Have you wondered how rom coms and horror stories can work with one plotline? Well, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson definitely does just that. I saw this book in a random bookstore in DC a while ago and, as an avid romance and horror fan, I finally got around to giving it a try.

Here’s what the book is about and what my thoughts were:

The Plot

Jamie Prescott is a grad student writing her thesis on the intersection between the horror and romance genres. So when she and her best friend attend a speed-dating event that turns deadly, she has to put her horror knowledge to good use.

Jamie and the other speed daters find themselves in the basement of an old bar without any ways to communicate with the outsider world. In order to survive the night with a murderer on the loose, they arm themselves with whatever weapons they can find and do all they can to find an exit to the building. But unfortunately, some people aren’t so quick to follow directions and fall right into the common pitfalls of horror films.

Was the Book Good/Bad?

This was really fun! As the name suggests, it is like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets a slasher film. The plot was entertaining and it’s a very quick read. The way the story progressed was a nice and the characters were nice to read. I really enjoyed reading this one the entire way through.

Not a fan of horror? You can still read this one just fine. While there are murders that take place throughout the book, it’s not overly gory and they’re very quickly explained.

I would suggest giving this one a try! It’s a solid 4/5 for me. It’s also a very easy to read, so it’s something that is perfect for a long train ride or rainy day.