Second First Impressions is a slow-burning and freaking adorable romance I devoured over the weekend. In her mid-20s living and working at an aged care facility, Ruthie's only sexual experience happened on prom night. That is until the boss' son, Teddy, moves next door to work as an assistant for two elderly residents until he saves up enough to become part-owner of a tattoo shop. Second First Impressions is Footloose (Reverend's daughter mesmerised by the new tattooed bad boy who's really a sweetheart) meets The Flatshare (probably my favourite slow-burn romance).

Let me list all of the things I loved about this book. Firstly, the characters. I loved seeing Ruthie's character grow from timid to brave. I found her and her developing relationship with Teddy to be so refreshing and honest. Then there's her supportive colleague, Mel - their friendship was so heartwarming. The addition of the boisterous elderly residents, Aggie and Renata, was the icing on the cake. The only thing that would have pushed this to 5 stars for me was hearing from Teddy's perspective. He was such a caring, protective and misunderstood guy and I wanted (slash need) more.

Anyway, I'm done gushing now. But seriously, do yourself a favour and check out Second First Impressions if you're searching for a wholesome and heartwarming romance.

Eternally thankful to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the ARC, but this rave review is all my own.

I saved up Sally Thorne’s Second First Impressions to read on my birthday weekend, but unfortunately binged it all in one sitting lol.

The story starts with our heroine, Ruthie of the grandma chic and Teddy with his beautiful locks and feckless air making terrible first impressions of each other. They are soon forced to work (and live) together as Ruthie’s job at a luxury nursing home community is threatened by Teddy’s real estate developer family.

I felt so much sympathy for Ruthie’s fear of change but also admired her determination in taking steps to do so despite her introversion and traumatic past. She’s such an old soul and really just a kind person that I wanted the world for her.

I liked that Teddy recognised her worth under all the shyness and made an effort to draw her out (often with silliness). Once Ruthie was comfortable with him, the banter was great fun with good-hearted snark. It also was so adorable to watch Ruthie being unwillingly charmed by Teddy’s quirky, weird and oddly sweet personality (and HOT bod lol).

The whole cast of characters in this book was compelling! I really enjoyed the MCs interactions with all the secondary characters, from the Parlonis to Melanie Sasaki, the temp turned trusted friend. They really added a fantastic depth and dimension to the story.

I adored this charming, emotional and quirky, quirky book.

Picked this up immediately after The Hating Game and loved it just as much. Sally Thorne is a master at writing fun, relatable and awkward romantic moments that have you in your feels.

I received an ARC copy of this book and was super excited because I, like so many others, loved "The Hating Game".

"Second First Impressions' was super sweet and Sally Thorne's imagination conjured up a setting that hasn't been used a great deal in fiction. Come to think of it, I have never read a romance set in a retirement village. It is a charming idea, and my mind immediately went to the comfort of the home that my grandparents lived in before they passed.

However, in the charm and safety there comes a lack of excitement. Granted excitement isn't something you would expect to find in a story set in a place like this, but "Second First Impressions" felt a little too much on the comfortable and safe side. I didn't feel any sense of urgency to read the book as quick as I could to find out what was going to happen, even though I didn't find it a hard read or have a sense of annoyance about it. Ruthie was a lovely leading lady and relatable, but Teddy as the leading man never really screams chemistry between the two of them. The tension between the two doesn't come across well.

"Second First Impressions" is a charming and very easy book, almost frustratingly so.

What I love about Sally Thorne's writing is that whenever I pick up one of her books I know I'm going to get swept up into a fun story. It may not be serious, or all that close to reality, but it's usually a hell of a good time, and Second First Impressions definitely falls into that category. 

Ruthie is currently the acting manager of a retirement village that's on the brink of redevelopment. Her boss is on holiday and out of contact, the residents are quirky (to say the least) and she's fighting to protect an endangered species of turtle that lives on the retirement village grounds. Her ordered life is thrown out of whack when Teddy Prescott is handballed into it, and she sees the perfect opportunity to foist him off onto two of her most eccentric residents who need an assistant - it's the perfect way to keep her ordinary life ordered and Teddy out of her way... until he surprises her in a way she never expected.

Up front, I have to say I have never found a character more like me than Ruthie, and in a lot of ways that made me uncomfortable... but also relieved? Ruthie isn't one to step outside her comfort zone, doesn't really know where or how to start dating (despite the encouragement from her temp assistant) and doesn't welcome disorder - in the form of Teddy - to her scheduled existence. But she's a character who begins to see the need to change up her routine, to live a little and to maybe find out that there's more to life than just her job.

