A First Time for Everything follows Madeline (Mads) as she navigates her brothers upcoming wedding, being a bridesmaid in said wedding, and not liking the bride. As the wedding gets closer, Katie-the bride, and her gang of bridesmaids convince Mads to let them help her find a plus one for the wedding. Mads agrees hoping that it will allow her and Katie to grow closer. Now she’s being set up on dates like she’s on her own version of The Bachelorette. Mads realizes she may have feelings for her best friend, Connor, but he always has a girlfriend. Then there’s Marco, who is a couple of years older, but seems to always be around whenever and wherever she ends up on a date.

I always love KL Walter books. She had a way of writing characters that I resonate with. I enjoyed this book! I did find it predictable of who Mads would end up with, as well as some of the other plot points, but I was still invested and enjoyed the whole book.

buckle up because I have soooo much to say about this.

it’s important to know that I loved the summer of broken rules, but this was not at all it. and I’m not one to write bad reviews, but I need to get this off my chest.


let’s start with the things I liked:
-Meredith/Wit cameo
yeah. that’s it.

first off, mads is the biggest asshole ever. spoiled brat much? she made this book insufferable. I nearly dnf’d this because of mads. she literally does not give a shit about trying to make an effort to enjoy the bridesmaid thing. the entireeee book it’s “oh, I have to be a bridesmaid this”, “it’s sych a shore that”… nobody cares. her hate of Katie was soooooo overdramatic. yeah Katie didn’t name much of an effort to build a relationship either, but claiming Katie was “stealing Austin” from her family was literally so immature. yeah, she’s 17, but why is she acting like the toddler who just found out they’re getting a younger sibling? and don’t even get me started on her and Connor. getting mad she had to third wheel on any of his girlfriends and his dates is absurd. if your friend has a girlfriend, you BACK THE HELL OFF. is that so hard to understand? and then getting mad that Connor wouldn’t “notice her” or “make a move” when she hadn’t even considered guys romantically before then? wait, that’s right, my bad; Connor is supposed to magically understand the things she doesn’t communicate to him. understandable. she was also so self-centered! it was always the “me-me-me-me!” show and kept trying to make her brother’s engagement about her. istg if she was my sister I’d tell the security guards to make sure she doesn’t come in. her obsession with her family was sickening. like genuinely it was downright uncomfortable. again, are you 17 or 5? I’m leaning toward the latter.


as far as Connor goes, he seems like the kind of guy to unironically say “that’s so skibidi!” Enough said.


the other guy? Marco? Marcus? I can’t even remember his name, he was that memorable. he reads and writes? the only green flags I can remember.



oh and sam is an asshole🌝 and thank god Katie actually called out mads and her family about being assholes

This is one of my favorite KL Walther books now! I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and found myself understanding our FMC's POV a lot, even though she was in high school lol. It's definitely on brand with seeing things the way teenagers do throughout this book. I did find Kate (the FMC's soon to be sister in law) annoying and while I understood her more once everything was out there I still found her behavior the whole time strange, but that could just be what our teenage FMC intepreted her to be like and obviously teenagers don't always think of things the way adults do. I kind of wish the resolution with Kate would have come sooner in the book, but I still enjoyed watching how everything played out!

The narrator did a great job at distinguishing the characters and capturing how a teenage girls thoughts sound!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an ALC of this YA book 🫶🏼

Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the advance listener copy and to SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the advance reader copy! I did an immersion read and really enjoyed the experience—especially with the excellent narration, which brought Mads and her world to life beautifully.

A First Time for Everything is a fun, engaging story that captures the highs and lows of being a teenager. K.L. Walther does a fantastic job portraying the complexities of growing up—figuring out who you are while juggling school, sports, friendships, and family expectations. The story had an authentic voice and great emotional balance.

I really liked Mads as a character, and her relationships with her friends and family were believable and well-developed. Her journey felt genuine and relatable, with moments of both vulnerability and strength.

My only critique is that a significant portion of the conflict centered around her future sister-in-law, Katie, and the resolution felt a little too neat and rushed. It also left me feeling that Austin, Mads' brother, came off as a bit insensitive for not doing more to help integrate Katie into the family sooner.

