I'll admit that I was kind of apprehensive about this book because, while I absolutely loved The Hating Game, I really disliked 99 Percent Mine. There really was no need to be apprehensive though because this book was really cute and fun!

I liked Ruthie as a main character. She could sometimes be frustrating to read about since she tended to play things safe, and it's always frustrating to the the observer of conflict, but I overall found her to be a relatable character. Teddy was a good character and love interest, though he did sometimes feel more like a character than an actual person. I found him charming and endearing but he mostly didn't seem to have a while lot of substance behind that. Still, I liked him and the role he played in the book. The real MVPs are the Parlonis, but I don't want to spoil anything!

The plot was the kind that I will always fall for: a blend of romance, characters learning to be a little more daring and adventurous, sassy and witry dialogue, and a blossoming friendship. The turtles also helped.

This didn't get me like The Hating Game got me but I still really enjoyed it, and now I'm looking forward to another Sally Thorne book.

Another gem of a novel by Sally Thorne! If you love witty banter, tattooed men with hearts of gold, and cardigans then this romance is for you! Thorne is a master at writing characters that are so relatable that you wish you could meet them in real-life. Teddy and Ruthie were two characters that I'm not soon to forget.

Twenty-five year old Ruthie lives and works at Providence Retirement Villa (including the wealthy and eccentric Parloni sisters), and her quiet, boring life with the senior citizens suits her fine. After Prescott Development buys the retirement community, Teddy Prescott moves in next door to Ruthie. Teddy needs to prove to his family that he can keep a job, so he starts working as the Parloni Sisters’ errand boy. The arrival of Teddy and her new friendship with Mel inspire Ruthie to be young and fun again… and maybe fall in love?

This was my third Sally Thorne book, and The Hating Game is my favorite. While this was cute and fun, I do think it could have been better BUT maybe I’m wanting it to be the Hating Game. Ruthie was too hesitant and clueless for me - I needed her to be a little more confident from the beginning. I’m also not in to long hair and tattoos on guys, so Teddy wasn’t super appealing to. I think if you have no expectations, you’ll enjoy this.

Thanks to @NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for my ARC!

Sally Thorne’s third book is another satisfying romance novel. This one follows an uptight woman who works at a retirement community where she meets the owner’s irresistible son, and the two fall for each other. While this one wasn’t quite as sexy and fun as The Hating Game, it was still a fun romantic romp sure to satisfy romance readers.

This is now my favorite of Sally Thorne's novels. It is so sweet and humorous throughout. I felt sympathetic toward Ruthie with how her parents treated her and how she felt lonely and anxious so often. I enjoyed getting to know Ruthie, Teddy, and Melanie. Their dialogue and interactions were great! I especially loved the Parlonis and would have fun being like Renata when I'm that age. I like that thrift shopping was included, as well. Teddy was such a dreamboat and so likable the entire time.

The only minor issue I had was that I wasn't sure exactly where it took place. I know Sally lives in Australia, but the book had a US feel to it. Even though I associate Providence with Rhode Island, it could also be a town in other countries. It did leave the floor open for casting ideas though!

Overall, I loved this novel and have been recommending it as an uplifting and entertaining read.

Movie casting suggestions:
Ruthie: Kaitlyn Dever
Teddy: Chase Stokes
Melanie: Mikey Madison
Renata: Rita Moreno
Aggie: Christina Pickles
Rose: Brie Larson
Kurt: Will Poulter

This was a cute story - but a little light on the romance/love story actually in my opinion. Still it was a great read and while not as amazing as The Hating Game, Sally's previous smash, it was still good nonetheless. I found myself really liking the main and supporting characters and crying at the end of the book!

Everyone sees Ruthie Midona as an old soul. So it sort of makes sense that she feels most comfortable hanging out with the actual old folks who live at the retirement villa where she works. For the past six years she’s thrown herself into her job, sacrificing her own social life in the process. Her coworker notices this and wants to set her up, but Ruthie is reluctant.

Then by chance, Ruthie meets Teddy Prescott. The first time she meets him she doesn’t know who he is and vice versa. Suffice it to say, neither makes the best first impression. When their paths cross again, they are forced to revisit those impressions, and how they are perceived themselves.

If I’m being completely honest, I struggled with this book. The Hating Game was one of my all time favorites, but I sadly bailed on her second release, 99 Percent Mine. So for me, Second First Impressions is a fitting title as, in a way, it was the tie breaker of the two.

