expecting to drop off again, however I was wrong, I really loved this book and read it in one sitting staying awake the rest of the night in the process. The story opens with a woman, Ella Hope, lying seriously injured on the North Yorkshire Moors. Ella is a reporter and had been following the case of gym owner Rick Gre ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Inn Auni rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, romance, thriller, villain-pov

When you mixed two genre together, in this case romance and mystery, it's either you win both side or lose one. I'm more of a mystery/thriller kind of person and when I skipped most the romance part, I was left with none.

We got the villain point of view but Stacey did not explore it much so that readers wouldn't be able to guess who done it. In doing so, I felt detached. It's like watching a news about some serial killer across the ocean in a country I've never been to.

And then we got Ella, the ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Donna Maguire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-books-read, book-reviews, kindle-read, net-galley-books-read, psychological-thriller-horror

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I loved the cover for this book and having read the book now I can say that it is absolutely perfect for the book.

The pace for this one is spot on, it is steady and it has just enough detail to keep you hooked without over complicating things. It certainly makes for an excellent page turner and the writing style is perfect for this genre.

I really enjoyed this story, it isn't too long at just over 300 pages and was one of those books for me that as soon as ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Debbie Southwell rated it it was amazing

Wow what a brilliant psychological read that I genuinely couldn’t put down and read in 2 days.
Ella is a reporter and after going on a date with a man whose 2 wives died in suspicious accidents Ella ends up being left for dead.
This book follows Ella on her recovery, the impact that the attack has left on her and about getting to the truth about who has attacked her. Along the way however she has a new neighbour Will and their relationships slowly develops, but because Rick Greaves, the man who sh ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Paula Stammers rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-read

Ella Hope, a journalist, is brutally attacked after a date but she can’t remember anything about it. She is left for dead in a ditch but by some miracle she survives. After a long recovery she finally gets to move home but can she put the past behind her ?

After her ordeal Ella can’t face returning to her job, due to the hounding she received by journalists, as a result of her ordeal. She has a new neighbour, Will, he is also struggling to deal with events in his past but they start to become fri ...more

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Oct 10, 2018 Vicki Bowles rated it it was amazing

The story opens with Ella, badly beaten and left for dead. This opening is brilliant - already we are rooting for her to survive and we don't even know her. The detail of her waking and finding herself in such a state is terrifying.

The Fake Date is told in third person, but interlaced with the sinister voice of the perpetrator. This tense, psychological thriller, is tempered by the thread of romance, with Ella's new neighbour.

But it's difficult to know who to trust in this cleverly written book. ...more

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Sep 30, 2018 Kath Middleton rated it really liked it

This is a well-structured psychological thriller leading us to suspect just about everyone Ella knows. I enjoyed the unfolding of the story. I guessed before the end but still found it good to see the way it panned out. It was a little too romantic for my taste but that’s just personal. Be aware that the story finishes at 88%.

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Sep 23, 2018 Julie rated it it was amazing

I've read some of Lynda's previous romantic suspense books but this is her first thriller and it absolutely blew my socks off. Gripping and 'unputdownable' are used far too often yet in this case both are true as I found myself reading late into the night and then waking up early to find out what happened next. I found myself empathising with Ella to the extent that everyone she was introduced to became the potential murderer. There is a twist, not the one that I was expecting, but it is neatly ...more

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Sep 01, 2018 Mary Baker rated it it was amazing

I do like a good thriller, and this definitely falls into that category. From the first chapter, where heroine Ella fights for her life after a vicious beating, to the very end, where – well, I’ll resist the urge to post spoilers. Suffice to say there’s plenty of drama, and you’ll be holding your breath to find out who lives, who dies... and whodunnit.

