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!

After reading the initial description of this book I didn’t know if I would love it since I don’t have any sisters and I wouldn’t connect to the characters. I was intrigued by it and wondered how the story would play out. I was pleasantly surprised by the different story lines mixed with a little bit of romance. I think this is a great book you could also recommend to a teenager looking for a romance book that isn’t too spicy.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The First Love Myth by Casey Dembowski
This book beautifully captures the ups and downs of first love. Dembowski’s characters feel real, and their stories are both relatable and heartfelt. Heartbreak, infidelity and the relationship between sisters is beautifully woven into the storyline. It challenges the myths surrounding young romance while celebrating its impact. A great read for anyone who's experienced the magic and heartbreak of first love!

The First Love Myth is about the pains of letting go of what no longer serves us, whether it’s relationships or resentment. It’s also about healing and family.

Liz is the glue between older sister Cecilia and their younger half-sister Zoey. While trying to get pregnant, she discovers her husband Julian is cheating. It’s not the first time he’s done this, having broken up with her many times since they started dating in high school. Every time Julian returns Liz takes him back but this time she’s finally cracked. Escaping to live with Zoey and their father, Liz learns the 19-year-old is repeating Liz’s patterns. Zoey can’t stop hooking up with ex-boyfriend Andrew who cheated on her with her best friend. Meanwhile commitment-phobe Cecilia finds herself smitten with her girlfriend and on the precipice of finally taking a giant step forward. However Cecilia is nursing nearly 20 years of anger as Zoey is the result of their father’s affair which broke their parent’s marriage which has clouded all her relationships, including her first love.
 
Having been a fan of Casey Dembowski’s rom coms (especially her debut ‘When We’re Thirty’ which had a little shout out that made me smile), I really like this direction she’s taken, with a focus more on the sisters’ personal journeys and their relationships than romance. All three were strong storylines, and I especially liked that Cecilia wasn't completely fixed by the end, that she’s still a work in progress (perhaps there’s a follow up book there?). I liked that her girlfriend did what Liz and Zoey were unable to do. Romance-wise both Zoey and Liz have an arc but I and would’ve just preferred it be one for Zoey, given Max was much more fleshed out. Liz’s felt shoehorned in as Spencer ‘hot dad’ came off as blanc mange. Given the inevitable foreshadowed development, I think it would’ve been better to just remove him entirely or just be one of a few men Liz dates.

Well-paced with short, sharp chapters, I couldn’t put this book down. I got very invested in all three sisters as they work through their issues.

Thanks to Red Adept Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This one didn't do much for me. Just wasn't my favorite story.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

I loved how complex family dynamics and relationships were explored throughout this book. I liked that this book didn't have your typical fairytale ending and was more realistic. I'll be eager to read this with my book club when it's released in January 2025! It will be the perfect read for us gals!

I love a book where the characters are adults. I feel every book is always about people in their early twenties but this one was not. I was a big fan of Casey Dembowski's writing style. It kept me engaged and i flew thru this book.

I really enjoyed the incredibly realistic family dynamics in this book and watching the characters work through conflicts. This was just a very realistic, easily relatable book especially considering the relationships between the sisters. I liked that not everything was tied up neatly with a bow at the end - it really worked with this particular plot.