While romance novel isn't my usual go-to genre, I'm more of a fantasy and SciFi kind of reader, I find myself wanting something easy and fun to read every now and then. Second First Impressions is exactly the kind of book I'm looking for at such times. It's easy and fun with enough story and character depth to have a nice flow.

It's not the best rom-com book I've read but it doesn't need to be either. If you want an easy, fun and swoon-worthy book then check this out!

*Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

This was a really sweet story where there was more at stake for our main character than just finding love. Her home and job were under threat too.

I thought this was funny and that the characters were well defined. Did I particularly fancy Teddy? No. But, I could see why Ruthie did. There were some elements to this story that didn't exactly feel like real life, but this was ultimately an uplifting escapist story. I wouldn't have expected it to be completely grounded. That said, it was more realistic than a lot of romances, I liked that the story saw a wrong righted for two of our memorable side characters.

Speaking of, the side characters were excellent. In the end I think I might have enjoyed this even more than The Hating Game.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved The Hating Game, I jumped at the chance of reading a review copy of Second First Impressions.

Sally Thorne has again put together a cast of brilliant characters: it's an absolute delight to follow neat Ruthie and bad boy Teddy as they face off against each other, and come to revise their first impressions of the other. A retirement village for the rich, is not a setting I've come across for a rom-com before, and I have to say that the eccentric Parloni sisters regularly stole the show and made this a laugh-out-loud read. I was applauding Teddy for putting up with their antics, and howling at the schemes they concocted for their entertainment.

This is the perfect book if you're looking for something that will lift your mood. It's definitely a rom-com with a lot of heart, as well as laughs.

An easy and enjoyable read! I loved the characters very much, especially Mel and the older ladies. They all added such fun and fire to the overall story. I had a great time being along for the ride and felt all the emotions that they did as it progressed. The only thing missing for me was a bit more closure from specific people and family at the end but otherwise certainly worth a read.

Second First Impressions is a charming tale that is written in Sally Thorne’s signature dreamy whimsical style.

Ruthie works on the reception desk at a retirement village and pretty much lives a life akin to the old age pensioners she helps looks after as she’s 25 going on 80 (aka me and her are soul sisters). Her steady routine is thrown out of sorts by the arrival of the owner’s son Teddy who is charming and rugged and quite insistent about worming his way into Ruthie’s life and heart. The tattooed long haired hair breaks past her shyness to help her realise her full potential all while being an actually walking, talking teddy bear.

The characters of Ruthie and Teddy are mismatched and quirky in the best way, and their love is a slow burn fizzle that navigates nicely from the pair getting off on the wrong foot. Their encounters are filled with an enchanting balance of laughter and tender moments, and their chemistry leaps off the page. Their romance is precious and at times awkwardly timid, but it’s ultimately a cutesie read that will surely go down well with fans of the Kiss Quotient series.

On First Impression (ay see what I did there) it’s easy to compare this to the iconic The Hating Game (which I loved!) and while it isn’t any the same ball park for me, it doesn’t mean this is a bad book. The story is a gem in its own right AND it features adorable turtles, but it pales in comparison to a more tension-charged will-they-won’t-they couple like Lucy and Josh. Instead Ruthie and Teddy’s love story is more like the soft lapping of waves, rather than all out raging fire. But both of these elements are glorious in their own right and don’t need to compete with one another.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group for my copy via Netgalley

I loved the writing style and the side characters! They were sooooo funny and made the book for me, to be fair. I personally did not feel the romance chemistry at all, it felt more platonic than anything. As I said, I loved the side characters, I felt they were so funny and simply overshadowed the main character who I actually found to be too bland. I think I would've liked this story a lot more if the main character would've had more character and the setting wouldn't have been a retirement village... that being said, I read books set in retirement villages and loved them (but yeah, those were indeed murder mysteries). I really wanted to love this book so much more...

I loved this book a steamy light rom com you love with great characters and writing style. I loved the hating game and you definitely love this one. A light funny romance with heart warming characters. Loved every paged. Fast pace and beautiful written. Everyone going to love this one. Great chemistry between characters a nice slight romance you love.

Unfortunately , i can’t connect with these characters at all. I do not care for them, so i could not finish this boom. Maybe romance books are not for me.

