User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Well, crud! No one's more surprised than me, but
Second First Impressions isn't what I wanted at all.
At first glance, this seems like your typical cute rom-com. Ruthie works at a retirement home and doesn't have much of a life outside of work. Then the owner's son, Teddy, shows up, and turns her world upside down through a combination of wit and looks. And she realizes that maybe she's ready for love after all. What's not to like, right? Well, a lot, as it turns out.
You guys know that I adore strong and spunky female characters. Unfortunately, Ruthie isn't that. She's more like the extreme opposite, as in the blandest wallflower ever. She's so easily spooked that she's afraid to leave the grounds of her workplace. She dresses like an old lady, then gets hurt when people point that out. She needs to be constantly reassured that she has value, which every person around her does for her.
As for Teddy, he is a huge guy covered in tattoos and has beautiful, luxurious, long hair, which we are told constantly as Ruthie daydreams about freeing it from its elastic, running her hands through it, and tugging on it. I don't have a problem with any of those, but it's so specific, you know? It feels like it appeals to a very particular taste, and it's not mine. I kept imagining Teddy as a tatted up Fabio, and it didn't do it for me.
On top of that, I didn't feel even the tiniest of sparks between our two main characters. I don't understand what they see in each other other than looks. Ruthie is such a bland non-person, and Teddy just whines about how much he needs someone to take care of him. Whenever they flirted with each other, it's so jarring and sleazy that I felt creeped out. At one point, Ruthie says no to lunch, so Teddy just picks her up and carries her out to the car.
Speaking of being creeped out, I was expecting adorable old people in a retirement home. But the old people in here are strange and inappropriate. Two of the old ladies wanted to hire a young hot guy to be their assistant. They would make him cut a Big Mac into bite-size pieces and feed it to them, bury and dig up clothing, sleep in crawlspaces, and wear stripper outfits that say "Hot Stuff" on it. Am I crazy for not finding that to be funny and cute?
But that's not the biggest problem. ("There's more," you say?) My biggest issue is that I couldn't follow the writing. A lot of it is in dialog form, but what each person says doesn't make sense from the previous line. Or what they do in one paragraph doesn't make sense from the previous one. I kept going back and rereading pages to try to make sense of what I've missed, but I can't find the cues to help me understand. It feels so random and nonsensical.
Perhaps you're still undecided if you should read this book, so I've devised a litmus test:
His wallet is a squashed leather medieval relic, run over by horse and cart a thousand times. I want to open it and read every single card and receipt. I want to sleep with it under my pillow.
If you can relate to that, then this book is for you. On the other hand, if you've never wanted to sleep with your beloved's wallet, then perhaps it is a good idea to stay away.
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See also, my thoughts on:The Hating Game
99 Percent Mine
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Rating: really liked it
why has every Sally Thorne book since The Hating Game made it seem like she has never interacted with another human being?
*****
yes, I hated 99 Percent Mine. yes, I'm gonna read this anyway. don't worry about it.
Rating: really liked it
well, i didnt hate this. but i didnt love it, either.
and i feel like this review is going to be a little unfair - after
‘the hating game,’ i know ST is capable of truly wonderful stories. and i cant imagine the pressure she must feel to write another book that is just as wildly successful, but this wasnt it.
the story, the characters, the writing all feel… average? which isnt inherently a bad thing, but i know ST can be so much more than just average. i just wish there was something in this story that made me feel one way or the other.
im still a ST fan and will continue to read whatever she writes, holding onto hope that i can once again experience that romantic magic that made
‘the hating game’ so great.
thank you to william morrow for the ARC.↠ 3 stars
Rating: really liked it
this is certainly an unpopular opinion but this book felt too...
specific to me.
i don't think that as a rule, books have to be relatable to be good. but when it comes to a romance i want to see little pieces of myself in at least one of the main characters. maybe i'm stubborn like the heroine or like the same foods as the hero, whatever. i'm not asking for 1:1 personality match, but give me something to sink my teeth into.
but this book... couldn't be less relatable. a painfully meek heroine and a hardly redeemable himbo. on top of that, it was just lacking in charm. i get what this book was going for, but it was a little too safe and basic for me. idk. this book is really hard to critique but i'll leave it at: this didn't work for me.
Rating: really liked it
Read this the right way (in one day), and miss it so badly all ready. Like being inside Sally Thorne's cute, cozy, whimsically wall-papered brain with a cheeseboard, a bubblebath, and a very soft sweater. No one writes like Sally. No one thinks like her, I don't think. I want to bottle her brain, and drink a sip every night so I can dream her books. Just. So. Sweet.
Rating: really liked it
I got off to a bit of a rough start with
Second First Impressions, but once I got invested in the story, Teddy and Ruthie snuck themselves right into my heart and I ended up SO charmed by this sweet little book. Thanks to Sally's signature dreamy writing style, Teddy really shined in all of his tattooed, long-haired glory and I swooned SO HARD anytime he was on the page. I mean, THE DRESSING ROOM SCENE?????? HELLO?????? 🥵 This book was just a delight. An absolute delight. I am so happy that I loved this!!!!!!!
CW: animal injury, fatphobic comments, dieting, death of a loved one
Rating: really liked it
And this was another winner for me. Sally Thorne continues to write fuckin’ magical love stories and stories that make me too happy!
So many things I want to say, so many thoughts that are rushing through my mind but I’m too tired and dysfunctional to sort through them. It’s midnight and it’s way past my bedtime.
But the more I think about the joy that this book was and the more I generally sit with it, the happier it makes me.
It’s a 5-star read when I’m anticipating rereading it in the near future and that’s my review done, I guess.
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Oh god, the blurb...
I'm salivating!
Rating: really liked it
It pains me to rate a sally thorne book anything less than 4 stars.
but the fact that the love interest had no boundaries especially in his first few encounters with Ruthie,, who he just met!! - gave me the ick
___
Read my review of other Sally Thorne titles:
The Hating Game
99 Percent Mine
Rating: really liked it
First impression:
DNF @10%Second first impression:
2.75 starsAlright, I managed to finish, but this thought still holds ↓↓↓
It pains me to say this, but Sally Thorne peaked with The Hating Game and that was it.
When I DNFed
Second First Impressions , it was because I couldn't stand Teddy. I thought he was an annoying and spoiled man child. He stayed a man child throughout the book, but somehow along the way he grew on me.
The romance was okay. I thought Ruthi and Teddy were better off as best friends than anything else. Everything with them was just so easy, safe and comfortable. There were some cute moments, but overall nothing very memorable.
Rating: really liked it
This was so perfectly charming, quirky, and adorable. Basically, everything I wanted in a Sally Thorne romance. I went into this with high expectations after loving The Hating Game and actually enjoying 99 Percent Mine, and I'm happy to say Sally Thorne didn't let me down! My heart was just so HAPPY reading this lovely story. I'm already putting Second First Impressions on my 'best of 2021' list!
The thing I loved most about SFI was how unique it was. It's set in a retirement home, the heroine works there as a manager (she's 25 going on 80, which, relatable), there are two 90-year-old residents/menaces in need of an assistant
to torture, and the hero is a dorky, tattoo-artist airhead in need of some lessons in responsibility, so he takes the position.
Ruthie is like a grandma in a 25-year-old’s body who’s trying to come out of her shell of anxiety and monotony. She's sweet but shy and doesn't know her full potential. I loved seeing her learn more about what she wants out of life and seeing her grow to love herself. Teddy is a precious sweetheart (dare I say teddy bear) who, even though he has some growing up to do, worships the ground Ruthie walks on. And honestly, what more could I ask for from a hero? There are all these little moments and little things that Teddy does that show how hard he falls for Ruthie, how much he respects and cherishes her. Even though this book is told only from the heroine's POV, we get to see all of that so clearly and I LOVE when an author is capable of illustrating a hero this way.
This romance is just so wholesome, funny, and precious - it was exactly the heartfelt and feel-good romance I was looking for from Sally Thorne. I know it's hard not to compare this to THG or even 99% Mine, but I truly feel like a lot of people would enjoy SFI whether or not they loved her previous books. I literally finished it with a smile on my face. I loved it!
