I just cannot say no to a Zara Stoneley tour.  I simply adore her leading ladies and Rosie was no different. 

Rosie is desperate to experience a first date and to discover a man to be the one.  When she is stood up by a date arranged over the internet, Rosie makes friends with Noah who offers to help her perfect her dating game.  But, she soon realises Noah might be more than just a 'teacher'.

I just love the whole idea for this novel.  Girl stood up, starts chatting with handsome stranger and become good friends.  The plot moves swiftly and has some really amusing moments as well as some that pull on your heart strings, particularly when more about Rosie's reluctance to take a chance and be a little more frivolous when it comes to dating are revealed. 

The character of Rosie is relatable, vulnerable and real.  If you cannot identify with her then it's very likely she will remind you of someone you know.  She's less than perfect and a little prickly and blunt but I just wanted to be her best mate.         

My favourite part of this book was the different relationships that Rosie experiences.  Her best friend Bea is a positive influence of Rosie.  She has a more free attitude to life and gently nudges Rosie in this direction.  Noah becomes a good friend and someone reliable in Rosie's life.  I loved their banter together and it is with Noah that we see the 'real' Rosie begin to emerge. 

Overall I loved this book - a cute romance with brilliant characters.  perfect for a spot of indulgence.

Well that was certainly a Stoneley special. From start to finish I was all in....this book completely consumed me and I couldn't put it down even for a second. The writing was filled with that Stoneley sense of humour that I love and I found myself giggling at the turn of every page.

As far as two leading characters go, I must say that Rosie and Noah had it all. Their chemistry was off the charts and I could feel their heat burning through the prose. Their witty banter was second to none and for me it was the best part of the book. I had jaw ache from grinning like an idiot at their battle of repartee. It added a lively nature to the book that was utterly infectious.

The narrative was filled to the brim with dates, dares and dimples that created an addictive charm. Although satire played an important role, the story wasn't short of a serious heartfelt moment or two. This worked to anchor the piece and also give my aching body a chance to recover from the laugh out loud moments.

The First Date might well be my favourite Stoneley story to date....a huge and brave statement I know, but a story I'm sticking to. It is witty, addictive and simply moreish and I know it's going to be a huge hit.

I like this author's chatty style and her flair for light fun romance but I almost didn't go on with this book. The meeting of the two main characters in chapter one was confusing, as if a whole section had been missed out, and it took me a while to get back into the story after that. Good flawed characters and a predictable but satisfying ending.

This story grabbed me right from the start, giving me more than I had anticipated. I was sucked right in, happy to power through the story. With moments that will put a smile on your face, this one is certainly worth the read. Can’t wait to see what this author brings out next. Totally looking forward to reading the next book. Happy reading everyone!

This is your typical laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with loveable characters.

Rosie has left a long term relationship and is out on her first date, where she is stood up and meets Noah.

Rosie is what you would expect from a rom-com, loveable but holds a lack of confidence. Noah on the other hand is confident and funny. Rosie is at a loss of how to deal with the dating scene whilst Noah is a serial first dater, so Rosie enlists his help.

Noah sets Rosie on a course of seduction, teaching her all he knows about first dates. Rosie is immune to Noah’s charm, or so she thinks, as he is the complete opposite to the type of man she wants to be with.

Along the way there are many funny moments between the pair that have you laughing out loud. But also there are many heartwarming moments where you see both of these lead characters discover things about themselves.

The best type of relief from this troubling times. Thank you Zara.

It's another winning novel from Zara Stoneley!

Rosie Brown wants to start dating again after her long term boyfriend Robbie left her and moved to Wales. After plucking up courage, she arranges to meet Gabe Stevenson who she met on Tinder only….he stands her up! Sat alone at a bar, she's approached by Noah Adams. He's good looking, flirting up a charm but not her type. Besides he's a self-confessed expert at first dates and someone she needs to avoid. Somehow though as they get chatting, he's keen to assist in helping her improve her first date chances, but why?

Noah Adams sees a woman sat at a bar. Sat alone, he goes across to talk to her and for some reason, she's not reacting to his chat-up lines; it's a blow to his ego. As they talk, she tells him the first date after her long-term boyfriend left her has stood her up. Eager to pass on his dating wisdom, he hatches a plan to teach Rosie dating techniques but is there more to his desire to just help her?

Firstly, I really liked Rosie and Noah together as they work through the first-date lessons he's put together for her. It's clear they both like each other as they form a friendship based on trust. There's lots of fun banter flying between and it's easy to see they are comfortable with each other. It can be argued Noah is conscientiously moulding Rosie into a stereotypical male object of desire. However, I interpreted his lessons as a way of lifting Rosie's confidence and self-esteem, all the while, there's an undercurrent of combustible chemistry sparking between them. So it's only a matter of time before they react to their attraction to each other only, all roads to a "Happily Ever After" tend to be bumpy and theirs is covered in rocks!

