This book is a definite must read if you love a rom-com but appreciate a deeper meaning leaving you with something to think about and giving you that little spark of hope you didn’t know you needed. The author did an amazing job at giving us the happy feels of a love story but also touches on topics such as anxiety and expectations of society. Our main character Helen is the epitome of a single girl in panic mode because the “supposed” clock is running out. You follow her as she struggles with expectations, comparison and the desire to feel worthy. If you’re a single girl longing for your last first date please run and get this book. It’s a story we didn’t know we needed. Ps - we love a feisty independent woman who is exactly what Elle (Helen’s bff) is and more!

Thank you Hayley Quinn, Netgalley and HQstories for the opportunity to read this arc!

I struggled with this to be honest. I loved the premise when I originally saw it on NetGalley, and was excited to read about Helen, a 31-year-old who had discovered that her non-committing ex had declared his engagement on Instagram. Having been in a similar situation, I thought parts of it would be identifiable. However, I was annoyed by Helen almost immediately as rather than feeling sorry for her, I found her delusional about her former relationship. She seemed so wishy-washy and bland for the main character, and I also found her almost incessant inner dialogue really irritating. I don't even know where to start with the cultural stereotyping of Elle. I realise this was an ARC, but I genuinely think it needs a lot of editing and help from a sensitivity reader.

I hoped it would pick up once we got to the whole dating app snafu, but I found a lot of it implausible in reality. I think, again, that a lot of the problem is character-based. Helen seems to have little self-worth and wears several pairs of rose-tinted glasses. And we're supposed to believe that after such a long first date with a man she was obsessed with, neither of them even considered exchanging numbers? I was skimming pages by the end (I considered DNF'ing several times but hoped it would get better - It didn't). I don't know if it was an intentional choice to make Helen so unlikeable in the hope that she came across better in the final few chapters because of her GROWTH™, but it didn't work for me (particularly because that change only seemed to occur because she found love).

Honestly, I'd rather have read a book about Nanny G. Not for me.

I will upload the same review to Amazon UK on publication day

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers in return for an honest review.

This book wasn’t for me. I really tried to like it. I really wanted to like it. But it just wasn’t for me. I normally love a good romance as well. I DNFed this book at 15%.

The internal dialogue was too much. It went on forever, all the time! And far too much of it was putting herself (the MC) down and woo is me or why can’t I do this or I should do this. I don’t want to read a romance for negativity, I want to read to escape with a character that is fun, cute, awkward, relatable. But not negative about herself. In small doses negativity is good, shows characters development. But not to this extent.

The author went for the “met on a dating app but actually a nice guy” trope but the execution was just awkward. Lots of “can I ask you another question” which got irritating after a while and the “must be a man thing to mono focus over multitasking” (or something very similar to that) quote really grated on me.

If you enjoy awkward MC’s, the dating app trope and realistic over perfect fictional, you would probably really enjoy this book!

For me, I think it had great potential with an amazing concept but the execution just wasn’t for me. 1 star as I DNFed.

We love a good little cute arc. This was different than the romances I’ve read before, but it was enjoyable. I wish there was a little more time with the final couple, but that’s only cause they were adorable. I also wish I had more in the epilogue than just Instagram captions to give me an idea of what was happening with everyone. No smut, but honestly didn’t feel like it needed it till we had the fade to black happened. Overall a great read though! Plot always kept me thinking and seeing Helen’s overcome her anxieties was amazing and relatable

𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 - The Last First Date

𝒜𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 - Hayley Quinn

𝒢𝑒𝓃𝓇𝑒 - Romance

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 - 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads)

What a cute romance! I loved all the fun millennial references🫶🏻 Although Helen was the female protagonist, Nanny G stole the show and stole my heart! What a spunky, scrappy, and spirited little old lady she was! She was a highlight of the book for me. I loved her banter and wit! I would have loved this book even more if there was more focus on Ish and less focus on chasing Brody around for quite so many pages. I would definitely love to see a sequel to catch up with the two lovebirds. The character development, cultivation, and self-discovery of Helen’s character was very enjoyable for me as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was my first by Quinn and it certainly won’t be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this gifted digital ARC! This book publishes 5/20/2022 🥰
Feedback for Netgalley - No matter what I try, I get an error when trying to list my URL for my bookstagram and goodreads accounts where I review books on instagram. This is a common problem among us all. Here are the URL's for my accounts.
https://www.instagram.com/taylorstailoredbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/110366238 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/110366238

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
What makes or breaks a book for you? I’d say this was a 30 / 40 / 30 kind of read - 30% not for me, 40% okay, & 30% really enjoyed - but I’m glad I persisted.