*****
I loved THG and I was one of the few people who enjoyed 99% Mine, so I have some high hopes for this!
Rating: really liked it
A sweet, and wholesome tale about two quirky people, who make a terrible first impression. Can they both make a better second first impression?Ruthie, 25 works and lives at Providence retirement home. Ruthie is old before her time, and lives her life quietly until Teddy, the handsome, outgoing son of the owner moves in and becomes the personal assistant to two eccentric ladies. Will Teddy last the week with the demanding Parloni's? Or will he remind Ruthie of what it is to be young?I've seen
A LOT of pre-reviews begging for this to be more The Hating Game, and less 99 Percent Mine... Well I'm here to tell you that Second First Impressions is like neither book! I have to commend Sally Thorne for writing three totally different books, despite the massive pressure on her to recreate her debut novel! Ruthie is neither like Lucy nor Darcy, but I will say that if you didn't like the abrasive personality of Darcy (I did), then Ruthie might be more up your street, with her sweet, quiet, old soul personality.
Unfortunately, this book started off slow for me, and I didn't feel any connection to Ruthie or Teddy until about the 30% mark. I couldn't relate to Ruthie, and I found Teddy a bit annoying and invasive. But then I started to warm to them both, especially Ruthie, feeling sympathy for her, as I saw how she had let her life get off track. I enjoyed getting to know them, and really liked the secondary characters! The Parlonis were great fun, and I really loved the friendship which grew between Melanie Sasaki and Ruthie, it was so cute!
Even though I wasn't quite on board with the romance between Ruthie and Teddy for a while, I did start to like their banter and friendship. They grew on me, and started to give me heart-warming feelings. The aspect of the book which drew me in though, was Ruthie's growth. Seeing her start to realise her worth, begin to come out of her shell and think about taking chances on life made me tear up a few times! It's easy to get comfortable, and much riskier to get out there and live your best life, especially if you are a gentle soul and have a slightly traumatic past.
Whereas the beginning was too slow for me personally, the ending felt too rushed entirely! The last chapter before the epilogue was crammed with confrontations and revelations, but it felt like too much was fit into those few pages, therefore dimming the emotional effect?! I hope that this gets smoothed out by editors before release, as the overall pacing just felt a bit off to me.
Overall, this was a quiet and charming book. There's not as much steam as in previous books, but the characters were cute, and found each other when they most needed each other. It's not my favourite book by this author, there was a lack of a spark for me, but I did enjoy it.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: really liked it
5 stars 
This is one of the sweetest, most charming, feel good romances I’ve ever read. It felt like getting a giant hug and I was in just the right mood to read a book like this, which is probably why I loved it so much.
Going into this, I tried so hard not to compare this book to ‘The Hating Game’ because it’s in a league of its own and it’s easy to not compare it, because this is totally different than THG. What I love about Sally Thorne is that she’s written three different novels and they are all so very different. Though I think THG will always be the favorite of hers for me, this is a very close second!
Ruthie Midona works at a Luxury Retirement Villa and has for six years. She’s 25 and has less of a life than some of her residents. Her job is her life and she’s mostly content with that. Until Teddy Prescott comes along . Teddy is the owner/property developer’s son and appears to be a tattooed, long haired, bad boy, but in reality- he’s a charming sweetheart you can’t help but love.
I couldn’t get enough of Rutie and Teddy’s friendship. They genuinely liked each other and even though they seemed so opposite, it was obvious they belonged together. Teddy all the things about Ruthie she thinks she needs to change, and for once, Teddy finds someone who believes in him and his dreams. It’s a game changer for him.
Not only was I completely enamored with Teddy and Ruthie, but the side characters were so lovable, eccentric, and fun. Ya’ll this one was just truly delightful. I can’t think of a better way to put it than that.
I can definitely see why some people wouldn’t love this book, it might not be for everyone, but it was very much for me. I completely adored both of the main characters, the premise, the writing style, and all the happy feels it gave me. If you’re looking for a slow burn, friends to lovers, feel good romance, I can’t recommend this enough!
