Kiss, Marry, Or Kill: A Fight Like A Final Girl Novella

by K.J. Reed

Welcome to Fight Like Final Girls, a multi-author collection of standalone Thriller and Horror short stories and novellas. In this series, you'll find badass characters fighting until they're the last one standing, doing anything necessary, in order to live until tomorrow. Could you do what they had to? Read and find out!

You can't cheat death twice... Right?

When an online forum brings together survivors, a group of girls bond over their similar traumas. They find solace in one another, encourage healing, and even all sign up to a new dating app - Kiss, Marry, Or Kill.

But online, not everyone is who they say they are. And when one of them is murdered, the rest of the group take a trip away to grieve, those dating profiles become a killer's checklist.

Maybe this time, they won't all make it out alive.

Make sure you check out all of the Fight Like a Final Girl Collection!

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2025

About the author

KJ Reed is an English indie author who writes primarily dark, psychological fiction. Although she is an English author, KJ writes America-based fiction since her love for all things dark and twisty comes from growing up watching and reading American TV and fiction. She lives with her amazing husband and stereotypically nightmarish ginger cat, Milo and has loved writing since she could put pen to paper.

Reviews

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 3 out of 5]

a quick Halloween/slasher/ spooky season novella - perfect for this time of year and great to help your reading goal along. It was pretty good - I preferred the first half over the second.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story/novella was fantastic! I loved the characters and would be lying if I said I didn't hope that Reed would consider writing each of these girls own stories! The little snippets we learned about each girl and how they became final girls was great and I would totally read their individual stories!

I remember being younger and playing variations of kiss, Mary or kill. I think it was super creative to turn that into a dating app that is then used by a group of final girls. I knew once the girls were on their way to the cabin in the woods that nothing good could come from that. But what I didn't know or even expect is who the actual killer would be.

I couldn't read the pages fast enough! This is a solid slasher and I loved every minute.

Kiss,Mary or kill is one story from a collection about final girls. It was the first story I have had the chance to read from Reed but it certainly won't be my last

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! So good!

[Karen Brooks - TheTxLitChic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss, Marry or Kill

~K.J. Reed

Kiss, Marry or Kill, a game often played and joked about in our adolescent years. But what if those choices weren't just a game? Could you imagine ever considering carrying out one of your decisions? No? Neither did the Final Girls who shine brilliantly in K.J. Reed's novella Kiss, Marry or Kill in the Fight Like Final Girls series.

Harper, Quinn, Sofia, Abby, Niamh, and Brooklyn - the Final Girls. Six women connected by trauma, brought together through an online support group. Under the guidance of group leader Abby, they push themselves toward healing by joining a dating app called - you guessed it - Kiss, Marry or Kill. What none of them expect is for their pasts to follow them there… and the only real question becomes: Is anyone going to be Kissed, Married or Killed?

Reed delivers a cast of women who feel both layered, vulnerable and real. Despite the novella’s length and the size of the group, each character shines with distinct personality traits while still sharing the unbreakable bond of survivors. I found myself rooting for each of them and hoping Reed considers developing each Final Girl into her own standalone story that leads up to KMK.

While the beginning eases in at a slower pace, it doesn’t take long for the suspense to build. Once the tension clicks, it doesn’t let up - Reed’s twists land hard, the pacing tightens, and the story barrels forward with jaw-dropping momentum. I read it in one sitting, unable to walk away.

The vivid imagery is what cements this as more than just another slasher story. Reed paints scenes so sharp and atmospheric, it feels like you’re standing right there with the women, living every chilling moment. This was the perfect way to kick off my Halloween-season reads.

Thank you to K.J. Reed for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Kiss, Marry or Kill. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for an honest and fair review.

[Arti Manani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the very reason I've never considered joining a dating app.

