Member Reviews

Ugh this book had me in my feels. I loved it. There’s something about K. L. Walther’s ability to capture the feeling of being a teenage girl. It’s so interesting because I think you’d assume this is a book about a girl finding love, but I don’t think it is. I’m not going to give anything away, but by the end of the book, it felt like it was a story between two people but it wasn’t the teenage girl and her love interest.

Really enjoyed it. Devoured it quickly. If you like her other books, for sure read it.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED this book! It was the perfect read, I could not put it down once I picked it up. I have read almost all of KL Walther's other books and I was loving the character cameos + references (especially the Meredith and Wit ones)! Something I particularly enjoyed about this book was how each character had their own story and layers, which made the story really enjoyable. I wasn't really left in the dark with any character which was nice. I had fun finding out who Madeline was going to end up with although it was pretty obvious, but I was excited because that was my favorite pick! Another great aspect of the book was how the book was split up into seasons, which created a lot of anticipation for the big wedding. Also, I really enjoyed how all of the plotlines blended, the wedding, field hockey, and the romance. Overall, this book was a 5/5 read and I would definitely recommend to all readers!

Was this review helpful?

K.L. Walther wins every time! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the past characters make cameos in it. It was fun and interesting to have the book be Bachelorette themed. It made it relatable and funny. I would definitely recommend it to others if they enjoy the same interests.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the digital eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Such a cute journey following Mads as a bridesmaid to her brother and future sister. She navigates, sports, love, wedding drama and life. I didn’t love the first but as all characters were unlikeable, but came around to them in the end!

Was this review helpful?

My favorite K.L. Walther book by far. I started this not knowing exactly what to expect, since the book was split into parts, but I'm so happy with what I got. With an emotional route, this book was great! I love the relationships made throughout the book and how they developed to the end, and I'm especially happy with how everything was resolved. The characters were great and seeing the way the story was written, they fit perfectly. Thank you so much for this arc!

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly loved A First Time For Everything. I thought all of the characters were full of life, and I enjoyed the journey that this book took me on. I love K.L. Walther’s books and can’t wait for more!

Was this review helpful?

A YA romance perfect for fans of 10 Blind Dates and We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This.
💍
Madeline is all about family so it’s a surprise when her brother proposes to his girlfriend without including them or letting them know it was happening! Mads isn’t a fan of her soon-to-be-sister-in-law, Katie, and is less than enthused to be a bridesmaid. When a game of Truth or Dare with the wedding party leads to Mads admitting she’s never been kissed or on a date, the bride and her posse make it their mission to find Mads a date for the wedding. Now Mads is going on date after date, some fun, some not and some confusing like her thoughts on Connor, the boy next door and Marco, a former classmate who pushes her buttons. As the wedding gets closer Mads’ feelings about her suitors and the bride all come to a head.
💒
This title is full of family drama, an adorable romance and self-discovery readers will eat up. For me, nothing will live up to The Summer of Broken Rules, but this was a close one! I enjoyed this sweet, coming-of-age book that fans of hers will love. She is the new face in this genre and fans of Kasie West and Lynn Painter will be in good company when this novel releasing June 3!

CW: broken bone, hospitalization, body horror

3.25 ⭐️

Was this review helpful?

I genuinely love a closed-door romance that isn't full of purity culture. It is such a special unicorn in my life.

This book follows a full year of 17/18 year old Mads' life. This starts out when her brother Austin gets engaged to his girlfriend Katie in Paris. Mads feels a bit left out because she assumed she would know Austin was going to propose prior to hearing about it. She likes Katie but doesn't quite love her yet. Then Katie asks her to be a bridesmaid, and she becomes fully part of the bridesmaid culture and group chat. The girls find out that Mads has never had a real boyfriend and they encourage her love life. Throughout the seasons she goes to prom, commits to a college, and dates several different boys as she seeks to find her "favorite person."

There are a couple of different love interests, but for the most part this is essentially a love triangle. I like to keep my reviews spoiler-free, but I will say I was disappointed in which one she ended up with. The really great story, though, is Austin and Katie, their ups and downs, and how Mads learns to love Katie and accept her as a part of her family. That is a story not often told, and that is really well done. Mads is well written, appropriate level of maturity for her age and intelligence. She is both interesting and likable.