Still, this was a heartfelt, enjoyable read with strong characters and real emotion. A great pick for readers who love contemporary YA with depth and charm.

3.75🌟

We all know I’m quite a fan of YA, I enjoy the distraction, I like to know what my young people might be reading but most of all they’re generally fairly easy and quite comforting. This was so cute, a close knit family with one sibling terrified that she’ll lose the other when he marries a woman that she doesn’t gel with, in the background she’s disastrously dating, sometimes though what you want is right there in front of you. My cheeks hurt from smiling at this. I felt exceptionally cool for getting the tv and music references.

Lovely narration!

Huge thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

3.5 stars, not quite a 4 star, so not rounding this one up.
17-year-old Maddie.
Close family. Brother is getting married. Maddie is unsure of her soon-to-be sister-in-law, but when asked to be a bridesmaid, she agrees.
BOOM - First love.
This was a cute YA romance and had lots of the ingredients for YA readers.
There was a sense of naivety, tension, friendships, drama, love, and becoming self-assured.
Maddie, our FMC, was a fairly realistic character. She read young, as I expected. She was kind, unassuming, and ready to have a relationship.
We follow Maddie in the bridesmaids group chat. She goes to prom, decides on a college, and starts dating.
Without spoiling, in the end, Maddie ends up with someone (not who I wanted), she learns to love Katie (sister-in-law), and all is well that ends well.
The plot is structured well. The pace could be a little quicker in the middle of the book, but it isn't a slow burn.
Characters are well developed, and we get to see a lot of growth in Maddie throughout the book. I also think the young reader can relate to Maddie, she would be somewhat relatable in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Happy Reading!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC of this new release.

This story followed Mads, a 17 year old field hockey player who’s never been on a date or kissed anyone. Her older brother is getting married to a girl named Catie who he’s been dating for over 4 years. Mads gets invited to be one of Catie’s bridesmaids against her will and at a slumber party with all of them, they devise a plan: ready, set, date. Something akin to the bachelorette show. Mads goes on a few mishap dates but one of her friends continuously happens to be in the same places at the same time. She has to learn the hard way who the right person is for her.

Things I did like:
- Dad and Da, her two dads, so cute.
- the setting
Yeah that’s about it.

Things I didn’t like:

This book was obviously a little too young for me. Though I can usually relate to YA books, this one felt ever younger get. Something I don’t think many would enjoy past high school.

This story felt wholly chaotic with no flow whatsoever. It constantly felt like things were just happening but nothing made any sense or had reasons for going the way it went. I was constantly asking myself “huh? How did we get here?”

There’s no cohesiveness to the romance story line. The entire time you’re wondering who is going to end up being the MMC because there really isn’t one. There’s various people who are there the entire story and you have no idea which way it’ll go until it’s happening.

Not my favorite, not well written in my opinion, would have DNFd if it wasn’t an ARC.

This audiobook was narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya who was mostly good but the audio dipped in volume quite frequently.

I was hoping I’d like it more than I did, but unfortunately, I didn’t.

I liked the premise, and the narrator was great, but I have quite a few complaints about the book itself. And that scares me, because The Summer of Broken Rules is waiting on my shelf, and now I’m not sure how much I can expect from it.

First of all, I didn’t really like the FMC—we just didn’t connect. She complained too much, and it annoyed me how involved she got in her brother’s life. Okay, you like Samira—we get it. But who he decides to marry or not marry isn’t your decision.

Next, I didn’t like the way Katie was talked about throughout the whole book, only for it to be revealed near the end that she’s actually wonderful and didn’t deserve the treatment she got.

The third thing I didn’t enjoy was the “relationship” with Connor. Just because someone is your best friend doesn’t mean you’re meant to be together romantically. And I honestly don’t see the point of “trying out” a relationship if you don’t even feel the desire to kiss each other. On top of that, the whole thing felt so short and insignificant.

I’ll admit I liked Marco—he was my favorite—but even there I had issues with the ending. Why did they have to sleep together at the end? It felt rushed and not particularly well executed.

All in all, I’m disappointed.

I was hoping I’d like it more than I did, but unfortunately, I didn’t.