Teddy is a funny kind of hero in a romance book. For the longest time I didn't know quite what to make of him. As the blurb suggests, he appears to be allergic to doing any kind of work, and yet he's desperate to make his dream of owning a tattoo parlour a reality, even if that means working for two very demanding elderly women. He's also very attracted to Ruthie and wants to shake up her life and make her fall for him, even if that means secretly sabotaging her online dating efforts. Ruthie and Teddy are opposites - one ordered, one slightly chaotic, and it was fascinating to read how their interactions with one another changed over time as they started to share what was truly important to them.

Beyond the romance, the heart of the story really does come from the side characters, especially the elderly residents of the retirement village. They provide so much humour and levity, while also the more serious topic of ageing  and love that has long been unacknowledged by the community.

Sally Thorne has a very easy to read writing style, quirky characters and a fun premise that is sure to make it a favourite for many.

So sweet. This was my first Sally Thorne novel. I requested it from NetGalley and figured I'd get a light fluffy romance. Then my NetGalley sent me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review. When I needed something light I started reading it. And it was light and lovely. And yet, someone when I got to the end, this book had not just been a romance, but a journey of growth, friendship and discovery. It challenged Ruthie's preconceptions, and presented the kind of characters you don't often see in romance, including old people as strong, lovely secondary characters. And, the cherry on this sundae is the epilogue doesn't ruin ruin everything, or make me regret not just stopping on the last page. I highly recommend this book. I may have cried just a little near the end, and I certainly laughed quite a lot throughout.

I absolutely loved this book! I went into it not really knowing what to expect, and was given a heartfelt romance full of humour and emotion.

Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I had to keep reading, and thus finished it in one sitting.

Sally Thorne is a fantastic author and I'm a huge fan of her writing style. It flows so naturally and is extremely easy-going to read.

I definitely recommend picking this one up if you like quirky contemporary romances.

Thank you to Hachette for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

I enjoyed this novel about 25 year-old Ruth, who works in a retirement village (and also resides in a nearby unit on the premises). The residents of the village mean a lot to Ruth, and she very rarely leaves the place, meaning she has no social life, unless you count being the founder of an online fan club for a tv show that Ruth love as social interaction.
Teddy Prescott is the step-son of the owner of the retirement village and he begins work as an attendant to two of the elderly residents.
It isn't long before he becomes friends with Ruth and when he puts on the charm, she is quick to fall. She realises that there is more to life than the way that she spends her days, but she is reluctant to change from the safe way of living that she has grown.
The two hit it off and much of the novel is spent in their whirl of romance as they get to know each other. Teddy is a tattoo artist and has a lot of tattoos, and this is mentioned many, many times throughout the story (as is his long dark hair), to the point where I felt like, ok, could we just move on from his tattoos and hair already?!
It was an over all easy and fun read, but could've been a little more polished in some places to take it that little bit further from a good book to a great one.

Giggle out loud funny and totally heartfelt is what this latest offering from Sally Thorne promises to give.

And boy does it ever deliver!

This book is attraction, and tugs at heartstrings, and intrigue, and conflict. And everything you want in romantic fiction.

And I love the message of letting the past go, letting people be who they are - not what you want them to be, and taking a leap of faith to get what you want.

It was perhaps a little repetitive in its descriptions of Teddy. His eye colour and physique and tattoos are mentioned quite a bit, and it became a little grating after a while.

Thank you to Sally Thorne, Hachette Australia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘By the time I leave here, you’ll have someone.’

Meet Ruthie Midona: she is twenty-five and works at the Providence Luxury Retirement Village where she is the live-in manager. Ruthie is devoted to her work and is a dedicated protector of the endangered golden bonnet tortoises living in the village’s gardens. There is not a lot of excitement in Ruthie’s life. Her temporary co-worker, Melanie Sasaki, decides to help Ruthie get into the dating scene. The Sasaki Method involves several stages, and Ruthie’s really not sure whether she wants to participate.

Two of the village’s more eccentric residents, Renata and Agatha Parloni seek Ruthie’s assistance in employing a new male assistant. They are tough taskmasters: none of their assistants has lasted for more than a week.
Enter Teddy Prescott, the son of the property developer who has just bought the retirement village. He is a good-looking young man with an intriguing past. The Parlonis employ him, his father allows him to stay in the retirement village (in accommodation adjoining Ruthie) and life becomes interesting. Teddy is not going to be staying long, and Ruthie (although she finds him attractive) does not want to become attached to someone who will soon move away.

