I will read every Sally Thorne book ever written!! Her stories are so cute and swoony. I love the juxtaposition of Ruthie in the retirement community in this one, and then bad boy Teddy (what a name for a bad boy) enters and mixes everything up. Cute dialog and swoony feels.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Cute light romance. Love the modern characterizations of the characters. Also, like that fuller figured women in romances is becoming a thing.

I don't know if I can say this is my favorite of Thorne's books because the Hating Game was so good, but it definitely swept me off my feet! I think its in it's own category. Each of Thorne's books are in their own category. I loved the banter and the friends to lovers trope. Will definitely recommend to others!

I feel bad for Sally Thorne. How will she ever top The Hating Game? TBH I am not sure she can but I do enjoy it when she tries.

I love Sally Thorne so much. While this book does not top The Hating Game, I'm not truly sure there is anything that could. I mean she truly wrote an absolute banger with that one and not that I think it's a one hit wonder-her other books are good! But everything about The Hating Game fits so perfectly there isn't really any other author that can create that feeling either. Also as an aside I would like to respectfully pour one out for the complete and total miscasting the movie has done, I feel like Lucy and Robbie are going to create a chemistry vacuum akin to the twilight pull to pub that shall not be named. Back to this book however, I think Ruthie might be one of the best/most interesting contemporary romance heroines I've read in quite some time. Lucy is funny and quirky, Darcy is a badass--each are unique and fun characters but they feel like people who could never really exist outside of a book. Ruthie feels more grounded in reality and I really enjoyed living in her world for a bit. Teddy is also great but he definitely takes a backseat to Ruthie. This book is much more on the "chick lit" scale that Thorne's other two, the focus is almost entirely about Ruthie's development. I consider this to be a solid 3.75 stars, I just wish it was a bit sexier (another telltale "chick lit" sign)

Best book I have read so far this year! So cute and funny and quirky! I loved it from the first page. Not steamy but there is one love scene but it's pretty mild. I loved all the characters, from Ruthie, Teddy, Melanie, Renata and Aggie! Especially Renata, she was a real hoot! I felt the story was fresh and not at all like anything else available right now. A nice little surprise at the end too. I enjoyed this story so much that I went to amazon and bought a previous title of this author. I hope to see more from her.

What a fun, romantic read! I loved Sally Thorne’s latest novel and following along Ruthie and Teddy’s journey. I’d recommend this novel for fans of Thorne, or Emily Henry. The setting was unique, the side characters lovely, and the new take on the bad boy/good girl trope was really enjoyable.

I kindly received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun romance novel with great chemistry between the two lead characters. While it didn't hit me the same as The Hating Game, I enjoyed seeing these two characters step out of their comfort zones and find their way to each other.

I thought the story was a cute idea and I enjoyed the characters. There were many plotlines that didn't feel relevant or needed and it made was a very involved story. The ending was great, but I needed the lives of the main characters to be a little less involved to be able to follow the story closely.

Ruthie Midona lives a very safe life at her job at a luxury retirement villa. She rarely leaves the villa, spends time with mostly old people, and doesn't ever take any risks. That might change when Teddy Prescott shows up. Son of the very wealthy owner, Teddy is everything Ruthie is scared of. He's covered in tattoos, full of life, and he's moving in next door to her. Looks like a lot of changes are coming.

I loved a good sassy old person in a book. In this case, we had many. I mean, it takes place at a retirement villa! Unfortunately, the old people were the most redeeming quality of the book. They're ridiculous and full of crazy antics, but I was a little letdown otherwise.

I liked Ruthie and Teddy enough individually (most of the time...) but I had trouble buying them as love interests. Sure, opposites attract, but I didn't see it between them all. Teddy was never serious and Ruthie just needed to break out of her shell. Plus, I wasn't all that impressed when Ruthie revealed her reasoning for being so cautious all the time.

Overall, this book had a lot of cute moments and funny scenes (apparently some old people love their pranks) but it just wasn't right for me. However, if you love retirement homes, opposites attracting, and turtles, give it a try!

What a cute, sweet, and fun novel! One thing I love about Sally Thorne novels is that they're all so different, yet they all hold that same charm that pulls me in. This one, in particular, felt more sweet and tender than her others. I wanted to hug each and every character and tell them everything is going to work itself out (and then in return, ask each of them to give me some advice). And heck -- If anyone could get me to want to visit a retirement home, it's Sally Thorne.

When I was young, I thought Sandy and Danny from Grease were the epitome of sexy. Nothing was better than the bad boy wanting the good girl. Similar sentiments followed me through my teenage years – I obsessed over She’s All That and stayed up late as I scrolled, bleary-eyed, through Wattpad books about a hot, tattooed motorcyclist falling for the virginal straight-A student. Even better was the plotline of the bad boy not realizing he was in love with the good girl until she had gone through a metamorphosis, changing from good to slightly bad, or at least conventionally pretty. I was enthralled: The idea of the rogue, ruffed up man being attracted to his exact opposite literally kept me up at night.