If you like YA romance, absolutely recommend this one. Its is fun and heartwarming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC. Book to be published June 3, 2025.

Was this review helpful?

K.L. Walther’s A First Time for Everything is a delightful and heartwarming coming-of-age romance that masterfully blends humor, self-discovery, and the complexity of family dynamics. After the massive success of The Summer of Broken Rules, she once again delivers a story brimming with relatable characters, tender moments, and plenty of awkward (and hilarious) situations that will have readers laughing and rooting for Madeline.

Madeline, or Mads as she’s known, has always been incredibly close to her family. So when her older brother gets engaged without so much as a heads-up, her world is shaken. She’s not exactly thrilled about his fiancée, Katie, and to bond and preserve the peace before the wedding, Mads agrees to become a bridesmaid. This sets off a series of events that includes a hilarious and cringe-worthy Truth or Dare game, where Mads ends up revealing she’s never been kissed, let alone been on a date. The plot quickly takes off as the bridesmaids unite to help Mads find her first date, leading her to a series of comedic and often disastrous dating escapades.

What makes A First Time for Everything stand out is how Walther taps into the awkwardness and beauty of first experiences—whether it’s a first kiss, first date, or first love. Mads is both relatable and lovable, her journey filled with the kind of emotional growth that feels earned. Her interactions with Connor, the boy next door, and Marco, the mysterious former classmate, are dynamic and full of chemistry, making her romantic choices intriguing and full of tension. And let’s not forget the band of bridesmaids who add extra fun and drama, propelling the story forward with their antics and support for Mads.

While the romantic tension is a central part of the plot, K.L. also dives deep into family relationships, particularly the complexities of sibling bonds. Mads’ efforts to navigate the rocky terrain of her brother’s engagement while managing her feelings about Katie is done with nuance, offering a refreshing perspective on family loyalty, love, and the tension between growing up and staying connected.

This book is perfect for readers who love heartwarming, laugh-out-loud romance with a dash of self-discovery. Mads’ journey of finding love—both romantic and familial—is both touching and fun. The pacing is perfect, keeping readers hooked from start to finish, and the chemistry between Mads and her love interests will have you eagerly turning pages.

In short, A First Time for Everything is a wonderful, feel-good read that will remind you of the beauty of firsts, the importance of family, and the messy, glorious adventure of growing up. K.L. Walther has once again delivered a captivating story that will leave you smiling long after you turn the last page. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

such a beautiful book that follows 17 years old Mads and her brother’s weeding; family; and first love!

this was such a great read, especially for the valentine’s day because it had everything a ya romance needed: tension, friendships, drama and well developed plot. i enjoyed almost everything about it and at some point i was convinced this book is a 5 star read, however, there were some … weird moments.

firstly, i was truly impressed with the plot and each character’s storyline! each character was distinguished and had a unique detail to their characteristics. they were especially seen at the end when you get to know all of them better. therefore, i’ll start with characters:

mads was a nice teenager, very realistic and positive for her age. i really don’t have anything to say about her because she seemed nice, kind and open to something fun and existing. however, i do believe her whole storyline wasn’t something she wanted. for preview: the book basically follows mads as she tells her brother’s fiancée about not kissing anyone. and the whole bridesmaid group is encourages a romance throughout the book. why am i telling this? because mads did not seem interested in romance before this whole thing. what i’m saying is, it felt very pushed toward mads wanting to date and see guys. especially, when she started to intensely look for a guy, instead of going with the phase.

however, here comes the fun part. <u>i loved who she ended up with. it was kind of obvious throughout the book, but i was still so glad with the last chapters and the finale.

i can’t say that i was expecting this from kate because she genuinely felt very weird the whole time. i mean, nice for the drama to go away but i was kind of confused with her personality🤷‍♀️

Was this review helpful?

Oh I love Marco oh my gosh!

The writing is really good but sometimes I was more interested in the subplot of the dynamic between Katie and Mads. I loved seeing the growth of their sisterhood. Mads’ back and forth love triangle thing got tiring for a little bit, so I loved seeing her other relationships develop too. The romance was so cute and blush-worthy but Mads and Katie’s sister-in-law storyline is what stole my heart!

Obviously, I was so excited to see Meredith and Wit make a few cameos too!