I’d class this as romantic suspense, with a very sweet love story at its heart. Ella and Will are neighbours and reporters for rival newspapers, t ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Ilse rated it really liked it

The story starts with Ella Hope, a journalist, getting left for dead after being beaten. But somehow she manages to survive and after some time she triest o get her life back on the rails. That starts with moving into a house of her own. But you can clearly notice she still struggles with things we all take for granted. Such as a new neighbour wanting to help you out but Ella starts panicking and screaming because she thinks he wants to kill her. She wants to ind out who did leave her for dead a ...more

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Sep 05, 2018 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle

I never usually pay that much attention to strap lines – those “jaw-dropping twists” all too frequently disappoint. But when the publishers called this one (in its Amazon listing) “a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat”, they got it absolutely right. The opening of this book is stunning, as Ella clings on to life, running through her memories, lying in the undergrowth after a horrific attack, her watch counting down the minutes and seconds. It’s also extremely clever, s I never usually pay that much attention to strap lines – those “jaw-dropping twists” all too frequently disappoint. But when the publishers called this one (in its Amazon listing) “a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat”, they got it absolutely right. The opening of this book is stunning, as Ella clings on to life, running through her memories, lying in the undergrowth after a horrific attack, her watch counting down the minutes and seconds. It’s also extremely clever, setting the scene for what follows, following her thoughts, introducing all the main characters – I’ve enjoyed Lynda Stacey’s writing before, but thought this took her into a quite different league.

Ella returns to her home after a long recovery, and understandably trusts no-one. Her friend Sarah – a wonderfully drawn character, that I really liked – has the unfortunate habit of bursting in through the door unannounced, there’s a rather creepy farmer who gets a little too close, and the man she believes destroyed her life is still very much out there. And then there’s new neighbour Will. Watching her through the fence then leaping over it might not be the best introduction, but it becomes a convincing developing relationship, shrouded quite perfectly in its own secrets. The pacing of this book is perfect, and very different – the suspense, the edginess are always present, but there’s also a lightness about the story as Ella tries to restart her life, with plenty of moments of humour and a rather lovely warmth to its relationships, seen from the perspectives of both main characters.

But there’s also that unidentified voice – sinister and threatening – that punctuates the story, and you continue to read through the lightness with dread and fear that the threat to Ella is still very much present. There are multiple twists and turns, many totally unexpected – and I really liked the way the author takes the reader inside Ella’s thoughts, slowly and inexorably cranking up the tension. The characters are excellent – I particularly liked the way Will’s back story was slowly revealed, the past that had left him damaged. And the denouement of the story, when it comes, is so very well done, explosive and shocking – I’ll admit I was a few steps ahead of Ella, but that did nothing to spoil the story.

I’ve read and enjoyed all the books Lynda Stacey has written, but this really is the one I’ve been waiting for – the one I always believed she could write. This book wouldn’t disappoint die-hard psychological thriller fans, but will also make the legions of romantic suspense fans who eagerly await the author’s books very happy indeed. I really loved it. (And did I mention how much I loved the dog too?) ...more

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Sep 06, 2018 Misfits farm rated it it was amazing

Ella finds herself unable to move laying in a field. Her is badly injured and only remembers a little of what happened. A blue car, a hoodie, very little more other than the man she went on a date with. She is a reporter and she wanted to get a story so she set up the date hoping to find more about the man whose two wives both died shortly after they were married. On recovering she tries to pick up her life again but finds it difficult and is not surprisingly wary of everything and everyone. Ric ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Fraser's Fun House rated it it was amazing

Ella is a journalist and whilst following her instincts about a story with the potential to be huge, she accepts a date with the prime suspect. The problem is later that evening she finds herself critically injured in a ditch after a brutal attack, left for dead with only snippets of memory from her evening with gym owner Rick Greaves. With both his wives found dead in suspicious circumstances and evidence linking him to the attack Rick is remanded in custody for Ella’s attack. Broken and batter Ella is a journalist and whilst following her instincts about a story with the potential to be huge, she accepts a date with the prime suspect. The problem is later that evening she finds herself critically injured in a ditch after a brutal attack, left for dead with only snippets of memory from her evening with gym owner Rick Greaves. With both his wives found dead in suspicious circumstances and evidence linking him to the attack Rick is remanded in custody for Ella’s attack. Broken and battered Ella has months of healing and recovery to battle her way through all the while trying to remember anything from that fated evening.

After spending months living with her Parents during her recovery Ella decides its time to return home only to find she has a new next-door neighbour, Will. A newspaper editor for a rival paper Will is dealing with his own demons and a past that is all still very raw. The pair soon become friends and Will is determined to discover the details of what happened on the night of the attack and get justice for Ella. But what will he discover and why does everyone who gets close to Rick end up dead or injured? Will won’t stop until he finds out and uses every journalistic skill he possesses to piece the jigsaw together.