Friends: "Just try it" Me: "No!" 🔪

This was such a fun little thriller to pick up, and it couldn’t have come at a better time with the spooky season setting in. The premise is darkly clever... a dating app where things spiral into chaos for a group of final girls who’ve already faced devastating horrors in their past. It felt like bringing together every horror film survivor and sticking them in The Final Destination, because, why not!?

This short thriller doesn’t drag. I loved the pacing, it kept me entertained the whole way through and I finished it in one sitting. The twist at the end wasn’t what I expected, which I always appreciate in a thriller (because who really wants to get it right?).

A solid seasonal read if you like your thrillers short, sharp, and sinister.

Thank you for the ARC.

[Jessica Huntley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant final girls story that both addictive and fun. A perfect horror final girl story. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars was that there were too many characters to keep track of so I could t quite get to grips with who was who but still a great twist at the end!

[Heather Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crap! I just devoured this book and am speechless. It’s perfection. Sofia, Brooklyn, Abby, Niamh, Quinn and Harper are all Final girls. They all survived horrible events and lived to tell. They have formed a support group to heal and just try to survive each day. When one of them suggests they all join a dating forum called Kiss, Marry or Kill, reluctantly they all do it. After one of them ends a date murdered, they all go on a trip to grieve in a cabin and a killer is waiting for them. Will they all make it out alive again?

[Steph Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those that have experience extreme trauma, getting back into the real world and dating life can seem scary especially trying to find love with a dating app. When the love life seems to be going nowhere why not take a weekend getaway with a group of friends who are experiencing the same thing as you? Will the weekend have you feeling refreshed or make you relive some of your worst fears?

-multiple POV
-final girl
-check triggers

A quick short story that is part of the 'Fight Like Final Girls' collection (6 standalone books that do not need to be together to understand but all have a similar theme).
Action packed and attention grabbing from the start.

*I receive my copy of this book via an ARC and I am leaving my review voluntarily*

[Rhiannon Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss, Marry, or Kill - K. J. Reed

I was not expecting the ending. This had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I really love the idea of someone hunting down these final girls and the use of the dating app as well. I really like how the story ended. And I am very interested in reading more works written by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Out of 5 Stars ⭐️

# of Pages 🌙 133 pages

Release Date 🌟 10/3/25

Format 💫 Kindle Unlimited

Series 🌙 Fight Like Final Girls, #3

Genre/Tropes ✨ final girl, serial killer, slasher, horror

Favorite Character ☀️ Harper

Favorite Line 🌟 “Harper Finch. Beloved friend. Lover of metal bands. Hater of cheese. Taken too soon because she dared to love. Blah, blah, blah.”

[Madame Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Kiss, Marry or Kill” - And this is why I’m a homebody avoiding people and dating apps as if it were an Olympic sport.

★★★★☆ (4,5 but Goodreads still hasn’t picked up on my half star request)

This was a fast paced, final girls novel, packed with drama, angst, tension and me feeling constantly suspicious of everything and everyone.

Loved some of the “classic” references in this story and was very pleased with the twist that I, even with my suspicions, didn’t see coming!

Definitely recommend giving this one a go, I mean it’s spooky season after all!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story but had difficulty relating to the characters beyond the surface. That said, this story was literally the culmination of every girl's worst dating nightmare.

Something felt off from the very beginning. Why would a mentor of sorts try to push traumatized women towards any dating site let alone one specific one? Why shame them if they are not ready or simply don’t want to do it? Once all was revealed, everything suddenly made sense.

I have not previously read anything by this author but would love to read their other works outside of this short story.

[Esmée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I'm speechless. It was an absolutely thrilling read. From start to finish, the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The pacing is sharp, the writing is addictive, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, the gigantic plot twist completely turned everything upside down. It’s clever, intense, and unforgettable. Highly recommended if you love books that surprise you and keep you guessing until the very end!!

[Stacey Persin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is my first time reading anything by this author, but it definitely won't be my last. I really enjoyed the writing style. The story was full of unexpected surprises and creepy twists. But the biggest twist of all is definitely the ending that I never saw coming.