It started out decently enough as I was introduced to the characters ( Nanny G immediately and unsurprisingly becoming a favourite ), and the story was one I was willing to keep turning pages for. Then, some of the characters started to feel like caricatures more than characters, and it lost me for a bit. I know there’s a certain degree of formula to the trope, but it felt a little cookie-cutter at times, and not the good, comforting kind of cookies.

I had a hard time with Helen being so self-deprecating and having it be half-presented as low-key gaslighting yourself into thinking you’re okay with being unspecial or mediocre. I’m not saying I think I walk on rainbows or anything, but I wish Helen had more of a foundation of self-esteem that might have been eroded versus long-standing confirmation bias of averageness.

Then suddenly, the last third of the book was great - fun interactions, an uplifting tone, well-developing characters, and a fantastic epilogue ( and I so rarely like an epilogue )! It quickly went from being a book I was tolerating to a book I was enjoying.

Ultimately, I’m glad I kept going with this one, so that the characters and I could both get our happy ending.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Thanks to NetGalley, Hayley Quinn, and HQ stories for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued to read this book by the blurb, so the blurb does its job very well. However I have to say, I don't think this book really lived up to the potential of the blurb. There were some bland characters, some great characters, some painfully stereotypical characters (for the sake of it I think), The main character Helen was okay, but I didn't particularly connect with her, so I kind of skimmed through a lot of the exposition because I just wasn't really interested. I think my favourite person in the book has to be Nanny G - what a brilliant nonagenarian! Some of the plot I enjoyed, and I enjoyed being able to picture the Cornish parts of the setting, however there were parts that just seemed a little bit far-fetched. My favourite part of the writing would probably be the WhatsApp messages because that did make it feel like I was having a casual catch-up with a friend. Overall, I'd say if you're looking for an easy, spice-free rom-com, this fits that bill, but I don't think I'd particularly recommend it to my friends to read.

⚜My Summary

📚My first read by Hailey Quinn and I was pleased as it started off a bang.It starts when Helen goes on a day after meeting Brody through dating app. It heats up when he says that he's hoping to go on his last first date. I got excited thinking this is going to be such a romantic, cozy read. However, that's not the case. The book slows down as the server for the website crashes and they lose connection. But Helen spends all of the book searching for this hope after an amazing date. She feels as though Brody has to be the one. Towards the end they meet again and she realizes that Brody is not the one. She decides to revise her idea of a what true love looks like and starts dating her friend Ish. A cute read on how we get so carried away on the idea of love that we psych ourselves out.

⚜Can everyone read this book?

📚Yes.

⚜Would I recommend?

📚Yes

This book was okay, the beginning was hard to understand what was going on in the beginning and in part it did drag but overall it had more good parts in it that I did like so I still enjoyed this story.

If there ever was a book where I said just one more chapter... one more chapter... this is it.

I started and finished this book on a Sunday morning because I could not put it down and I needed to know what happened next. Also the book is so easy to read making it just so much more enjoyable.

I mean parts of Helen did annoy me but I think that's what is brilliant about the authors writing cause I imagine that was the intention. Like why chase after someone who has no interest in you and being oblivious to what is in front of you. I think many people are like Helen (me included in the past) where you try and make something work and know it wont. You are so focused on that happy ending that you realize it might not be the one for you.

I was screaming at my book when she did something that I disagreed with. For that I applaud the writer as I was fully invested in Helen and her journey. In the beginning I was routing for her by the middle and end I was still routing for her in a different way.

Ish and Elle are adorable and I really loved having them involved in Helen's journey.

I really loved the plot of the last first date and do recommend it. It is a bit of everything: fun, comedy, ridiculousness, romance and friendship.

DNF at 32%

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last First Date follows 31-year-old Helen, a single baking blogger trying to get over her ex-boyfriend by meeting new people through a dating app. Helen clicks immediately with the charming Brody, who's also looking to settle down, but loses all contact with him when the app crashes and must take action to strive for a second chance.

I have several problems with this book, but one of the biggest is that this genre really isn't for me, which I realized as I was reading. It might still be worth checking out if you're a huge contemporary romance fan. Now to break it down into sections:

Characters: 3/5
Helen wasn't awful--in fact, she wasn't anything, because she had no defining traits at all. She was always "somewhere in between" her two friends opinion-wise, but who is she aside from comparisons to other characters? 32% in and I still had very little idea. That being said, the glimpses of character we did get (her cautiousness and dreaminess) did feel realistic and relatable, as did a lot of the small details in her trains of thought. In particular, I liked the discussion of feeling unlovable or too old for a chance at romance, but I wish these had been better rooted in Helen's development.
Her friends, on the other hand, were insufferable, with all the three-dimensionality of a piece of paper. Helen didn't seem to like Elle much and I wondered why they were even friends (not sure if this gets expanded on or resolved later in the book). I also noticed that Sophie, the "good" friend, only has her race mentioned once, whereas the fact that Elle is Latina is brought up every single time she does something "devilish". There were several quotes along the lines of "Elle always does this, but that's how Latinx people are" which felt weird to me considering that neither Helen nor the author (to my knowledge) are Latinx.
I didn't care about anyone else except the grandma, who should get her own spin-off.

