The Last First Date is cute and fun! It was lacking some depth and I wasn't completely convinced by the romantic connection by the end. I found the MCs to be hard to relate to and a little bit bland, and overall the story fell sort of flat for me. Although it was a quick and easy read.

A comfortable read. Just perfect for when you don’t need to think too deeply and enjoy a romantic read. I liked the main character, but not so much her pals. I really liked her man at the end.

The main idea and the story revolving around the book really hit my eye but, however, this just wasn’t a read for me.

Even though, I still could enjoy most of it. I didn’t fall for the main female character but Nanny G really did steal my heart.

The author’s writing style is pretty simple, maybe a little too much for my taste and sometimes I felt the narration was going nowhere.

Being a native Spanish speaker, a few of the awful translations made my eyes roll more than once but if you don’t speak the language, you won’t even notice. That’s just a personal thing.

It’s such a light romance book that can be easily read but that, unfortunately, fell short for me. I was turning pages hoping I would get to the point where I couldn’t put it down but it just never happened. I didn’t feel the need to continue reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the chance to read an ARC copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

I've still got 2 languishing hours to go. I am truly fighting to make it through this book. The main character has zero redeeming qualities- absolutely unlikable with the personality of a warm SnackPack. I very rarely quit books, but I think this is going to be one of them. Do not recommend (sorry).

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, however the opinions are my own.

This one was a lovely read. I really enjoyed reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
3.5 stars read for me

One date...

Helen goes on one date but then looses her way to contact him aftewards. She then obsessively stalks him in oftentimes cringy ways. I think she became fixated on a dream and could not see what was right in front of her as she searches for Brody (the why of it is a bit of a stretch). There's not much romancing but a lot of Helen feeling less than and playing catch up to her age group.

This book initially intrigued me but soon became an obsessive journey where the main character is fixated on a first date. It becomes clear her stalking "finding" him might not end up in her favour but luckily she has another guy who follows her on this search and that's when it becomes a bit more complicated. Had moments but overall wanted her to snap out of it too early in that I lost some interest.
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read and give my honest opinion.

Ya know how you pick up a book and you think it’s going to be one thing and it turns into something completely different? That was this one for me.

Single and striving to meet the man of her dreams, Helen gets onto a dating app after much push from her friends to meet the perfect man. And she does! But after Helen and Brody’s first date and no exchange of phone numbers, the website crashes and all data is lost. Now she’s on the hunt to find Brody, the man of her dreams. But along the way she meets someone else that catches her off guard.

I definitely would not classify this book as a romance. It’s more of a self-development/finding who you are kind of book. There were definitely some cringe worthy moments in here (the train scene 🫣) and a lot of moments when I was like what the heckkkkk but it still kept me going and wanting to read the rest.

There’s a character that we get introduced to (in a very strange way) named Ish and I was reallllllly hoping to see more of him in the book! And I really loved Helen’s best friend Elle! She was on it and knew who she was through and through! In all fairness, I did like the book. I just didn’t love it.

If you’re looking for something easy to read and if you enjoy watching people embarrass themselves 😬😬, this is the book!

There is so so much to love about this book.

The characters are warm and relatable. I love the variety of characters and the roles they take on.

Helen has found her perfect man but then the dating app she used crashes and all is suddenly lost. Helen then goes on a mission with her best friends to track the wonderful Brody down.

When she finally reconnects with Brody she’s befriended the lovely Ish, who will she choose?

A lovely story about self discovery with lots of fun along the way.

The Last First Date is a book about a woman who feels like she should have her life together, and doesn't. She's feeling the pressure from the world and her family, and finally downloads dating apps. The plot for this was so intriguing and I was slightly let down, and I felt a lot more could have been done with the dating scene and the connections the main character Helen was creating.

The characters had no 'umph' about them and they fell kind of flat for me. I struggled to feel connected to them. That along with the strange jumpy chapters, I just never ended up fully getting into this book.

There are some parts I enjoyed, and the nan character was my favourite part. She is funny, supportive and I could feel the love from her. she was written the best.

No chemistry between characters which in the end made me struggle with the book. I really liked the cover though, the writing could just use a dash of personality.

I really tried to like the book, but the unnecessary explanation just was too much for me. This book had a lot of potential with the discription and all, but the MCs were just bland and I found it hard to relate with them.

I can only say one thing about this book and that is; that it does what it says on the tin!
Yup, it is promoted as a ‘laugh out loud, hilarious romance’ and I would agree with that. I am always very wary when a book is labelled ‘most hilarious romantic comedy’ or ‘best laugh loud romance you will read’ but here, this does live up to what it says on the tin (or back blurb) this s a very funny book, it had me giggling and smiling, it was just the thing I needed!

When I started reading this, family life was a little strained and challenging so I wanted something light-hearted and a book that wasn’t heavy or too serious, just a good old-fashion romantic comedy that I could forget the woes of the world for a few hours, and this was just the ticket! It lighted the mood, it made me smile and laugh and transported me away from the daily grind for a while, but more than that it made me feel incredibly happy – always a good sign of a good book!

I really enjoyed this book, the story is a simple story of a girl looking for love, but it’s told in a very 21st century way with dating apps, website crashings, whole lives online and not knowing anyone’s number.

