Burnt by the dating scene, burnt out from the idea of dating apps and burning with the desire to find that *real* love connection.

Sound familar? To me, it sounds like The Ghost of Kaley's Dating Past 😅. It also happens to be where my girl Helen is at when we meet her in the opening pages of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆.

The debut novel from writer and dating expert Hayley Quinn, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 follows budding baking blogger Helen Pines as she navigates single life and dating after your twenties. Helen has grand ideas about love and finding *that* perfect guy. She thought her ex might have been just the ticket, but after stringing her along for ages and leaving her high and dry, his engagement to someone else is all over social media.

Helen's left feeling like "the one before The One." And maybe a flawed one at that? Is she the roadblock keeping her from the man of her dreams? After gentle prodding from her loved ones, Helen joins Connex (think Tinder) and takes to the web in search of The One. Almost immediately she matches with cute, funny and successful Brody. Their attraction is quick and mutual, leaving both of them eager for a second date.

(I just need to add here that evidence suggests that Helen's saucy nonagenarian Nanny G also joined Connex, and may have had even more success than Helen 😂. Nanny G is hands-down the supporting star of this book.)

Helen is practically bouncing with optimism after such a promising first date. But, because a story isn't a good story without a few hiccups, the technology gods wreak havoc on her happiness almost immediately. After a sever crash, all of the user data on Connex is gone. No saved chats, no connections preserved, nadda. And who thinks to exchange numbers anymore, in this age of social media and messaging apps?

Not Helen.

Left with nothing but a screenshot of his dating profile and the feeling that this could really, truly be The One, Helen gathers as many breadcrumbs from their date as possible and utilizes her trusty friends and the pervasiveness of social media to find her way back to Brody.

The search is on!

As I mentioned above, I felt kinship with Helen immediately. She's quick-witted and resourceful, but she has some personal pitfalls (like any well-rounded character should). Through the course of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆, she grows and flourishes, and discovering how much the approval of others factors into her choices is a majorly relatable turning point for Helen. (Been. There. 😮‍💨)

While I'm happily retired from the dating game, I remember that pressure to find the perfect partner, become the perfect couple and show off the perfect life. Something about the big 3-0 looming only magnified that pressure.
I ended up finding the perfect guy for me by trusting in the universe and kind of just letting go. The universe seems to be offering that same advice to Helen, pushing another guy right into her path while she's pining away for Brody.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 had a nice fast pace, something I would inhale in one sitting with the proper attention span. Helen's dating journey has enough twists and turns that I was eager to get to the next chapter. (And wait until you see why some chapters are only one page, I actually laughed out loud 🤣)

I do wish more heat would've been present, maybe with a bedroom scene or two. Helen has undeniable chemistry with a certain character, and seeing that explored would have added more complexity to her dating/relationship awakening. That being said, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 shines as a "fade-to-black" book, so don't let that deter you from picking up a copy.

If you enjoy romcoms with really loveable characters (Iike Ish, who I can't mention properly without spoilers, but he is 😍), I would absolutely recommend 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆. If you're looking to detatch from the worst aspects of dating like Helen, Hayley Quinn's knowledge as a dating expert is sprinkled all throughout this book. It could practically double as a how-to book for gaining the emotional intelligence to go after what you want instead of what you thought you needed.

Love chick lit. A nice break away from real life.

The characters are well rounds. Made you love them too. Everyone needs a nan like Nanny G.

Love ish. Maybe predictable but it didn’t make me sob at a sad bit for no reason or have unneeded angst. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgallery for the chance to read it.

perfect lighthearted fun read
it gave me old school British chick-lit vibe
would recommend it to the fans of the genre

This is definitely a recommended read if you looking for a rom com, that’s easy to read with enjoyable characters. My favourite character has to be Nanny G, she is the OG, she brings so much fun, light, wisdom and comedy into this read as any nanny would! 💖

The plot was slightly boring and predictable at parts, and a bit jumpy. The plot had a lot of potential to be better. But I enjoyed how the author added in WhatsApp messages between Helen and her friend, made it feel more life like.

Also I love how this book addressed dating apps as this for me is the more realistic way a lot more people are meeting these days. Also the author mentioned some things about how previous exes can damage a persons confidence and how toxic some relationships can be.

