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The Fake Date

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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 to kill? Whoever it is, they will pay. All Ella has to do first is survive ...

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2023

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About the author

L.H. Stacey

10 books97 followers
Also writing as Lynda Stacey

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
Profile Image for Julie .
4,251 reviews38k followers
October 15, 2018
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
Profile Image for Dash fan .
1,519 reviews714 followers
September 26, 2018
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 survive.

Then you get this dark snippet from the killers thoughts.
He's killed before!
Always makes sure his victims are dead.... But why did he leave Ella?... he is sure she was dead!

What follows next is a cat and mouse chase.... Will Ella become the hunted or can she catch her Attacker before he strikes again!!

Ella is a strong main character, she is brave, determined, ballsy, Passionate and I really warmed to her character.

Wow!
I really can't say anymore for risk of spoiling it.
But I will say a big well done to Lynda Stacey for making me work at discovering the killer as I was convinced it was someone else!
For me the best Thriller Suspense books are the ones that make you use your sleuthing skills!

I loved the narrative it flowed perfectly. The snippets from the Attackers POV was perfectly creepy, gave me chills!

The Fake Date is a pacy, gripping read that gets under your skin.
It's a Pyschological Thriller with a Romantic Suspensful twist which i thought sprinkled some warmth onto this fantastic thriller!

If you love Gripping, Compulsive, Page Turners then pick up a copy of ......
The Fake Date it really is a #MustRead

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
3,117 reviews6 followers
September 21, 2018
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.
Profile Image for Jeannine  Healy.
37 reviews15 followers
May 26, 2019
I love a psychological thriller as much as the next person. When they're good they're addictive, gripping and are exactly the type of book that will let you escape for a few hours...

...but when they're bad, they are this book.

I have read scarier stuff in an Oxendales catalogue. This was like a Mills & Boons novel accidentally got mixed up in an Investigation Discovery documentary... as in, it may have been lying on a beside table in one of the scenes. In fact some of the fluffier books I have read should have won the Man Booker Prize in comparison.

Anyway, let's get down to the details, (I'll keep this as short and sweet as I can so I can go scrub my eyes) Ella Hope is our protagonist. In the first few pages you find her fighting for her life lying in the Moors. She doesn't know how she got there but she knows that she was on a date. A date with suspected wife killer (twice over I'll have you know) Rick Greaves.

**I just want to note that this was the most thrilling part of the book so after five pages you can just stop reading**

Ella recouperates at home with her family for nine months or so and then moves back to her own house where *gasps* her new next door neighbour just so happens to be a sexy, single man who *gasps twice more* just so happens to be the editor at Ella's competitor newspaper (she'a a journalist like every other female protagonist in a romantic novel). This was one of the details that made me want to throttle myself with my Kindle - Ella doesn't actually know that Will is a journalist for about 60% of the book EVEN THOUGH she goes on a weird double date to a beach with her best friend and Will's colleague. The reason being is because he didn't want to tell her as she hates the way journalists treated her when she was recovering (fair enough...) but she never ever asked what he did?! Ever. Like she'd know he wasn't there for a good chunk of the day but to be honest, if you had been attacked and left for dead by someone wouldn't you not be extremely suspicious of people for the rest of your life and want to know every sordid detail of their life so that, you know, you can learn to trust them?! Yet, she was happy to tra la la through her burgeoning feelings for Will and not know where he was 8+ hours of the day? I dunno Ella, maybe he was a professional axe murderer but you never asked so there.

Then there were the other characters who added not an iota to the plot. We had Bobby, who was the local farmer across the road, who has a successful business and worked there presumably all by himself yet Stacey gave him an intellectual diasbility for the sole reason to create menace for Ella. Yes, Ella trusted the handsome, potentially axe murdering Will but she was terrified of the local farmer who cut her grass and kept her garden well tended for her when she was recovering at her parents because he had a learning disability and came across too nice and eager. Yes. You read that right people!

Then there was Sarah, her best friend, who was a police officer and added zero to the plot. Except one night she wore a lovely sparkly dress so I'll give her that.

We then had Tim, the money swindling ex-business partner of Rick who still worked at the gym who actually had a potentially good storyline... until there was no storyline for him anymore. It was like the author was like "Tim who? No, never heard of him?!" and then she quickly disposed of him at the end when she finally remembered who he was "Ah that Tim, yeah, I'll just get rid of him quickly".