When I read the blurb of this book I was expecting a hard-hitting Thriller, however for me this is more of a romantic, crime, suspense novel. Despite not being exactly what I was expecting I was gripped from the first page as it jumped straight into the aftermath of Ella’s attack. The characters in this story are exceptionally well-written with depth and detail which really allows readers to get inside their minds.

As a massive romance fan the developing relationship between Will and Ella was a complete, but very welcome surprise. Both characters are broken and damaged as a result of their experiences and the way they in which they help each other come to terms with these issues is beautiful – I was rooting for them to get together from their very first meeting.

Peppered throughout we are given snippets from inside the mind of the killer which offer clues about their identity. I’m terrible for trying to work out who ‘dunnit’ when reading this style of book and I managed to fairly quickly. However, my theory was continually tested as I continued to read with several possible suspects entering the frame. I couldn’t have predicted how the dramatic finale played out though and I really loved that it ended with a bang.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the style of writing easy to read with a fantastic flow which drew me into the story. This is the first book I have read from Lynda Stacey and it won’t be my last ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Laura Doherty rated it it was amazing

Full review: http://lauramorningstar.com/review-th...

The first chapter in The Fake Date left me speechless, it was so sickeningly violent without being so. It reminded me a little of an episode of Criminal Minds where we see some but not all of what happens to a victim so allowing your brain to fill in the details.

First meeting Ella as she lays bloody and beaten sets a powerful tone for the book and gives us a tenacious and courageous protagonist who you want to not only see survive but thrive. Full review: http://lauramorningstar.com/review-th...

The first chapter in The Fake Date left me speechless, it was so sickeningly violent without being so. It reminded me a little of an episode of Criminal Minds where we see some but not all of what happens to a victim so allowing your brain to fill in the details.

First meeting Ella as she lays bloody and beaten sets a powerful tone for the book and gives us a tenacious and courageous protagonist who you want to not only see survive but thrive. As she recovers physically from the attack I appreciated the realism that the author provided in showing that it would take time to recover from such brutality. As we meet Ella again seven months later she is well enough to return to her own but still has some left-over physical ailments from the attack. Ella is a victim but more so she is a survivor, and emotionally at this stage of her recovery she is understandably more suspicious, reclusive and wary of her surroundings. She is unsure of strangers and questions people’s motives and this added depth to her character.

Often with books of this type the reporter is a side character helping the victim to investigate, I appreciated that it was Ella herself who was the reporter. I felt that it allowed her to be a more active voice in investigating who her assailant was. Her skills as a reporter and her attention to facts and detail give her in my mind an outlet for some of the emotional challenges that she is facing.

The added voice of Ella’s assailant added to the tension and the suspense and gave an unnerving look into their mindset. It also kept you as a reader on your toes as to who it was. Is it the obvious person or someone else? Can you really trust Ella’s new neighbour? With so many books using tag-lines such as “gripping” “full of twists” and “will keep you on the edge of your seat” this added aspect ensured that the The Fake Date delivered.

I had worked out the whodunit element by about half-way through, but even then there was a few moments of me wondering whether I had chosen the right person. It wasn’t necessarily a set in stone culprit and I loved that although I was ultimately right in my conclusion I was still left questioning.

The romance within the book is skilfully and delicately handled, and again shows the author’s research into how victims and survivors of such brutality move on emotionally. I loved how they slowly came together and how the trust grew and developed between them. It was very sensitively done and added to the realism that ran throughout the book.

This is the first book I have read by Lynda Stacey and I know I will now be reading the rest. ...more

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Sep 30, 2018 Heartshaped Bluestocking rated it it was amazing

In all honesty I would have never put these words together to make up a new genre – Romantic Psychological Thriller. Sounds utterly implausible and complete nonsense, and yet this is what Lynda Stacey gives us with Fake Date, and its brilliant.

Within a few pages of opening, the reader is reeling with shock, and you are straining to send life to Ella through the pages. It is one of the most powerful and dramatic opening chapters I have ever read, and combined with the killer’s dark and threatenin In all honesty I would have never put these words together to make up a new genre – Romantic Psychological Thriller. Sounds utterly implausible and complete nonsense, and yet this is what Lynda Stacey gives us with Fake Date, and its brilliant.

Within a few pages of opening, the reader is reeling with shock, and you are straining to send life to Ella through the pages. It is one of the most powerful and dramatic opening chapters I have ever read, and combined with the killer’s dark and threatening thoughts peppered throughout the book, both ploys are clever, seductive, and compelling.