It is a 3.5/5 stars for me. As romance novels are not usually my favourite genre but I enjoyed this.

thank you to netgalley and harper collins for the e-arc!

the last first date follows helen, a woman who is tired of being single and thinks she’s finally found the man of her dreams when she connects with br*dy on a dating app. blah blah things happen and they lose contact and she is determined to find him and live out her happily ever after.

what to say about this “book”? there is so much to say, and so little time. to start, the writing was pretty bad—there were an insane number of ellipses on every single page and the dialogue was terrible as well. i visibly cringed at so many lines in this!!! i’m not even kidding, there’s a part where someone just. replies to a question by singing a song by the weeknd?????

also this woman’s biggest problem is that she doesn’t have a boyfriend? girl you’re british, worry about that first!

it’s just so hard to put my critiques for this book into words because i feel like you need to read it to understand, but i would not wish that upon my worst enemy. if i could give this author one piece of advice, it would be to try reading a book (any book, seriously) before writing another one.

EDIT: oh my god i totally forgotten to mention the spanish character and how she CONSTANTLY mentions “being latin” and starts every sentence with “amiga” and people make comments like “she’s annoyed, but in the latin way” or “latins — they basically get dance moves as a birthright.” WHAT???

Many thanks to the publisher for approving me to read The Last First Date early! I rated the book with 3.25/5 💫

What I liked:
1) The themes of acceptance and self-growth were beautifully expressed through Helen's character! I loved seeing her grow throughout the story.
2) Nana G. Nana G. Nana G. I absolutely love books with grandmas, so The Last First Date was no different. :') Her advice and conversations with Helen made my heart feel so warm!!
3) Helen's two friends are absolutely amazing ~ everyone needs friends like them in real life. I love the friendship between Sophie, Elle and Helen, and I was OBSESSED with their group chats!

Things I didn't like ~
1) Even though I liked Helen's journey towards self-acceptance, she did annoy me quite a number of times throughout the story. 😭 I ended up liking the secondary characters more than her.
2) I felt like some chapters were completely unnecessary, and things could have been wrapped up sooner.
3) I wanted to DNF this book more than once, but I held on because I HAD to know how the story ended! The book needs to be edited once again because the repetition of punctuation marks bothered me so much. :')))

All in all, this was an enjoyable and cute book!

This book was read thanks to NetGalley



The premise is pretty similar to How I met your father, Helen meets Brody on Tinder, the sparks fly but she cannot find him, her phone let her down so, she has to find him. I used how i met your father because it sort of similar on the way it takes us on this journey to see if she finds him again, does a new love appears, etc.


It's an interesting read because it sort of makes you wonder, what is love, what is being in love, etc. I recommend it for those whose enjoy those books when spoilers could kill your mood.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQStories for this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book and understood Helen so much especially in a society where it seems that you have to have this perfect life especially in social media. Was really glad to read this book

This book is a definite must read if you love a rom-com but appreciate a deeper meaning leaving you with something to think about and giving you that little spark of hope you didn’t know you needed. The author did an amazing job at giving us the happy feels of a love story but also touches on topics such as anxiety and expectations of society. Our main character Helen is the epitome of a single girl in panic mode because the “supposed” clock is running out. You follow her as she struggles with expectations, comparison and the desire to feel worthy. If you’re a single girl longing for your last first date please run and get this book. It’s a story we didn’t know we needed. Ps - we love a feisty independent woman who is exactly what Elle (Helen’s bff) is and more!

Thank you Hayley Quinn, Netgalley and HQstories for the opportunity to read this arc!

I struggled with this to be honest. I loved the premise when I originally saw it on NetGalley, and was excited to read about Helen, a 31-year-old who had discovered that her non-committing ex had declared his engagement on Instagram. Having been in a similar situation, I thought parts of it would be identifiable. However, I was annoyed by Helen almost immediately as rather than feeling sorry for her, I found her delusional about her former relationship. She seemed so wishy-washy and bland for the main character, and I also found her almost incessant inner dialogue really irritating. I don't even know where to start with the cultural stereotyping of Elle. I realise this was an ARC, but I genuinely think it needs a lot of editing and help from a sensitivity reader.

I hoped it would pick up once we got to the whole dating app snafu, but I found a lot of it implausible in reality. I think, again, that a lot of the problem is character-based. Helen seems to have little self-worth and wears several pairs of rose-tinted glasses. And we're supposed to believe that after such a long first date with a man she was obsessed with, neither of them even considered exchanging numbers? I was skimming pages by the end (I considered DNF'ing several times but hoped it would get better - It didn't). I don't know if it was an intentional choice to make Helen so unlikeable in the hope that she came across better in the final few chapters because of her GROWTH™, but it didn't work for me (particularly because that change only seemed to occur because she found love).