Then there is Rick. The man accused of attacking Ella and killing his two wives. Poor Rick, he had a tough life. You can plainly tell as true as the nose on my face that Rick didn't do it. It turns out that when Ella and Rick went on a date they both felt sick so Rick went to the bathroom and when he came out Ella was gone. Let's say this book was set in 2019 (presumably it was set in recent times) and the pub had cctv (inside and/or outside) and you come out of the toilet after being in there for a while throwing up and your date is gone. Meanwhile another character (Nina) comes and gets you while you're pretty much incapacitated... Now, Ella decides that Rick attacked her and he's arrested, kept in custody for six months pending his trial... and yet NO ONE has seen the cctv. There is no cctv mentioned at all?! The cctv that would PLAINLY show Rick didn't not do it and that someone else more than likely did!!!!!!!!!!

This book is NOT a psychological thriller. The person who did it is so painfully obvious from when they first are introduced. The author has tried and failed to add some damp squips into the mix. Honestly, I've had more exciting games of Cluedo... The book is much more a romance book with a bit of murder thrown in for the craic.

If you like romance then you may like this (I used the word may loosely) and if you like psychological thrillers then bypass this. This is not the thriller you are looking for!

P.S I realise this was indeed not short or very sweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julia.
673 reviews14 followers
March 9, 2020
2.5. I thought this was going to be a really good mystery/thriller, but sadly it wasn’t to be. It had promise, starting off well but then it just seem to go downhill. I found the writing childish in places and quite predictable, it was not what I expected at all from this book.
Profile Image for Kirsty ❤️.
923 reviews57 followers
September 4, 2018
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 for dead when investigating Rick Greaves, a man linked to the deaths of his two wives. No one can be that unlucky in such a short space of time surely? Returning home from hospital she meets new neighbour Will, a fellow journalist and starts to rebuild her life. However for Rick, the deaths keep on coming. 

The clues to the mystery are there and I did guess about half way through however that's just me bragging. It's not really obvious and there's plenty to keep the reader guessing as to the whole story. 

I loved all the characters - even Greaves. Everyone has a story and a history and I found it really easy to love all of them. The plot is well paced and as mentioned a real page turner. I loved the action ending and there's a puppy in it so that has to warrant an extra point! 

Just a really enjoyable book. It's my first of Lynda's but won't be the last one I read
Profile Image for samantha lewis.
104 reviews
January 27, 2019
Not what of thought it would be

Really not my type of novel . One thought it would be a psychological thriller but it aspire of a romance with some murders chucked in . Will definitely appeal to some but sadly not for me.
Profile Image for Inn Auni.
1,090 reviews24 followers
November 18, 2018
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 main character and the victim. Stacey wanted her to be strong after the ordeal. But, sometimes she end up being whiny and a bit annoying. At some part, she became too dependent on her friend and neighbor which defy the 'being strong' part.

I could go on but, the two main point was enough to justify the reason this book did not capture my heart or attention.
Profile Image for Katie.
580 reviews11 followers
March 12, 2020
I wouldn’t have come across this book had it not been a book club choice however I’m very glad that I did. I was hooked from the very beginning and also liked most of the characters in the book. The story was fast paced and although I did guess the identity of the murderer at around 40% there were still surprises in parts and I couldn’t put it down. Definitely one that I would recommend.
Profile Image for Melissa Borsey.
1,890 reviews37 followers
May 17, 2019
A good, compulsive romantic suspense with quite a few suspects to choose from. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from the first dramatic page to the surprise ending. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Profile Image for LJ (ljwritesandreviews).
880 reviews41 followers
September 18, 2018
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.
Profile Image for Els .
2,276 reviews52 followers
September 7, 2018
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 just loved the book. I adored the cover and the story itself was great and fluently written.

My heart went out to the culprit. Not because I approve of what they did, of course, but because of the how it all started. No one should have to suffer this.

Thank you, Lynda Stacey and Ruby Fiction.