Rosie has "daddy issues". Thankfully our heroine eventually finds closure to this unfortunate issue which has held her back for far too long. Interestingly, it comes from an unexpected source and I liked this little twist of fate. Noah too has to face up to his serial one-date-only issues, which he does and it's Rosie's action which triggers him to face up to what has been holding him back. It proves they are meant to be together and leads to a more than satisfying ending.

The author has successfully written another hilarious and heart-warming romantic comedy filled with adorable characters and entertaining dialogue and it's my favourite Zara Stoneley novel!

Lastly and not least, an honourable mention to Hugo; for simply just been himself!

4.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***

I can always rely on Zara Stoneley to make me laugh and The First Date does exactly that! On her journey to learning about dating, Rosie finds herself in a lot of sticky situations that are described with a wonderful warmth and humour.

Rosie is our narrator and Stoneley has developed the narrative voice perfectly. She comes across as down to earth, bright and funny and this made me warm to her really easily and root for her as she tried to find her dating feet. The character of Noah is also well drawn and I loved the chemistry between Noah and Rosie.

There are some poignant moments and more serious themes in The First Date that gave me a lot of food for thought alongside the humour. Stoneley explores fidelity, self confidence and grief to name a few and I loved going on a journey with the characters as they came to terms with their histories.

The First Date by Zara Stoneley was a really cute romance. It took me a bit to get into but once I got into it I was hooked. Rosie and Noah were good characters and I really liked both of them. I enjoyed how this story unfolded and will be reading more from this author.

When Rosie get stood up she runs into Noah, who is a first date expert. He offers Rosie a crash course in dating and love however these lessons makes Noah very appealing to Rosie and that wasn’t the aim of the game.

A cute easy read.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I could not get into this novel. The internal dialogue of the heroine drove me crazy and once she meets Noah she doesn't stop talking nonsense. It was too much for having just met someone and it left the scenes feeling awkward and confusing. Just not as cute as I thought it would be.

What I Liked

-So. Much. Banter! I loved it! Rosie and Noah had such a great give and take and I smiled so much when reading their conversations. I also really enjoyed their growing friendship. I thought they complemented each other well and I definitely shipped them.

-I liked Rosie’s relationship with her mother. As I expect in a Stoneley book, the mother was a little zany, but she wasn’t quite as crazy as she could have been. I liked that her character showed a lot of growth in the story, as well.

-I was in the mood for something light and cute and The First Date was exactly that. Was it predictable? Sure. But, that didn’t hinder any of my enjoyment of the story.

What Didn’t Work for Me

-Rosie has daddy issues for days. Which is fine, but I just felt like it was brought up way too much. Her comparing Noah to her father or recounting how awful her father can make her feel about herself was brought up repeatedly in every chapter. Sometimes it felt like it came out of nowhere and didn’t really fit in context. It was a little disappointing because I found some of her issues with her father very relatable, but I was pretty over it by the end of the story. I also don’t feel like she really got any satisfying resolution to it.

Overall

Overall, I enjoyed The First Date. I loved Rosie and Noah together so much, especially their banter. I wish the daddy issues weren’t quite so prevalent, but I did like how those issues highlighted Rosie’s mother’s growth. I’m looking forward to reading more from Stoneley in the future.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

Oh my goodness...I want a Noah of my very own!! So enjoyed this book! Rosie was great. I wanted to kill her Dad though, but Noah! Noah stole my heart! I would definitely club Rosie over the head and steal him given half a chance! Loved Stoneley's writing style and would love to read more from her.

The book was a hit for me from the off. It was funny, enjoyable and easy to read. The book was well written and good fun. Great when your looking for some light reading

This was my very favourite kind of chick-lit. Easy to read without being vacuous, funny but not cheesy (except for some of Noah's one-liners!), with easily loveable characters. The story is one that's been told many times before, but it's still one of my favourites and Stoneley tells it exceptionally well. I'll definitely be looking up her other books after reading this. Seriously enjoyable read and perfect bit of escapism for lockdown.

The First Date is a fun, cheeky romantic comedy with heaping helpings of English charm. The amusing conversational narration is in first person present, which took a few pages to get used to.

Rosie is a candid, say-it-like-it-is, foot-in-mouth, awkward, and extremely likeable character. She is self-deprecating but not to a sense of unhealthy self-loathing. I loathed how her father’s betrayals affected her other relationships and sympathized with her struggles.

She fears romantic infatuation and isn’t searching for the heart beating out of chest kind of love or lust. She just wants a comfortable, reasonable, non-risky love. That’s what she tells herself anyway.
And, oh my, I adore Noah. He is a hilarious blend of the geek in Sixteen Candles and Hugh Grant’s character in Notting Hill. Witty, friendly, charming, and a bit of a flirt, Noah offers so much oomph to this story.

The First Date is a fun feel-good read with lively characters that are easy to root for.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
*This book contains some curse words and light sexual content.

From the moment of Rosie's first conversation with Noah, I knew this book was going to be a winner. Throughout their dialogue, verging in banter, is quick witted, amusing, and just really fun to read.