I liked the premise, and the narrator was great, but I have quite a few complaints about the book itself. And that scares me, because The Summer of Broken Rules is waiting on my shelf, and now I’m not sure how much I can expect from it.

First of all, I didn’t really like the FMC—we just didn’t connect. She complained too much, and it annoyed me how involved she got in her brother’s life. Okay, you like Samira—we get it. But who he decides to marry or not marry isn’t your decision.

Next, I didn’t like the way Katie was talked about throughout the whole book, only for it to be revealed near the end that she’s actually wonderful and didn’t deserve the treatment she got.

The third thing I didn’t enjoy was the “relationship” with Connor. Just because someone is your best friend doesn’t mean you’re meant to be together romantically. And I honestly don’t see the point of “trying out” a relationship if you don’t even feel the desire to kiss each other. On top of that, the whole thing felt so short and insignificant.

I’ll admit I liked Marco—he was my favorite—but even there I had issues with the ending. Why did they have to sleep together at the end? It felt rushed and not particularly well executed.

All in all, I’m disappointed.

I loved this book! K. L. Walther knows how to write a great coming-of-age story. I laughed out loud many times, and I enjoyed that the romantic parts weren't super predictable throughout most of the story. While the main plot revolves around Mads finding a date for her brother's wedding, I enjoyed that Mads, as well as several other characters, had depth. While I found Mads could be a bit annoying at times, I reminded myself that she was just 17. In the end, her development was very apparent, and I loved that she allowed the experiences throughout the book to shape how she interacted with the important people in her life. The narrator was perfect, and I felt that they only added to the enjoyment of the story. Overall, the book was funny and heartfelt. I also appreciated the While We're Young easter egg as well as the (intentional or unintentional) Taylor Swift easter eggs.

Let me start by saying this is one of the books that would make a great movie adaptation. I could see this playing in home theaters for a wide audience to gush about, and I've never felt this feeling since To All The Boys. From the atmospheric settings (especially the farmhouse!), the ensemble of characters, to the dialogue, we have a solid foundation for a great screenplay.

Honestly, I love a good love triangle! This one did it nicely. However, I didn't like who our main character, Madeline, ended up with. He (not saying who) has owned up to his actions by the end of the book, but by then, I was already put off by him. Although understandable that he was the choice, I still wished Madeline had chosen the other guy.

On a related note, I was not particularly a fan of Katie. She's a sweet person, and the way she cares about the people around her reminds me of some of my closest friends. However, between Madeline and Katie, she was the adult, and I wished she had been the bigger person instead of acting immaturely towards her fiancé's little sister and family. Speaking of which, most of the bridesmaids in this book read like teenagers! There was no distinction between them and Mads' other friends.

This is a large reason why I was not a fan of how the book entangled its plots and resolved everything together: most of the issues could have been avoided if the adults acted more maturely! I felt like the dads were the only sensible grown-ups in this book (I love them!). The rest are just upper-middle-class people dealing with upper-middle-class problems they dug themselves into. This lack of distinction between the teenagers and the adults is what I find to be an issue with a lot of YA books.

That being said, this was generally alright. I really do feel like I would've enjoyed it more if it were a movie. I would recommend this for a fun time if you read it for escapism, just shut your brains off and do not think about questionable character decisions too critically.

As for the audiobook: I loved the narration! The narrator delivered the perfect energy and made the story immersive. But while she did try to accommodate the highly diverse cast in this book (why were there so many characters?!), there was not much distinction among them (I felt lost with who's saying what sometimes), which I think is a fundamental flaw in itself of having a single narrator and not necessarily this narrator's burden to carry.

3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the advanced audiobook copy!

Absolutely loved this. Who doesn’t understand trying to figure out why their sibling chose the person they love? Especially when they’re seen as not giving any effort to get to know their partners family. Throw in friends to lovers, a protective friend who turns out to be more and a fun bachelorette type game for the Madeline and it was a great book. It ended in a happy open ended way that I love and hope there will be more books in this world

This was cute and had all the YA necessities. Also, when all the characters from her other books were mentioned and even made an appearance, my heart. I needed these crossovers. This, of course, had such good friendship and family dynamics as well as that young love. Jennifer Jill Araya did such a great job of voicing Mads, and her personality shone through.

Thank you netgalley and Tantor Audio for an early arc of this.

Madeline is 17 and has never had the opportunity to kiss a boy or go on a date. After a game of Truth-or-Dare with the bridesmaids from her brother's upcoming wedding, Mads gets roped into letting the ladies set her up on a few dates. Along the way, Mads develops feelings for her best friend (Connor) and a former classmate (Marco) who is now in college yet always seems to be <i>around</i>.

If you want to avoid all the spoilers: The book is fine. If you particularly like YA Romance with love triangles, it's a decent choice. If you don't, you should probably pass on this one.

In full...
There was potential here but some (many) parts of the plot annoyed me. For example, I hate the Samira plotline. I was hoping the entire time that Samira would <spoiler>just turn out to be gay and not ready to come out to her parents</spoiler>. Sam <spoiler>being the boring chick who is still in love with the guy who is about to get married</spoiler> was a disappointing development that could have been used better if it had to be included. It didn't feel impactful enough to take up so much space in the narrative. Additionally, the characterization of Katie is disjointed and while the attempt to warm Mads and the audience to her through those who already love her is a good idea, it left me yelling at Mads to stop being such a willfully-blind child who is oddly possessive over her brother. Katie was so obviously <i>supposed</i> to be a good person that it gets annoying listening to this 17 year old brat badmouth her. Oh and having <spoiler>Marco showing up everywhere kinda make him feel like maybe he was going to turn out to be a stalker</spoiler> and made the love triangle feel a bit ominous, like there was definitely a Right answer and a Wrong answer for who to root for (I was always <spoiler>Team Marco</spoiler> though).

I find it interesting that Madeline is often shown to be hypocritical, judgmental, and short-sighted. For example, <spoiler>she complains about her name being misspelled on a bridesmaid gift yet when she gets the Save-the-Date for the wedding, remarks that she didn't know Katie is a Catherine, not a Katherine</spoiler>. It goes a long way to making it clear that Katie is <i>not</i> the villain. Honestly, Katie is far more relatable than Mads; I ended up wishing this book was just about Katie and Austin by the end.


The audiobook makes this book better than the content. Jennifer Jill Araya is an amazing narrator and her flow is lovely, flowing naturally and transitioning cleanly between the voices for different characters. This is one of the best quality audiobooks I've read in the last few months.


I received this audiobook through NetGalley as an ARC/ALC. Opinions are my own, but many thanks to RBmedia for the opportunity.

4 stars. A First Time for Everything was a cute, young adult romcom. I was intrigued by the plot initially and—having once been a bridesmaid who felt completely out of place—could heavily relate to Mads, our FMC who joins her future sister-in-law’s bridal party to get closer to her (or even start to like her). The characters were easy to love and the romance was so sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the changing dynamics: family, friends, romantic partners, potential undergrad schools, you name it. I find it can be hit or miss to be inside the head of a 17 year old, but I thought Mads was a good narrator and had a pretty good head on her shoulders. However, the cherry on top was definitely all the references to The Bachelor/Bachelorette. This book got a rose from me!!

I’m a KL Walther fan and I’m proud of it! If there’s anyone who has the ability to transport me to my teenaged years and make me nostalgic for experiences and memories I never had, it’s her. Because it’s not about the sports her characters play or the scenarios they find themselves in, it’s the feelings her writing elicits — the butterflies of interacting with a crush, the frustration of miscommunication, the anxiety of big decisions. There are so many factors at play at this stage in one’s life and KL brings it to life so well.

The beginning of this book brought me so much anxiety and I was so frustrated with the entire proposal / wedding scenario. Every aspect of it made me cringe. While we’re reading from Madeline’s perspective, Katie immediately raised all the red flags. She didn’t interact with Mads directly, nor did she stand up for her. She also seemed to be distanced or disinterested in any of the family’s feelings, let alone their traditions.

Madeline is so eager to bond with Katie, but a wall remains. Why does she seemingly position Mads up for failure or embarrassment? There’s something there that makes me feel so uncomfortable and I’m pretty frustrated that Austin can’t bridge the gap between his family and Katie. there are things unsaid that seem unbearable and rather inconceivable after 5 years together… it’s a bit concerning that he’s let the lack of communication fester for so long.

