How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Thompson, Shailee

"A delightful celebration of rom-coms, slasher flicks, and the women who love them." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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.

Author: Shailee Thompson
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 02/03/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 8.19h x 5.39w x 0.87d
ISBN: 9781668206713

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 12/01/2025 pg. 66
Kirkus Reviews 12/15/2025
Publishers Weekly 12/15/2025

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.