Irrepressible, side-splittingly hilarious and heartfelt, The First Date is the fantastic new romantic comedy from one of the genre’s funniest voices: Zara Stoneley.

Rosie thought that she would be with her childhood sweetheart forever. But they both wanted different things. While Rosie wanted to buy a house and stay home and cuddle up on the sofa watching box sets, her boyfriend wanted to travel the world and widen his horizons. Realizing that they both wanted different things and had different needs, they made the difficult decision to split up, leaving Rosie alone, heartbroken and wondering how on earth she was going to take her first tentative steps into the dating world when she had been with her former boyfriend since school! Unlike her best friend Bea, Rosie is not a natural flirt nor does she have men round the block waiting to take her out for a drink. Rosie would find speaking Mandarin far more easier than flirting, but when Bea comes up with the idea of trying dating apps, could she finally have found a method to help her find her soulmate? Not quite. Dating apps seem to be riddled with losers, misfits and perverts who are more interested in finding someone desperate enough to indulge their weird fetishes and complexes. Until she meets Gabe. Not only does he seem – from his picture – to be handsome and attractive, but when Rosie starts messaging him, he is charming and funny and somebody with whom she has an instant connection. When they agree to meet up, Rosie’s stomach is in knots, but expectation quickly gives way to anger and disappointment when he doesn’t show up.

Rosie is furious – not to mention humiliated. She just wants to finish her drink and scuttle off home to her duvet and forget all about it. Until fate propels her into the path of a guy who could well turn out to be the answer to Rosie’s problems. Unlike Rosie, Noah is a master dater. First dates are his speciality and when he sees just how inept Rosie is when it comes to ducking and diving through the dating world, he offers her his services. A masterclass in seduction will transform Rosie from hopeless flirt to confident siren who will have guys eating out of the palm of her hands. Thinking that she has absolutely nothing to lose, Rosie decides to let Noah tutor her. Only, she hadn’t expected to end up losing the one thing that has been under lock and key since her ex dumped her: her heart!

Rosie has fallen head over heels in love with Noah. But dare she tell him how she feels? Or is she too scared to risk a rejection just when she has finally got some confidence?

Nothing brightens up my day and gladdens my heart quite like a new novel by Zara Stoneley and The First Date is a gorgeous romp that had me giggling from the very first line. So funny you will end up waking the neighbours, charming, heart-warming and irresistible from beginning to end, The First Date has a wonderful heroine you will adore and a gorgeous hero who will make you laugh out loud. Noah is sexy, charming, generous and definitely a man who gives Captain Ross Poldark a run for his money!

The First Date is feel-good romance from a goddess of the genre and I hope Zara Stoneley hurries up and finishes her next novel because I cannot wait for her next book.

This is a great romance which has a real feel good factor.
Plenty of laughs and a easy read.
What more could you ask of a romance.

Rosie needs help. After a long term relationship ends, Rosie finds herself in the mysterious and dangerous world of dating but ends up being ghosted. Noah rescues her ego and she agrees to allow him to teach her the ways of men. Fun and witty, this book delves headfirst into the realms of online dating, the different expectations of men and women, and loving yourself before expecting someone else to love you too.

I expected a lot from this and unfortunately it didn’t quite deliver. Rosie and Noah were entertaining to read but I didn’t root for them, nor did I really learn anything about them. The one trait that Rosie had were some major daddy issues, which was constantly bought up, which might make her somewhat relatable but it was very annoying and when that’s the most interesting thing about you? That you’re constantly comparing men, especially Noah, to her dirt bag of a father? No thanks.

Also, Noah’s “teaching”: I found some of his advice sexist and also just non-existent; how is it helpful to push a friend to ask out a guy, without any hints of any kind? And then, to be angry with her for agreeing to a date! Sure, he likes her and is pettily jealous but don’t go all passive-aggressive on her for it!

Despite the lack of proper character development, I did enjoy this. It didn’t quite live up to the promise of the synopsis but a cutesy, fun read nonetheless.

Zara Stonely is awesome! I love her books, lighthearted and easy to read....they are a break between the thrillers :)

The First Date by Zara Stoneley

Rosie is in a bar waiting on Gabe to arrive and gets ghosted! Whilst waiting at the bar having a few drinks she meets Noah who is charming. Noah doesn’t do relationships but volunteers to help build Rosies confidence and date again.

One of the best book I have read in a long time . It is a beautifully written as it tackles some of life’s difficult issues beautifully with a bit of lighthearted humour thrown in, so well done and unexpected.