Yes, we have all been there!

Helen is broken-hearted when her ex-boyfriend who broke up with her a year ago is about to marry, she always thought he was ‘the one despite everyone around saying the complete opposite. but she is now determined to move on with her life and so with the pushing in the back from her nan, she signs up to a dating app and instantly clicks with gorgeous Brody, after a single ate they hit it off like wildfire and she is looking forward to more. But…yes, there is always a but, the app goes down and when it’s back a lot of contacts and messages have been deleted. Helen at first is confused that she hasn’t heard back from Brfody, especially as their first date went really well, but once she realises what happened with the app she is determined to find Brody just to see if it was the real thing or not. easier said than done when she didn’t get his number and all she knows is his name.

But if you love someone, or you think that this is a keeper you will go above and beyond to make it happen, right?

The Last First Date is my first book by Hayley Quinn, in my ignorance I had never heard of this author before reading this, but I enjoyed this book so much and the author’s fun and engaging writing that I can’t wait to read more from her.

There is so much to really love about this book, not only does it live up to the hype of the back blurb, it is heartwarming, feel-good, incredibly funny, will leave you smiling like a Cheshire cat with the cream and you will connect with the characters and the story as it is very relatable.

Overall, a really enjoyable, funny, romantic story of finding love in the online age, and a definite must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was, in a word, fine. I liked it, mostly. I didn’t love it. It was easy to read, but not gripping. It was predictable and felt forced at times, but ultimately landed where it should have. It was also short, quick to read, and had lots of elements of a good romcom: friends to lovers, dating apps, music festivals, Instagram influencers, an overprotective family, a good friend trio, etc. The magic was just not there for me though.

I found Helen to be rather whiny and obsessed with finding a man. While that needed to be the case to make the story work, I find characters who like to wallow in their own unfortunate life plot really irritating. Like, if you hate your life, why don’t you do something about it? I digress.

This book wasn’t for me but it might be for you! Try it if you like.

I really liked the blurb of this book which together with the cover is why I picked
it up, but it didn’t really satisfy my expectations.

At the beginning i found it a bit hard to get into it especially since I didn’t exactly like the fmc, Helen. It felt at times like she was slightly immature for her age, since she’s in her 30s.
I did however appreciate Nanny G, who made the book much more interesting!

The plot was at times either jumpy or completely predictable.
In spite of that, i ended up enjoying the friendship part of the book and the fact that it shows a fmc who’s not yet settled in her 30s!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the chance to read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because of the online dating app theme and that Helen is a baking blogger, I love food themes and I met my husband online so it’s a topic close to my heart.
I felt so sorry for Helen and her complete lack of confidence and self depreciation. Many times I said outloud
"Oh Helen, of course you're good enough!"
I loved Nanny G and her friend Elle even if she is very blunt, she did want the very best for her friend.
At first I quite liked Brody, but quickly changed my mind once the "Knight on a shiny yellow bike" came onto the scene.
At first Helen seemed quite 'young' for her age but I'm so glad she grew as a person and realised her value. I truly liked this debut book and the messages it had.
Never dismiss what you do and
Happiness is the path, not the destination, to name 2.
I look forward to reading Hayley Quinn's future books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last First Date by Hayley Quinn introduces us to Helen, a 30-ish single girl who has not recovered from a breakup over one year ago. First, It made me sad that “hopeless” Helen lacks self-confidence and usually expects the worst to happen. Sometimes life can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Secondly, I think that not all 30-year-olds are ready to be considered spinsters, and in our modern-day era, not getting married is not a terrible thing. Finally, I think you can meet just the right person, and they might be standing in front of you. Helen’s grandmother states: “Sometimes the greatest romances blossom from friendships.” The grandmother, Nanny G, was my favorite character, and her sweet backstory was cute. I would’ve enjoyed more joyful moments, but I’m sure this book will hit a home-run with many young ladies. #romcom #romance #onlinedating #lookingforlove #hopeless @netgalley #theLastFirstDate @harpercollinsuk #netgalley
💔

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2022.

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Just finished this book and again what a page turner. I loved the premis of last first date but to know sometimes true love is not the person you were expecting makes everything a bit more wholesome. Sometimes we fixate on things we think would make us happy and chase those ideas rather than realise sometimes what makes us the happiest is here and now. This book was also funny in some points and I loved the WhatsApp conversations between Sophie, Helen and Elle.

I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley and I really tried, but it is just not for me. The writing seems very amateur, and the protagonist is incredibly whiny and downright unlikable. I could not connect with her. I LOVE the cover and the premise sounds fund, but I gave it 20% and am moving on to the next book on my TBR.



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4906989668?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This is Helen's story after her breakup and now she is tired of being single, she wants to get married and have a family.
Her Nanny makes her join a dating app, where she finds an eligible guy and goes on a really nice date with Brody. They plan to have a second date soon. But as soon as she is back the app crashes and she has lost the connection. From then, for the majority of the book, Helen tries to contact Brody through multiple ways.
I do appreciate the positive message that this book tries to portray by exploring the feelings of a single thirty year old woman but I feel that it didn't utilize the story's full potential.