Sally Thorne breathes new life into the bad-boy-good-girl trope in her upcoming novel Second First Impressions. Centering on the safety net young Ruthie has built for herself in a retirement villa, the novel introduces Teddy, a tattooed motorcyclist (we can’t be too shocked, can we?) looking to shake things up and make enough money to open a tattoo shop. They’re as unlikely a pair as Ruthie’s woodland-creature cardigans are to a wealthy resident’s designer blouses. And yet, they seem to work perfectly together. Although their differences are superficial, they are the epitome of opposites attract.

Ruthie is in the process of shaking up (read: beginning) her dating life when she meets Teddy. With the help of her friend and co-worker, Melanie Sasaki, and Melanie’s “The Sasaki Method,” Ruthie slowly and effectively enters the world of romance. The method is perfect for Ruthie as it mitigates risk and allows her to slip into something she’s been too shy to do herself. And while it is never quite necessary in her actual dating life, as she finds herself falling for Teddy, it gives Ruthie opportunities to step outside her comfort zone and better understand what she wants and doesn’t want in a partner and in life.

Central to Thorne’s writing are characters that are complete beings before they fall in love. Ruthie is never made to feel like she isn’t desirable the way she is. Her dating profile is a true-to-character representation of her, and everything that is done for Ruthie is done in a way that affirms her validity just the way she is. The plotline that Thorne pens is not in the business of contorting Ruthie to be something she isn’t, but rather emphasizes the fact that Ruthie was whole and complete without love. Romance aside, Ruthie’s character development is impactful. Rather than Ruthie changing throughout the book to fit the mold of someone she isn’t, she grows into character traits that readers get little glimpses of throughout the novel. There was never a time where I was shocked by the way Ruthie’s character evolved, because it just made sense.

There was so much room in this novel for Thorne to write the traditional bad-boy-good-girl trope. Ruthie is the daughter of a Reverend, and her narrow sexual experience was followed by a real come-to-Jesus moment on prom night. Thorne could have easily written a plotline that follows Teddy ruining Ruthie’s purity – and it would’ve fit nicely next to all the other romance books that equate women to something for men to value. But she didn’t.

The most integral part of Ruthie’s development, and of this novel as a whole, is that Ruthie’s sense of self-worth develops separately from the relationship she builds with Teddy. As a lover of romance novels, I got to the end of Second First Impressions slightly disappointed with the lack of steamy scenes and gushy confessions of love. But that’s the point – Thorne doesn’t want Ruthie’s character development to be tied to Teddy. Although their relationship follows the path of Ruthie becoming more confident in herself, it isn’t the reason for her rise in esteem. Readers are never meant to question which love story–the one between Ruthie and Teddy, or the one between Ruthie and herself–is more important, because nothing ever overpowers the relationship Ruthie has with herself. Teddy is merely a side character to Ruthie’s personal growth, supporting and loving her instantly from afar, and more intimately as they grow closer.

There are so many things wrong with the way I idolized the bad-boy-good-girl trope. While there’s nothing inherently problematic with it on surface level, it’s the deeper meanings we need to have an issue with. Equating virginity with sex appeal, telling girls they aren’t worthy or important until a man wants them, asking them to fit into the mold of conventional attractiveness. It’s all wrong, and it’s all very exhausted.

As I grow older and my awareness of what I read changes, I realize more and more that there’s nothing sexier than feeling confident in yourself, and surrounding yourself with people who support your growth – both romantically and platonically. Thorne effortlessly writes a character that finds security in herself; falling in love is a bonus. This is fresh and oh so welcome in the world of romance novels.

But, it’s also the bare minimum. For writers and readers of romance, this should be the norm. It should not be difficult for readers to find books that celebrate the act of growing independently without a partner. The story that Thorne pens is only the beginning of something that lovers of romance need to hold as the gold standard. Our young readers deserve that, and so much more.

With any contemporary romance book, you expect yourself to feel all the feels and come across a couple that you wholeheartedly root for. At least, that's what the hope is. Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've heard and read rave reviews about Sally Thorne with her debut, The Hating Game so I was curious to see if Second First Impressions would convince me to dive into reading her other works.

I could relate to Ruthie in terms of her need for reassurance and having the inability to truly see her own self-worth. I enjoy coming across those kinds of characters because although a lot of people can be put off by it, personally, it feels very authentic and genuine to showcase someone with that kind of personality and mental headspace. In terms of the romance with her and Teddy, everything felt lackluster and a bit too basic for my taste. I had to try and persuade myself to see the sparks between them. Most of the book felt like not much had happened and towards the end, my feelings about them as a couple still didn't change. They seemed to be the kind of people that would just be better off as friends. The retirement home aspect was interesting although, I wasn't particularly fond of some of the residents. Their actions and decisions at times added the humor but also, felt too much like an overstep during certain moments.

