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.

I was so happy that The First Love Myth was every bit as excellent as this author’s romance series! The three sisters in this new novel were so beautifully portrayed and they ways they navigated complex family relationships felt real to me. Liz, Cecelia, and Zoey were all such unique characters with their own struggles, and while none of the conflicts wrapped up completely neatly, the conclusion of the book was so satisfying. Themes of forgiveness, letting others see your pain, and knowing when to let a toxic relationship go were all woven into the story seamlessly. I loved this novel.