But yet Rosie and Noah aren't dating, they have only just met, and Noah in fact decided he will help Rosie on her quest to get her first, first date since she was a child sorted and give her the confidence to deal with it. They meet in a bar, just after Rosie is stood up from her Tinder date!

However Noah does have one flaw - he reminds Rosie far too much of her father, of which well lets say she has daddy issues to be resolved. And so what is obvious to the reader, is fought against internally by Rosie, as she tries to reason with herself!

I loved all of Noah's "lessons" for Rosie, in seduction, the scene in the lingerie shop is hilarious, oh there is a huge Great Dane that provides some amusement, there are friends and family to be met, and above all this book is just a whole lot of fun.

In fact this is exactly the sort of book for these troubled times, that will lift your spirits, perhaps remind you of your own first dates, and take you to happier times for a while. And who doesn't want a bit of fun, even between the pages of a book, while the world is such a doom and gloom place.

Another thoroughly entertaining story from Zara Stoneley, I can't wait for her next book.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

A quick easy light read. The characters for me needed a little more depth, too much self thought and dialogue, that kind of had me wondering where the story was going.
It’s a predictable tale as per the book preview. But the book just wasn’t quite for me and it too some effort to persevere and finish the book.
Thanks for the ARC

REVIEW | THE FIRST DATE, by Zara Stonely

This book has a cute premise. Girl goes on a date. Girls gets stood up on said date. Girl meets another boy while waiting for her date who offers to teach her the ABC of dating. You can all guess what happens next. It’s all fairly predictable but nonetheless an enjoyable trope.

I am giving this only two stars though because the writing wasn’t all that great - too much internal dialogue (with words like ha ha thrown in) and the narrative lacked structure and focus. Rosie’s thoughts were fun to read in places, but in others it was just too much and all over the place.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

If your favorite beverage was a book, The First Date by Zara Stoneley definitely was it! It was definitely my cup of tea! Ok, I drink Dr. Pepper, but cup of Dr. Pepper doesn't have the right sound to it.

What I liked:

I really liked the characters in this book. I know I say that over and over again in my review, but I love it when authors can make me like their characters. It's rough when you can't identify with the main character, but I could definitely relate to Rosie.


This book was like the movie He's Just not that into you and Sophie Kinsella's books combined. I seem to be on a roll with finding books that are like Sophie Kinsella. I love rom-com right now especially.

I did like Noah a lot. He was such a fun character and I liked how Rosie was able to be herself around him even though he was a stranger at first.

Rosie's mom and best friend were also good characters who tried to let Rosie relax.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like the fact that Rosie kept comparing Noah to her dad, because not every guy is going to be like one particular guy. I also learned that too several years ago, though it took me awhile. I liked how that was changed in the book.


It did take a bit to get into the book for some reason. I kept stumbling over the first chapter a couple of times, but that may have been because it was a PDF book originally and Netgalley recently changed it to Mobi/Epub file and I like those types of files best.


The First Date by Zara Stoneley was a five star read and I think it is a perfect book to pick up especially if you are looking for something light to read while in quarantine or working from home or whatever situation it is you are escaping from. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the chance to read this book! This had no impact on my opinions, my opinions are my own. If your favorite beverage was a book, The First Date by Zara Stoneley definitely was it! It was definitely my cup of tea! Ok, I drink Dr. Pepper, but cup of Dr. Pepper doesn't have the right sound to it.

What I liked:

I really liked the characters in this book. I know I say that over and over again in my review, but I love it when authors can make me like their characters. It's rough when you can't identify with the main character, but I could definitely relate to Rosie.


This book was like the movie He's Just not that into you and Sophie Kinsella's books combined. I seem to be on a roll with finding books that are like Sophie Kinsella. I love rom-com right now especially.

I did like Noah a lot. He was such a fun character and I liked how Rosie was able to be herself around him even though he was a stranger at first.

Rosie's mom and best friend were also good characters who tried to let Rosie relax.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like the fact that Rosie kept comparing Noah to her dad, because not every guy is going to be like one particular guy. I also learned that too several years ago, though it took me awhile. I liked how that was changed in the book.


It did take a bit to get into the book for some reason. I kept stumbling over the first chapter a couple of times, but that may have been because it was a PDF book originally and Netgalley recently changed it to Mobi/Epub file and I like those types of files best.


The First Date by Zara Stoneley was a five star read and I think it is a perfect book to pick up especially if you are looking for something light to read while in quarantine or working from home or whatever situation it is you are escaping from. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the chance to read this book! This had no impact on my opinions, my opinions are my own.

This book had a cute, if predictable, premise but I just couldn't keep reading it past 1/3 of the way through. The writing is all over the place in a way I haven't experienced before. It seemed jumbled and incredibly jumpy, like an ADD journey of constantly shifting tropes.

And the amount of internal dialog was just INSANE. I counted 12 pages straight of obsessive internal dialog that just spun in circles until I was completely bored.

I finally gave up. This book lacked originality, focused writing, and a clear narrative.