Rosie has broken up with her long-term boring boyfriend and has arranged to meet someone new in a bar via Tinder. This is Rosie's first date and it doesn't go well.
Noah is also in the bar and they start chatting - and drinking. Noah ends up offering to teach Rosie how to flirt/ behave on dates and against her better judgement, the next morning during a hangover brunch with her best friend, Rosie texts Noah and takes him up on his offer.

Both main characters were nice enough although I couldn't possibly be friends with Rosie. Her attitude toward men really was too much. There's a good reason for why Rosie felt the way she did, and we find this out very early in the book - but I didn't like it / couldn't relate and felt that it was just an excuse and someone should have told Rosie that she was being ridiculous a long time ago.

This is of course a very predictable story. We all knew how it was going to end but having said that, the journey was still enjoyable.

First date is a terrific romance novel. I love the characters each is flawed in a what life has made me. But there flaws fit together well to make a whole relationship

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I made it about a quarter of the way through, but the writing was really just not for me. It was just difficult for me to like the protagonist, especially because she continually blames her dating issues on her dad, which is valid but she brings him almost every page.

This was a lovely and romantic novel that drew me in and never let go. I felt emotionally invested in the characters’ lives and couldn’t stop reading.

First, I want to thank Zara Stoneley, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing this book so I may bring you this review.

The First Date by Zara Stoneley is an incredibly cute and funny read that many can relate to. This book will make you smile and laugh out loud at times. Not to mention you may be able to relate to it at times.

I absolutely loved the front cover of The First Date. The cup of coffee with the heart foam was perfect! Loved the font layout and the colors as well. Kudos to the Graphic Designer on this cover.

There were so many aspects of this book I totally related to the main character. So much so I found myself cracking up laughing at the character! You have to love all the references to Tinder, online dating, not looking like your online profile pic, and shaving habits.

My fave part of the storyline where this guy wanted to give her pointers on how to go on first dates. Who does or says that in real life?!

If you are looking for a fun and comical read pick this one up.

A really great tale of Rosie who gets stood up by her Tinder date. Really enjoyed her education in first dates by flirty Noah. There’s greater depths to the story that get uncovered as the book progresses and the motivations and experiences of the characters demonstrate why they/we behave in certain ways. I always enjoy Zara Stoneley’s writing and started this one straight away. A heartwarming book that underlines this author’s ability to deliver a great story and very readable book. 4 🌟 from me

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I was really hoping to love this one. It had a great premise of a woman whose trying to get back into the dating game with horrible success when she meets a great guy but just the wrong guy for her. I loved the idea of Noah helping Rosie build her confidence back and the potential for sparks to fly, but this really fell flat for me. I think it mainly had to do with the fact I couldn’t stand the main heroine Rosie. There’s only so much I can take about a character feeling bad about herself and her family issues. It felt very competitive at times and I wanted there to be more romance between Rosie and Noah. This was an extreme slow burn with hardly any steam. While it wasn't my cup I did enjoy Noah and his growth through this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Noah was a sweetheart of book boyfriend which made me wonder why would he ever put up with Rosie beyond their first meeting. Her tone came across as antagonistic and strident. Rosie's obsession with her father and Robbie also fed into her neurotic persona. She was simply not a likeable character. I also had some difficulty with the pacing of the story which was exacerbated by the poor formatting. However, Hugo stole show. ;) I would have enjoyed the story more if there were a milder version of Rosie. 2.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Zara Stoneley for an ARC of 'The First Date' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Wow! This book was everything I envisioned and so much more. The story is as cute as the cover. Loved it so much 💕 I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Loved this book, the story of Rosie and Noah. He is supposed to be helping her out after she gets stood up on a first date. The more time they spend together the more they start to fall for each other, but she thinks he is too like her Dad so will she give him a chance?

DNF, I tried and tried with this one but I couldn’t get into it. There are also a lot of grammatical errors or typos throughout the ARC. Thanks for allowing me to read but it just wasn’t for me

I love Zara Stoneley and, for the most part I loved this book.
I don't want to mark down the rating because its not an issue with the book but with the formatting.

Zara Stoneley is fast becoming one of my fave authors and one of the only people who I will read a first person narrative for! I loved the connection between Rosie and Noah and I LOVED Rosie's mom!

I am really looking forward to the release of this book so I can buy it for myself because, unfortunately, there were large chunks of the story missing so certain parts didn't make sense to me! Obviously this is not the fault of Ms. Stoneley.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review