The First Love Myth by Casey Dembowski is a heartfelt and engaging romance that explores the complexities of rekindled love. The characters are well-developed, and their emotional journey feels authentic, making it easy to root for them. With a perfect balance of nostalgia, tension, and romance, this book is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys second-chance love stories.

I actually loved so much about this. It was my last book of 2024 and I read it in a day! It was my third book by the author and I always enjoy her stories. Despite the title and cover, this wasn’t a traditional romance. And I think that’s what I loved about it. I loved the family dynamics. I love the complexity of the sisters’ relationships and I enjoyed how they were a going through their own things and sorting it out.

If you are looking for a different take on romance or if you have sisters, I’d recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.

The First Love Myth by Casey Dembowski is a heartwarming and relatable tale that centers on the Reid Sisters, who each navigate the complex emotional fallout from a tough first love breakup. The story is a beautiful exploration of healing, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to open up to love again.

What really stands out in this book is the way it dives deep into the aftermath of first love—how it can shape you, break you, and ultimately lead to growth. As the Reid Sisters go through their own personal journeys of pain and recovery, their struggles and triumphs are incredibly easy to connect with. Each character is well-developed and multi-dimensional, making it impossible not to empathize with their individual stories.

I found myself completely immersed in their experiences. The narrative flows effortlessly, and I devoured this book in one sitting. It’s that kind of read—one that pulls you in from the very first page and doesn’t let go until you’ve reached the end.

Ultimately, The First Love Myth is a feel-good book, offering a hopeful reminder that, no matter how painful the past may be, there’s always the possibility of moving forward and finding love again. It’s an uplifting, comforting read that will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

If you’re looking for a story full of heart and healing, this one’s definitely worth picking up. It’s a beautiful celebration of resilience and second chances—one I’m sure many will find themselves returning to for comfort and inspiration.

Thank you Red Adept Publishing and #netgalley for the ARC!

3.75/5⭐

This was such a refreshing story of love, heartbreak, sisterhood, forgiveness and family. It will be gem in Women's Fiction for sure. The First Love Myth follows 3 sister through individual journeys of personal development as well as their journey to both mending and accepting their connection.

I loved following each sister's POV through experience of their family dynamic as well as their heartbreak. Liz, the middle sister and glue, values her relationship with both of her sisters. While she seeks refuge with her father and youngest sister Zoey amidst her newest heartbreak, she still needs the love, support and presence of her oldest sister, Cecilia. As much as Cecilia loves her sister Liz, she carries past hurt from her father into every relationship and refuses to foster a relationship with Zoey. In order to support Liz and show up for her, she will have to learn to accept Zoey. Zoey, young and impressionable as she is, needs the guidance and encouragement from her sisters as she experiences her first heartbreak. As she learns how to mend her broken heart, she also learns to be enough-for herself, her family, and in romantic relationships.

I loved the story line and plot. I would've like to see a bit more depth from Liz and Zoey. Cecilia was the standout for character development here. We got a great glimpse at them in the Epilogue, and I would've loved to see just a bit more of the journey to get there.

-Triple POV
-Estranged Family Members
-Betrayal Heartbreak

Book Blurb:
Liz Madden has a storybook romance—high school sweethearts, second chances, and a happily-ever-after. But when she finds out that her husband cheated on her, she is forced to make the hard decision and walk away. Unable to reveal the betrayal to those closest to her, Liz instead takes refuge with her father and half-sister, Zoey.

Zoey is nursing her own broken heart after a devastating end to her first love. But true to Reid-sister heritage, she’s courting disaster with a no-strings-attached affair with her ex.

Liz's marital discord also brings their older sister, Cecilia, back to town. But Cecilia has complicated relationship issues of her own. She’s never forgiven their father for the affair he had seventeen years ago, and she’s also never accepted Zoey as part of the family.

As their respective heartbreaks draw Liz and Zoey closer together, Liz finds she is getting tired of walking the line between her two sisters.

The Reid sisters are each in over their heads. To make it through the summer, they'll have to heal the fractures between them. Sometimes, forgiveness isn’t always a straight line, and letting go is the only way forward.

Casey Dembowski hits it out of the part again with The First Love Myth... Bringing back tender, and not so tender, memories of my own First Love, and feelings that are evoked if/when I see him again, even now many years later...

We explore so many emotions as we get to know Liz, Zoey and Cecilia, and how their First Loves, and the way they deal/dealt with their First Loves, affect their lives and drive them to unexpected changes, and leads them to bigger and better things...

There may be triggers for certain readers in this book, so I suggest checking content warnings, but this is a VERY worthwhile read, and is one that I will be re-reading in the future...

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing, LLC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Beautifully written. It gives a beautiful look on families and their dynamics. I really recommend this book!

This is a heartwarming and relatable read that will resonate with fans of family drama, romance, and self-discovery, particularly those who appreciate stories about complex female relationships, forgiveness, and the power of sisterhood.

