A retirement village might be an unusual setting for a sweet romance between two 20 somethings getting their acts together but Sally Thorne makes it shine in such a spectacular way. A sweet romance with great characters, dialogue and awesome secondary characters. It's a fun read that can be reread for years to come..

It took me a minute to get into this book—I mean, it takes place at a senior living facility that moonlights as an endangered turtle habitat. But I’m so glad that I got passed that bump. Ruthie is in charge of Providence while her boss is away and the residents are giving her the same old trouble they always do. When Ruthie acts as a good Samaritan to a motorcycle riding hottie at a gas station (okay, maybe her good Samaritan act wasn’t completely selfless), he inadvertently insults her, thinking that her chic work clothes are a Golden Girls costume. The metaphors are a big heavy handed—Ruthie is 25 going on 65.

Enter romance tropes—the next day, the new owner of Providence shows up with his son Teddy, a motorcycle riding hottie, in tow and leaves him to help Ruthie. The two are polar opposites, but author Thorne does a great job of showing that their wounds that led them to Providence are one in the same.
It’s no surprise that Thorne’s first book is being made into a feature film. She definitely writes very visually and one can picture Teddy coming to a theater near you soon.

For the record: I made a NetGalley account for the sole purpose of requesting an ARC of THIS book and I am so grateful that I did receive one courtesy of William Morrow Paperbacks.

The Hating Game is one of my favorite books of all time and because of that, my expectations for Thorne's sophomore release were a bit too high. In my own way, I do love Darcy and Tom from 99% Mine, but the whole book didn't suck me in the way THG did. Second First Impressions was meant to be my dealbreaker book. I was sad to hear that the original publication date got pushed back due to COVID and I jumped at the chance to read an early copy through NetGalley. However, I was still nervous to read. My request from William Morrow was approved on October 16 and it took me until this weekend to really jump in and read in earnest. While it took me a bit to get into the story, I had a really fun time reading it and I will be eagerly awaiting any and all future books from this author.

Something I love about Thorne's books is how she writes in a way that allows her readers to find themselves within the story, especially when they least expect it. Her writing is atmospheric and deeply engaging but also very whimsical. Her characters are wonderful little weirdos and you must read her work with that understanding at the forefront of your thoughts. None of them feel too real, because honestly they all seem slightly unhinged... but in a lovable way? But if the world was full of Joshua Templemans and Teddy Prescotts, I wouldn't spend nearly as much time reading as I do. That being said, I have been able to see myself, a relatively sane and objectively boring twenty-something in each of Thorne's three novels; maybe Second First Impressions most especially.

Read with this understanding, and you will also enjoy this cast of characters and how they all rallied around and supported one another. As much as this was very much a romance novel, and Teddy was the obvious love interest from the meet-awkward (as opposed to meet-cute); I appreciated that Teddy's role in Ruthie's life was very well established as that of a loyal friend and that's what Ruthie was to Teddy as well. I enjoyed the personal growth that they brought out in each other, but how they also supported each other for who they truly were as opposed to who they wanted to be. I also love how Melanie supported both of them through it all (regardless of her opinion on the matter) and how the Parloni's and an assortment of golden bonnet tortoises were always along for the proverbial ride. I hope future readers enjoy their time in Providence the way that I did!

A little bit of a mixed bag here. First and foremost I should say that Thorne's writing remains a delight to read. She has such a fun descriptive style that it's hard not to get at least some enjoyment out of her books even if (as with 99 Percent Mine) I don't really care much about either person in the couple. Fortunately, here I cared about both Ruthie and Teddy and really enjoyed seeing them get closer to each other. They were both really compelling as characters, particularly when it came to the issues they had with the parents/families. Unfortunately, a lot of that interesting stuff got squashed into the final few chapters, leaving the middle and beginning free for a whole lot of repetitive blather about Ruthie needing to come out of her shell and dress her age.

I get that this was meant good-naturedly, but man oh man was it boring to read. It's just such a done, overplayed romantic storyline. I've read it and seen it so many times before. Meanwhile, again, Ruthie's real issues, which were actually worth all the space devoted to her grandma clothes, were barely delved into and were ultimately skimmed over in the end. This led to the book feeling quite a bit uneven, and also resulted in the character who was most involved in overhauling Ruthie's image to feel lop-sided as well. Because good-natured or not when a character's out to overhaul the personality and physicality of another character that first character ends up looking manipulative.

All this said, I still think this was a fun read, and I'd still recommend it.

