This was just the light, fun book I needed at this time. I enjoyed this book a lot the plot didn’t feel rushed, the characters were well developed and I enjoyed how much they made me laugh. Overall If you are looking for a sweet, funny read this book is for you. It was the perfect read out by the pool this summers. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Heart-warming, hilarious & so oh binge-worthy!

Stoneley has once again created an absolutely wonderful cast of quirky, true to life characters. She really captures the reality of relationships, love, and heartache.

I honestly couldn't put this down, its the humour is pitch-perfect and it is so moreish - so easy to say just one more chapter until before you know it you have got to the end.

Escapism at its finest, perfect for these crazy times. I for one absolutely cannot wait for her next book!

A huge thanks to Rachels Random Resources & NetGalley for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

3.5🌟
This was a very cute story. Rosies long term relationship has come to an end. After talking with her bestie Bea she decides to get back in the dating game and try Tinder unfortunately her first date doesn't go to plan and she gets stood up. Upon getting ready to leave she bumps into Noah. The pair chat and Rosie explains her situation. Noah who is a serial first dater offers to teach her how to date. The pair grow closer the more time they spend together but Noah doesn't want to fall in love and Rosie is against falling for someone who she thinks is just like her dad.
This story was a nice, easy going quick read. It had me chuckling in places. I liked out 2 main characters Rosie was spunky and didn't stand for anything she didn't believe in with everyone except her dad. She has major daddy issues! Noah is cheeky and charming and I was a little sad towards the end when we discover the reason he is why he is. I just felt the writing was a bit rushed in places and I didn't actually like the story line surrounding Rosies parents.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and One More Chapter for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh my gosh I feel like this book speaks to my soul! I can’t even imagine having to start over after being with someone for a long time, and a lot of what Rosie ended up doing in this book would probably be what I would have done! So I guess I could say that I really related to Rosie’s character and her time trying to figure out how to get back into relationship mode but with people that she’s not altogether used to like her childhood sweetheart.

It definitely made for an entertaining novel, and one that helped me get out of my head for a bit and just allow me to put someone else’s problems in the forefront of my mind. Especially since they weren’t as dire as what was happening in the real world, you know? It was light, it was funny, it was a little heartwarming, and it just felt like a nice cuddle session when you need it the most.

Thanks so much to One More Chapter for giving me access on Netgalley to this romance read! I immediately requested this title because of the premise. It’s the typical ‘girl and guy fake date but really fall in love’ trope. In this book, their fake dates are a ploy to improve her dating skills after breaking up with long-term boyfriend. If you love this sort of cliche, this is definitely the book for you because Stoneley writes it so well.

The writing was uplifting and witty. The dialogue between our two main characters was the highlight – just the back and forth was so engaging to read. And Rosie works in a bookshop, which is always a bonus!

As for the secondary characters, they weren’t as memorable to me as in some romances, purely because, other than her parents, none have their own tropes or issues that get explored. As for her parents, their issues, particularly with how much of an asshole her father is, is maybe slightly too overt? Normally when a character has relationship issues with a parent, they either slowly learn to deal with it or it negatively effects everything. Here, Rosie acknowledges from the start that she doens’t like her dad but still lets his decisions impact her. For someone so aware of his problems and already at the point where she dislikes him, their tension didn’t feel fully explored.

But the book’s focus stayed on the cute dates, from lingerie shops to dog walking, and that’s where ym rating gets a SOLID 3*. I find it hard to rate romances high; they have to do something really extra. The First Date was your typical fun romance. So thats what you should take away from this review.

Do you like light-hearted romances, whether in books of movies? Do you like many romance tropes? I’d recommend The First Date!

My first book by this author and I’ll be reading more from her after this. Really enjoyed this read, I liked the characters too. Pretty simple story-line but sometimes they are the best!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Cute and very enjoyable story. Always pick up a Zara Stoneley book when they come out. Easy reading when you are in the mood for a nice book. If you have or never read a book by Zara Stoneley, you should.

Really enjoyed this book. Steady paced, great characters, I was absorbed throughout. Will be reading more books by the author in the future!

Not the first book I have read by this author and once again I throughly enjoyed the story. Stood up on a Tinder date and feeling dejected. A stranger approaches and a friendship begins. One half looking for love and the other believing it destroys you. Both bringing the past and family history to the table. Can you believe in the magic of "the one" and a future or do you choose to walk away and not look back. You will be hooked following the story.

Welcome to the world of internet dating. Rosie Brown has taken to Tinder to jump start her dating life after a breakup with long time boyfriend, Robbie, only to be ghosted right out the gate. Enter Noah and the offer of dating lessons and the fun begins. As the lessons progress so does the laughter and the emotional distress of dating and you have this delightful romcom.

Thank you NetGalley, Zara Stoneley for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I couldn't ask for more...sexy, funny, rompish...perfectly delivers a romantic fix. Rosie has been in a long relationship and is now back on the market. But she has forgotten how to date. When stood up at a bar, she meets Noah, the kind of heartbreaker she normally avoids. He offers to her lessons in a subject dear to his heart ...maneuvering through the first date. Against her best instincts, she accepts his offer.
Yes, it is predictable but that is what we expect a perfect romantic comedy to deliver....along with some trials and tribulations along the way. Rosie is lovely and easy to identify with. We all know we should avoid the bad boys, but secretly wish they would chase us anyway. And Noah is gorgeous and sensitive and everything you could want in your fantasy guy. The book has a great pace that never tires and makes it hard to put down. It builds the suspense as to when they will get together and how they will end up together. I wanted something light, easy to read and full of fun and I got that in spades.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy I received of The First Date. This is an honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This is the story of Rosie and Noah, who meet unexpectedly, find they get along quite well and develop a friendship of sorts. Other dynamics come into play - Rosie is recently single after coming out of a long-term relationship and was meeting another man, a Tinder date who stood her up when she came upon Noah at the bar. Lots of banter and discussion later, Noah is going to help Rosie find a date and feel confident within herself to meet new men.
The readers can feel the attraction brewing between these two, the chemistry is there, however Rosie does have issues of abandonment from her father, and this does come up quite often. We can see her slowly melting and revealing her layers behind her insecurities and I just loved the interactions between Rosie and Noah as we follow their sweet, but at times steamy, journey. The banter is lively and fun, witty and well-written. A lovely read for fans of contemporary romance

This was my first time reading anything by Zara and I can say it won't be my last.
This is a super cute story that was a easy read that had me by the first few pages. From the 1st few pages I could picture in my head Emilia Clarke playing Rosie . This book should be on the big screen and she needs to play her. If you love UK love stories then you need to pick up this book!

I really struggled with this book. It was an easy read and once I was about halfway through I was determined to read through to the end. That said however it wasn't that enjoyable a read for me. The setup was that a woman - Rosie - fresh out of a long term relationship is stood up on a Tinder/Bumble date and meets a charmer at the bar (Noah). She wants something more steady than this handsome charmer but agrees to 'dating lessons' when he offers them. This isn't a particularly original romance novel setup but there's a twist in that, despite her obvious attraction to Noah, Rosie is determined to avoid actually dating him because he reminds her too much of her father, a charmer who has been cheating on her mother for many many years.

I think the problem was that the book was a romantic novel but it also tried to handle quite a serious issue. For me it just didn't get the balance right. It was a very normal romance, where you could follow where the story was headed but willed it onwards nonetheless. The characters melded well together and I enjoyed their simmering sexual tension. However, the addition of the issues created by Rosie's Dad just didn't gel with the rest of the book and felt like they belonged in a story that offered a more serious exploration. At times I was pulled into the comparisons and I did begin to understand Rosie's decisions as I learned more about her Dad, but more often than not I felt that the 'Dad issue' came up at really weird times, leaving me feeling a bit uncomfortable. For example, Rosie will be considering the prospect of intimacy with Noah and will instead begin comparing it with her feelings about her Dad. I do appreciate that there's a crossover when someone in her situation is struggling with the hangover of a poor relationship with their father (not to mention a poor concept of relationships because of her parents) but I really did feel quite queasy at those moments. And they happened again and again.

There's lots to recommend the novel and I don't think my opinion should dissuade others who enjoy Stoneley's other works or who're hankering for a romantic novel with a difference. The descriptions of Noah and his backstory are great. I wanted to know more about him and I absolutely did root for them as a couple and for him as an individual. I loved the addition of Jed and was delighted we finally got to meet him and, as a dog lover, Hugo was a boon to the story. I didn't feel like we got enough of other characters. We met Rosie's Mum in person only once and didn't get nearly enough of Bea either. Bea in particularly felt a little like she was there to serve a function rather than being a fully fleshed out character.

As I said before I think there's certainly an audience for this book but it wasn't quite right for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

Love Rosie and Noah. Such a cute story. Loved this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

"The First Date" has such a fun, and relatable, premise. Rosie is trying dating after her very long first relationship ends. When she is stood up and ghosted by a date, she meets Noah and he offers to help her navigate the world of dating. At times the story felt a touch "too romcom;" lots of exclamation marks! Lots!! But overall, it was cute, fun and well-paced; a lighthearted romance that can be a perfect escape these days.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled to connect with this book. Something about the writing style just did not work for me.

This was a fantastic read with the very cute will-they won't-they trope! This was my first book from the author but I quite enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by her in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

The First Date

This book is such fun. It will give you all the feels.

This book got me from page 1. A really fun and light hearted read, just what I needed at a time like this.

It is utterly hilarious, I think a writer who can make you laugh out loud has such a talent. I did just this. Multiple times.

Showing that relationships really can come when you very least expect it. Fall in love with Rosie & Noah. Rosie is such a strong female lead. After a childhood sweetheart she finds herself single in her twenties and we follow her story of getting back in the dating game.

A really brilliant book

Irrepressible, side-splittingly hilarious and heartfelt, The First Date is the fantastic new romantic comedy from one of the genre’s funniest voices: Zara Stoneley.

Rosie thought that she would be with her childhood sweetheart forever. But they both wanted different things. While Rosie wanted to buy a house and stay home and cuddle up on the sofa watching box sets, her boyfriend wanted to travel the world and widen his horizons. Realizing that they both wanted different things and had different needs, they made the difficult decision to split up, leaving Rosie alone, heartbroken and wondering how on earth she was going to take her first tentative steps into the dating world when she had been with her former boyfriend since school! Unlike her best friend Bea, Rosie is not a natural flirt nor does she have men round the block waiting to take her out for a drink. Rosie would find speaking Mandarin far more easier than flirting, but when Bea comes up with the idea of trying dating apps, could she finally have found a method to help her find her soulmate? Not quite. Dating apps seem to be riddled with losers, misfits and perverts who are more interested in finding someone desperate enough to indulge their weird fetishes and complexes. Until she meets Gabe. Not only does he seem – from his picture – to be handsome and attractive, but when Rosie starts messaging him, he is charming and funny and somebody with whom she has an instant connection. When they agree to meet up, Rosie’s stomach is in knots, but expectation quickly gives way to anger and disappointment when he doesn’t show up.

Rosie is furious – not to mention humiliated. She just wants to finish her drink and scuttle off home to her duvet and forget all about it. Until fate propels her into the path of a guy who could well turn out to be the answer to Rosie’s problems. Unlike Rosie, Noah is a master dater. First dates are his speciality and when he sees just how inept Rosie is when it comes to ducking and diving through the dating world, he offers her his services. A masterclass in seduction will transform Rosie from hopeless flirt to confident siren who will have guys eating out of the palm of her hands. Thinking that she has absolutely nothing to lose, Rosie decides to let Noah tutor her. Only, she hadn’t expected to end up losing the one thing that has been under lock and key since her ex dumped her: her heart!

Rosie has fallen head over heels in love with Noah. But dare she tell him how she feels? Or is she too scared to risk a rejection just when she has finally got some confidence?

Nothing brightens up my day and gladdens my heart quite like a new novel by Zara Stoneley and The First Date is a gorgeous romp that had me giggling from the very first line. So funny you will end up waking the neighbours, charming, heart-warming and irresistible from beginning to end, The First Date has a wonderful heroine you will adore and a gorgeous hero who will make you laugh out loud. Noah is sexy, charming, generous and definitely a man who gives Captain Ross Poldark a run for his money!

The First Date is feel-good romance from a goddess of the genre and I hope Zara Stoneley hurries up and finishes her next novel because I cannot wait for her next book.