It is Ella who sets the tone and pace of the book. This is her story as much as it is any of the pawns in the killer's game. She refuses to play the victim, and as a journalist she is determined to follow it to the bitter end, to find the person who tried to kill her and murdered others. The inevitable twists, turns, red-herrings, and blind alleys are equally effective in ramping up the tension. Believe me, if you get as involved in this book as I did, there are some sections that will exhaust you mentally and emotionally. Thank goodness for the romance. Lynda Stacey cleverly breaks up those intense passages with not only a delightful romance, but also the ‘hot’ romantic action of her policewoman friend. Both provide much-needed light relief, and moments of great hilarity.

Ella is a feisty, strong-minded, independent woman who has the character and determination not to let what happened to her take over her life or crush her spirit. Her first meeting with Will, her new neighbour is fraught with fear, but this is one of the moments where the tension is broken with humour. Will is a kind and gentle man yet strong-minded. Driven in both career and his personal life, he suffered a personal trauma in his past that has left deep scars both emotionally and psychologically. Whilst he has dealt with them well over the years, and is an out-going and confident man, it is the vulnerability these scars have left him that makes Will as a convincing, interesting, and complex personality as Ella. They are both impressive characters and a delight to read.

Whilst this is a relatively fast-paced story, it has layers, and even the layers have layers. The author takes several elements of the plot and slowly reveals them to the reader bit by bit, creating edgy, suspense-filled chapters. The romance between Ellie and Will is sweet and gentle, heated and passionate and sits in perfect contrast to the twisted, obsessive love that is central to the murders. The race to the end was just that, I couldn’t read and turn pages fast enough. It was on several levels devastating and shocking. ...more

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Oct 19, 2018 Emma Rowson rated it really liked it

The story begins with Ella Hope, alone and exposed following a brutal attack by an unknown assailant. Her memories of the night before are hazy at best, but she is sure that her attacker is the man with whom she had been on a date with the previous evening. A man who has already been linked to the mysterious deaths of two other women. As she wills herself to survive, she promises that if she does, she will uncover the truth.
A thriller/romance hybrid, The Fake Date is full of mystery, suspense an The story begins with Ella Hope, alone and exposed following a brutal attack by an unknown assailant. Her memories of the night before are hazy at best, but she is sure that her attacker is the man with whom she had been on a date with the previous evening. A man who has already been linked to the mysterious deaths of two other women. As she wills herself to survive, she promises that if she does, she will uncover the truth.
A thriller/romance hybrid, The Fake Date is full of mystery, suspense and, of course romance! The thriller side I found to be a bit of a slow burn, the author doesn’t immediately bombard the reader with every character who is in the frame, instead different suspects are rolled out slowly and tantalisingly over a much longer period of time, and the narrative is seen through their point of view, giving the reader much more to work on when trying to unravel the mystery themselves. I particularly enjoyed the italicised interjections from the killer/attacker themselves which really played with the mind and sent my brain into overdrive! I found it a really clever ploy, as often with a thriller too much information and too many characters are introduced early on leaving the reader to play catch up. The Fake Date unrolls at a wonderful pace, teasing its reader to the last chapter.
The romance element of the novel is done really well. I really believed the developing relationship between Ella and Will and I really felt for her character as she struggled to know who to trust post-attack. Her reactions to the world around her felt completely valid and realistic.
The characters are brilliant. Well drawn and utterly believable. From the over friendly farmer, right through to the killer themselves, they each have their own story to tell. Indeed, I found the killer to be an intriguing character (without giving anything away, of course!) and despite their actions, I actually felt sympathy for them by the end.
There is so much to enjoy about this novel; the story is delivered in a style which is both engaging and compelling and I found that I connected with the characters almost instantly. Whilst I enjoyed reading the novel in its entirety, it wasn’t until around halfway through that I became truly obsessed with finding out what happened next, even postponing sleep to find out the ending!
My only slight bugbear with The Fake Date is that I felt Will stole Ella’s thunder a little. I really wanted her to take ownership of her own story a little more, be less of a victim and more of the heroine of the piece. This is a very personal opinion however, and it didn’t impact on how much I thoroughly enjoyed the novel! I will be looking out for more novels by Lynda Stacey in the future. ...more

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