While this book was decidedly better than her sophomore release, I feel like nothing can or ever will measure up to The Hating Game. That’s not only a problem for readers, it also has to be a problem for some writers. I don’t envy being in the position of having such a big success right out of the gate and trying to live up to that hype.

That being said, I’ve tried to separate this book and judge it accordingly, and unfortunately it still falls short. If I could sum this story up in one word it would be “quirky”. It’s also a busy book with a lot going on and yet not a lot happening, all at the same time.

I would like to thank the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. It pains me to feel so lukewarm about an author that once brought me such joy, but Second First Impressions just didn’t leave the best impression on me.

This was a confusing one for me. I did grow attached the the characters and I was compelled to keep reading, but something about a lot of the dialogue was very odd to me. Particularly I found the tattoo parts to be inaccurate and cringy at times. I think this is a cute and soft story but the dialogue often felt unrealistic and pulled me out of the story. I would recommend it for a fun, light read but I didn’t love it.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t like The Hating Game but I wanted to give this one a chance and I’m so glad I did!! I loved Ruthie and Teddy’s story . Sally Thorne’s writing improved a lot since The Hating Game and I’m glad I decided to give her books another change.

3 STARS
While I didn't hate this book, I also didn't love it either. It was a pretty average read in my opinion

I started reading this book thinking it was going to be like The Hating Game (which I loved), but this just wasn't on the same level.

I liked the main characters, but I felt like the chemistry between Ruthie and Teddy was more platonic than romantic. My favorite characters were Renata and Melanie, Oh and the turtles!

thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.🐢

Second First Impressions feels like a warm hug from Sally Thorne, but it does suffer from its slowburn-to-haste structure.

Ruthie is the type of buttoned-up character that you just can't wait to see loosen up and embrace the wild card that has been thrown her way in the form of charming bad boy, Teddy. If anything Teddy is way too charming for this to have been SUCH a slowburn!

Their chemistry suffers from this pace and lends a more platonic feel to their relationship. They are both extremely likable people, but where was the spark, the energy, the electric connection? More energy was spent on the zaney residents of the retirement home than on their romance.

The last 10% of the book felt like switching from a horse-and-buggy joyride to a bullet train! Everything wrapped up too fast and nothing was given time to breathe. Ruthie's parental baggage felt underexplored and I wanted...just more from it all.

Teddy was my favorite part. His endearing awe-shucks, puppydog who wants all the pets and love vibe was everything! I wish I loved them more as a couple.

When an author’s debut is as well received as Thorne’s The Hating Game, the bar is set really high for their subsequent works. Unfortunately, Second First impressions fell short for me. A slow paced, quirky story involving unique characters felt more like a tale of a sweet friendship than a romance.
Ruthie, a twenty five year old works (and lives) in a retirement community. She lives and dresses much like the elderly residents. Teddy, an attractive motorcycle riding tattoo artist who needs money to open his own tattoo shop becomes an assistant to two cranky elderly women who love to try and embarrass him while doing their bidding. As these two get to know each other, Ruthie is challenged to step outside her comfort and Teddy is struggling to prove his worth to his family.
I did not feel the romance and so it was difficult to feel invested in this couple. The secondary characters, particularly the Parlonis sisters, were fun and entertaining however the story as a whole was unfulfilling.

This is a bit of a wacky premise that takes a bit to fully get into and understand, but I think this will appeal to a certain kind of reader. Anyone who is looking for a Hating Game sequel or readalike will be disappointed, and I personally struggled with this one just because I didn't like either of the characters. But this story has Thorne's trademark wit and wacky characters. Overall, a low stakes but fun read!

Second First Impressions By Sally Thorne
Publisher - William Morrow
Publish Date- 13 April 2021
Rating - 3/5 Stars

***Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and of course, Sally Thorne for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Thorne returns with another great Rom-Com! Second First Impressions follows Ruthie and Teddy, two complete opposites. Ruthie publicly enjoys her life as a worker at a retirement home and Teddy is a vagabond who as the son of the owner of the said retirement home, is forced into working for Ruthie. What comes is a beautiful story of friends to lovers, as both help the other become their best selves.

I absolutely loved the “sisters” (AND THE ENDING WHERE IT FINALLY CAME TO LIGHT THE TRUTH!) and whenever they were in the plot, it made the scenes! Seeing Ruthie overcome her fears and Teddy finally find something to fight for, is truly beautiful. Ruthie and Teddy prove you don’t fall in love with someone just physically, and what might be someone’s type can be interpreted in so many different ways.

