This is a review of an Advanced Readers Copy of The First Date Prophecy. Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! Out now!

About: Aspiring writer Lucy is having difficulty putting down romance into her romcom writing. Her bad dates are piling up and she continues to use her “HeartThrobs” dating profile.

90s former child TV star Rudy has been pigeonholed into his standup routine of making fun of his past tv work. He’s ready for a serious relationship and matches online with Lucy.

Their first date ends in a psychic prophecy about their destinies, and with the psychic dropping dead at their table. Lucy and Rudy decide to listen to the psychic despite having one of the weirdest first dates, and see if their destinies are in fact intertwined. They start to hang out and… you’ll have to see what happens!

My Thoughts: Okay so this book is kind of a quirky meet-cute book based off the real life dating start to the authors. The characters are cute and quirky, have their stuff semi not-together or at least not going anywhere too fast, and they both are determined to try new things to see if it leads them to better new adventures.

I definitely tried this audiobook because it is voiced by Danny Tamberelli and Mara Wilson (from Matilda). Both did a good job with their characters. It was fun to listen to the authors note, where Danny mentions him and his wife’s real meeting so you can see what the story was based on!

You will like this book if you like:
🎱 Quirky, meet cute stories
🎱 Stories based on real life couples
🎱 Famous 90s child TV/movie stars
🎱 Funny side characters

Meet a 90's child star on a dating app? what could possibly go wrong? This book had promise but it was just okay. It started off good but I kept losing touch with the characters. They were fine. Just didn't really capture my interest or get me involved in their story. I had a hard time finishing this book. I also tried the audio version, it was a little better but I still struggled to finish the book.

This was a cute former celeb romance with a quirked FMC. The couple meet on a dating app and on their first date, which does not go well, fate kind of ties them together. They then go on to put together a show about worse first dates and allow the audience to talk about their worst date.
So I’m going to give two of my worst dates from my past. The first was with this guy who was so pretty like so so so pretty. He was also a little older than me. He came over to my mom’s house where I was living bc I was in college and in an effort to be “sexy” I tried to reach over him to grab something. Instead I fell and hit my head. He then ghosted me. I actually still cringe on late nights when my brain won’t shut off and decides to replay the scene over in my head.
The second is actually when Pat and I were “talking” and I went out to lunch with one of my male friends. At least I thought we were friends. Turns out he didn’t actually want to be friends. While having a delicious salad he tells me how much he likes me and wants to be with me. Totally ruined my salad. I don’t even remember how I turned him down. In my mind, I think I was shocked and just said “oh no, no you don’t.” Which was a bonehead move. Needless to say we were not friends after that very delicious but awkward lunch.

2.5 Stars
I couldn't get into the novel.

The MCs were rambling on too much. Most of the stuff said didn't add anything to the story except for maybe humor. Even then, it wasn't my kind of humor. Also, the story felt over the top and forced.

Overall, not for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Kate & Danny Tamberelli, and HighBridge Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

The First Date Prophecy is a rom-com co-written by 90s star, Danny Tamberelli and his wife, Kate. When Lucy comes across 90s former child star Rudy Riziero on a dating app, HeartThrobs, she swipes up and a connection is made. From their first meeting their relationship is a comedy of errors, but will this turn out to be exactly what each of them are looking for? Is it destiny that they met or will this be another one of many first dates?

I found this to be a fun and hilarious romance and a quick read. I loved how this story was inspired by Kate and Danny’s own relationship and loved the description at the end that told the reader what had been real to them and what was fiction. There were points of this book that were predictable or expected, but overall it held me captivated the whole time and I loved seeing Rudy and Lucy’s relationship play out. The comedy in this book was great, even if it was a little over the top at times. When I saw Danny Tamberelli’s name on
This book I flashed back to my childhood and knew I wanted to read this book and see what he was up to now. The fact that this was his and his wife’s story, to an extent, made this book so much more fun and relatable. This was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted romance full of comedy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review!

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

This book had so much potential. I loved the concept. I just felt like it was trying too hard and the main characters were missing chemistry. I also struggled with the voice of the male narrator. That may have influenced my opinion on the book. I found myself liking the female sections much more than the male narrated sections.

This contemporary Rom Com with an alternating point of view is up beat cute read.

Brooklyn-based aspiring writer Lucy Minninger has no trouble putting the comedy in her rom-coms. It’s the romance part of the equation that’s the problem. But even as the rejection slips pile up, and her second dates dwindle, Lucy refuses to give up hope—or her HeartThrobs™ dating profile . . .

Former child star Rudy Riziero made his mark on some of the most popular kids shows of the ՚90s. But that early success has pigeonholed him into a stand-up routine riffing on his past work, while the slick single life he envisioned was clearly a fantasy. He’s actually ready for a relationship, if he could just find someone uninterested in who he used to be . . .