In the meantime: what will the property developers do with the retirement village, why won’t Sylvia (Ruthie’s boss who is currently on holiday) respond to Ruthie’s messages, and what is the secret that makes the Parlonis sad? Will Ruthie be able to step outside the constraints she lives her life within, and will Teddy ever meet his family’s expectations?

While the ending was all a little too neat for me, I enjoyed the story. Ms Thorne has combined interesting characters, several important life issues, and romance, all delivered with warm humour.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This book was an interesting read. The characters were quirky and the plot line was interesting. I found the character of Teddy kind of far fetched and difficult to believe. I felt that the main character, Ruthie, was much more complex. This is a story about 25 year old Ruthie who lives at and manages a retirement village. She lives her life as if she is one of the retirees. Ruthie begins to change when she gets involved with a young man called Teddy. Teddy’s family own Ruthie’s retirement village. This is not a stock standard book from this genre. It is interesting and quirky and not easily forgotten. Thanks to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel l

Second First Impressions has been one of my most anticipated books of 2021, so I was over the moon to receive and advanced copy.

This book is more in the vein of The Hating Game (one of my most loved, most reread books of the past 5 years)

Ruthie and Teddy have that push/pull thing going on (though why anyone would want to push him away is beyond me lol). I adored him completely. It took me a little bit to warm up to Ruthie, but as the book moved along she really grew on me. At first I wanted to reach in and pull the stick out of her butt (though I think her co-worker Melanie was already working on that for me).

The residents of this retirement community will keep you on your toes - though there is something revealed that felt unnecessary, and maybe just thrown in as an afterthought? But this could just be me.

And again, this just being me, I didn't feel the relationship between Teddy and his family. Am I supposed to hate them? Feel ambivilent? I just didn't know what

This is a lot of two steps forward, one step back. I enjoy a slow burn, but this seemed like it was never going to get there for a while!

Whilst this is not the dizzying heights of The Hating Game (and let's face it, that is always going to be a big thing to live up to), Second First Impressions was enjoyable and sweet story that I will read again in the future.

This was an absolute delight to read. I loved all of the characters and became totally involved in their lives to the point where I am missing them now I have finished the book.

I defy anyone not to love Teddy, full name Theodore, the meaning of which is Gift of the Gods. He is definitely a gift to womankind! His relationship with Ruth is so much fun although there are tears in there too. Most of the characters are endearingly quirky and there is a lot of humour along the way. The turtles were cute too!

Nicely written, loveable characters, good story. Recommended to anyone looking to read a satisfying romance and/or discover a new book boyfriend.

After the greatness that was The Hating Game and the far inferior 99% Mine, I wasn’t too sure what to expect with Second First Impression. From the blurb, it sounded like an enemies turned lovers book much like The Hating Game but what we actually got was almost completely different.

Second First Impression ultimately is a book about two people who think they’re different but once they get to know each other, they’re exactly the same. And boy, they get to know each other really quick. It’s love at first sight for Ruthie and Teddy and a lot of the book is spent in this weird limbo, where they want each other but no! They’re too different! He’s leaving soon! This will never work – and I feel like this goes on for too long. Buuut… Ruthie and Teddy were pretty hot together I can’t deny that. There’s just something about the use of the good girl/bad boy trope that made the book really charming and addictive to read.

While the romance was a bit of a let down, I won’t deny there was a lot of chemistry and not just between Ruthie and Teddy. Thorne’s written in an amazing set of characters – my personal favourite is Melanie, Ruthie’s sassy half Japanese co-worker. Honestly, the interactions between the Parlonis (the eccentric pair living in the retirement village) and everyone else made my day.

The best part of the book is easily the writing. It captured Ruthie’s longing for connection amazingly well and it was heartbreaking to read about how she was unable to move out of the safe little bubble of Providence. All of this is why Second First Impression isn’t really a romance but rather a story about how the people in our lives help us grow and become the people we want to be, the best person we can be.

* 4.5 stars!

"Distraction (n): Something that turns your attention away from something you want to concentrate on. See: Teddy Prescott.

Ruthie Midona is twenty-four (going on ninety-four) and fully committed to her job at a luxury retirement village. Keeping herself busy caring for the eccentric residents means that Ruthie can safely ignore her own life - what little there is of it.