Audio book source: Audible (Purchased)
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: Jennifer Jill Araya
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 10 hours and 20 minutes
Rating: really liked it
I’m so embarrassed to do what’s I’m gonna do right now ! But I have no other choice ! That’s how I feel! That’s what the characters made me feel! I never want to give any talented author’s book less than four stars but I tried so hard… I pushed myself to love this book and enjoy the quirkiness levels of the characters but sometimes quirkiness levels exceeded annoyance levels!
Both Ruthie and Teddy were unique, obviously dorky, having unique sense of sarcasm, one of a kind characters! I slowly learn to relate with them but as a couple I didn’t believe in their slow burn relationship.
I think if I consider this book as lovely fiction about the characters of retirement home, I would easily give four stars because I truly enjoyed those witty, vivid characters and their smart banters.
And Melanie: that girl made me laugh so hard! She was quirky as hell but adorable kind of quirky I loved at first chapter!
The story takes place at retirement house where Ruthie the heroine at 25 has been working there for ex years, such an old soul, connected with the residents, reverend’s daughter, introvert, inexperienced about formal social skills but she is so fine with her position at work till her big boss’ son who insulted her after borrowing $20 gas money ( actually she didn’t have any idea he was boss’ son and she acted like Good Samaritan but she really regretted her decision as soon as he made comments about her fashion style!
Very next day the same careless, long haired guy, having more tattoos on his torso than Pete Davidson, forced to move at the place to work under her as maintaining guy! She knows he cannot survive in one week so game on! She’ll make him pay about rude comments he’s made for her!
But guess what? He’s survived and he already became one of the favorite persons of the residents and Ruthie seems like she has a huge crush on him! Yes, Ruthie, you’re so doomed by crossing the professional line!
Overall: it was still fun, entertaining, sweet reading you may fully enjoy! But I think my expectations were too high for this author and I couldn’t relate with relationship between the MCs so I guess three solid, it was okay read but I expected something rock my world stars will be the proper grade I can fairly give.
Rating: really liked it
This was comforting because I felt connected to the heroine. Not only were we close in age, but I also could see a little of myself in her. Therefore, seeing her slowly come to realise her worth, learn to get out of her comfort zone and take more risks was
nothing short of admirable and reassuring.
That said,
Second First Impressions fell short as a romance, which was a shame considering the H was 6'4, had tattoos all over his body and a long hair he often tied in a sexy man bun. He was also dreadfully likeable. Though, now that I think about it I kinda wish he’d been a bit more of a jerk. 🙈
I enjoyed the interactions between the MCs, but their chemistry felt more platonic than
magnetic (?!?). There was no tension, but there were sweet moments. On another note, I really liked the setting of this book. I’d actually once considered working at a retirement home like the heroine lol. The side characters were also fun to read.
Unfortunately, breaking off from the slow pace the book had been keeping, the last 10% was
alarmingly rushed. I was mostly disappointed we didn’t get to see how the h resolved the animosity between her and her parents seeing as what had gone down between them was the reason she became the way she was.
Overall, this was cute and quirky but
unfulfilling. It was also unlike the author’s previous works as I think this had more of the contemporary feel (??) than the romance and was also less steamy. It was nowhere near as good as THG but better than 99PM, even though that was also a three star read for me.
(Read as an Audiobook)
Rating: really liked it
This was SO CUTE! If you love a "I'm annoyed with you" to "I'm friends with you" to "I'm in love with you," you'll enjoy this book. From the beginning, I really loved Ruthie's character from the moment we met her and Teddy was just impossible not to love. It was so cute how Ruthie slowly let her walls down with Teddy and they became such close friends before anything happened. Ruthie is kind of stuck in a rut in her life and Teddy pushes her to take chances and think about what her true dreams are. Is she really happy or is she just content and scared to make any changes in her life?
The two residents that Teddy ended working for were amazing and I swear that all of the main characters were just so lovable. Ruthie's coworker was fun and I just loved how much everyone loved and cared for Ruthie and wanted her to be happy. I loved how there were turtles that lived in the retirement community and just how fun and quirky this story was. Definitely precious and something I could recommend!
