I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was expecting, I didn’t bond with Rosie, I found her constant father issues rather draining.
Just wasn’t my cup of tea unfortunately.

I really enjoyed this novel, it was light and easy to read. This was the prefect timing for this novel for me! Definitely recommend if this is what you're looking for.

Received an ARC from Netgalley.

Disappointing. Such a great premise but poorly executed. Under-developed characters. Too much focus on the heroine and her daddy issues. A story which meanders all over the place. An underwhelming denouement. I didn’t particularly like either of the characters and I became bored very quickly. I only finished it because it was an ARC and I needed to review it. 2 stars

This is the first Zara Stoneley book I have read and to be honest, I struggled through it. I found it quite predictable. Wasn't really for me.

***I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

I dived right into the book because the storyline seemed funny and relatable. A newly single girl finds herself struggling to enter the world of dating and new love. Right from page 1, this book had me laughing and held my interest. Rosie's character was so relatable and charming. I instantly fell in love with her witty banter with Noah, but I almost wish we had more dialogue. This would have been a great book to tell from both perspectives, but I don't feel like anything was missing from the story without Noah's side.
While I loved Rosie, I did find myself getting frustrated that so much of the story was focused on her dad. Her relationship with her father is a major plot point, but it almost felt like it took away from her relationship with Noah. The ending felt a bit rushed and I would have liked another chapter or two, but overall this was a fun read.

Rosie's long term boyfriend has broken up with her and moved on. She's determined to get back on the dating scene and tries an app. Her date, Gabe, stands her up and she ends up meeting Noah. He is gorgeous, a charmer, a ladies man. He's super flirty and handsome - he couldn't possibly be interested in Rosie! He somehow convinces Rosie that he is going to teach her how to be seductive so she can get more dates. She starts to fall for him (of course) but he's a serial first dater and Rosie is desperate to find a nice guy willing to commit. She can't trust a man like Noah because he's just like her father. Her father is a touring musician that perpetually cheats on her mother. Will she end up with Noah? Or will Noah just be her teacher or will she one her heart to him?

It was a quick read, and despite the fact that this was predictable and Rosie was a bit annoying, it wasn't bad. It's was ok. It had potential but to be honest, he wasn't that charming and their banter was lacking any real chemistry. Also, everything was a little too tidy and it was like 2 degrees of separation with all the characters, despite them not knowing each other previously.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and Netgalley for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Rosie had broken up with her longtime boyfriend and was in a bit of a slump when she chatted up a guy on an online service and they arranged to meet. The guy ghosted her but she came to the attention of Noah, who offered to teach her how to seduce a guy. Noah, it seems, is first dater, i.e. he generally only dates someone once and that's it. He has no intention of getting serious with anyone.

Thus begins a series of "fake" dates. Yes, we know where this is going but it's quite cute and sweet and as a reader I found both of the characters quite endearing. So feel free to join the ride and experience of this budding romance.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars.

Rosie has broken up with her boyfriend for some time now and she is ready to start dating again, the problem is that she has been in an actually date before.

Enter Noah, they meet at a bar while she is waiting for her date, they spend their night talking and getting to know each. Which brings him to offer to give her lessons in dating, he is a master in it after all.

The lessons seemed more like dates than lessons but they both refused to see it, which was fun.

Rosie had a lot of insecurities most of them came from her relationship with her father, she constantly compared Noah and his actions with her dad, which I didn't think was fair, especially since she did it from the beginning without really knowing him. This held her back in many occasions.

Noah doesn't like being in a relationship, he only goes to first dates. He seemed very secretive and didn't opened up to Rosie. His thoughts are keeping him from taking a step forward.

*I received an arc from One More Chapter through Netgalley.

Rosie arranged to meet someone in a bar through tinder, however they did not show. Instead she talks to Noah, who offers to teach her how to talk to men and to get dates. Rosie has issues due to her philandering father giving her trust issues and Noah has sworn off romance and instead sticks to one night stands.
I did struggle with this book at first, how've I did start getting into it as the story developed. There is definitely something along the lines of When Harry met Sally, can a man and a woman be friends without romance getting involved between them? With touches of humour, some plot twists and the inevitable romantic touches I ultimately grew to enjoy the story.
Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley, however this did not influence my review.

Having seen a friend’s review for this book, I decided to request it. It sounded right up my street and given the way things are at the moment, I needed a rom-com that was fun, witty and fast paced and ‘The First Date’ didn’t disappoint.

This story follows the character of Rosie and her desire to get onto the dating scene, after her first real love left her! She decides to step out of her comfort zone, by signing up to do some online dating, in the hope that it will bring her a new love interest. She bags herself a potential new man, arranging with him their first date, but he doesn’t show up.

