I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

This is a delightful second chance romance, one of my best favorite trope is teenage love becoming the fabulous HEA we all dream of. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this very special book.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

At first I was unsure about the early years and through the young love stage but I am glad I read this book and enjoyed the HEA.

Lee and Jessie had a rare connection in High School but circumstances kept them apart. This book will walk you through their journey over the years and their reconnection.

DNF at 45%

This is not a romance. At best it’s women’s fiction.

There were a lot of things I didn’t like about this book and what I read of it. The first being how little time the MCs spend in the same space. For me this doesn’t count as a slow burn. What I am assuming is 2/3 of the book consists of them living separate lives. These sections could have been condensed into maybe a couple of chapters. At this point I don’t care enough about either MC to continue to the part about their reunion.

The second difficult part about this book was the treatment of Jessie’s brother, Martin. The book opens to a potentially very triggering scene that is barely mentioned again. Martin’s gay identify is used more as a prop instead of being a solid part of his character.

TW: suicide attempt, homophobia, physical abuse, emotional abuse

Book: First Crush Last Love by Elizabeth McKenna
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Second chance romance,Suspense thriller
Publication: 1st August 2017

A love that was meant to be but the timing was wrong or so we thought.
This book is narrated in three sections of life , with Jessie and lee as high school teenagers to their own separate lives and to the present at the reunion where Jessie is divorced and lee is an officer of the law.

The one thing I truly appreciated was the pace of this book and the narrative, with Jessie facing real life problems and dealing with abuse to lee searching for love but never find the one and to see them grow of the year’s as a reader was an experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Elizabeth McKenna for the ARC copy.

This was a nostalgic read with good characters and writing, but the story dragged a lot for me. I just could not become invested in it.
Recommended For: Those who like YA Romance books with a hearty story.

This was a cute book with a perfect HEA. I did struggle to get into the story and ended up reading the first chapter a couple times after dozing off, but a few chapters in and I started to enjoy the book. If you enjoy romance with crazy ex drama, you’ll like this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to enjoy this ARC.

I’ve had only one and true crushes over the years and I was so lucky to one of them as my partner. So I do remember all of the feelings that went along with it, such as the nervous excitement, the butterflies we feel in every encounter, the youthful joy of it all. Each look, each touch, each whisper was life-altering. Jessie’s first crush, but they remained friends only, good friends, but still…

Years have passed, Jessie has grown up, found herself a husband who didn’t quite live up to her high school fantasy, but he was a good man was that what she thought? A freshly minted divorcee, Jessie has come home for a family visit and a high school reunion. Meanwhile, Lee had his own secrets growing up, secrets that sent him running as far as possible from home, friends and Jessie. He did come back home and is now a law enforcement officer, stable, sadder, but wiser.

Little did Jessie know that seeing Lee again would spark those old teenage hormones, nor did she realize she would become the object of a stalker who would shadow her every move. Lee may be the only one who can keep her physically safe, but what about her heart? Will he finally see what he could have had all those years ago?
FIRST CRUSH, LAST LOVE by Elizabeth McKenna is a sweet second chance romance, even though there never was a first romance to begin with! Adding the touch of danger and mystery was brilliant! There is a sinister, as well as a soft romance that is gently and tentatively blossoming. I enjoyed this really much

Lee and Jessie, high school time, always close to getting together, but it just never happend. This book was a little frustrating. High school Jess, just couldn't stay away even when there were so many rejections and or moments where you think, don't do it girl, don't torture yourself. But, a girl in love never learns. it was an ok read for me, just a bit frustrating but this does end in a HEA.

Cute and nostalgic. You always remember your first crush and loved the romance with a bit of thriller mixed in.

This book had a lot of potential, but unfortunately lacked depth and development. I think with more character development and relationship development it could have been really good. There was too much focus on dialogue and not enough description for me.

3.5 Stars

In high school, Jessie had the biggest crush on Lee. When she tried to pursue him, he thought it best to remain friends. Jessie, feeling rejected, decided to move on with Billy. The only guy who showed her any interest. She clung to him and even ended up marrying him. Flash forward to 10 years later. Jessie, newly divorced, somehow managed to bump into Lee. I'm sure you guys can see where the story is going.

This is almost like a second-chance romance, except they never got together the first time around. I agree with Natalie ~ The Biblioholic. I like the idea and concept. However, the relationship between Jessie and Lee wasn't fleshed out enough. There wasn't enough relationship development between the two.

Overall, a good romance novel but lacks depth and development.

***I would like to thank NetGalley and Elizabeth Mckenna for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**
5 likes

The moment I saw the title and read the synopsis in knew I'd love this book. This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm really looking forward to reading more by her.
We all remember our first crush the emotions we felt our hearts racing The feeling that were never returned but yet felt special.
The book starts with an extremely sensitive scene so readers please do check all the trigger warning before you get into the book.
The story follows Jessie senior year in high school. Lee was the boy she had been in love for the past 3 years. But Lee doesn't want to be more than friends.
10 years later after a messy divorce Jessie comes home for their high school reunion where she meets Lee again.
This book had me feeling so much emotions. And i would definitely recommend it.

Jessie has had a crush on Lee since she was sixteen years old. We get to experience her teenage infatuation with him along the span of 11 years, the excitement of every encounter, the joyful expectation, each nervous look and touch, and, also, each heartbreak. Who doesn’t remember being a teenager with a platonic crush? This is a sweet second chance romance that will make you go down memory lane and remember all your own experiences. What I found interesting and drew me in is that we don’t have a gap in the story like they meet 5/10 years later and get together. No, we get to experience the years they were apart and how life was like for each of them. We get to experience Jessie’s heartrending marriage and Lee’s inability to commit albeit in a serious relationship, which then takes them to enjoy their time together even more. I read this book in an afternoon as I couldn’t put it down!

Elizabeth McKenna pens an interesting tale about a second chance romance for an seemingly unrequited high school crush. The plot was interesting but the story and characters lacked some development. I wasn't as invested as I usually am in a romance, but the story was fast-paced and the action moved quickly.

I absolutely loved this. The perfect second chance romance! Drew me in right away and am looking forward to recommending this one to all my bookish friends!

I have mixed feelings with this story because I feel that I could have loved it but it lacked development of several things that were left halfway (for me) and that feeling of being able to love him so much was also halfway.

The story that Elizabeth presents to us is something that we can read in other books that we continue to love to read over and over again. That's why I wanted to read it. The great part of the book is from when they were at school and perhaps I lacked a little more development from them when they were grown up, from seeing how that relationship that they had was half damaged was taking hold and both could open up and tell what really happened. in their lives during those years and also during their college.

It was a sweet story, with some pretty sensitive and strong themes that we unfortunately see on the news every day.

I never liked Lee when I was young, not as a friend or anything. I don't quite understand how Jessie forgave so many things, even loving him so much. I do not get it. But hey... love is like that, right?

Thanks Elizabeth McKenna for the issue I read through NetGalley.

the book was pretty good. easy to follow writing. i love the time it was taken place. thank you for letting me read this

Storyline was good, it is easy to read, so smooth, i drag deep. Next chapter about Jessica crush, Lee. Yeah i dont like him, i dont like Jessica too why she cant put boundry? Look how Lee threat her, because his ex show he leave Jessica alone. And Jessica still pursue him. Why oh why... and then Jessica married because oh Billy choose her, not because she love him. Whyyyy oh whyyy

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#FirstCrushLastLove #ElizabethMckenna #XpressoBookTours #NetGalley #ARC

I love stories about high school in the 80s and this one didn’t disappoint! It was a quick read with basic dialogue but a powerful story of love after all. Three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for the purpose of this review.