How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

By: Shailee Thompson

Narrators:Stefanie Kay, Patrick Zeller,

Simon & Schuster Audio

ISBN: 9781668206713

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: 02/03/2026

Format: Other

My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)

FEB 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres 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. After the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a slasher, 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 they are committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn them into a real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has other plans, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other survivors. Will she make it through the bloodshed to find her Happily Ever After? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another ending in mind?

For fans of Love in the Time of Serial Killers and Butcher & Blackbird, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is one killer love story.

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Praise

"Fresh, funny and criminally addictive. I couldn't put it down!"

-- Hannah Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker

“Leading Lady or Final Girl? That’s the question in this delightful debut . . . Thompson does an admirable job of keeping the reader guessing—and second-guessing—right up until the end. A delightful celebration of rom-coms, slasher flicks, and the women who love them.”

― KIRKUS REVIEWS (STARRED REVIEW)

"Propulsive and cinematic, Shailee Thompson's How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates kept me guessing until the very end. Reading this book was like hanging out with a friend who has the most perfectly curated movie references and witty commentary on both the horror and romcom genres. The only thing that could make a speed dating event worse would be to turn it into a killing spree, but from the safety of my own couch I had a blast with this slasher-romance mashup."

-- Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

"Alternating romance, peril, chemistry, and gore, this is an absolute romp through movie trivia Easter Eggs and fan-favorite tropes."

-- Alexia Casale, author of How to Bury Your Husband

"Like a rom-com twist on Scream, debut author Thompson’s unputdownable slasher-romance mash-up is a gripping and often gory high-stakes drama that leaves room for romance to blossom. It’s pure entertainment."

― PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)

"I laughed, I cried, I screamed. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is the slasher-rom-com we never knew we needed in our lives."

-- L.M. Chilton, author of Swiped

"This thrilling debut romance, with touches of humor, is well-written and excellently plotted, and the many twists and turns keep the killer’s identity hidden until the very end. Thompson’s unexpected, engaging, horror-romance mash-up will keep readers on the edge of their seats."

― LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED REVIEW)

“This one reads like if your favorite romcom and your most unhinged true crime binge had a chaotic little baby."

― Indie Next

“How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates should be read by anyone who enjoys horror movies, romantic comedies . . . or has a pulse . . . Thompson’s debut completely delivers on a fantastic concept, with the overall experience of the set-up, the action, and the resolution as fun as what was pulled off by the revolutionary Scream.”

― Crimespree Magazine

About the Author

Shailee Thompson is a writer and educator based in Brisbane, Australia. She’s always had a penchant for women with smart mouths, soft hearts, and strong wills going up against extraordinary odds. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is her debut novel. Find her on Instagram @ShaileeWrites.