Honestly, I'd rather have read a book about Nanny G. Not for me.

I will upload the same review to Amazon UK on publication day

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers in return for an honest review.

This book wasn’t for me. I really tried to like it. I really wanted to like it. But it just wasn’t for me. I normally love a good romance as well. I DNFed this book at 15%.

The internal dialogue was too much. It went on forever, all the time! And far too much of it was putting herself (the MC) down and woo is me or why can’t I do this or I should do this. I don’t want to read a romance for negativity, I want to read to escape with a character that is fun, cute, awkward, relatable. But not negative about herself. In small doses negativity is good, shows characters development. But not to this extent.

The author went for the “met on a dating app but actually a nice guy” trope but the execution was just awkward. Lots of “can I ask you another question” which got irritating after a while and the “must be a man thing to mono focus over multitasking” (or something very similar to that) quote really grated on me.

If you enjoy awkward MC’s, the dating app trope and realistic over perfect fictional, you would probably really enjoy this book!

For me, I think it had great potential with an amazing concept but the execution just wasn’t for me. 1 star as I DNFed.

We love a good little cute arc. This was different than the romances I’ve read before, but it was enjoyable. I wish there was a little more time with the final couple, but that’s only cause they were adorable. I also wish I had more in the epilogue than just Instagram captions to give me an idea of what was happening with everyone. No smut, but honestly didn’t feel like it needed it till we had the fade to black happened. Overall a great read though! Plot always kept me thinking and seeing Helen’s overcome her anxieties was amazing and relatable

𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 - The Last First Date

𝒜𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 - Hayley Quinn

𝒢𝑒𝓃𝓇𝑒 - Romance

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 - 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads)

What a cute romance! I loved all the fun millennial references🫶🏻 Although Helen was the female protagonist, Nanny G stole the show and stole my heart! What a spunky, scrappy, and spirited little old lady she was! She was a highlight of the book for me. I loved her banter and wit! I would have loved this book even more if there was more focus on Ish and less focus on chasing Brody around for quite so many pages. I would definitely love to see a sequel to catch up with the two lovebirds. The character development, cultivation, and self-discovery of Helen’s character was very enjoyable for me as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was my first by Quinn and it certainly won’t be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this gifted digital ARC! This book publishes 5/20/2022 🥰
Feedback for Netgalley - No matter what I try, I get an error when trying to list my URL for my bookstagram and goodreads accounts where I review books on instagram. This is a common problem among us all. Here are the URL's for my accounts.
https://www.instagram.com/taylorstailoredbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/110366238 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/110366238

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
What makes or breaks a book for you? I’d say this was a 30 / 40 / 30 kind of read - 30% not for me, 40% okay, & 30% really enjoyed - but I’m glad I persisted.

It started out decently enough as I was introduced to the characters ( Nanny G immediately and unsurprisingly becoming a favourite ), and the story was one I was willing to keep turning pages for. Then, some of the characters started to feel like caricatures more than characters, and it lost me for a bit. I know there’s a certain degree of formula to the trope, but it felt a little cookie-cutter at times, and not the good, comforting kind of cookies.

I had a hard time with Helen being so self-deprecating and having it be half-presented as low-key gaslighting yourself into thinking you’re okay with being unspecial or mediocre. I’m not saying I think I walk on rainbows or anything, but I wish Helen had more of a foundation of self-esteem that might have been eroded versus long-standing confirmation bias of averageness.

Then suddenly, the last third of the book was great - fun interactions, an uplifting tone, well-developing characters, and a fantastic epilogue ( and I so rarely like an epilogue )! It quickly went from being a book I was tolerating to a book I was enjoying.

Ultimately, I’m glad I kept going with this one, so that the characters and I could both get our happy ending.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Thanks to NetGalley, Hayley Quinn, and HQ stories for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued to read this book by the blurb, so the blurb does its job very well. However I have to say, I don't think this book really lived up to the potential of the blurb. There were some bland characters, some great characters, some painfully stereotypical characters (for the sake of it I think), The main character Helen was okay, but I didn't particularly connect with her, so I kind of skimmed through a lot of the exposition because I just wasn't really interested. I think my favourite person in the book has to be Nanny G - what a brilliant nonagenarian! Some of the plot I enjoyed, and I enjoyed being able to picture the Cornish parts of the setting, however there were parts that just seemed a little bit far-fetched. My favourite part of the writing would probably be the WhatsApp messages because that did make it feel like I was having a casual catch-up with a friend. Overall, I'd say if you're looking for an easy, spice-free rom-com, this fits that bill, but I don't think I'd particularly recommend it to my friends to read.

⚜My Summary

📚My first read by Hailey Quinn and I was pleased as it started off a bang.It starts when Helen goes on a day after meeting Brody through dating app. It heats up when he says that he's hoping to go on his last first date. I got excited thinking this is going to be such a romantic, cozy read. However, that's not the case. The book slows down as the server for the website crashes and they lose connection. But Helen spends all of the book searching for this hope after an amazing date. She feels as though Brody has to be the one. Towards the end they meet again and she realizes that Brody is not the one. She decides to revise her idea of a what true love looks like and starts dating her friend Ish. A cute read on how we get so carried away on the idea of love that we psych ourselves out.

⚜Can everyone read this book?

📚Yes.

⚜Would I recommend?

📚Yes

This book was okay, the beginning was hard to understand what was going on in the beginning and in part it did drag but overall it had more good parts in it that I did like so I still enjoyed this story.

If there ever was a book where I said just one more chapter... one more chapter... this is it.

I started and finished this book on a Sunday morning because I could not put it down and I needed to know what happened next. Also the book is so easy to read making it just so much more enjoyable.

I mean parts of Helen did annoy me but I think that's what is brilliant about the authors writing cause I imagine that was the intention. Like why chase after someone who has no interest in you and being oblivious to what is in front of you. I think many people are like Helen (me included in the past) where you try and make something work and know it wont. You are so focused on that happy ending that you realize it might not be the one for you.

I was screaming at my book when she did something that I disagreed with. For that I applaud the writer as I was fully invested in Helen and her journey. In the beginning I was routing for her by the middle and end I was still routing for her in a different way.

Ish and Elle are adorable and I really loved having them involved in Helen's journey.

I really loved the plot of the last first date and do recommend it. It is a bit of everything: fun, comedy, ridiculousness, romance and friendship.

DNF at 32%

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last First Date follows 31-year-old Helen, a single baking blogger trying to get over her ex-boyfriend by meeting new people through a dating app. Helen clicks immediately with the charming Brody, who's also looking to settle down, but loses all contact with him when the app crashes and must take action to strive for a second chance.

I have several problems with this book, but one of the biggest is that this genre really isn't for me, which I realized as I was reading. It might still be worth checking out if you're a huge contemporary romance fan. Now to break it down into sections:

Characters: 3/5
Helen wasn't awful--in fact, she wasn't anything, because she had no defining traits at all. She was always "somewhere in between" her two friends opinion-wise, but who is she aside from comparisons to other characters? 32% in and I still had very little idea. That being said, the glimpses of character we did get (her cautiousness and dreaminess) did feel realistic and relatable, as did a lot of the small details in her trains of thought. In particular, I liked the discussion of feeling unlovable or too old for a chance at romance, but I wish these had been better rooted in Helen's development.
Her friends, on the other hand, were insufferable, with all the three-dimensionality of a piece of paper. Helen didn't seem to like Elle much and I wondered why they were even friends (not sure if this gets expanded on or resolved later in the book). I also noticed that Sophie, the "good" friend, only has her race mentioned once, whereas the fact that Elle is Latina is brought up every single time she does something "devilish". There were several quotes along the lines of "Elle always does this, but that's how Latinx people are" which felt weird to me considering that neither Helen nor the author (to my knowledge) are Latinx.
I didn't care about anyone else except the grandma, who should get her own spin-off.

Writing: 1/5
This was the main reason I DNFed. The writing was juvenile, repetitive, and at times riddled with grammatical errors. Someone seriously needs to revise every single punctuation mark in this book. Also, Helen's texts to her friends physically pained me to read, as did her bouts of Jess-Day-esque aversion to mentions of sex. Not once did I pause to appreciate a line or quote.

Plot: 2/5
I didn't get far enough to really judge the "main plot", but what I read was already lacking. It's unrealistic that Helen and Brody went on a date for more than half a day--or at least long enough that Helen had convinced herself she would marry him--and yet she can't contact him in any way besides the dating app. Social media purge or not, if he leads such an important organization, there has to be at least some information about him on the Internet???

I realized this would be a DNF when I noticed my ARC would be expiring soon and still couldn't be motivated to keep reading.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.