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Red Flags: Bridget Jones meets Black Mirror
274 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2025
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53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 24, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Red Flags by J.E. Rowney!
The concept of this book is so interesting and incredibly timely. We live in a world where technology shapes nearly every part of our lives, especially dating, and the author leans right into that modern reality in a really clever way.
What starts as a familiar story about swiping, ghosting, and chasing connection slowly morphs into something darker and more thought-provoking. It had me questioning a lot and how well we ever really know someone online.
It’s a fresh and unique spin on the psychological thriller genre, equal parts relatable and chilling. I devoured it in just a couple of sittings and loved how unsettlingly real it felt.
If you like thrillers that tap into modern life and make you think twice about your apps… this one’s for you.
The concept of this book is so interesting and incredibly timely. We live in a world where technology shapes nearly every part of our lives, especially dating, and the author leans right into that modern reality in a really clever way.
What starts as a familiar story about swiping, ghosting, and chasing connection slowly morphs into something darker and more thought-provoking. It had me questioning a lot and how well we ever really know someone online.
It’s a fresh and unique spin on the psychological thriller genre, equal parts relatable and chilling. I devoured it in just a couple of sittings and loved how unsettlingly real it felt.
If you like thrillers that tap into modern life and make you think twice about your apps… this one’s for you.
October 17, 2025
wtf did I read?? 🥱
November 29, 2025
[NetGalley Read #55]
3.5 ⭐️
'We don't read your mind. We read your behaviour.'
Well. This was... terrifying.
The idea is interesting. Intriguing. The story evolves in a way you don't expect it to. You're waiting for a crime/psychological thriller twist and it ends up becoming a dystopian story that's timely for the world that we find ourselves in today.
This is my fourth book by this author and I've come to expect (and enjoy) the utterly miserable protagonist getting beat up by the world. Whether it's David (in The Other Passenger), Isla (in Xmas Break), Samantha (in Wish You Were Her), or Clara in this book, Rowney's protagonists always seem to be under incredible psychological stress. While some of them overcome their problems and claw their way to a normal-ish life, this one's different. This one, especially towards the end, feels like not just staring into the abyss but falling into it, willingly, and embracing it with open arms. Terrifying.
I was almost fooled by the stable job and general happiness in Clara's life towards the start. That's just not what I'm expecting when I'm reading by a book by Rowney. So I thought: Oh, it's not all bad. She's got a fair few things going for her. A stable job. Friends. And then comes the one thing that utterly consumes her. The (author's trademark) misery and melancholy that spreads through Clara's life. And it was fascinating to read.
It's a short book (270+ pages). Easy to read. Maybe a bit repetitive in places. Of the four books I've read by this author, I enjoyed this one the most.
Recommended.
3.5 ⭐️
'We don't read your mind. We read your behaviour.'
Well. This was... terrifying.
The idea is interesting. Intriguing. The story evolves in a way you don't expect it to. You're waiting for a crime/psychological thriller twist and it ends up becoming a dystopian story that's timely for the world that we find ourselves in today.
This is my fourth book by this author and I've come to expect (and enjoy) the utterly miserable protagonist getting beat up by the world. Whether it's David (in The Other Passenger), Isla (in Xmas Break), Samantha (in Wish You Were Her), or Clara in this book, Rowney's protagonists always seem to be under incredible psychological stress. While some of them overcome their problems and claw their way to a normal-ish life, this one's different. This one, especially towards the end, feels like not just staring into the abyss but falling into it, willingly, and embracing it with open arms. Terrifying.
I was almost fooled by the stable job and general happiness in Clara's life towards the start. That's just not what I'm expecting when I'm reading by a book by Rowney. So I thought: Oh, it's not all bad. She's got a fair few things going for her. A stable job. Friends. And then comes the one thing that utterly consumes her. The (author's trademark) misery and melancholy that spreads through Clara's life. And it was fascinating to read.
It's a short book (270+ pages). Easy to read. Maybe a bit repetitive in places. Of the four books I've read by this author, I enjoyed this one the most.
Recommended.
October 17, 2025
Way better than I expected — like, shockingly relatable if you’ve ever lost hours to a dating app and started questioning your own humanity. Clara’s spiral gave me Yellow Wallpaper vibes — just swap wallpaper for the glow of your phone. Watching her slowly glitch into bot-mode was equal parts sad and way too real.
The climax? Kinda meh. I was braced for thriller, got existential clown. But the real horror is how believable it all feels — a love story with no chaos, no mess, no arguments… just algorithmic affection. Plato’s cave, but make it Tinder.
Creepy, clever, and a giant dystopian red flag.
The climax? Kinda meh. I was braced for thriller, got existential clown. But the real horror is how believable it all feels — a love story with no chaos, no mess, no arguments… just algorithmic affection. Plato’s cave, but make it Tinder.
Creepy, clever, and a giant dystopian red flag.
October 4, 2025
Disappointed after a break up and bad dates, Clara downloads Swiper and quickly meets the man of her dreams.
Well, thanks to the book title, I think we can expect it to be more complicated than that. The twist was expected but how it played out afterwards was less so. I won’t spoil further but it’s less a thriller (to me) than horror-commentary on the future. A fast and interesting read!
Well, thanks to the book title, I think we can expect it to be more complicated than that. The twist was expected but how it played out afterwards was less so. I won’t spoil further but it’s less a thriller (to me) than horror-commentary on the future. A fast and interesting read!
October 17, 2025
(3.0*)
Red Flags follows Clara, a woman who is sick & tired of bad past relationships and dates, so she becomes willing to try a dating app called Swiper. When she meets Elias — charming, mysterious, and seemingly perfect — she’s instantly drawn in. Obviously too good to be true, things start to go strange with Elias, and Clara’s friends start to believe he is a walking “red flag” due to some of the situations that are coming up. But Clara keeps on defending him. This relationship begins to put her into a spiral and become obsessed, taking all of her focus away from anything or anyone else.