If you’re a fan of drama, buckle in because beyond the family drama, Mads’ entry into the dating scene gave me plenty to sink my teeth into. For someone who lives the friends-to-lovers trope, I hold it dearest to my heart because I know what’s at risk. But that also made all the ups and downs in this romance all the more excruciating! I forgot what it was like to be young, unsure and eager to fall in love.

Do you remember when you first expressed interest in dating? Do you remember how terrifying it was? Well, if you ever want o relive those glory days, it’s perfectly described in this book. The fear of not knowing if the other person is interested, the cold dread of not knowing what to say or how to act. This gave me such anxiety and second-hand embarrassment about Mads’ dating experiences and her friendships with Connor and Marco.

But this was also nice reminder that love finds us when we’re not looking for it, and it might not look how other people or how you thought it would. Sometimes it’s loud, sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s a rush, but it can also be a steady pulse. It’s a gentle reminder to trust your heart and those butterflies. Love should feel safe, like a warm hug… like coming home.

For my audiophiles, transport yourself back in time with the audiobook. Jennifer Jill Araya does a wonderful job emoting throughout her narration — you’ll feel the frustration in the shake of her voice, the realization in slide of her pitch, the hesitation in her intentional pacing. It sent me back to my teen years, in the best way.

A First Time For Everything

This is such a cute read that explores the teenage realities of first love, getting into college, and family struggles.

The narrator was so perfect for the role which made me binge listen to this book. I really liked the main character Madeline, she was written really well and genuinely felt like a 17 year old. I was really curious to keep listening to the book because I was desperate to find out who she would end up with!! I do feel like that Mads was somewhat pressured into wanting a relationship because prior to the ‘Ready, Set, Date’ between the bridesmaids she seemed very content with Field hockey but then after she was very desperate for a relationship. I guess this is pretty realistic in terms of teens feeling pressured to go into a relationship but I’m not sure how I feel about Mads being somewhat pressured into it. Her parents also pointed this out in the book. Otherwise the book was really cute and entertaining.

I love the family dynamics and I loved how the reader is introduced to all of the side characters. However, it did get confusing at times trying to remember who was who but I think that was down to listening to the audiobook and being very forgetful.

Kate’s character was quite annoying but I think that she added an element to the book which made me curious to see what was up with her. Her character growth was really nice though.

I really enjoyed the book and the ending wrapped the book up nicely.

Thank you for the Audiobook ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I will definitely be reading Walther’s backlog :)

If you're in the mood for a charming rom-com with plenty of laughs, awkward moments, and heartwarming surprises, A First Time for Everything is the perfect pick! Madeline (or Mads, as she’s affectionately called) is the ultimate relatable heroine—sweet, a little clumsy, and fiercely loyal to her family. When her brother gets engaged without warning, Mads’s world gets turned upside down, and her hilarious attempts to bond with her future sister-in-law Katie will have you giggling out loud. The wild ride through disastrous dates, mistaken identities, and unexpected romantic tension kept me hooked from start to finish. Plus, the adorable love triangle (or maybe square?) adds just enough spice without overcomplicating things. Mads’s journey to find her “first” everything—her first kiss, her first date, her perfect match—is both adorable and real. K.L. Walther's witty writing and lovable characters make this a feel-good story perfect for anyone who loves a dash of humor with their happily-ever-after. Just a heads-up: don’t be surprised if you find yourself cheering for Mads—and maybe even trying a few “truth or dare” games yourself afterward!

This book follows junior Mads and her year long journey navigating family, friendships and relationships. K L Walther is one of the only YA authors that never feels too young for me to still really enjoy. Audio was the perfect format for reading this book! I didn't want the book to end and finished it in one day. I enjoyed the love triangle between Mads and her two leading men. I feel like Mads' relationship with her brother was the one aspect of the book where I was looking for more to be shown rather than told. Overall - a really solid YA read & would highly recommend!

Thank you to Tantor Media for allowing me to be an early listener. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc. I really enjoyed this book. I don’t always love YA but it was such a cute story and just really had me hooked. Would recommend to anyone who likes Lynn Painter’s ya books. Such a fun read.