How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

By: Shailee Thompson

ISBN: 9781668206713

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: 02/03/2026

Format: Other

My Rating: TBR (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

"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)

"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)

“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

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

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

"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

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.