BOOK FEATURE

First Time for Everything ~ Henry Fry

When Danny Scudd’s relationship gets turned upside down and his roommates decide on starting a family, he is forced to start over - in an East London “commune.” Moving in with his best friend Jacob catapults Danny into new experiences in dating, work, and queer life - he’s even started therapy!

It isn’t long before Danny realizes that he might not have been living his life as his truest self. With the help of his new therapist, roommates, and mistakes turned into life lessons, he starts to face the truth for the first time. “This is a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider - for all of us who have gone through the joyful, excruciating, and necessary journey of discovering the people we were always meant to be.”

Have you ever been searching for an answer to who you are or just trying to navigate life? That’s exactly what Danny Scudd is trying to do. Danny is a queer male who is trying to figure out who he is and carve out his place in this world. Through events in the book he finds himself single and homeless then ends up moving in with his friend and starts on his path to self discovery.

This book was really well written, the characters were witty and very relatable. However there were so many side character that it became overwhelming at times for me to keep track of. This is not my go to book but I found it to be a really enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this funny, emotional, Bridget Jones’ style story! Danny has just discovered that he has an STI and the only way he could have one is if his boyfriend was cheating on him…which he was. Then he finds out that his roommate is pregnant and is going to turn his room into a nursery, so he’s forced to move in with his non-binary best friend, Jay. (The best character in the book, in my opinion!) Danny has to learn to deal with the new direction his life is taking and figure out where he’s going to go from here.

I think the author does a great job making Danny relatable as a 20-something trying to find their place in the world. After he finds himself homeless, single and not loving his career path, he starts going to therapy and doing the hard work of really figuring out who he is and what he wants out of life. This is a story about learning to love yourself before you can be loved and Danny’s journey to become the person he was meant to be. I was rooting for him the whole time! I also loved the LGBTQ representation, the brilliant cast of characters and the pop culture references.

Full of humor and heart, fans of Bridget Jones’ Diary will love this one! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for this copy to read and review.

Danny Scudd is a 27 year old queer man living with his friend Laura and her significant other. Danny finds out that his boyfriend gave him an STI. The same day he gets tested, he finds out Laura is pregnant and will need the spare bedroom that he currently resides in. Within days Danny is moving in with his best friend Jacob in the house full of people Danny hasn't ever really gotten to know. The story continues through Danny's journey of finding himself.

I loved the picture the author created with all of the LGBTIQA+ characters and atmosphere. It was very realistic. I did enjoy the character of Danny, but I found him to be a little annoying. He complained a majority of the book. I am glad that he found himself at the end of the story.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this delightful debut novel!

The best coming of age stories are ones that feel raw and awkward, just like people feel when they are trying to figure out who they are, and Fry’s novel meets that criteria. It’s funny and emotional and makes you cringe from secondhand embarrassment. I’ve seen many comparisons to Bridget Jones’s Diary but with a LGBTQ twist, and it definitely has that making-your-way-through-the-world-by-the-skin-of-your-teeth feel. What I think this does better is that it leans more into the self-love realm, with the romantic love taking a back seat. Don’t get me wrong - there are plenty of dating (and hook-up) hijinks, but it emphasizes the need to really accept yourself before finding love with another person, and that message is beautifully conveyed.

I did feel like the story suffered a bit by having too many characters. Despite being, well, kind of dicks to each other a lot, the main characters in this are all compelling and unique, and I loved getting to know them. But there were many, many side characters that were hard to keep track of and not defined quite enough. But I loved the glimpse into Danny Scud’s life and the chance to root for him that Fry gave me, and would definitely read more about him!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Henry Fry for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an absolute joy to read. I am probably not the target audience, being a 40 year old, white, straight, cisgendered American, but I should be.

Daniel Scudd is a small town gay guy in his late twenties, now out and living in London and he is completely oblivious to the world around him. Fry does a fantastic job making Daniel equally likable and profoundly pathetic in his attempts at relationshipping. From his toxic boyfriend to his non-binary best friend Jacob, Daniel slowly must come to terms with his past trauma and future desires.

Full of humor and heart, First Time For Everything is the perfect failure to launch story about finding your truth and embracing and loving that person first before committing yourself to someone else. I love the cast of characters that provide full representation and are perfectly imperfect. This book provided a clear window into the psyche of the LGBTQ+ community and their desires to be seen and accepted for whom they are.