Cue the confident Noah’s entry - a serial dater, a womaniser and a major flirt. Whilst, he is content with his ‘one date only’ lifestyle, Rosie wants a secure, stable guy to give her the happy ending she craves. He and Rosie end up befriending one another and he offers to teach her how to gain some confidence; how to choose the right guy; how to chat them up; how to date and everything else that comes with it. Sceptical and reluctant, at first, Rosie eventually agrees to his crazy offer of being her teacher and matchmaker.

The back stories of each character is revealed throughout the novel and it creates that depth to each of them, making them relatable and believable. The chemistry between this pair is undeniable and it makes the reader want more; thus enticing and daring you to read just one more chapter.

A fun read that will leave you wanting more when it ends.

Rosie, the main character, ends up at a bar hoping to meet up with an online date and dip her toes into the online dating world for the first time. She doesn't end up meeting up with her intended date, but instead a man named Noah who has had a checkered dating past himself and dubs himself a serial first dater and will teach her the ropes of casual dating. As this is a romance book, the reader knows that this story will only end with a happy ending, but there will be some bumps and bruises along the way.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. There were a few moments in the book where I felt as though the story was going in circles and getting a little repetitive, but the characters more than made up for it. Rosie was just great. I could believe that she had really not been deep in the dating world ever and was tentative about all things dating. Noah was a great antithesis. Although it took awhile to get to the heart of Noah and find out why he was the way he was, I still enjoyed learning about him and the journey.

This is my second Zara Stoneley read and I liked the other one better, but I would still continue to read her stories as they are great, easy reads to pepper between the heavy ones or the mind boggling mystery/thrillers that I read.

Even if I found some parts quite funny I was expecting more humor. I didn't connect to the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I have previously loved Zara’s books and this one was a lovely quick romantic interlude , I enjoyed the fun hero and the development of of the relationship was satisfying but there are only so many times you can crowbar in the daddy issues into a light frothy story like this before it starts to grate. There was just a tad too much and with no real pay off of a proper exorcism of all that angst that it seemed superfluous and as such meant there was less meaningful development of Noah’s personality away from love guru./ teacher extraordinaire.

Good but not up to the high standard I have come to expect.

This book was all over the place. The main female protagonist had severe daddy issues. The main male protagonist wasn't redeeming in any way. There was seriously nothing remotely attractive about him besides his looks. The characters weren't likable, the plot was meandering, and I spent most of the book wondering why I should continue reading it. Not recommended.

Oh man, I wanted to like this story so much more than I actually did. I just didn't feel the connection between the main characters and didn't really find the humor that funny. It was ok but not great. Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not find the book that interesting. I feel it lacked originality and a spark, at least for me. It liked it, but I just didn't love it like I thought I would

After long term boyfriend Robbie goes off to find himself, Rosie sets out online dating only when she gets stood up by Gabe, she meets handsome, witty, charmer Noah.



Rosie and Noah have a connection all through the book but thanks to Rosie's player dad she won't let herself fall for Noah thinking he'll turn out like her dad and hurt her too.



Her dad, is a cheat plain and simple and her mum is fabulous at the end of the book as is Noah and his friends as Gabe turns up in a random shocking way! Noah also had a hidden depth behind getting close to Rosie after past losses from loving someone alike his best friend Jed and was really moving bringing them closer together.



I rooted for Rosie and Noah a fabulous couple from the start I was hooked on this book!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Three and a half stars.

Rosie is that staple of romantic comedies, the frumpy woman who works in a bookshop. She and her long-term boyfriend have split up and she is trying to dip her toes in the dating pool but is totally clueless. When she gets stood up by her Tinder date she gets talking to an irritating guy at the bar, an obvious player, and he offers a crash-course in seduction to give her the confidence to chat up guys.

Noah is a charming architect, he loves first dates but second and third not so much. He thinks he would be perfect as a seduction guru: encouraging Rosie to buy clothes that make her feel good, rather than just for comfort and convenience; giving her tips about they way men think; teaching her to feel fear and do it anyway.

I enjoyed this but I found it dragged on a bit and I thought Noah's advice was mildly demeaning, pretty underwear makes you feel pretty, let men order you a drink because it makes them feel good etc. Overall, if you are looking for a makeover romance this is a fun read but it didn't feel different enough to catch my imagination.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I read about 4 chapters before I stopped. What I did read was predictable and boring. I guess I'm not much of a chick lit fan.

Stoneley has done it again. She’s dragged me straight into an escapism read and all thought of my empty cupboards and hungry kids faded under the weight of her words.

Rosie, dumped by her ex and 8 months in the wilderness of the dating desert, she’s also let down by her first Tinder. In walks Noah. Noah, who has his own troubles, offers to teach her some lessons on how to nab her dream man. Fun, frolics and lots of laughs later… well read the book.

Light. Funny. Well written. And just what was needed today. Now what am I going to feed the kids for tea!