When Lucy and Rudy match online, they’re eager to meet. But after their first date ends in a psychic’s prophecy that is equal parts great fortune and certain doom, their flirty quips end and their search for answers to some of life’s big questions begins: Is there really one person for everyone? Do destinies really intertwine? Where can you find the best tacos in Brooklyn?

And when it matters most, will they throw caution—and fate—to the wind, trust their instincts—and write their own futures?

This was a fun book about two lonely hearts trying to find their way in the world of online dating. After way too many unsuccessful first dates, fate throws them together. The problem is, after so many dates with NOT The One, how do you finally recognize when you've met The One?

Kate and Danny Tamberelli riff off of some of their real-life experiences with seriously bad first dates to share the story of how they met and built a life together. (The story is inspired by their experiences, not autobiographical.)

Overall, there were a lot of laughs, introspection, and aww's. The characters were enjoyable and the banter was fun.

Thank you to Kate and Danny Tamberelli, HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

When Lucy and Rudy match online, they're eager to meet. But after their first date ends in a psychic's prophecy that is equal parts great fortune and certain doom, their flirty quips end and their search for answers to some of life's big questions begins: Is there really one person for everyone? Do destinies reall intertwine? Where can vou find the best tacos in Brooklyn? And when it matters most, will they throw caution-and fate-to the wind, trust their instincts-and write their own futures?

While there was nothing wrong with this book, it just didn't hold my interest as well as I wanted it to. The story was unique and fun, but felt a little too biographical for me to fully enjoy. Worth the read; but I don't think l'lI revisit this one..

The First Date Prophecy by Kate Tamberelli; Danny Tamberelli is a charming, laugh out loud funny story of dating in the 21st century. The story is loosely inspired by the authors' real life love story. For that reason you'll be just as delighted as I was to read/listen to the authors' note at the end.

Our main characters, Lucy and Rudy are struggling to find love and job success. They both have hilarious stories to share of odd jobs and terrible dates. These stories are so funny and sometimes cringe! After Lucy and Ruby match on an app they have their own epically bad first date, but decide to see what comes next. Of course, the misadventures continue with lots of laughs along the way.

I highly recommend the audio. The book is written as dual point of view and we have two narrators to fit the characters- Danny Tamberelli and Mara Wilson. Both voices were great! I love it when authors narrate because they know the characters so well. This really makes Danny's performance stand out. It doesn't hurt that he's an actor too!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC to review!

Unfortunately I dnf'd this at 50%. Initially I was really enjoying The First Date Prophecy, but it was such a slow setup and by the time we got fully into the relationship, the characters just weren't doing it for me. Additionally, the male narrator's audio was slightly fuzzy and he narrated at a different pace from the female narrator, so I struggled to connect with Rudy as a character and was left frustrated. I think this book will be more to other people's taste, but unfortunately it wasn't to mine. Good for romance readers who like a slow set up and slow burn of a couple who are "destined" to do great things together. 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Highbridge Audio and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cute story is a nod on the real life romance of the authors, one of which had fame as a kid in the 90s on Nickelodeon.

Lucy and Rudy agree to a date after being matched on a dating app. That first date goes all kinda wrong when they go to see a fortune teller during dinner. The fortune teller tells them of their fate together and then promptly drops dead. Talk about a memorable first date.

As they become friends and explore something deeper, the embark on an adventure that will put them to the test of seeing if fate is enough to keep them together. Like most "fated" couples, they realize fate alone isn't going to cut it and they will still need to work and make sacrifices in order to be together.

This story is told from both point of views of Lucy and Rudy which I loved. It is a funny and sweet story and anyone who has been involved in the dating world, and has dates that were not that great, will appreciate the humor in this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the E-book.

The only reason I requested this was because it was written by Danny Tamberelli (and his wife). As an extreme Nickelodeon child in the '90's, Danny Tamberelli is a familiar name. And the fact that he narrated this book with Mara Wilson who played Matilda, one of my favorite movies, I just couldn't pass it up. I didn't even read the synopsis.
The book itself did not disappoint. It was a fun romance that started out similar to Danny and Kate's own relationship which was cute. As the 2 narrators indicated, we get both main characters Lucy and Rudy's POVs. It worked so well in this book to see the 2 sides of the story. I really liked both characters, Lucy was working for a YA author as her kind of assistant while dreaming of writing her own book some day. Striking out in the dating world. Rudy was very similar to Danny in appearance and was a 90's child star who had an even more famous brother. Dating found him (aka super fans), but he was striking out similar to Lucy. They had a different kind of chemistry than I am used to romance books. It felt more like a team and a more sensible relationship which I really enjoyed. Their goal was to get to know each other after their first date ended in the medium they went to see dying right in front of them after telling a prophecy about them.
They had the typical romance "problem" which for these characters was such a believable thing and was not just neatly and immediately resolved. The resolution really made sense and I really love how it ended up.
The plot moved along nicely, I already gave away what happened in their first date. They don't spend all their time together, we get to see what goes on in their own lives with their own friends. When they do come together it's always fun, there is so much banter. They get to meet each other's families which doesn't happen all the time in romance and I thought it was very sweet. They end up teaming up on something that I don't want to give away and it's so fun to watch it come alive.
Danny and Mara narrating this was perfect. Since Rudy was so similar in appearance to Danny, it was easy to imagine him as Rudy while he was narrating. I also just love when authors narrate their own books. Mara has such a pleasant voice and did a great job narrating for Lucy.
Kate has written a few other books and I am now interested to seek them out!

Lucy is a rom-com writer that hasn't been very successful in love. Her one date nightmares include a gentleman that goes by the name hashtag and also she ended up setting his hair on fire. One night as she is swiping her dating app she comes across Rudy who was a child start that she recognizes. She swipes no, but immediately regrets it paying a fee to be able to swipe right on it. After finding Rudy again they go on their first date in a bar visiting a psychic. All fun starts from there...

I really enjoyed this listen and it was light, fun, playful and delves in to some of the strangeness of dating apps.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy!

When Lucy, an aspiring writer, and Rudy, a former child star, match online, they are eager to meet. On their first date, Lucy and Rudy get a psychic reading. The psychic's prophecy predicts great fortune or certain doom, but only if they work together. Before finishing their reading, though, the psychic dies. Lucy and Rudy decide to explore the prophecy and see if they can find success together.

Based loosely on the authors' own real-life love story, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒚 is a fun, fast-paced and laugh-out-loud-funny romantic comedy that is full of 90s nostalgia. Equal parts rom and com, this was a refreshing and unique book. The characters are lovable, relatable, and hilarious. I listened to the audiobook narrated by one of the authors, Danny Temberelli (𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵), and Mara Wilson (𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘢). The narration was perfect, and they really made the characters come to life. I loved that they had dual narration for the dual POVs. Overall, an incredible debut from Kate and Danny Tamberelli, and I can't wait to see what they do next!

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The First Date Prophecy. The story was funny and lightly romantic but felt real. I didn't realize when starting to read that this was loosely based on the authors own dating experience. I believe that adds to the overall story and the relatability.
Lucy is funny and quirky. But not in that weird quirky way FMC are sometimes described as. She feels like a real person that you are rooting for. Once you get past the initial awkwardness of their first meeting you can tell that she and Rudy are meant to be.
This is a great debut rom-com and I can't wait to see more from the authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to this book in one long Saturday; it's an enjoyable enough read. Based on the authors' real-life romance, it felt like the sort of sweet meet-cute you tell acquaintances about, without the moments of real tension and resolution that give life its depth. Even in my rom-coms, I need some conflict and unpredictability. This book had neither. Still, the characters were engaging and the narrators' voices told the story well. My only quibble would be that when one of the characters is reading their own texts to the other, they'd read their own name (e.g., "Rudy: would you like to have dinner tonight?"). I never stopped hearing the name as part of the message itself, which always caught me up short.

This is a solid summer listen for those days when you're out running errands and need something going in the car between stops.
Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a free audiobook for review.

I really wanted to like this but it was a miss for me. It was really slow and boring. There was so much potential when reading the summary, but I struggled to get through it because it seemed like a pointless storyline. Also, it felt like the authors were trying so hard to be funny, but it wasn’t. I wasn’t a fan of Danny Tamberelli’s narration.

Thank you to @netgalley and @RB Media for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rudy and Lucy, an online match, a first date, and a fortune teller named Elvira who dies during a reading…what a cute beginning! Unfortunately, what began as a fast-paced, fun, romp lost its oomph about a quarter of the way through. I was so rooting for this story, I mean, Danny Tamberelli after all!!

I didn’t love Danny’s narration. It wasn’t terrible, but it was difficult to tell the difference between Rudy and Lucy’s dialogue. Mara Wilson’s narration was on point. I looked forward to Lucy’s POV while listening.
The story was good – not great – but still worth the read. And the added bonus was hearing Mara say “Sh*t. The holiest of sh*t…” Bahaha!

The First Date Prophecy is a second chance (sort of), forced proximity (sort of), 3rd act break-up (sort of), RomCom with a HEA.

Thank you, Kate & Danny Tamberelli, Mara Wilson, and HighBridge Audio for this listening ARC. All opinions are my own.