Writing: 1/5
This was the main reason I DNFed. The writing was juvenile, repetitive, and at times riddled with grammatical errors. Someone seriously needs to revise every single punctuation mark in this book. Also, Helen's texts to her friends physically pained me to read, as did her bouts of Jess-Day-esque aversion to mentions of sex. Not once did I pause to appreciate a line or quote.

Plot: 2/5
I didn't get far enough to really judge the "main plot", but what I read was already lacking. It's unrealistic that Helen and Brody went on a date for more than half a day--or at least long enough that Helen had convinced herself she would marry him--and yet she can't contact him in any way besides the dating app. Social media purge or not, if he leads such an important organization, there has to be at least some information about him on the Internet???

I realized this would be a DNF when I noticed my ARC would be expiring soon and still couldn't be motivated to keep reading.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

So this one was an ARC that I got. I saw the description and cover and it tought it will be a cute story and it was but the beginning of it was a little confusing for me. I clicked with the fact of been forever single and expected to have a whole romance story but beside that It took me more pages to understand the whole concept of the book. It was so cute in the end but I still think something was missing or maybe to rushed in the end.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed reading the book. Even though during the first half it was slightly difficult to catch up, the cute light-hearted romance will keep you going. The book and the writing were extremely fresh and new kind compared to my regular reads. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh read.

First I wanted to thank HQ for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When scrolling through NetGalley I saw this cover and title and I HAD to learn more. I read the description and I was super intrigued my the story and when I was accepted I was excited to dig in.

Overall this was a cute book about growth and looking within for acceptance.

The Last First Date
Release Date 5/20
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
What I liked:
- Elle, Helen has two best friends and Elle is the one I connected with. She doesn’t sugarcoat her thoughts/feelings and will do anything for her friends even if she doesn’t WANT to
- Nanna G, Helen’s grandmother plays a big role in her growth and she always have great one liners which all senior characters should
- Ish, a non-traditional knight in shining armor who is a great friend from the moment Helen meets him and he is quite attractive 😉
- Food blogger, I liked having an unique career for Helen since it gave her more time to work on her quest and allow her to spend more time with her family

This book did drag in parts and there were sections which I just didn’t like Helen. I’m glad I stuck with it cause she was able to redeem herself but it did take her a while and some super questionable choices.

Overall I am glad I read this book, I do believe the good outweighed some of the parts I didn’t like and I would suggest this to friends. If you like a light romance with a lot of self reflection/growth, and great side characters I think you should check this book out!

The book follows Helen, a single woman in her early 30s who is desperate for a boyfriend after breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan. Seeing Jonathan engaged to his new girlfriend really made Helen uneasy. Helen finally decided to create a profile on a dating app, and boom! He meets a man named Brody who is looking for his 'last-first date'. They both managed to meet each other irl and Helen felt like she had finally met him.

Long story short, after their 'getting-too-fast-to-attached' first date, Helen and Brody can't connect to each other because the dating app crashed. Helen desperately looking for Brody, since she doesn't have ANY contact with him outside the dating app, and failed miserably.

But of course Helen doesn't want to give up and one day she found Brody on somebody's Instagram and she stalked him ever since. When she found out that Brody's friend (the one who post Brody's picture on IG) is going to a festival, Helen decides to go there too with her friend, Elle.

The good side is, she finds Brody. The bad side is, she FINDS Brody. Like, she finally see the real Brody, the man who she chase this whole time.

Okay, so, as someone who rarely reads romance book i have to say that i don't find this book a typical 'give you a butterfly in your stomach' romance book. I don't get the chemistry between Helen and Brody, and I don't understand WHY Helen get so crazy over him, because for me he's already a red flag since their first date.

But, I like how the author wrote about Helen's feelings. Like, her anxiety about getting left out and not having someone as her spouse while her friends already getting married etc etc. I can't say I relate to her, no, but I think it's just so real and honest. Some scene are heart-warming (all of them include Nanny G in it) and some scene are pretty funny.

I think this book has so much potential to be a great rom-com. Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing this e-ARC!

After learning that an ex-boyfriend is now engaged, Helen reluctantly signs up for an online dating app due to encouragement from her grandmother. She has a seemingly wonderful date with Brody only to discover the next morning that the dating app server has crashed, and all their data has been lost. She begins a quest to find him and claim the relationship that she believes will ensue.