Was this review helpful?

In love with this author, this book, and the characters.
It was a perfect read

Thanks to NetGalley and sourcebooks fire for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A First Time for Everything is the perfect blend of nostalgia, YA romance, and self-discovery. K.L. Walther nails that bittersweet, coming-of-age vibe with relatable characters and a dreamy setting. The story is heartfelt, the romance is sweet, and the writing flows effortlessly. A little predictable? Sure. But sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

Was this review helpful?

This book felt like a blessing. A First Time for Everything, is the type of book that's almost sad to read because now I'll compare it to all other YA/Romance books, and they won't quite measure up. It had the perfect pacing, banter, and character development. I ate up every word and already miss living in the pages.

A First Time for Everything had me run the full spectrum of emotions from laughing out loud over something the main character, Mads, quipped to crying through sections where different characters had their full humanity on display.

Truly a 10/10 experience. Can't wait for this to be released so I can share it with friends and family! Now I gotta dive into other Walther books!!

Was this review helpful?

I have no other way to describe this book other than perfect, not one single complaint or dislike, total *chefs kiss*. The FMC is a seventeen year old girl who has close family bonds with her dads and brother, so when her finds out her brother proposed in Paris, she is shocked to say the least. Especially since she is still undecided about his now fiancée. Then she gets asked to be a bridesmaid which then leads to the bride’s squad deciding to play their version of The Bachelorette to find her the perfect plus one before the wedding.

This book hit all the emotions for me, crying, laughing, getting angry on the FMC’s behalf and sometimes with wanting to shake some sense into her too! However that’s what is great about it! She is only 17 and the emotions, and at times immature decisions or statements she makes, only shows her growth of character over the year. I also loved the bridesmaid aspect because as someone who spent over 6k on weddings in one year (none of which were my own) and has felt like the main character of 27 dresses my whole life, I felt some of the bridesmaid parts on a deep level 😂 With a little something for everyone in this book, you can not go wrong adding to your TBR today!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC copy!!!

Was this review helpful?

The summer of broken rules was my favorite book by K.L. Walther so of course I adore this one too and was so happy to get a little more from characters I already know and another beautiful love story

Was this review helpful?

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I missed not having a KLW book to read in 2024, but now I’m being blessed with two of her books in 2025 and I got an ARC of one of them! And I had the best time!

I was addicted from the start and could not put this down. The author always does such a good job of writing fun adventures for her characters to experience and this was no exception. I loved all the different dates that the protagonist Mads was going on and meeting all of her suitors. I also really just liked Mads as a lead in general. She was witty, smart and kind. I had a lot of fun being in her head.

I was also really invested in the family and wedding drama. I was super curious to see how everything would play out with her brother’s fiancée as well. There were so many heartfelt moments and I just found myself getting lost in the story.

As for the romance, there were a few love interests just based on the premise of the book, but there were really only two serious ones. In my eyes, there was an obvious winner. She just had the best chemistry with him. I won’t say who it is just to keep it spoiler free though. But they were super cute!

All in all, this was such a charming read and I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a new romance read.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

A First Time for Everything was a cute story of friendship and first love. Sprinkle in some Taylor Swift, Gilmore Girls, and The Bachelor references and you’ve got a book I’ll be chatting with my 20 year old about - she’ll want to know how many of them I caught! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

K.L. Walther you are a queen of banter, lovable families, and falling in love. And you will be forever remembered for bringing Mer & Wit into our lives. 🩷🩷🩷

If you loved The Summer of Broken Rules, you will LOVE getting more Mer & Wit in this utterly fantastic and wonderfully amazing story. They bring their familiar humor and love to this joyous story of Mads finding love while navigating her brother’s upcoming wedding. Along the way Madd discovers that her soon to be sister in law isn’t who she seems to be. And that sometimes the road to love is ever so winding.

Dating adventures, mishaps, and tons of pre wedding festivities fill the pages of this beautiful story. The characters are perfect and the story will make you so very happy. This book is quintessential K.L. Walther and you will enjoy every second of this lovely story.

Was this review helpful?

K.L. Walther continues to amaze me as an author. Her writing is so heartfelt and really resonates with her readers. This book was amazing! I could not put the book down. This book is a complete masterpiece!

Was this review helpful?