Truthfully, J.E. Rowney does a pretty good job capturing how the anxieties of modern dating are usually — the blurred line between trust and illusion, and the emotional risks of online connection. The main character, Clara, her vulnerability feels authentic, and the story builds a steady, uneasy tension as she questions who Elias really is. Having the book go in that direction, is what kept me on my toes because I began to question everyone around her, “Who is messing with her? Does this person have dangerous, ill-intentions, or just weird?” As Clara pushes along in the story, things get darker, and the reader is drawn in deeper, wanting to know whether her fears are justified..
However, overall, the book’s strengths lie in its relatable premise and psychological unease rather than having any big twists or action. The pacing actually drags in places, and some characters lack depth, while others have details that are not needed, which leaves part of the plot predictable in my personal opinion.
Thank you NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for my ARC!
Red Flags follows Clara, a woman who is sick & tired of bad past relationships and dates, so she becomes willing to try a dating app called Swiper. When she meets Elias — charming, mysterious, and seemingly perfect — she’s instantly drawn in. Obviously too good to be true, things start to go strange with Elias, and Clara’s friends start to believe he is a walking “red flag” due to some of the situations that are coming up. But Clara keeps on defending him. This relationship begins to put her into a spiral and become obsessed, taking all of her focus away from anything or anyone else.
Truthfully, J.E. Rowney does a pretty good job capturing how the anxieties of modern dating are usually — the blurred line between trust and illusion, and the emotional risks of online connection. The main character, Clara, her vulnerability feels authentic, and the story builds a steady, uneasy tension as she questions who Elias really is. Having the book go in that direction, is what kept me on my toes because I began to question everyone around her, “Who is messing with her? Does this person have dangerous, ill-intentions, or just weird?” As Clara pushes along in the story, things get darker, and the reader is drawn in deeper, wanting to know whether her fears are justified..
However, overall, the book’s strengths lie in its relatable premise and psychological unease rather than having any big twists or action. The pacing actually drags in places, and some characters lack depth, while others have details that are not needed, which leaves part of the plot predictable in my personal opinion.
Thank you NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for my ARC!
September 24, 2025
I’m honestly so torn about this book. It’s definitely not what I expected…Honestly it may have slightly creeped me out because I do feel like some people rely on AI in the same way Clara did, which makes me sad and concerned about our future. Though the writing is good, it almost felt like it could have been completely written through messages, like the YA series TTYL.
I’m giving it three stars because it was intriguing and I enjoyed the writing style. However, the story itself was just not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for supplying the digital ARC!
I’m giving it three stars because it was intriguing and I enjoyed the writing style. However, the story itself was just not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for supplying the digital ARC!
September 21, 2025
The book will hook you from the very beginning from the very first chapter. It's a different take on a thriller and the dating app era. It focuses on a girl that just wants to find her person but when a app pairs her with the one. In a flash it's all gone and she has to find a way back to him. It's a great read and the chapters are not really that long at all. I love the friendship dynamic between the main character Clara and her friend group!
October 9, 2025
This was somewhat outside my comfort zone, but the title persuaded me. The writing style is good, but I found Clara rather naive. I found it hard to believe that she would be so easily fooled by everything online.
As someone who grew up in this era, she should know better. I liked the beginning; it was funny and did indeed bear some resemblance to Bridget Jones's Diary. It was an enjoyable, quick read, but I would have chosen a different title myself. This one gives too much away.
As someone who grew up in this era, she should know better. I liked the beginning; it was funny and did indeed bear some resemblance to Bridget Jones's Diary. It was an enjoyable, quick read, but I would have chosen a different title myself. This one gives too much away.
October 18, 2025
The started off amazingly
I was hooked right from the first chapters and thought it had so much potential to be a solid 5-star read. The setup was intriguing and the tension was great at first, but sadly, the story didn’t go in the direction I was hoping for. It ended up being a bit of a letdown after such a strong start.
Still, it’s an interesting read with a lot of promise just not quite the payoff I expected.
I was hooked right from the first chapters and thought it had so much potential to be a solid 5-star read. The setup was intriguing and the tension was great at first, but sadly, the story didn’t go in the direction I was hoping for. It ended up being a bit of a letdown after such a strong start.
Still, it’s an interesting read with a lot of promise just not quite the payoff I expected.
October 27, 2025
I had the opportunity to read Red Flags from netgallery and all a can say is it certainly knew how to affect me with multiple red flags now through apps etc.
The books plot was amazing, showing you what it's like trying to find someone or even getting attached to them.
The characters throughout made the book come to life through my imagination which made it come to life.
Would love to read more works from this author in the future.
The books plot was amazing, showing you what it's like trying to find someone or even getting attached to them.
The characters throughout made the book come to life through my imagination which made it come to life.
Would love to read more works from this author in the future.
October 10, 2025
I loved the premise for this book, I really did, but I didn’t really feel like it was well executed. Definitely different than I expected but not a very satisfying read. I did enjoy the writing style and it kept me interested and hooked, just not what I expected or wanted out of the story. It is very interesting though! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Books Go Social for the ARC.
September 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. A solid thriller! Albeit, the twist was a but predictable, but I read it cover to cover in one sitting, it had me hooked.
September 25, 2025
The premise was interesting, but the pacing felt uneven and I never really connected with the characters. Not a bad read just not a standout.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
October 28, 2025
I did guess yhe twist by the 45% mark... but it was still a good book! certainly makes you think
October 29, 2025
This is so unrealistic and delusional what have I just read?
October 30, 2025
dumbest book ive ever read
November 13, 2025
The book had a good story line but towards the middle and end it was weird
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews