This book was an absolute delight. I immediately took to Rosie, complete with all of her quirks. She's a deep character that allows things from her past to impact her present. Enter Noah, who is swoon-worthy with all of his dimples and comments that show he quite fancies Rosie. I spent half the book wondering will-they-or-won't-they but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend!

This was such a fun read - perfect for the current conditions. Maybe from the start i had an idea what the outcome would be - but it didn't detract from the story. The 2 main characters bounced off each other and there were some really funny moments. Sad in places - family relationships can be difficult.

Found this book hard to follow, with the writing jumpy and the heroine being so over the top and literally all over the place that it proved hard and even tiring to follow along and get a sense of the actual story behind all the ranting and rambling. If it had toned down a little from time to time, this would've been hilarious, but it just felt like going too long without a breath and then collapsing from lack of air, sadly

I’ve read one other book by this author, The Wedding Date, and I enjoyed it, so when this book came up I was excited to read it as well. Like the that book, this one was a sweet romance. Noah was really sweet, and funny, but I totally got where at times Rosie was confused by him. Because he told her he was a serial dater, and did nothing to change her mind about it. Said he wasn’t good enough for her, and that she deserved a man that was able to love. While in a way his issues were similar to players in other romances, the reason behind his fear of commitment was a lot different, or at least done differently and made me sad and want him to realize he deserved a girl like Rosie and love for himself. Rosie was funny, and in some ways I loved a lot of the things she felt and did, and her dating app experiences were so similar to my own in some ways that I connected with her on that. I wasn’t a huge fan of how she kept comparing Noah to her dad, as if he was a bad guy like her dad obviously was. It wasn’t fair, because even though Noah said he wasn’t going to ever be a one woman kind of guy, he was never doing anything to hurt anyone like her dad was.

I have to say while I was unsure about her mother for a lot of the book, once her mom called and asked her to find out how to contact a certain person from her father’s life, I got the inkling that her mom wasn’t as much of a pushover as she seemed, and I loved how that all worked out in the end.

Once again the sex scenes were pretty close to fade to black, which always leaves me a little unsatisfied. But that’s my own preference. And there were also a lot of British types of slang that slowed me down as an American, but not enough that I still didn’t enjoy the book. I could definitely see reading more by this author in the future.

First of all a quick nod to the third party in this couple. Hugo is an adorably chaotic addition to this fast-paced, witty and often loose-tongued romcom. He deserves a little bit of recognition.

When Rosie is waiting for her date she is filled with anxiety and the fear of rejection. She tends to say the wrong thing or just get tongue-tied. Somehow being single and having to play the field isn't all it's cut out to be. Being dumped by her previous partner has really left a huge dent in her confidence.

The last thing she expects to encounter is a dating expert who is willing to teach her the ropes in man-catching, and she really isn't prepared to find him both annoying and irresistible at the same time.

It's a witty and energetic romcom, which is no surprise because it is trademark Stoneley style. She really knows how to grab the most realistic element of relationships, love and heartache and run with it. Then all of those things are combined with a pitch perfect sense of humour.

Those of us who remember the olden days, before mobile phones, Tinder and internet dating probably feel bad for 21st century daters. It might look so much easier, faster and there are so many people to choose from. But it isn't. Nowadays it's easy to judge, reject and go on to the next without a thought to the person they have just rejected or ghosted. Old-school meant having to really getting to know someone face-to-face.
Once again the author manages to create a delightful and entertaining read.

Today is my turn on the blog tour for The First Date by @zarastonely.
Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for the invite to be on the tour.

Review: Funny, flirtatious, lighthearted romance!
Be prepared you will totally know what is going to happen all along but you can’t help but fall in love with Rosie and Noah and their journey to really finding each other!
I loved reading their flirtatious banter between texts and had some real Laoighis out loud moments.
A great lighthearted read especially for anyone who is struggling to read during the current situation!

The First Date was an absolutely fantastic read. I laughed tons, cried a little, and refused to put this book down. Noah and Rosie have the absolute best banter which had me cheering them both on. The First Date was exactly the hilarious and overall uplifting book I need during our current "stay at home" times. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy.

4 Found a Surprising Winner Stars
* * * *
This was such a delight. We had a gal who had been with the same fell for what seemed forever. Then, poof, he is out of the picture. What is our gal to do...she hasn't dated in years...and thing are not like when she was out there at 15.

She takes a chance and arranges a meet up with a guy only to be ghosted at the bar. An accomplished first dating fella sees what has happened and decides to assist our gal in all the new dating rituals.

Funny thing is...as time goes by, she is liking her tutor more and more.

Whenever I see Zara Stoneley I know I have to read the book without reading the blurb and just say yes. This is what I have done here, Rosie recently dumped is made to feel she has to date again to move on with her life. After a disastrous date, she meets Noah. Noah is going to coach her on how to date and how to get her confidence back. We all know where this will go, but as I say I love the journey we go on with the characters that’s where the real fun happens.

The twist with this is the baggage for these two. Rosie has a lot of issues and they all stem from her dad. He is a jerk and he has way too much power over her and how she feels. This affected how she treats Noah, to an extent I got it, but like I said too much power and it made it hard for me to connect sometimes. She was a bit needy at times, a lot of does he like me, why doesn’t he like me. Don’t get me wrong, we can all be like that, I think she just annoyed me because it reminded me of me!

Noah, his baggage caused a lump in my throat, not willing to take that risk on love and his reasons why, well they made me want to just give him a huge cuddle but we couldn’t intrude on Rosie. He is you most typical tall handsome stranger that I would love to meet 😉 he has a way with words and just knows what to say to make you feel at ease! I think I might have matched him on the banter!

The thing I did love about this story is the banter between Rosie and Noah. It was effortless and it made me smile. It was a flirtatious banter, always with the hint of something more but neither wanting to take that first step. holding back and not wanting to ruin what they have which I can get. Sometimes that friendship and banter are worth so much more than a relationship.

Anyway I digress, I do really enjoy Zara’s stories, she hasn’t failed me yet!! She also knows how to create a memorable Mother character, Rosie mum is a hoot! She made me smile and she also went on her own journey in this book and her growth was lovely to see!

This book did not knock Four Christmases and a Secret off my favourite spot, but it is a cute and fun read. It can be a bit crazy at times with the two characters dancing around these feelings but it is always nice to get the happy ending everyone wants and a smile on your face.

What a laugh out loud fun read this proved to be, with a couple who you just know will get together if only they can be brave enough to admit their true feelings to themselves let alone each other! They aren't the only fantastic characters in this story, they're all portrayed brilliantly so they seem like folks you have met and know but it is the development of the relationship between Rosie and Noah that provides most of the laughs as he endeavours to help her learn how to date so she can date someone else . . . . 

The story explores family dynamics and the impact of Rosie's adulterous father on her ability to trust and love. He's definitely not a likeable character, despite his winning ways with other women, he's an ego-centric bully who seems to thrive on undermining the self confidence of Rosie, who constantly seeks his approval but doesn't get it. Her Mum is brilliant and her revelations at the party definitely brought a smile to my face! There are also surprising revelations regarding Noah's family and his teen years but you need to read the book for yourself to find out more! It is a story packed with humour, all the lessons on dating are brought to life in the pages of the book and had me laughing out loud. 

This is a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in highly recommending, a fabulous story to escape into and put a smile on your face as you read it, another winner by this highly talented author.

I received an ARC of this book on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book, but honestly, it really didn't live up to my expectations. I think my biggest problem was that the characters didn't really feel real to me.

Noah felt like some unattainable guy who wasn't actually nice as Rosie wanted us to believe. I didn't like his makeover or 'seduction guru' tips and I wasn't a fan of his overall vibe - at all. He reminded me of Ryan Gosling from Crazy Stupid Love, and I really didn't like him in that film - not in the beginning at least.

Rosie's internal monologue gave me a bit of a dizzy spell every now and then. I wasn't a fan of how her thoughts completely derailed the situation at hand. It wasn't even as though she took a mild detour, at times her thought would wander into a completely irrelevant territory, and then the story was brought back, it felt a bit weird.

I liked that she was relatable in her awkwardness and overall struggle of being terrible at first dates, and dating in general, but her issues threw me off. It's okay to mention it a few times, but constantly comparing the main guy to your dad is a bit weird for me.

The reason I've given this book two stars is the relationship between Rosie and her mom, which was so incredibly funny and cute. I also thought that the characters did somewhat grow as the book went on.

I just wish the writing was a bit more outward, in terms of showing what's happening than inward with the character just thinking about it - if that makes sense.

Very heartwarming, soothing writing as always. I love her books! This was no different. It's as fun as watching a fun TV program,
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

A delightful, fun filled book with humour that will have you laughing out loud and giggling at the blunders, miscommunications and tension between our two main characters.
I really enjoyed the blossoming friendship between Rosie and Noah, they had a great chemistry and banter. In my opinion Noah is the easier character to like, he has charm in buckets whereas Rosie is a tad selfish. Rosie grew on me the more I read, I think the more she opened up and the more she acted like a grown up rather than a poor little girl with Daddy issues, the more I liked her. There is a lot of emphasis about the issues her Dad’s ‘extra curricular activity’ and how it has changed her view of men/dating. I think it goes on a bit, I mean she’s not the first nor last it would have been a problem for. Thank goodness for Noah who is not afraid to say what he thinks about her Dad.
Rosie’s Mum was another cool character and taught her daughter some much needed lessons thankfully. I love a crazy character and she is that indeed! It took Mums actions for Rosie to move forward and see she could attempt relationships, or live a little dangerously.
It’s pretty obvious where the story will go but I have no problem at all with that, I was rooting for the romance between them to grow into something more.
It’s well written and amusing, a fantastic read if you are looking for something to put a smile on your face. Highly recommended!

I’ve read a couple of Zara Stoneley books before (Bridesmaids and Four Christmases and a Secret) and really loved her writing style and her charming, underdog heroines. So when the chance to review The First Date came up, I leapt at it.

Rosie’s recently broken up with the only guy she ever had a romantic relationship with, and the dating pool is a very scary place to dip your toes in. She hasn’t a clue how to date or even really how to flirt. Stood up by the first Tinder date she thought looked even vaguely promising, she ends up chatting to Noah in the bar. Noah’s an avowed commitment-phobe who doesn’t really do second dates, and he ends up offering to help Rosie figure out how to do first dates.

Honestly, it’s not hard to figure out where this is going. And therein lies the problem… the plot is too simplistic. Things are only really complicated by Rosie’s massive and unresolved issues with her father. We didn’t get to really see inside Noah’s head and understand just why he was so comfortable setting his commitment issues aside for Rosie. He also behaves like an ass a fair few times, sabotaging Rosie when she does perfectly well setting up dates for herself. He’s a dog in the manger, and it’s really not an attractive quality.

There was one other thing which really bugged me here, and it was the way the characters talked. Every other sentence seemed to end! With! An exclamation! and after a while it got kind of exhausting to read. That plus the ‘haha’ thrown in regularly, when a speech tag or description of laughter would have felt so much more natural, was quite off-putting. I just didn’t quite buy into the whole story. We didn’t get enough insight into Noah’s character (always an issue in first person narration where you only get one character’s point of view) and I’m afraid Rosie’s helplessness annoyed me. For a smart woman, her ‘can’t do’ attitude was very frustrating.

This isn’t terrible, because Zara knows how to tell a story and writes well, but I wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. Three stars.