Teddy Prescott is practically allergic to a hard day's work. When he rocks up as the retirement village's newest employee, Ruthie is less than impressed. The last thing she needs is a distraction as irritating (and handsome) as this selfish rich kid.

Lucky for Ruthie, her favourite pair of mischievous residents need a new assistant to torture . . . so she hands over Teddy, ready for them to send him running.

Except Teddy may be about to surprise her - not just by surviving the old women's antics, but by charming Ruthie so much, she starts to remember that there's more to life than work . . . Could Teddy be far more than simply an unwelcome distraction?"



What can I say? I absolutely LOVED this book. The way that the characters developed throughout the novel and their unexpected depth absolutely kept me hooked. Ruthie and Teddy are SO sweet. I also really loved Melanie's character - I found her to be super relatable and reminded me of so many of my friends (particularly with her Sasaki method!). This story will make you laugh, tear up, pull at every heart string and has just the right amount of spice. This one is definitely going on my comfort-shelf and one I will definitely be re-visiting. Do yourself a favour - read it.

What a sweet, emotional and funny story. This took me places I wasn’t expecting. The dichotomy of Teddy’s tough guy appearance and his lovable personality was really endearing. I also really enjoyed watching Ruthie grow as a person and learn about herself. The residents of Providence were hilarious and added a great flavour to the story. All in all this was a sweet romantic ride involving self discovery and courage. Very enjoyable read.

Second First Impressions was a cute and relaxing read, perfect for those of us who need to unwind after a stressful day at work. The characters were likeable enough and those who I didn’t initially warm up to in the beginning, grew on me by the end.

Whilst I did like Second First Impressions, overall, it was “average” for me. I skim read bits and pieces but luckily the story picked up halfway through and I really enjoyed Ruthie and Teddy’s relationship! Second First Impressions is about Ruthie, a girl working full time at a Providence Luxury Retirement Villa, a retirement home for the rich. Her job is her life and she rarely leaves the retirement home. Her friend decides to convince her to start a dating profile, go on dates and have a social life – which Ruthie begrudgingly agrees to – however the plan is obviously thwarted by the appearance of Teddy Prescott, the charming tatted son of the new owner of Providence who takes an interest in Ruthie (and who Ruthie is obviously attracted to as well!).

Ruthie’s growth throughout the book was impressive; she started off as a girl with no dream and afraid of change. I was glad she opened up slowly thanks to the combined efforts of all the side characters! I wish Teddy’s character had been developed better; I understand he had a terrible childhood, but a lot of his past was touched on, but I just wish I got a fuller picture of him as a person. I suppose this is a it’s-not-you-it’s-me moment, but I didn’t feel I entirely understood him. I also thought the ending was too convenient, with everyone just suddenly going “Oh I forgive you now, let’s be family again”.

Overall Second First Impressions was fun and entertaining, and I can’t wait for more from Sally Thorne!

Very very slow pace. It takes me some effort to continue reading as nothing much happens for the first half of the book. Sassy Renata is definitely my favourite in the book. However, I do love how Ruthie crush on TEddy develop into romance. It's nice to see 2 people getting to know each other before going into a serious relationship.

Ruthie Midona is the girl next door, 24, dressed like a nana and lives with the elderly in a luxury retirement village. She’s always done everything by the book and she constantly goes above and beyond to look out for her residents. Brought up in an extremely religious home the village is her escape and independence.

Then we have polar opposite Teddy Prescott. Never worked a hard day in his life. Product of an affair with a millionaire Teddy’s spent his life fighting to be noticed and accepted by his family and everlasting step sisters. Teddy has to pay his dues and work at his fathers regiment village, his end game is having enough money to buy half of a tattoo shop.

Ruthie isn’t impressed about having Teddy there, he’s now her new neighbour and the last thing she need is a distraction from a selfish rich kid, did I mention he is absolutely gorgeous and covered in tattoos? The residents flock to Teddy and he wins them over instantly. Ruthie notices his charm and starts to relax for the the first time in her life.

Nor Teddy or Darcy have ever felt this way before, but is it worth risking everything for love?

When do I sign up for a Teddy Prescott? My friends you’re well aware of my like for bad ass tattooed men with long hair (The Viking, if you don’t know who the Viking is you must be living under a rock) This hit different to the hating game and I freaking loved it! Sally Thorne is definitely an auto-buy author for me.

Sally Thorne has done it again guys! This book was so sweet and such an absolute joy to read. Once I picked it up I struggled to put it back down. The characters were so loveable. And I love that the tortoises played a decent role in the book because they are amazing animals.