[Sabrina Satira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up! You're in for a WILD ride. My heart was pounding in my chest as I DEVOURED this novella, ignoring all of life's responsibilities, NEEDING to find out what happened next.
Definitely not your average "cabin in the woods" story. Go on, read it. Be brave, like a FINAL GIRL.
THANK YOU! For letting me be an ARC reader for this fantasic novella!!

[Nicole Breault · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is amazing, drawing you slowly in, and then just dropping the floor out from under you!

[Katrina Baxley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable quick read to get into the Halloween season. Slasher horror fans, this 1 is for you!

[Victoria Woodwaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good! A couple sentences were choppy but being an ARC, I expect that. Did not see the twists coming!

[Amy B Garratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a slasher like ‘Scream’ was crossed with the ritualistic elements of ‘Final Destination’ and sprinkled with the isolated atmosphere of ‘Misery’. Honestly, an adrenaline inducing read (especially late at night!) Thankyou to the author for this ARC in the Final Girls series.

[Amethyst Maxey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and simple read about a group of trauma survivors who begin to get picked off one by one. The killer isn’t who anyone suspects.

[Terri Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final girls meets Final Destination. Seven girls survived what they could only describe as the worst time of their lives just to relive it all over again. This book will satisfy any reader of thrillers and horror genres. Will read more books by K.J Reed

[Crystal O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick novella for those wanting to reach their goals. 4 Final Girls go to a remote cabin but soon things go wrong, who will survive? Definitely enjoyed the first half more but overall it was very good!

[Tanya Kolb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great 5 star addition to the final girl series. I loved it! I read it in one sitting. I can say that I didn't see the twist coming! Maybe it was a "forest for the trees" situation, but I was blindsided! I was trying hard to figure it out and thought I had. It's a lot of story written into a novella.

[Jacquelyn Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more from K.J Reed.

[Naito Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing and clever take on the “final girl” trope! Instead of focusing on just one survivor, Kiss, Marry, Kill brings together seven final girls — each with her own trauma and story — for what’s supposed to be a healing wellness retreat. Of course, the retreat quickly turns into something far darker, forcing these women to face another deadly game. I loved how the author wove the narratives together, letting us step into almost every girl’s shoes. The atmosphere was tense, cinematic, and deeply unsettling in all the right ways. I especially appreciated the underlying message about the dangers of dating apps and the illusions of safety we build for ourselves. This book is a sharp, suspenseful, and brilliantly layered take on a well-worn trope — perfect for spooky season.

[Stacey Feehley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sofia, Brooklyn, Abby, Niamh, Quinn and Harper are all Final girls which means they each cheated death in some way. Each girl has their own story and it has brought them together in a sort of support group lead by Abby. Abby convinces each girl to download a dating app called Kiss, Marry or Kill, reluctantly each girl does. Through the app Abby is offered a cabin in the woods for a weekend and decides this would be a fun trip for them all to go on. Before the trip even begins tragedy strikes.

This was an addictive quick thriller that had twists you might not see coming.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kim Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the final girls series. This was a good slasher read. When the final girls take a trip to a cabin in the woods they start getting killed off in the same way that they would have if they had been killed the first time around. Who is the killer that's hiding in the cabin with them? Read this book if you want to find out. A well written short story by K.J. Reed.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a part of Fight Like Girls short story collection.

I think this may have been my favourite so far. A new author to me I thoroughly enjoyed this story. We get many points of view which I liked. Fast paced and well written. I’ll definitely be looking to read more from this author in the future.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The author did a good job with the plot and the characters. The story flowed. The characters were well written. I highly recommend this book. Earning four stars from me!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What in the crazy world is this? An app in which someone can meet thier future love or thier next victim. A unique story in the genre.

[Carletha Benning McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! I loved it!! Had me yelling and gasping...I loved everything about this book, from the beginning to the end!!