The romance was a slow burn which was very well executed.


I have a few cons.

The book had a few points where the plot mentioned something and never had it happen. For example, Ruthie said she was going to call her father, and it never happened. I found the book to be VERY rushed by the end in order to tidy everything up. The ending could have been tidied up differently with more writing. The Sylvia plot came out of NOWHERE and I wish there was a bit more foreshadowing. I also wish there were more backstory explanations for both Teddy and Ruthie. I also wanted to see a reconciliation of sorts between her and her parents.

All in all, this is a solid book, I recommend it for fans of Sally’s other books and rom coms!

Second First Impressions is everything you want in a rom-com: a sweet story about opposites attracting, full of quirky characters, heartfelt moments, just enough conflict, and (mostly) happy endings. Is it as good as The Hating Game? No. But does it do its job? Absolutely. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, Thorne's greatest asset here is that she never tries to overreach. She's not trying to 'prove' herself as the next great literary master, she's just serving up a fun story. Consequently, the pacing is great because it's not bogged down with its own conceit. Instead, it accepts what it is and winds up as a solid example of the genre. I didn't have to skip over boring details, I just got to go along for the ride.

Sally Thorne’s third book, Second First Impressions, has been on my radar! I was a bit hesitant to read this because I adored The Hating Game, but wasn’t a fan of 99 Percent Mine. Second First Impressions is a sweet romance that explores taking chances, self discovery, community love, and finding happiness. I enjoyed the cast of characters in this storyline and seeing the character growth in the main characters. Though I enjoyed the storyline and hilarious side characters, I wasn’t a big fan of the main characters. I really love the banter and friendship all the characters had with one another, but I kind of felt that the relationship was forced between the two main characters. Towards the last quarter of the book, things seemed to wrap up too quickly. Other than that, I would recommend this novel if you loved The Hating Game!

The new Sally Thorne! Yay!!! Obviously I, like every other romance reader in the world, adore The Hating Game. It's the gold standard for contemporary romance novels and is, in fact, the gateway drug that even got me into this genre. I love that book with all my heart and for a while held it up as a comparison for every other book to meet. SO, this book (particularly after the somewhat disappointing 99 Percent Mine) had a lot of expectations to meet. And guess what? I loved it! It's not as perfect as The Hating Game (which, when reread, shows some flaws), but it is pretty awesome. The characters are loveable and interesting and make me want to get to know them more, the relationship has tension and chemistry, and the quirky little details are funny and help to flesh out a somewhat narrow narrative. There are a few moments that aren't perfect (a maybe rushed ending, some kind of disconnected writing in the beginning), but this is an excellent comeback book with great writing and main characters that I want to hug and call my friends. Definitely recommend, definitely will read again.

If you are looking for a quick read that is both funny and sweet, this book is for you. I really liked Ruthie, an administrator for a retirement community who at 25, was an old soul in manner and dress. Add in an hysterical sidekick temp, Melanie, and of course a love interest, the sexy but unreliable Teddy, and you have a book that captures your heart. Ruthie is fighting to keep the retirement community viable after the property is purchased by a developer, who turns out to be Teddy’s father. I recommend, as a great beach read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I know the question that’s on everyone's mind: is it as good as The Hating Game? (No doubt the most anxious-inducing question for an author who’s had a mega successful debut 😬)

My answer: this is a different book with a more contemporary feel. I felt the book was slow to start, but now half-way in I am really enjoying the well-fleshed out characters, balanced plot and the layers, symbolism and metaphors the author’s packed into the story. I really think Sally Thorne is an outstanding author; she really knows how to punch you in the gut with poignance and feels while delivering comedy at the same time.

A delightful, funny and fast read by Sally Thorne! Second First Impressions is like a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day. The humor, compelling characters and pacing of this novel make it a perfect beach read and a welcome break from this reader's typical historical fiction choices.

Twenty-five year old Ruthie is old before her time. Her clothes, her habits and her office job at the Providence Retirement Villa have combined to create an 80 year old in a 25 year old body. But her new temp, twenty something Melanie, is determined to change and makeover Ruthie. Add in a gorgeous, black sheep son of the new corporate owner and you have a recipe for the perfect Rom-Com.

The characters are so well developed in this novel you find yourself routing for their success. The elderly pair of Renata and Aggie provide the wisdom of their years in a combination of hysterically brash and sweet sentiments. This novel deserves to be adapted into a screenplay and could be a top Rom-Com on Netflix!