Book Review :: How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
ISBN: 1668206714
on 3 February 2026
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying horror romance in which a young woman gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the horror genre to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

When Jamie Prescott and her best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event, Jamie expects to meet a roster of mediocre men and indulge in some street food afterwards. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at their table during a blackout. When the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that speed dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a horror movie, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As the night progresses and Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she begins to suspect he is committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn her into his real-life Final Girl.

But Jamie has a different love story in mind, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other speed-daters. Will she survive the bloodshed to find her happily ever after? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another Final Girl in mind?

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What is How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson about?

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates follows Jamie Prescott, who shows up to a speed-dating event with her friend Laurie, expecting awkward conversations and maybe a snack after. Instead, one of her dates gets his throat slit during a blackout, and when the lights come back on, there are bodies everywhere.

Now Jamie and the remaining singles are stuck in a real-life slasher situation. Good thing Jamie is basically a horror movie encyclopedia. She knows the rules, the mistakes, and how Final Girls survive. Armed with that knowledge and whatever weapons they can grab, the group tries to escape while a masked killer keeps closing in.

As the night goes on, Jamie realises the murderer might be crafting his own twisted love story, trying to turn one of them into his perfect Final Girl. Meanwhile, she’s just trying to stay alive… and somehow catching feelings in the middle of the chaos.

My thoughts on How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

This was so chaotic. But like, in a fun way? This is not my usual book genre. A romcom? Yes, for sure. A murder mystery? Absolutely. But a slasher/ripper/in the middle of the crime scene? Not even a little bit.

But I saw this book on Netgalley and was immediately drawn into the concept. Was it silly? Yes. Was it outrageous? For sure. Did I have a great time? You know it.

We’re immediately thrown into the story when narrator (first person) Jamie and her friend Laurie head off to a speed dating event. And it’s only a few dates in when the lights plunge down and back up, the man Jamie was talking to is dead in front of her. From there, it’s sheer panic and trying to stay alive for the next 300 pages.

They’re in a club which Jamie has been to before, so the survivors then try to find their way out of the building, which of course, they can’t do, even though Jamie and Laurie remember the layout quite well. The group is split, more people die, alliances are formed, and random weapons are used throughout the story.

And of course, the killer is finally revealed. While I wasn’t really tracking and trying to figure out who the murderer was, I also wasn’t surprised when the characters figured it out, and it was all out in the open.

The characters in this book are mostly annoying, except for Jamie and Wes, who is one of the guys who survives and is one of the only other people whose head seems to be screwed on when it comes to running through the dark from a killer. And yes, Wes is the one that Jamie has a bit of a thing with in the midst of all the chaos.

I think one of my favourite things about the book was that Jamie loves both cinema and movies, and also horror. So throughout the story there is references to movies a lot. Each chapter also starts with a quote from a romco,m which has been slightly altered to make it murdery.

For example:

• “Kill me. Kill me as if it were the last time.” – No Casablanca
• “You think I’m gorgeous, you want to kill me … you want to stab me … you want to murder me.” – Not Miss Congeniality
• “I suppose I think about murder more than anyone really should.” – Not The Holiday

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was not my usual genre, and it wasn’t an outstanding read. But it was a fun vibes read that I did enjoy it.

Have you read anything like this before? 

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Disclaimer: I received this for free from Netgalley in exchange for a review. This does not affect my opinions and all thoughts are my own. Thanks, Netgalley!