I always wonder how an author chooses a book’s beginning. I’d really love to know here. From that point you know you are going to get an honest and unflinching story of a young and naive man trying to work his way through young adulthood. You know you are going to feel for him and want to give him a hug. You know he’s a mess. You really want things to go well for him. And you want to shake him and get him to wake up. There was a a lot in here that was a little too stereotypical. But gloss over that and a lot of the pop culture references to get to a deeper story.

First Time for Everything was a delightful read! Our main character, Danny, had me laughing from the very first page.

This was a story very much about identity, specifically in the LGBTQ+ community. Danny Fry is an aspiring journalist, has lived with his friend Laura and her boyfriend for 5 years. This is the life he’s used to. Suddenly he’s getting kicked out because Laura is pregnant, and his boyfriend he believed to be in a monogamous relationship with for year, quite possibly gives him an STI. What follows is Danny’s spiraling journey as he starts to navigate his new life with his AMAZING, queen non binary best friend, Jay. The friendships he forms, the discoveries he makes about himself through therapy (with the raddest therapist ever), and the overall ups and downs in Danny’s life really have you rooting for him, despite his many flaws. This story made me laugh, but it also made my heart swell with the amazing ensemble of characters. It’s truly a story about finding your place in the world.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy, and get your hands on one on 5/10!

I am so glad I came across this book, because it was lovely! The characters are well developed and the story really pulled me in from the start. The style reminded me a little of John Boyne, whose work i always love. Recommended!

Danny Scudd is gay. He knows it and doesn't hide it. But otherwise he is meek and tends to form himself to meet others' expectations of him. And for a long time he thinks this is just fine. Everything is just fine. But after a series of poorly timed events, Danny starts to realize he isn't who he wants to be and he is angry! Through the pages of the book, the reader follows along as Danny learns about himself, the good and the bad, and begins to find a place for himself in a world that isn't all that easy to live in. I loved the nuanced look at several very different characters who identify along the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. A solid reminder that you can't pigeonhole an entire gender identity or sexual preference into a cookie cutter stereotype. Also a good reminder to give others and yourself some grace as everyone has their own struggles.

Dannys life might have gone upside down and inside out but it turns out, all of it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened because finally, at the age of 27, he's going to become his best self. His friend and new roomie Jacob (a hoot), pushes Danny. who also works with a therapist to find his truth. This is not a coming of age story rife with trauma but a funny exploration of queer identity. I know I missed some of the UK pop culture references that will enhance this for others but it's still a fun read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice debut.

I wasn’t quite sure about this storyline but still wanted to give it a go. However, I DNF it as it did not capture my interest and . I didn’t care for the language or explicit language that as the reader you are immediately greeted with. To me that sets the tone for the novel, and it was one that I just didn’t care to read.

Thanks to net galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed the characters and overall plot. I appreciate that Danny did not end up with Raj or any character introduced, and that it wasn’t a perfect ending, but a good one that settled the reader. It read slow in bits but the characters are complex yet lovable.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It deals with quite a bit. In the beginning I had trouble following the story because so much was happening but as the story unfolded and Daniel's struggle with his identity and his deteriorating mental health made the flow of this book resonate a lot more. If you like LGBTQIA books that talk about real issues, mental health, therapy, figuring out who you are and unwrapping the roles that society has forced upon you then give this book a read. I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for letting me read this coming of age, light LGBTQIA romance novel before it's release in May.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book. I enjoyed the journey of self discovery for Danny as a 27 year old gay man living in London. I loved the group of friends that Danny makes in his new home and how much they helped with him coming into himself.

This had many great aspects that I hold in high respect. One of my favorite parts of the book was the way mental health was shown. Seeing a main character go to therapy? Amazing. Seeing them take responsibility for their actions? Even more amazing. It's rare that you see mental health displayed this way in media. I have so much respect for the way that Danny apologized for the way he acted when he was struggling and showed how he was working to get better. Mental health crisis' do not disappear over night but this book showing the steps you can take to get there was awesome.

Otherwise, the book was okay. It was not bad, it just wasn't my favorite. I think if I were a gay man, I would have found a lot more to love in this book. I loved learning about Danny and how he struggled. It was nice to see an MC who didn't have their life together that wasn't a woman. I feel that far too often in media we see "messy" female leads so having a male lead who didn't have it all together was refreshing in a way. That being said, I felt that a lot of the characters were comedically mean. The book read as almost a sitcom with the various ALL CAPS and the constant over the top struggles. It was a bit much at times and took me out of the story.

The cast of characters were beautiful. Having a non-binary best friend was so great. I loved how Danny became immersed in the LGBTQ+ community and we got to see so many wonderful people that way. It really showed the author's ability to write fun characters that are very realistic. I would have loved to learn more about them. It was so subtle the way he would talk about someone's sexuality or gender, it was so natural. I love when authors don't feel the need to throw in your face when a character isn't cis gender. I love when it's stated as a fact because you know they aren't doing it just to have diversity, but because it's authentic.

I think this book is for a certain audience and while I enjoyed much it had to offer, other people will most likely enjoy it more than me. Very thankful I had the chance to read it and I would absolutely read other works by this author.

I loved this cover and I loved this story! The representation was amazing, as well as the many Queer references throughout. There are quite a few characters in this book but I still really loved it.

Little known fact about me, but in college, many of my friends compared me to Bridget Jones. To this day, I have no freaking clue if this is a good or bad thing (because I've yet to actually watch Bridget Jones) but I know that I couldn't wait to dive into this one after reading the summary.

From Goodreads: Danny Scudd is absolutely fine. He always dreamed of escaping the small-town life of his parents' fish-and-chip shop, moving to London, and becoming a journalist. And, after five years in the city, his career isn't exactly awful, and his relationship with pretentious Tobbs isn't exactly unfulfilling. Certainly his limited-edition Dolly Parton vinyls and many (maybe too many) house plants are hitting the spot. But his world is flipped upside down when a visit to the local clinic reveals that Tobbs might not have been exactly faithful. In fact, Tobbs claims they were never operating under the "heteronormative paradigm" of monogamy to begin with. Oh, and Danny's flatmates are unceremoniously evicting him because they want to start a family. It's all going quite well.

Newly single and with nowhere to live, Danny is forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, a flamboyant nonbinary artist whom he's known since childhood, and their eccentric group of friends living in an East London "commune." What follows is a colorful voyage of discovery through modern queer life, dating, work, and lots of therapy--all places Danny has always been too afraid to fully explore. Upon realizing just how little he knows about himself and his sexuality, he careens from one questionable decision (and man) to another, relying on his inscrutable new therapist and housemates to help him face the demons he's spent his entire life trying to repress. Is he really fine, after all?

I really enjoyed this book. Danny's voice is dry-humor, sarcasm, and enigmatic energy all rolled into painfully real scenarios that will tug at your heart. From page one, I was laughing, and I loved seeing how Danny interacted with his friends, family, and co-workers while navigating his own personal issues. This isn't just a feel good book (although it will make you feel good). Fry addresses pressing social issues with care and candor, illuminating identity, mental health, gender stereotypes, and sexuality--as well as the importance of transitional periods, no matter the age.

Overall, First Time for Everything is an entertaining, enlightening read with heart, soul, and wit. You won't want to miss this one.

Big thanks to Ballantine for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Danny Scudd could have been me. He is a queer man living in a mostly heterosexual world that has his entire life shifted by embracing his queerness and the LGBTQ+ community. He knows his relationship with his boyfriend is not working, simply because the energy investment is wildly uneven, and his professional life is not going much better. When his living situation abruptly shifts and he's taken in by his brilliantly flamboyant friend, Jacob, he is forced out of his comfort zone and finally sees that happiness is possible.

Watching Danny's journey to come into himself was oddly personal for me, as I reflected on my own travels out of the closet into my own. Henry Fry does a masterful job conveying the anxiety Danny is experiencing in this hilarious and moving debut novel. I appreciated the refreshing honesty, as well as the frank approach to discussing mental health issues and therapy. More than that, I appreciated that Danny was not a perfect character. He had his flaws and they were called out as things to work on.

I read this book in two days because I could not put it down. The British slang/euphemisms took me some time to get used to, but I thoroughly enjoyed them by the end of the book. I loved the relationship between Danny and Jacob, especially as they navigated growing apart and yearning to reestablish an important friendship. I'm also a sucker for a novel that has a slightly prickly character going into a situation hard set against making friends and then slowly being pried out of their shell.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for the opportunity to read this early, it’s great appreciated!

I’m honestly not sure how I feel about First Time for Everything… While I felt bad for Danny, he’s got the worst luck with his cheating boyfriend, subsequent STI thanks to Tobbs infidelity, and eviction… I didn’t like him? I did however think the book was hilariously written, and a great debut by Fry, I just didn’t mesh with Danny at all.