I was really excited from Thorne's 3rd and latest book. It has everything we have come to expect from a Thorne book banter, quirks, hilarious inner monologues. This book had some serious cozy vibes that really needed and a really sweet romance. The show featured in the book gave me some 7th Heaventh Flash backs, and I would have loved to see more turtles, and most importantly more of Aggie and Renata ( fingers crossed they get their own book?). All in all a really enjoyable and warm read.

Ruthie is in her mid-20s but dresses and acts like an old lady. Appropriately, since she manages a retirement home with an eccentric cast of characters. When the new owner drops by and foists his wayward son on her as a new employee (to punish him, of all things), she is not pleased. The last thing buttoned-down, preacher's kid Ruthie needs is someone like Teddy, the boss's son with long hair and tattoos and seemingly no cares in the world. But when the two are forced to share a duplex with very thin walls for the next few weeks, Teddy begins to work his way into Ruthie's ordered life.

Thorne's novels have an interesting way of feeling both very specific in their setting, and very much like they could be taking place anywhere. The little world of Providence is richly populated with (appropriately enough) old rich ladies, and endangered tortoises, and Ruthie's coworker who is determined to help her find love. But I can't even tell what country we're supposed to be in. Which isn't a bad thing--it just gives the story a dreamy quality.

I enjoyed Teddy and Ruthie's relationship. I was concerned that drifter Teddy might be too interested in taking from Ruthie and giving nothing in return, but he surprised me. Very different from The Hating Game or 99 Percent Mine, but with a similar, compelling cast of characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

It pains me to say this as The Hating Game is one of my FAVORITES and I'm so disappointed, but I'm so uninterested in this books I don't think I can finish it. I'm about 40% in and am yet to be invested in any of the characters. So far no compelling reasons or interactions have made me believe that the two characters I assume are going to end up together would be at all interested in each other and honestly I don't really care about what happens to either of them. Add in some completely over the top supporting characters and everything about this book feels ridiculous.
The only impression this book has left me with so far is that it is trying so hard to be quirky and cute that all meaningful development of character and relationships has been lost. I'm sure I'll come back and try to finish this as I HATE to leave a book only partially read at which point I may have a second, first impression better than my first, first impression.

This was another solid book from Sally Thorne
Fans of her other books will definitely enjoy this one as well.

The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the beginning/ first few chapters felt disjointed from the rest of the book.

I'm not sure how to describe it, but this story definitely has a slightly different vibe than Thorne's other books. Or maybe it was just me. Either way, this was an enjoyably fluffy and humorous romance, with some fun secondary characters, and unique romantic leads. The contrast between Ruthie's obsessive tendencies and Teddy's aggressive laid-back-ness was a fun dynamic and I appreciated that they were very kind to each other about those differences. Definitely a romance where it's clear to the reader that Teddy is interested long before it's clear to Ruthie. And turtles, because why not!

This book really fell flat for me. I felt like the plot was odd and the characters didn't make sense to me and the romance was boring. I really wanted to like it but I had to really push through to even finish it. Not a winner for me.

I was really excited for this book, because I LOVED The Hating Game. I didn’t love it quite as much, but it was a nice story! This follows Ruthie, the daughter of a Reverend, who works at a Retirement Villa in the main office, helping the residents and doing whatever needs done. She runs a forum for her favorite childhood show, and has no real social life to speak of. She lives in residence at the complex, so she can be available for whatever the residents need. When her boss leaves for a vacation, she is in charge. Cue the Parloni Sisters, who want to place another ad for a man servant to wait on them hand and foot! When the new owners come into town to evaluate the retirement community, Teddy Prescott, the owner’s tattoo artist son, takes the job with the Parloni’s. As Ruthie starts to work on herself, and create a dating app profile so she can get back out into the world, Teddy is starting to worm his way into her heart (and her apartment!).

I thought this was a cute story. There were a lot of tropes there, but I also really liked that while Teddy is the “bad boy” type, he is also very different. He is pretty clingy, kind, funny, and thoughtful. I loved the Parloni’s, they were hilarious. I would love an entire book about their crazy antics. The love story was cute, and I liked the ending. I would definitely recommend it!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I only buy books if I know for certain I am going to return to them over and over again. It's a very picky, very small, and carefully crafted shelf. Sally Thorne's "Hating Game" made that shelf and I enjoy reading that book so much because of the witty banter and humor and steamy pages that indeed fog up the glasses of a librarian. I'm not sure what happened with "99 percent mine"...but this book has also made the cut for my shelf.