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Profile Image for Philomena Callan Cheekypee.
4,019 reviews432 followers
September 22, 2018
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.
Profile Image for Grass monster.
579 reviews17 followers
September 27, 2018
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 to kill?
Whoever it is, they will pay. All Ella has to do first is survive …

My Thoughts :
We meet Reporter Ella Hope, after being attacked one night and left for dead, Ella has had a long recuperation period at her parents home. Ella finally feels ready to go back to her home and pick the pieces of her life back up. Ella meets her new neighbour Will and he is also a Reporter and very interested in her case. Will is very likeable from the off and soon things begin to heat up for him and Ella.
Ella is yet to bring her attacker to justice before they do it again, but has Ella been pointing her finger at the wrong person and blaming Rick Greaves who has a reputation for killing his former partners or was Ella in the wrong place at the wrong time!.
I loved how the attacker also talks in parts of the story and they paint a picture of a very sinister troubled person.
We are thrown into the scene of the action right from the first page. The story is paced out perfectly, we dont get lost and the story just flows.
This is a fabulous read from Lynda Stacey, and one that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and what was great about this story is that I kept changing my opinion throughout of who the attacker was and it has enough twists and turns to make any of the charactors suspects.
Looking forward to more flawless writing in the future.
Profile Image for Alison.
878 reviews68 followers
September 19, 2018
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 any memory of what happened or how you ended up in this predicament.

This is exactly what happens to Ella, a young reporter who had been out on a ‘fake date’ the evening before with a man who has two previous dead wives, assuming there must be a link or at least some juicy news Ella makes the fatal mistake of trying to find out.

Fast forward, Ella having made a physical recovery leaves the care of her parents and returns to her home. She is understandably jumpy and wary of all unusual circumstances or mixing with men. But she is determined to find out who was responsible for leaving her for dead.

I really like Ella and her neighbour Will, they both have difficult ordeals to overcome and gradually a gentle romance begins. They are very believable and all the characters have a genuine feel about them.

There is a nice mix of suspense, twists, turns and passion so plenty to keep the reader engrossed. I did fathom out who the baddie was nearer the end but I still had a very enjoyable journey reaching the conclusion.

Thanks to the author, publisher, netgalley and Rachel from Random Resources. I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Profile Image for Neats.
327 reviews
September 30, 2018
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 her parents and her close friend Sarah is going to take some time.

Her neighbour Will moved in while Ella was away. Their introduction was a little unconventional and Ella is intrigued by Will but should she be letting a stranger into her life when her attacker still hasn't been caught? What she doesn't know is that Will has a past that he is trying to move on from as well but is he ready to tell Ella all about it?

As romance is tentatively blossoming between Ella and Will there's a recurring narrative from the attacker - their thoughts and words showing that Ella is still in danger - but from who?

The Fake Date is the first book that I've read by Lynda Stacey and I will definitely be looking at her other books after being so impressed with this one. I was completely hooked from the outset and I picked up my kindle to read it at every possible opportunity. The author has cleverly woven romance and thriller together without losing the origins of either genre, making for a captivating read. There's plenty of red herrings and a big enough sprinkle of romance to keep fans of both more than happy and it's one that I would highly recommend adding to your TBR.
Profile Image for Misfits farm.
2,095 reviews86 followers
September 6, 2018
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. Rick owns a gym and whilst he has been held in detention his brother in law has been running it- unfortunately running it into the ground. This gripped me from the start. Ella was a strong person and many of us know what it is like to be flattened in some way (even if not quite so dramatically). Although strong underneath she needs support from family and friends to get back to how she was, or almost, still having that very aware conscience. The perpetrator wasn’t who I thought it would be and took me by surprise but very much made sense. A very cleverly thought out plot. A read to almost race through, a read to enjoy. One to perhaps make you think and trust your instincts rather more.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1
Profile Image for Joanna Lambert.
Author 6 books42 followers
September 18, 2018
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 has spent seven months recovering from her ordeal. She still has a long way to go with safety issues around men but Will eventually wins her trust. Ella is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to her and knows gym owner Rick Greaves has something to do with it. As her memory gradually returns she begins to piece together what happened that night.

Right from the beginning we hear the attacker’s words and thoughts. They have killed before. Now Ella has escaped death, will they return to finish the job?

A worthy four star read.
679 reviews29 followers
December 6, 2023
Great read!