Thoroughly enjoyed the journey of Rosie and Noah and friends thrown in. Fantastic can’t wait to read more of Zara’s books! A well deserved

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Again, another enjoyable albeit predictable love story. I won't fault it for that, as I love *enjoyable* love stories without too many twists and turns. The banter is also something that I really enjoyed. As someone who also has daddy issues, I get that Rosie might be a little too much for some readers, but I identified with that side of her. Great writing by Stoneley and I can't wait to read another. One little gripe... didn't really like the cover at all.

The slow burning romance between the two main characters was a joy to behold, as was their banter. As is often the case, everyone except them could tell how they felt about each other and the reader has no choice but to join in with egging them on.

In the beginning I must admit to finding Noah's habit of winking rather creepy, but as it was used as a device for leading Rosie to compare him with her father, I tried not to let it bother me too much. And as he was clearly hot and he also cared for her, I came to the conclusion that those qualities were way more important than a twitchy eye.

This book was definitely a page turner as I waited with bated breath for them to get it together, and there was the added drama of Rosie's awful father and his shenanigans to deal with.

There are very few books that reel you in from the very start, making you sit up and plan your escape from everyday life so that you can read all in one go, but my gosh this was one of them! So we meet Rosie sitting in a bar, wondering how she’s been stood up on a first date. And then in comes Noah.

The start of this book reminded me of my single days, with that thrill of being out and chatting to a stranger at a bar (I know, doesn’t sound good now;)), with the buzz of life going on around you and I absolutely fell into it all, the setting, the easy playful are they flirting or aren’t they thing, and then loved all that followed.

The chemistry and romance in this book was fantastic, as was the humour (have to mention Hugo here), and the ‘love yourself’ theme (especiallly with Rosie’s mum, who I beyond felt for). Add to this some great twists that I totally got the wrong end of the stick of to begin with, making me laugh both at myself and out loud, so yes, true sparkly, fun escapism at a time we need it so badly. It says above for fans on Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi MacFharlaine, I’d say if you adore Tracie Bloom and Keris Stainton, this is totally the book for you. Very much recommended. Thanks so much to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the book in return for an honest review.

I received this copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This was a very easy, funny enjoyable read even if a bit predictable. I would definitely recommend though. Loved it.

I am a big Zara Stonely fan and jumped at the chance to read her latest offering First Date. It was everything I have come to expect for this lovely, talented writer.

It was funny and heartwarming, everything we need at a time like this. Rosie and Noah were perfect for each other, even if it does take them a while to see that themselves but this is the happy ever after need to lift our spirits.

It was entertaining and easy to read and even though it was a little predictable, I LOVED IT!!!

Matchmaker May Make The Grade....
Matchmaker may turn out to be ‘the one’ for Rosie, our confused protagonist as she ploughs her way through the perilous world of dating. Lighthearted romcom laced with gentle humour and likeable characters. A fun, escapist read.

5☆ An Entertaining, Uplifting, Fun, RomCom/ Contemporary Women's Fiction.

Rosie and Robbie had been together since they was 16. Then at 30 Robbie decides he wants more out of life and wants to discover himself.
So he leaves Rosie after all those years together.

Robbie had been her one and only for so long, sex with another man just wouldn't feel right... would it?....Was it time to dip her feet into the dating pool again?

After several disastrous attempts at dating and flirting, Rosie finally finds herself on Tinder, chatting to a potential love interest. Agreeing to meet in a pub. He doesn't turn up. Leaving her sitting there alone and evaluating her life.

But what she doesn't expect is a Random mysterious stranger to proposition her with Dating advice lol. He had been watching and observing Rosie and decided she was in need of rescuing!

But can this mysterious stranger help her find love or will Rosie end up falling for her mentor?

Rosie is the perfect character, she's funny, very relatable, kind and completely disastrous at Dating or basically talking too men and reading their signals. So much so she had me in fits of giggles.
I wanted to give her a hug and say, I felt your angst.

The First Date is a highly compelling, heart warming and entertaining read, it's very funny, plenty of witty banter, engaging, light hearted, lots of fun and is the perfect uplifting read.
The characters are superbly written and very relatable.

Once again Zara Stoneley has written an absolute Gem of a book.
Zara is such a talented Author and one of my favourites. You always know that when you pick up one of her books you are in for a treat. She will always have you giggling, smiling and swept away with the Romance.

So if you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading one of Zara's books and are looking for an Uplifting, Fun, RomCom/ Contemporary Women's Fiction, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The First Date!


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Oh this one has all the feels and then some!

You'll be laughing, on the verge of tears, ready to smack some sense into a few grade "A" you-know-whats, and making heart eyes at the one it should have been all along.