There were a few surprising things that I enjoyed about this contemporary British romance. In particular, I loved the relationship that Helen had with her grandmother. In that vein, I was pleasantly surprised with the plot twists connected with Nanny G's memories and the subsequent walk down memory lane. I also really appreciated the semi-realistic representation of online dating and the mind games that come along with it. I also enjoyed the unexpected revelation of certain characters' true colors that gave the story a touch of realism.

Unfortunately, there were more aspects I did not enjoy than those that I did. For the most part, I found Helen's character unrealistic and irritating. While we are told she makes a living through a "promising yet unrealized" food blog, she seems to do very little work other than complain about how she is losing followers. (I am unclear how she actually pays for her flat?) Her efforts to find Brody border on stalker-level actions rather than endearing ones, and they sometimes even seem to endanger her personal safety.

While the story ends happily (which for this type of book, I do not consider a spoiler), I am a fan of romance, but with this book, everything seemed to wrap up in too-neat of a bow without much character development between the characters which would have made a romance believable. I hated the all-too convenient personal revelation that Helen "discovers" at the conclusion - "Oh, my single life could have been wonderful if I would have made a point to be positive and enjoy it without worrying about finding a man!" It seems a bit patronizing to admonish the readers that a relationship is not necessary to live a fulfilling life while at the same time talking about how much better the protagonist's life is now that she is in love with someone who loves her back and fulfills her in every way possible.

Ultimately, I would not recommend this book.

Fun, breezy and modern, this will appeal to fans of British contemporary romances. A recommended additional purchase for collections where the genre is popular.

** spoiler alert ** SUMMARY
The Last First Date follows Helen, who is 31, on her hunt for love. Her ex, Jonathon, has recently got engaged to someone else, so her Nanny G persuaded her to go on a dating app, Connex, where she connects with the first person she likes, Brody, and a date is set up for the next day. After their date, Connex crashes, and she loses Brody’s details. Unable to connect with him, Helen hunts for him in London, where they both live, and Cornwall, where they’re both from.

OPINION
I’m afraid I haven’t got much good to say, so if you don’t want to hear negativity I suggest you stop here.

This book made me feel strongly. Unfortunately those feelings were anger and derision.

For clarity, I love romance, I love cheesiness, I love unlikely connections. I love the easiness of romance novels and how I can sink into them like a hot bath at the end of a long day.

This should have been good for me.

Helen, the MC, is bland and dislikable. We’re told she’s a baking influencer for a living. We’ve not a sausage if she actually enjoys this, especially since she moans about it all the time, not enough money, not enough followers, seems to dislike the fact she has an online persona.

When Helen’s physical appearance is described, we’re told she ‘doesn’t look like anyone’. Then we’re told basic details (hair colour, eye colour, stature) but there is literally NO imagery put forward. So at this point, we don’t know what she looks like, and we don’t know what she likes.

A few times I found myself wanting to punch Helen in her fictional hazy nondescript face. At one point, she hears something that upsets her (I’m not sure why it was upsetting) and turns round and drinks the messengers margarita. Now, in London, where drinks are ridiculously expensive, that’s no small thing. Another point she finds the place where Brody’s profile picture is taken and all she can think about is ”what does it meeean?!”. The need to reach for a deeper meaning in everything is exhausting. Especially in matters so trivial and insignificant.

But, that’s not it! Helen’s hunt for Brody crosses so many boundaries. Her neediness and desperation is off putting. Her stalking is problematic. If I was Jonathon I’d have gotten engaged to someone else too. The whole character needs chucking in the bin.

Additionally, the writing is incredibly juvenile. So many exclamation marks, ellipsis’, Helen’s inability to talk about sex and drugs (SHE’S 31!). To be blunt, it’s unenjoyable. This is coming from a reviewer who cringes away from harshness.

The last 20% of the book is bearable. Helen has a slight redemption arc but this comes out of being saved by a man who likes her. Not unusual in romance novels, I realise, but also doesn’t allow Helen to fully redeem her toxic qualities, insecurities, and self-involvement.

RECOMMENDATION
I simply don’t recommend this. I apologise to the author. But I will always be honest and I hope any issues that resound with the author that I’ve picked up on can be edited out to publish a sweet, modern romance, as intended.

The Last First Date by Hayley Quinn was wonderful and so relatable! While this was a hard book to get into at the beginning, I related to the main character so much! Being 30, having to date, learning how to date, getting on a dating app, and everything that comes with it is exactly what I wanted to read and relate to. While the main character put herself down a lot, I feel this happens when starting to date again and learning who you are after coming out of a serious relationship. I really enjoyed this book!!