This would make an awesome series. Will, Ella, and Sarah solving different major crimes around their city! I didn't want to pause at any time with this book. It is an exhilarating read. I had no clue as to who the killer was. My guesses were way off base. I look forward to reading many more books by this author.
Profile Image for Anna Maria.
342 reviews
March 30, 2019
I bought this in the belief that it was a good psychological thriller (I think I paid more than normal price). There was so much romantic mush it became annoying (I am not anti romance, there is a time and place. A psychology thriller I want something thrilling to keep me interested). I had worked out a long time before the ending that Nina was the one doing the killings. She was petite, yet could lift ridiculous weights that almost crushed a stronger man. When I finished this book, the author said she loves romance, and a happy ending in her books. How can you then say it is a psychological thriller, getting murdered does not have any romance, or happy endings. I would not recommend this book.
87 reviews
December 21, 2019
Meh. This book seemed like it was going to be right up my street but sadly turned out to be pretty boring. It had the potential to be a gripping book but the writing was clumsy, the dialogue was often cringeworthy, the story was generic and predictable (the perpetrator of the murders and attempted murders was obvious almost as soon as that character was introduced), and the characters were flat and underdeveloped.

It wasn't a painful read but I honestly couldn't pick out anything particularly good about this book. I'd reccomend looking at some of Clare Mackintosh's or Lucy Clarke's stories if you're looking for something more gripping.
30 reviews3 followers
April 11, 2024
Honestly a terrible book. The most exciting part is the first 5 mins 🫠 the main characters are awful and terribly written. The friends are unnecessary and add nothing to the story. I gave up reading at 42% as I couldn’t take their drivel anymore! Skipped forward to the end and it was Nina that killed everyone and tried to kill Ella. Yawn. Not a psychological thriller, more a brain hurt snooze fest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rachel.
Author 114 books214 followers
August 15, 2018
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!
121 reviews
October 15, 2020
Not great. Very juvenile both with the characters and their actions and the entire writing style. The sort of book you end up skimming whole pages rolling your eyes at the ridiculousness.
Profile Image for Ms. Bookworm.
72 reviews
November 15, 2023
Started off good from chapters 1-2. By chapter 3, it got boring and drawn out. Not a psychological thriller at all. Definitely on my DNF list
Profile Image for Debi Stout.
740 reviews19 followers
October 18, 2018
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.
Profile Image for miss j a robinson.
46 reviews4 followers
August 16, 2018
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 Greaves. She had had a 'fake date' with him the evening before, trying to find out more about the death of his previous two wives in unusual circumstances.
A dog walker finds Ella, just in time and she is saved but left with critical injuries, The police seize upon the fact that Ella was on a date with Rick and arrest and charge him with her attempted murder. He is remanded into custody and Ella has to appear at his trial.
Will, Ella's new next door neighbour, slowly becomes part of her life, When he finds out the circumstances of her horrific attack he feels urged on to find out more about Rick. He uses all of his journalistic skills to start his campaign for justice. Rick owns a gym. Will feels that joining the gym, undercover. He begins by trying to illicit information from the staff that may incriminate Rick in the untimely deaths of both his previous wives, and the attack on Ella.
A hit and run resulting in the death of a gym employee, adds to the mystery and suspense. Is Rick responsible?
The story concludes in a dramatic fashion, and you will not be disappointed, The final quarter of the book kept me guessing. There is also the lovely relationship developing between Will and Ella. I loved this book, A great piece of women's fiction/suspense. A gentler version of full on psychological thriller. Definitely worth a read.
Profile Image for Steve Johnson.
Author 16 books21 followers
March 7, 2024
Ella, an undercover reporter, goes on a fake date with Rick, the owner of a fitness club, to see what secrets she can learn. Rick lost two young wives to mysterious "accidents" that Ella's believes could have been staged. Ella barely survives the evening. After falling ill, she leaves early. On her way home, she is abducted, battered and beaten to within an inch of her life. Who did it? Rick? Or was he framed? There isn't enough evidence to convict Rick. Ella lives in terror that he will come after her again. Ella develops an attraction for her neighbor, Will, who develops similar feelings for her. (How could she not know that he is also a reporter? Reporters know each other and read each other's stories.) Together, they investigate Rick in search of new evidence that will convict him. But could they be on the wrong track? Meanwhile, the body count rises. Plenty of surprises await the reader. Ella and Will's behavior seems juvenile at times and the plot and dialogue grows too mushy. The villain gets away with way too much and should have been noticed by authorities much earlier. The set-up for the final fight scene seems awkward and unbelievable as does the fight itself. Despite its flaws, the plot is entertaining and contains some interesting elements.
Profile Image for Donna Maguire.
4,895 reviews120 followers
September 24, 2018
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 I started reading and really got stuck in, I carried on and finished it later on the same day.

This was definitely a 5 star read for me - I really enjoyed it and very highly recommend it!!
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