I received a free E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is about Rosie, who has recently broken up with her childhood boyfriend. After being so long with the same man, Rosie has no clue how to date other men. So when she decides to set up a profile on a dating app to meet men, she walks into the bar hoping to meet the man who might become her new boyfriend, but that feeling leaves her when she’s left standing alone. In a bar. Ghosted. Rosie, feeling defeated and overwhelmed by the whole first date process, meets Noah. Noah is confident, funny … and a serial first dater. All the qualities that remind her of her father and not in a good way. Noah offers to give Rosie a crash course in seduction and how to set up the perfect first date. Thinking this could be just what she needs, Rosie agrees. But as Rosie spends more time with Noah as he is teaching her "dating lessons," she finds herself draw to Noah and his pull on her is undeniable. Can the fake dates ever turn into the real ones?
The book was amazing! I read it in one sitting. I was so drawn in with the story line, characters, and Rosie and Noah's chemistry. While this is not the most original plot line, it still is full of fun and laughs that leave the reader wondering "WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY GET TOGETHER?" Rosie was a great character albeit lacking in self confidence. The author did a great job showing her growth not only with men, but also within herself so that by the end, she is more confident and self assured in her desire to start a real relationship with the man she truly should be with. Noah was such a great character. I loved how he was drawn to Rosie. Their banter was so much fun to read. Rosie was good for Noah because she was not always taken in by his charms, at least, she did not always allow him to see her being taken in. Noah was also a very selfless character, which was interesting considering how much of a serial dater he professed to be. Noah helped Rosie get out of her comfort zone and she inter gave him a steady rock he could rely on. Rosie's relationship with her mom was very touching and I found myself rooting for her mother to gain her own life outside of her husband's cheating shadow. The pacing of this book was very good and I found the ending of this book very satisfying. Overall, I recommend this book to those who love a friends-to-lovers story. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

"There are so many things I’d imagined might go wrong with this date (and when I say many, I do mean many) but this was not top of the list."

I knew that I was going to enjoy this book after reading the first line above. The First Date is a hilarious romantic read with plenty of British banter and giggles throughout. I loved her characters, they were all individual, quirky and perfectly imperfect. I think that's what made them so loveable.

When you're going on a first date, the last thing you're going to expect is to wind up having your date not turn up and meeting a handsome self-proclaimed "dating expert". He plans on teaching Rosie the art of man enchanting to give her the powers of seduction and allure. The only problem happens when you can't use your newfound skills on the person you want to...

It was such a cosy read, it felt like sitting down with a good friend and relaxing. This was my first read of Zara Stoneley's writing but it certainly won't be the last. A gorgeous uplifting read.

Review will be posted tomorrow onto my blog: https://booksandbookends.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/thefirstdate/ ‎

Zara Stoneley does it again and is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre. You’ll be hooked from the first page!

The First Date starts with newly single Rosie sitting nervously in a bar waiting for Gabe the hot Tinder date. As the minutes tick away, it soon becomes apparent that Gabe is a no show. In swoops Noah, with his charm and promise to teach Rosie the lessons of dating.

I loved the dynamic between Rosie and Noah. The fake dates are hilarious and all the more endearing as Rosie develops her confidence. There’s a strong focus on being yourself and letting go of expectations placed upon you. Please tell me there’ll be a sequel!

Buy it you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! I've read lots of Zara's booked before and always loved them, they're engrossing, fun and perfect escapism and that is exactly what the world needs right now.

I enjoyed this book a lot, it tells of the love story between Rosie and Noah. Noah is a great lead Male, he has lots of humour and is the kind of guy you cant help but get behind. Rosie is headstrong and I loved her, I felt like I really got to know her and genuinely cared about her.

This story is full of the ups and downs of relationships and gives hope to the reader about good things happening when you may not expect them.

Perfect escapism. Zara Stoneley has worked her magic again!

Unfortunately I DNF’d this book at 36% because it was just too much. It was making me cringe at how cheesy it was and I didn’t connect to the characters. I found the main character to be whiny and complained too much. I couldn’t grasp the British jargon and it was hard for me to focus on the story when I didn’t understand the language. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t.

The First Date by Zara Stoneley

The First Date by Zara Stoneley finds us following the crazy adventures of Rosie as she tries to navigate a online dating. I think we can all relate on some level to how stressful that can be. I found this story funny and light. The chemistry between Rosie and Noah is off the charts and you can feel it right away. I definitely recommend this book!

A solid 4/5 Stars

Thank you #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK & #OneMoreChapter for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.