Packages
Blind Date With a Book: How It Works (and Why Readers Love It)
August 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Last updated:
A blind date with a book is a wrapped mystery read chosen from clues, not covers. Here is how ours works, what goes in the parcel and how to pick clues you will actually love.
"Blind date with a book" is searched more than almost any other bookish phrase in Ireland, and it's the thing I'm asked about most in my Instagram DMs. Here's exactly how mine works.
What a blind date with a book actually is
A book wrapped in kraft paper so you can't see the cover, with three clues written on the front — a mood, a trope and a first line. You pick by feeling rather than by cover, which is how most of my favourite reads found me.
How ours works, step by step
- Tell me your reading taste on the blind date page — genres you love, tropes you'd run from, spice level, hard nos.
- I match a book from the titles I've actually read and reviewed. Nothing goes out that I haven't finished myself.
- It gets wrapped with clue cards, a bookmark and a handwritten note.
- It's posted with An Post — most Irish addresses get it in one to three working days.
Pre-loved parcels are €20 and brand-new parcels are €30, all in, including postage within Ireland. Full details and other options are on the packages page.
Why blind dates work better than recommendation lists
Covers do a lot of unfair work. A cover can make a brilliant thriller look like homework, or make a soft romance look like a horror novel. Stripping the cover away means you judge the story on mood alone, and readers say yes to books they'd normally walk past.
Choosing your clues
- Be specific about the no's. "No cheating, no animal death" is more useful than "nothing sad".
- Name a book you loved this year. One title tells me more than five adjectives.
- Pick a mood, not a genre. "Cosy and funny" or "wreck me" both work.
Good to gift
They're our most-gifted item — birthdays, teachers, Kris Kindle, "sorry you had a rotten week" parcels. Add a handwritten message at checkout and I'll post it straight to them. More gifting ideas are on the bookish gifts guide and the gifts hub.
Want one every month?
The monthly book box is the same idea on repeat: a wrapped pick, clue cards and extras posted to you each month. And if you'd like to talk about what you got, the book club meets in a thread every month.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a blind date with a book?
- It is a book wrapped so the cover is hidden, with a few clues about the mood, trope and first line written on the front, so you choose the story by feeling rather than by the cover.
- How much does a blind date with a book cost in Ireland?
- Pre-loved parcels are 20 euro and brand-new parcels are 30 euro, including postage within Ireland, wrapping, clue cards, a bookmark and a handwritten note.
- How long does delivery take in Ireland?
- Parcels are posted with An Post and most Irish addresses receive them within one to three working days. Northern Ireland and the UK typically take three to five working days.
- Can I say which books or themes I do not want?
- Yes, and please do. The order form asks for hard nos and content you would rather avoid, and every pick is a book Amy has read herself.
Not sure which to pick first? You can order a blind date with a book instead — three hints on the paper, the book hidden underneath, €17.99 pre-loved or €25.99 new. Check Irish postage times and costs before you order.