2.75⭐️
Told from the viewpoint of each sister, this is a story about the complex and interconnected relationships of the three Reid sisters, each navigating different heartbreak. When I started this book, I was expecting more of a rom-com, however, this book was more focused on the personal growth and development of each sister through their own experiences surrounding family dynamics, romantic relationships, friendships, and sisterhood. While this book was not really for me, it was a unique story that the right audience will enjoy. Thank you to Casey Dembowski, Red Adept Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ The First Love Myth is a beautiful, heartwarming, and touching story about three sisters and how they navigated life after certain changes (divorce, breakup, new love) in their own personal relationships. What I love about the book is the many thought provoking scenes where I related so much to these characters and felt seen. I love and relate to Cecilia the most - harboring some grudge and having that affect me most. I love that each of their stories are unique but they also had common issues as sisters and their family as well. In the end, it was great to see how each of them has grown and healed from their experiences and journeys. This book tackled many different kinds of love and relationships between sisters, daughters, friends and partners. The one issue I had was the pacing. I felt a little bored on some parts and felt it dragged a bit. Overall, this was a good book on starting over, forgiveness and healing.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

I was totally expecting a sweet rom-com, and while romantic plotlines underscored the book, The First Love Myth is truly a story about personal development within the lens of family dynamics and romantic relationships. The book follows Liz, who is separating from her husband; Cecelia, who is in her first serious, vulnerable relationship as an adult; and their younger half-sister Zoey, who was cheated on by her high school boyfriend. All three Reid women are navigating their own first loves, while also healing decades of familial drama and hurt. This book is so much more than a rom-com, and I truly adored all three main characters and their respective journeys.

This book was well-paced with short and concise chapters that packed a punch without being drawn out, and I couldn’t put this book down. Dembowski transitioned between character perspectives flawlessly, leaving enough detail to be invested without leaving too much space in between plotlines to forget. Plus, each speaker has *just* enough of a different voice that it was easy to distinguish between chapters. I was so invested in all three sisters as each work through their individual and familial issues. I could not recommend this book more, and give it 4.5 stars rounded up!

In this gently bittersweet novel about romantic and familial love, three sisters wrestle with the passion and idealism of first love and the fallout after it ends. From Liz's troubled marriage to Zoey's doomed high school romance to their parents' complicated history, the story examines their varied responses to heartbreak, and how - and whether - each of them finds the strength to move on.

I enjoyed every page of <i>The First Love Myth</i>. The sisters' personalities were well-developed and differentiated, and I found each of their points of view compelling. The reading experience was enjoyable, only occasionally lingering too long in Zoey's adolescent antics, and the story's ending was unexpected but believable, and very satisfying. 5 thumbs up!

The book was an enjoyable read, but it didn't quite stand out. The plot was engaging enough to keep me interested, though it lacked depth in some areas. The characters were likable, but not particularly memorable. Overall, it's a solid, easy read if you're looking for something light, but it didn't leave a lasting impression.It was okay. I found it somewhat sluggish and predictable.

Dnf after 23%

Me and this story didn't clicked at all. I struggled a lot to get through this 23%. I think other people will like it, but it wasn't for me, unfortunately...

It's genuinely a heart felt and beautiful book describing the precious bonds between the Reid sisters. I laughed and I cried while reading them. I hope I can permanently keep this book with me😭😭
Thank you Netgalley and Red adept publishing for giving me an opportunity to read this precious book

Short, chapters and heartfelt storytelling make The First Love Myth impossible to put down. Liz, Zoey, and Cecilia—the Reid sisters—each blend heartbreak, humor, and resilience into this beautifully messy family drama.

As they navigate love, loss, and forgiveness, the story pulls you right into their world, making you root for them to heal their relationships and find their own versions of happiness. It’s emotional, hopeful, and full of those little moments that remind you how much family matters, even when it’s complicated.

Thanks to NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing, LLC for the opportunity to receive the ARC.

First off I want to thank Net Galley and Red Adept Publishing for allowing me an ARC! ☺️

“We really are three sides of a triangle. Broken as the lines between us are, we’re ever connected, whether we like it or not.

The story of the Reid sisters is many things. It is emotional, raw, touching, empowering, happy and sad, and it really brings back relatable feelings. The feelings of first love and the feelings of your first heartbreak.

I love how each sister is going through their own version of this and how it plays out while also navigating a complicated family structure, forgiveness, and moving on.

Definitely a book I would recommend people read.

All of the relationships felt so relatable and that’s what I loved most about this book. But also, the healing from heartbreak. ❤️

The first love myth is a story about family, sisterhood, friendship, and love. Love in many shapes and sizes. Three sisters struggle through their romantic life, each in their own, but connecting, way. I have to admit the start felt a bit slow to me and i struggled to continue reading. There was a certain moment, where a certain trope entered, when i almost debated dnfing but im glad i didnt. The ending was good, it is a story that needed telling. It is a good book, though it might not be the best fit for me. I hope, however, that it will be received with lots of love from readers.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

This was very enjoyable and well written, I felt immediately engaged by the writing and felt connected to the characters! It’s not the most memorable of stories, and I’m not the biggest fan of women’s fiction (I prefer romance), but it was still a very pleasant read!

Such a beautiful story about 3 sisters who are each at pivotal moments in their lives. I loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!