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Honestly, Rosie was a dream...a smart, sassy, bookshop working gal who just wanted what everyone seemed to have...LOVE. She had it, or she thought she did, until one day...quite suddenly, or so it seemed, she didn't. Her heart broken, she wasn't ready to face the music and try, try again...until an errant call from a family member (that was DEFINITELY not chosen but was rather blood related...and might I say, an absolute shat type person who gave her major dating/love issues!) had her dipping her feet into the online dating pool. One rotten date later, she was...in love? Lust? Oh heck, she was actually more set up to learn the rules of first dating like a champ FROM a champ, and though it may seem like this would be the last type of person to perhaps fall for, Noah was definitely easy on the eyes AND heart. The care he takes, the gentleness he shows, the time he devotes to this "task" all certainly speak volumes for his dedication to her "schooling", however deep down, you can't help but sense that the one way street Rosie seems to be walking down, may actually be made for two.




All in all, a great Rom Com for Contemporary fans that'll give you some memorable one-liners, date prep activities at which to smile and/or blush, and ultimately, that special ZING that comes from possibly uncovering that special someone that's just right for you.

The First Date is a charming story of Rosie's journey back into dating, with the help of Noah. Noah is there when she unfortunately gets stood up and after a few exchanges, he squirms his way into her life with the idea that he'll help her get ready for her first real date after her last break up. Rosie doesn't want to but her dad and the pressure he puts on her leads her to believe otherwise. These two go through lesson after lesson, but the more time they spend together, the harder it is for them to figure out where this ends and who she is getting ready for.

Zara Stoneley writes a fun story with a few harsh truths, but overall this one was on okay read for me. I would've LOVED to love it, because it is a trope I definitely enjoy; however, Rosie was more immature than insecure and it showed in her character. I kind of wanted to shake her the entire time. She had said three words to Noah and immediately was like YOU ARE NO GOOD WHICH is fair but when you make the cut deeper.... without knowing anything... it's just odd to me. I feel like the pieces of this didn't come together all that well.

I did enjoy the read by the end of it but the beginning was a really rocky start.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a very quick, lighthearted read. It was a bit predictable in spots, but that's okay, it was still a fun romance book without a lot of descriptive text.

This book was a quick easy read. Although there were a few twists in it the story overall was quite predictable and did not keep me interested.

I’m not sure why but I really struggled with the first three quarters of this book. I just couldn’t get into it. I found Rosie irritating and the only saving Grace was Noah. I’m glad to say the end of the book left me with a better impression. Slightly disappointed as I love the authors other books however I still feel this is a book that others may enjoy. It has all the ingredients for a good read, I maybe just couldn’t mix them all together properly!

Thank you Netgalley

This was a really cute story! Rosie is so cute and relatable. The premise was lovely, and the pacing was great. I read it quickly and it was a nice light read. The only issue I had with this one was our main man Noah. He was TOO arrogant for me. Yes, I know that it’s a face he put on most of the time, but I just had such a hard time liking him the entire book because of it. I also found certain things very predictable, but otherwise this was such a cute read.

I love British romcoms so I jumped at the chance to read my first Zara Stoneley novel which exceeded my expectations.

Rosie is a dating disaster. She’s only been in one relationship that lasted 15 years until he left the country to find himself. She’s a bit rusty, to say the least, but when she arranges a first date with a man on Tinder, he’s a no show. Who knew the man sitting at the bar next to her would be her ticket to seduction. His name is Noah and he’s funny, sexy, a flirt and a serial first dater. Not her type at all. He’s too much like her dad. And he’s offered to give her lessons on dating. What could go wrong?

I love this delightfully funny and endearing romantic comedy! Rosie is such a loveable character who has been emotionally scarred by a shit of a dad and a mother who won’t stand up for herself. Her expectations are low when Noah, the gorgeous, kind, and charming player comes along. He becomes her dating teacher and good friend who gives her confidence and encourages her to just be herself. But Noah has no faith in love brought on by some very real tragedies in his life. They are such a refreshing and funny couple who deserve to find love when they least expect it. If you like LOL romantic comedies with a friends-to-lovers theme, give this one a try.

Thank you to Ms. Stoneley for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

This story is like a soothing hit chocolate on a miserable winter's day! Sweet, warm, and deliciously soothing, this is a glorious, uplifting example of what can happen when you let go and just trust the process of life.

Rosie and Noah are both damaged and a little scared, and we're taken on an amusing journey as they both battle with their own demons whilst getting to know each other. Their meet-cute will have you chuckling from the outset, and Zara teases her readers with the 'will they won't they' tension, carefully managing it throughout and leaving us thirsty for more.

Loved it and can't wait to read more of her books! Thanks to the One More Chapter team for my copy :)