Sweet, poignant and funny, I really loved the mismatched romance and the retirement village setting. An instant favourite!

Firstly, am I the only one who can see Lucy Hale playing the adorable, “tidy girl” Ruthie in Sally Thornes latest novel?

Having loved The Hating Game, I couldn’t resist an ARC of Sally Thornes latest book Second First Impressions. Featuring the charismatic ‘Parloni Sisters’, our conservative Ruthie, a rogue bad boy Teddy and some cute golden-shelled tortoises, its easy to rhetorically ask “Whats not to love”?!
Admittedly Ruthies perspective on life and reluctance to leave behind the residents of the Providence Retirement Villas is a little frustrating however I found her caring albeit awkward nature to be quite adorable and her obsessive “flaws” such of triple checking locks, procedures and order to be refreshing in a lead character. It was clear from the start that despite multiple warnings, Ruthie was going to fall head over heels for the bad boy Lamborghini that is Theodore or “Teddy” to his friends and long list of female admirers. The cutesy name of Teddy couldn’t be more ironic to the image of the long haired, heavily tattooed man that is described however I’m certain that his tenderness and caring nature towards his new elderly employers will win over even the anti-badboy readers. My favourite characters were definitely the Parloni Sisters, particularly Renata who is the kind of playful, fun and manipulative old lady that I would love to be.

Second first impressions is as a heart-warming, cute and easy to read novel. The kind that makes you feel a little warm and gooey inside, the perfect relaxing read.

I found this one disappointing, the main character was too meek for me to be able to connect with and I honestly just got annoyed with her towards the end.

A fun, endearing romance about a woman who lives a staid life isolated from the world with only her job and her forum to comfort her. Until one evening a man walks into her life and turns it upside-down. He makes her feel alive, young and beautiful and she wants to enjoy him while she can, because he will leave. They all leave. Its sweet, funny, romantic and absolutely perfect!

I read The Hating Game last year and loved it so much it ended up in my top 10 reads of 2021 🙈 So, when I saw Second First Impressions as a new release by the same author I had to read it.

I’m a bit of a sucker for a romantic reality show - (think Love is Blind, Married at First Sight Australia 💖) and I’d say a warm, cosy rom com novel with a gentle, lighthearted storyline is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. Does this make me a hopeless romantic? Possibly…

This book follows a similar concept as The Hating Game - two seemingly mismatched singles thrown together in unusually high stakes circumstances. I devoured this novel on one cosy Sunday. Is it the best book I’ll read this year? No. Will I remember this book in a few weeks time? No… but that’s okay! It was comforting, happy little read and I’m more than happy to continue on this rom com journey.

Ruthie knows there's more to life than love. But as the residents of the luxury retirement village she works at constantly tell her, she's pretty enough to have three boyfriends if she wanted to (she doesn't, though.) Her life is quiet, peaceful and it's just fine. Besides, the one time she actually tried talking to a cute stranger recently he was a total jerk, so it's for the best.

But that Jerk has just appeared in her office with his Dad … the owner of her company. And as her newest and most reluctant colleague, he's nothing but a spoiled little rich boy who wouldn't know work if it hit him. Her first impression of him was … underwhelming to say the least. But then something changes - while it's true that Teddy could do with learning about the real world, about how important their work is, Ruthie might benefit from learning about the fun side of life too.

And maybe, a second impression is what they both need for a second chance.

"I may as well get a crush on a hurricane. I'd be covered by insurance."

When you open a Sally Thorne book, you're not signing up for any sharp twists, clever reveals or curious mysteries. But you are promise an indulgently delicious romance full of heart and humour. You might know exactly where this book is going, but boy are you going to enjoy the journey.

Ruthie was an awkward workaholic from a religious, conservative family living a sheltered, lonely life - but underneath she was just a normal 25 year old woman who wanted to live her life, and she was absolutely beautiful to read about. Then there's Theodore, or Teddy to his friends with his tattoos and motorbikes and attitude who on the surface seems like a generic bad-boy but with a gooey soft centre that I fell in love with. Their relationship snuck up on, evolving naturally without me even noticing. There was a sizzling tension, an electricity between them and a strange kind of intimacy between them that warmed my heart. The other characters were absolute delights - wickedly funny retirees with a totally different kind of youth and vitality.