Ruthie and Teddie share a bond and chemistry that just "works". I found their relationship to be so believable, with dialogue that had me roaring. I'm a stickler for dialogue that actually sounds like a real conversation, and this did not disappoint. These characters parallel one another so well and I loved watching them grow and better one another, as healthy couples should. And the turtles, God, the turtles. Just read it. I know you'll love it and I cannot wait to see what Sally writes next!

You can not imagine my excitement at being provided an ARC for the new Sally Thorne novel, Second First Impressions. The Hating Game is my all time favorite romance novel and I have been eagerly awaiting any and all new releases by Sally Thorne. I was a bit disappointed with her second novel, 99% Mine, but I felt as though the magic was back with Second First Impressions. Sally's signature writing style is just as addictive as ever, and I enjoyed the story (although I think that in a less talented author's hands, it might have come across as a bit unoriginal). Ruthie and Teddy are both very likable characters and their relationship is more of an opposites attract, friends to lovers type situation. I liked all the characters, including the side players, and I found the novel to be a page turner. If I had to offer criticism, I would say that a couple of the twists in the story were very predictable, and I was a bit surprised at the hallmark-movie happy ending that wrapped everything up in a nice tidy bow. Overall, I truly did enjoy this novel and I can't wait to see what Sally comes out with next!

Such a cute and innocent storyline. I love it when romance novels aren’t too cheesy. This was perfect, lighthearted, and clean.

This was a decent read. I liked the female characters a great deal but Teddy wasn't my favorite romantic lead. Overall it was just a little tamer than I expected after reading and loving the author's first book, The Hating Game.

It's clear to see how Sally Thorne has become the contemporary romance All Star. Second First Impressions is so heartwarming, sexy, and full of charm I couldn't stop myself from devouring it. Her greatest talent is writing the spark between two memorable characters, and I'll probably reread this one yearly (like The Hating Game). Second First Impressions is such an incredible treat.

I blew through this novel in one sitting. This was a great romance, but it was also a lovely story about 2 people growing up. I enjoyed all the characters, who were multi-faceted and fun to read about. I think The Hating Game is probably still my favorite of Thorne's books, but this is another winner.

When tidy girl, Ruthie Midona, meets the wandering and perceived bad boy, Teddy Prescott, it's all opposites attract. Ruthie works as a perfectionist office administrator and Teddy just can't seem to stay anywhere long. These two kept me cozy reading all Sunday until I finished it. I gasped, I blushed, and I eagerly turned each page. I fell in love with the characters, the story, and the message that while having faith in yourself is super important, it's just nice to have a cheerleader in your corner. We can't do it all on our own. My absolute favorite part was the character development. The growth each of our protagonists went through was inspiring, heart felt, and just lovely to witness. I'll surely be thinking about this story for a while. Special thanks to William Morrow publishers and Sally Thorne for my access to this book.

I am one of those Sally Thorne fans who loved The Hating Game so much, and who is looking to recapture that same magic in all of her subsequent books. (As an aside, knowing that there is a huge contingent of people like me is probably very stressful for her, so I feel bad about it.) So to get the comparison out of the way - Second First Impressions did not live up to The Hating Game for me. That's not to say I didn't like this book, though. I enjoyed it, I just didn't love it. In Second First Impressions, Ruthie works at a retirement community and lives on site. She does general office work, but is in charge while her boss is on vacation. I can't emphasize enough how deeply lonely and isolated Ruthie is. She comes from a very religious family, and feels that she has let her family down (though we don't know the details initially). She loves hanging out with the residents at the retirement community, but she doesn't have friends her own age and feels old beyond her years. Things start to change when Mel, a new temp working in the office, pushes Ruthie to start coming out of her shell. At the same time, Teddy (whose father owns the complex), shows up in need of a job right when Ruthie's favorite residents are looking for a new assistant. (Those residents, the Parlonis, are an absolute delight.) Thorne always writes wonderful characters, and these are no exception. I really liked Ruthie, and Teddy was a great counterpart for her. Teddy, a tattoo artist, is chaos to her tight order. One thing that bothered me about this book, though, was the setting. Thorne is Australian, but I can never tell if her books are set there. I'd like a stronger sense of place - the retirement community is home to endangered tortoises, but I wanted more local flavor. Overall though spending time in this world was nice, and I rooted so hard for Ruthie. Thorne writes really warm, sympathetic heroines, and I will always looking forward to reading about them.

I've been waiting and waiting for another Sally Thorne book and it was worth the wait! Second First Impressions was so sweet and funny and I loved all of the characters. This is a perfect feel good rom com.