When Anna Wright interviews for a job as assistant to celebrated photographer Daniel Redfern it’s not only her last chance to follow her dream to be a photographer but also an opportunity to escape her toxic ex-boyfriend.

Daniel is the best, but notoriously difficult. His reputation for exacting standards precedes him — standards Anna fails to meet when she turns up at his office fifteen minutes late and, having forgotten her umbrella, soaked from the rainstorm.

Daniel doesn’t give second chances, but Anna is not what he was expecting. She’s feisty, and not afraid to tell him when he’s wrong. So, he offers her a trial period in the whirlwind world of high-fashion photography.

As they work together, sparks fly as both Anna and Daniel discover they may have misjudged each other. Daniel is not the arrogant celebrity he is famed to be, and Anna’s creative passion and flare for photography is a refreshing change from those Daniel usually works with.

But when their personal histories threaten to overshadow their budding romance, will Anna and Daniel take a chance on love, or will their first impressions keep them apart?

Cannot wait to read more from the author. I thought this book was well written and fun to read.

Thanks for the clarification and the image! Based on the cover, First Impressions by Linda Middleton looks more like a contemporary romance than the psychological thriller I initially described. Here’s a revised, spoiler-free review:

First Impressions by Linda Middleton is a charming romantic comedy that dives into the classic trope of two unlikely people finding a connection in the most unexpected of circumstances. The main character, Anna Wright, is a relatable, modern woman navigating life, work, and relationships when a chance encounter sets her on a path she didn’t see coming.

Middleton does an excellent job of bringing the setting to life, with vibrant descriptions and quirky supporting characters that give the story a cozy feel. The novel balances humor, heartwarming moments, and just the right amount of tension as Anna navigates the complexities of first impressions—both her own and those of the people she meets.

What makes the story particularly engaging is the chemistry between the lead characters, and how Middleton explores the themes of misunderstanding, vulnerability, and personal growth. As Anna’s life becomes entangled with a mysterious stranger, readers are taken on a delightful journey that questions whether first impressions are ever truly accurate.

With its lighthearted tone and charming leads, First Impressions is perfect for fans of feel-good romance novels that deliver both laughs and heartfelt moments. It’s an enjoyable read that reminds us all how love can often surprise us when we least expect it.
Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

First Impressions by Linda Middleton is a captivating and emotionally nuanced novel that explores the complexities of relationships, perception, and the judgments we make about others. Middleton's engaging writing style brings depth to her characters, whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways, challenging the assumptions they hold about themselves and each other. The story delves into themes of love, trust, and personal growth, as the characters navigate both the joy and heartache that come with new connections. With its relatable and richly developed characters, First Impressions is a heartfelt and thought-provoking read that reminds us how initial perceptions can often be deceiving and how true understanding takes time. It's perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth and meaningful reflections on human interaction.

This was cute enough. The characters have a good chemistry and are interesting on their own and the story is well executed. However it doesn’t spark, not for me. I thought it would be more a retelling of P&P but it’s not quite that. I enjoyed reading, though.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

It took me a while to get into this book, and at times it was difficult to keep reading because the writing and plot seemed a bit disjointed. The characters were likeable but I feel like I didn’t get a full understanding of their building relationship and much seemed to happen off page. In all, it was a quick and mostly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am struggling with a rating for this book.

I loved reading it, while I was reading - however, it's not one of those books that I will think about days or weeks after reading.
This was a sweet, simple love story that had some fun tropes in it. I thought I had the book all figured out and knew how it was going to end, but I was completely wrong. If you like your characters to have a fun banter between them, you will like this book.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

It felt like the writer took on more than they could chew with First Impressions. The heroine just seems like a category 5 hurricane, with one bad situation after another. Kudos for her for not completely breaking apart. The romance was not well explored either. Overall this book fell flat for me.

#netgalley #FirstImpressions

I enjoyed reading this book, it had its cute, sweet, funny moments but I did feel like for a book called first impressions they could have played with that a bit more in the book and it felt like they didnt organically fall in love. Overall is a good read for a quick romance novel as I finished it in a few hours.

Do you ever think about how you would like having a second chance at making a first impression? First Impressions tackles this.

This book was charming but a total trifle. It won’t stay with me though I did enjoy reading it at the time.