While trying to deal with their own confusing feelings, we find Ruthie and Teddy dealing with complex family drama, workplace tragedies and terrifying opportunities.

This slow-burning romance is full of laughter and love, the perfect fun, fluffy read that will leave you smiling. Sassy, sexy and so, so sweet.

Second First Impressions is a sweet, heartwarming romance story that would be perfect for a Sunday afternoon relaxation read in the sun. I loved all the previous books by Sally Thorne, so I had high expectations for this one and to be honest, although it was different to the other books I have read written by her, it was equally enjoyable. I was able to finish this quickly, as this author's writing style means the plot flows well and is an easy read.

I adored Ruthie and Teddy's relationship, and they are the true definition of opposites attracts, as you could not have two very different leading characters. Teddy is just a dream, and I am gutted that he is a fictional character, and Ruthie, who has an old soul, would make a great best friend!

Although this was a slow burner and didn't grab me instantly, it wasn't long before I became fully invested and cheering for this couple. There are parts of this plot that would appeal to everyone. The concept of self-improvement and personal development was strong, making this a great read.

This new release comes highly recommended to fans of this author and this genre. Pick up a copy today!

I didn’t hate this book but I also didn’t love it. It just felt kind of average to me which is a shame because I really enjoyed The Hating Game by Sally Thorne but I found it hard to believe that this book was written by the same author.

I did enjoy aspects of the book and there were some funny moments and some very cute and fluffy moments and I enjoyed the story line of the book.

I think it was the characters that did it for me. The main love interest seemed entirely too fictional. He was clingy and crossed way too many boundaries and that kind of gave me the ick.

Overall a cute read but maybe a little to fluffy for me.

I went into this with an idea that that I’d enjoy it but not 100% sure as I seem like the only person left who hasn’t read The Hating Game yet. Well that has been bumped up my list because Second First Impressions was a joy to read.

I loved the cast of characters, especially Renata Parloni, a flamboyant ex fashion editor who resides in the retire village.

The chemistry between Ruthie and Teddy wasn’t exactly burn the page hot, it was a cute slow burn at most that plodded along until they finally gave in.

I enjoyed this delightful romance story, it was well written, had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it

This was just the sweetest, most adorable story ever!

I hate to compare all of Thorne's books to The Hating Game but if you are hoping for a book like that, this is not it. Second First Impressions is a sweet, charming, almost fluffy story about two people who seem so different coming together. Ruthie is 25 going on 125 and Teddy is 27 going on 17 but when they are forced to work together they help each other grow in all the ways they needed.

Teddy is an absolute charmer (you know the type) he's sweet and funny and manages to make everyone fall in love with him. Ruthie is not exactly uptight but she has this old lady librarian thing going on (that totally works for Teddy). She had makeover written all over her and I was concerned there was going to be a 2000's romcom style makeover but thankfully, it was done much better than that. In fact, both characters end up changing in little ways but the changes are for themselves.

The story is a touch predictable but that's fine because it delivers on what you want. It's like a cuddle-buddy in book form perfect for when you have a touch of the blues.

FYI: There is a sex scene but it is so tame the book is practically clean. It's actually a pretty sweet scene.

I am left confused after finishing this story.
I wanted to enjoy this and there were parts that I did enjoy. My favourite part of this story were the side characters: Maggie, Renata and Aggie were all standout characters and I loved reading their interactions.

I did not connect with Ruthie whatsoever. I don't think she was fleshed out very well. We were told why she is OCD, why she surrounds herself with old people but it's never explained why she is a stickler for routine, hates change and dresses like an old lady. Just because you shop at a thrift store does not automatically mean you're going to dress like an old lady. It's also never fully explained why she is so alone. Yes, she prefers old people but she doesn't make friends with any of them except maybe for Aggie and Renata. Her reasoning at times geared more towards that of a teen than a 25 year old and I felt she emotionally manipulated Teddy at times.

The dialogue in this book was a huge let down for me. Characters would start talking about one thing and then randomly jumped to another topic without finishing their train of thought on the previous topic. It gave me whiplash trying to keep up with their conversations. It was stilted, awkward and staccato and it did not flow very well.

The romance was cute but I felt that Teddy and Ruthie had a knack for being upfront with each other yet extremely cryptic at the same time and that type of romance does not gel with me.