Maybe I'll end up reading The Hating Game since I heard it's being made into a movie but overall, Second First Impressions just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the one hand, this is a standard romance novel. Boy meets girl and there is instant attraction, but things are complicated, a few hijinks ensue, and finally everything gets worked out and they all live happily ever after. That's all true, and it's a very sweet, fun read.

But there's more going on here. Ruthie is very buttoned-up, and scared to leave her comfort zone. Teddy gives off louche, rich-kid vibe, and everyone tries to convince Ruthie that he's going to break her heart. Ruthie's not convinced though, and what Thorne does very well is give us a sense of the dichotomy between other people's perceptions of Teddy, and even his own actions, and the real Teddy, without ever shifting to Teddy's actual perspective, but through narrative descriptions of his body language.

Second First Impressions is not your grandmother's romance novel. With robust characters and writing that avoids cliché, this is a romance for anyone who wants to good story.

Second First Impressions is the highly anticipated third book by bestselling author Sally Thorne, and it was also high on the list of my most anticipated reads for 2021. I read The Hating Game by Sally a few years back and absolutely loved the story, so I was super curious to see how this new book would compare.

Let’s get this started by saying what I liked about the book. I definitely liked the characters in the book, especially some of the secondary characters, (Aggie and Renata!). I found myself relating to Ruthie, the main character, quite a bit in the story, especially about the quiet life that she leads. Though I did enjoy watching her grow as the story went along, especially with the help of her coworker, Melanie, (I loved her!), and her boss’s son, Teddy.

Teddy was an absolutely adorable bit of a mess. Seriously, he was all over the place, which made me a bit anxious, but he also made me laugh quite a few times as the story went along as well. It was interesting to watch his character growth as well, and I really enjoyed watching the slow burn relation grow between him and Ruthie as the story went along. It was sweet!

The storyline for the book was really cute. I can’t say that I have read many books like it before, set at a retirement village, but it was definitely fun. I really enjoyed the turtles in the storyline as well! I didn’t really care for all the religious parts of the story, but that’s just a *me* thing.

Overall; I found Second First Impressions to be a quick and sweet read. I didn’t like it quite as much as I did The Hating Game, but the book did make me laugh and smile, and swoon a bit as well. And I now definitely want to read The Hating Game again, which I will probably do so soon to see if I still feel the same about the book.

A fan of Sally Thorne, this book was a slight let down.. While a decent read, it did not hold up to the Hating Game in my opinion. I had such high hopes and something just was not there, sadly. That said, the book did have it's moments and I do hope to see more from this author in the future!

Sally Thorne writes some of the most unique, enjoyable contemporary romances out there and I loved this one even more than her last. Very fun!

I was going to love this story no matter what after the first introduction of the Parloni sisters. Absolutely loved this book and was rolling laughing at some parts.

I spent a few late nights reading Second First Impressions. I was so hooked! I really enjoyed Sally Thorne’s previous novels, The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine, so I wasn’t very surprised that I was enjoying Second First Impressions. I definitely felt a spark between Ruthie and Teddy from the moment they met and was so eager to see how it would play out.

And even though I’ve read Sally Thorne before, I still got the sense from how the plot in Second First Impressions was developing, how things were going to wrap up in this case. I was a bit stressed, not going to lie! But I also laughed, cried, laugh-cried. I also felt angry with certain characters at times…so I felt all the things.

I really loved Teddy! And I liked Ruthie a lot, despite some of the frustration I felt for her sometimes. I also wish that Second First Impressions accurately represented Teddy on the cover. I don’t think that displaying him with long hair and tattoos would have deterred readers since they would know about Teddy’s appearance from the synopsis. If anything, the book would likely attract more readers. But oh well!

As much as I enjoyed Second First Impressions, I felt that there was something missing. And it took me quite a bit of reflecting and discussing with friends to get to the root of what that missing thing was. And now, I’m trying to express what it is without spoiling anything…I think the best and most vague way for me to say it is, there was a lot of tension between two characters (good tension), and the way this tension broke wasn’t satisfying enough for me.

But, keep in mind that these reviews are personal opinions and that you may have a different experience entirely. Also, that missing thing aside, I really enjoyed Second First Impressions and definitely recommend it!

Such a fun and unique rom com for now. A great cast of characters who are so funny and genuinely interesting. Both Teddy and Ruthie are characters you are wanting to root for and learn more and more about. Loved this story and would recommend.