Anna meets Daniel when she has an interview as his assistant. She gets the job but needs to keep her distance as her last workplace romance went badly wrong in the end. I liked how it was told from both points of view.

First impressions

1.75⭐️2.75🌶️

Contemporary romance
British Romcom
Workplace romance
Family dynamics
Miscommunication
3rd act breakup


Tw: domestic violence, terrorist attack

The cover and synopsis of this book were cute and intriguing. Unfortunately it just didn’t deliver for me.

The plot was just trope after shock factor after trope. Victim situation on top of victim situation on top of victim situation. By the 50% mark I was so tired of the woe is me for this FMC. All the characters were reduced to their role, instead of coming into their own. Leaving them all flat and tired.

There is a lot of telling and not showing. The whole book was basically inner monologue. There was barely any actual dialogue. The timeline was very timeline jumpy. Events that needed unpacking never were, instead the plot would skip to later in the week.

Light spice. Barely open door.

Add a terrorist attack type explosion during London fashion week to just up the camp. I thought it was done in bad taste as something cornered into a side plot.


Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am on the fence with the rating for this book because it was such an interesting read.

I got into it thinking I'll get a grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers story but that wasn't the case at all. I loved, however, the dynamics between all the characters, and how it (kind of) avoided the much-dreaded third-act breakup.

Anna was an interesting character but she was too much of a doormat in the beginning, with anyone but Daniel. Her home situation was horrible and misogynistic, yet she did nothing to help herself initially for so many years. I loved the character growth and how much she was able to step up for herself.

The exes in the story are also caricatures of real people, as everything they do is try to mess up the lives of people they once allegedly loved. I liked the dynamics between Daniel and Anna and their slow-burn romance. I loved that the author took the time to develop them and their relationship and feelings before they started dating. Anna's relationship with Ben was also a high point, although her best friend (forgot her name) was absolutely horrible and zero supportive.

Basically, everyone around them was horrible, and they had to work around that.

Final rating: 3.5 (rounded to 4).

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy so I can read it again!

I liked Anna and admired her keenness to get on in life despite her family.
Your root for her to have a happy ending.
I also liked Charlotte, Daisy, and Eva. It was good to see how the characters evolved.
Daniel was also a good character just trying to do right by his son and Anna brought out the best in him. It was enjoyable and quite an easy read. I got through it quite quickly.
Thanks Netgallery

This story is all about not judging a book by its cover. The main characters we follow are David and Anna. Who start working together as a photographer and his assistant. Over the course of working together they built a friendship/mentorship through their passion of photography. David is the first to have romantic feelings for Anna but keeps them hidden. Anna is in the same boat but does the same. Eventually everything comes to light and they embark on a new adventure together as a couple. Throughout this David’s ex tries to create a divide between them and win David back through their shared 9 year old son Ben.

I gave this a 3 because I felt the romance was lackluster. There really wasn’t any besides him liking her personality and them staying in for a few meals with each other. The drama in this story was more a lot and kind of went on longer than I think it needed too. It started to make Anna and Lucinda look childish. David seemed as enjoyable as wall cause he had no personality. I liked that the author touched on mental health issues in this and how it can affect people in relationships with them and how they can be undiagnosed when it’s not recognized. There were some other parts of the story that dealt with tough situations and I thought were explored well.

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe for the chance to read this story,

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. I am so glad the book has been released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I loved this book much more than I thought I would.
I was expecting something but what I got was completely diferent (in a good way).
I loved Anna, she was true to herself, her love was enormous and she was genuinely a good person. What she did at the end was necessary, Daniel had to realize what his ex wife was doing and really have a talk with her. I really liked how things were resolved right away, it didn't drag out and that was perfect.
I liked Daniel too, he loved Anna so much and he wanted to be with his son. I understood he was kind of between a rock and a hard place between Anna and his ex wife but in the end he did what needed to be done.
I loved them together, I think they complemented each other really well and I was smiling really big by the time the book ended

When I read the description of this book saying it was for people who like authors like Susie Tate I was excited. I loved Susie Tate’s Unperfect. This book has a lot of things in common with that book. Like Anna becoming Daniel’s assistant, or Daniel having a son, grumpy boss and sunshine assistant, FMC is trying to lose a toxic ex. Both British romances, ect. And while this book deals with the same serious topics (domestic abuse) it doesn’t handle it as well as Susie Tate does.