This was a really good read about being true to yourself. It is very character driven, and these characters are well written, almost as if they were based on real people.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

What a great story of self discovery and accepting who you are, and another great LGBTQ+ rep.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING was an honest poignant read that was both lightheartedly funny, and endearing, and I absolutely loved the characters! Danny and Jacob were so well written.

*many thanks to Randomhouse for the gifted copy for review

A wonderful queer book that everyone should read. It was hard getting through the british slang and pop culture, but with all that, it was still great!

He lost his boyfriend. He lost his house. And, he might have a STI. Things aren't looking great for Danny Scudd. This is a story of Danny exploring his live after everything is thrown into chaos. And, he's not always someone you'd want to be around. If you need a character to be likable, this probably isn't the book for you. In fact, he's downright insufferable at times. Still, there's something compelling in the messiness.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for sending me an ecopy of this book to read. I read the first part of the book (there are three parts) and Danny's anxiety and low self esteem were very hard for me to connect with. This came as a surprise to me as I deal with my own anxiety and self esteem issues. Unfortunately I have decided this book will be a DNF for me.

This was a great coming-out-of age LGBTQIA+ story with a somewhat unlikable character who is going through his period of finding himself and his role in the world.

Danny is living in London writing for an online magazine and in an unfulfilling relationship with pretentious Tobb. After visiting a clinic and getting informed he could have a STI, Danny realizes that his boyfriend might have been under the impression they were not-exclusive. The same day, he is informed by his roommates that they are having a baby and he needs to move out. With no boyfriend and no place to live, Danny ends up moving into a commune with his best friend Jacob and an eccentric group of housemates that will teach him how much he has been repressing trying to fit in.

I must say that Danny came out as very unlikable in this story. While I'm used to read stories about whinny young adults facing the real world, Danny simply complains too much about everything. I must say I truly enjoyed his housemates and their stories. It seemed like the group of eccentric friends understood themselves much better and had come to terms with who they were. They all acted like grown adults who knew what to expect from life and were trying to help Danny to do the same. I also didn't like how Danny wasn't a great friend to Jacob who was a great person supporting their friend when he needed it the most. Overall, this was a coin-out-of-age story of a young gay man who needed a little dose of reality but was having trouble dealing the realities of life. Other than the whining, I truly liked the story and made me realize the importance of having friends who understand the unique struggles that, in this case, a queer man goes through when living in the real world.

First Time for Everything is a self discovery journey for Danny Scudd after he breaks up with his boyfriend, Tobbs, and is booted out of his flat by the couple he lives with. He moves into the local commune with his best childhood friend, Jacob, and begins to realize how sheltered and stuck his previous life was.

I enjoyed this book much more than expected. I found it easy to read and it held my interest. The characters are fabulous, lovable and well developed. Danny grows as a person and learns to deal with life and love himself. I can’t think of a more positive message to get out of any book.

I felt like it had a strong beginning but I lost my interest in Danny about halfway though. It was like I was reading two different books. It became predictable and there were too many side stories I had less interest in.

Danny’s living his not-so-fairytale life in London, with an unfulfilling job and an unfaithful partner who has just given him an STI. Woof. To make matters worse, his roommates are starting a family and have just evicted him. Danny’s character is imperfectly perfect. He’s selfish, insecure, desperate for happiness, and naive to who he truly is. I thoroughly enjoyed Danny’s journey; the messy, witty, and yearning journey filled with found family, self respect, and grace.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, & Ballantine Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is SO unique and such a fun, emotional, important read! Highly recommend!

After a shocking revelation about the parameters of his relationship with his boyfriend Tobbs, big news from his roommates, and unrest in his non-fulfilling work life, Danny is on his own with nowhere to live and big things to figure out! He moves in with his best friend from childhood, Jacob, a nonbinary artist in an old home with many roommates. There he begins a journey of self discovery, which involves therapy, confronting his past trauma, and trying lots of new things!

I loved Danny and Jacob, most of the roommates, Danny's coworkers, and his parents! The characters are a huge strong point of this novel. They are so fun to get to know and offer real, unique perspectives on things that come up. There are some hilarious moments! I was definitely laughing at times. It took me awhile to get used to some of the inside jokes and slang- there is a lot I wasn't familiar with, but it was a great read overall!

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Double Day Canada for my copy!

Danny is fine, just fine. His career is fine. His boyfriend broke up with him, but he’s fine. He gets evicted but that’s fine. When he moves in with his best friend in a “commune”he realizes for the first time that he may not be fine. This is a journey of self discovery as he figures out what he really wants out of life and for himself.
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Thank you Ballantine books and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I quite enjoyed this very honest and funny slice of a young man's life as he faces some pretty intense life changes and mental health issues, while also finding himself. I loved reading about complex queer characters without love & romance being the central storyline. A great queer coming of age tale.

I really wanted to like this book - but I think it was a case of right book, wrong time. I hope to return to it when I am in a better head space. Rating three stars because on its face the writing and story were wonderful and I believe this could work for many other people.

It’s hard for a book to hit that sweet spot between funny and insightful, but First Time for Everything absolutely nails it. Danny Scudd is the perfectly imperfect main character that is actually awkward (not try-hard awkward), he makes bad decisions and mistakes in life (that we all so often do), and he’s trying to better understand himself through therapy (as many of us should). Danny is a complex character that’s easy to root for, even when you’re too busy being disappointed in him.

The entire book was chock-full of complexities like nuanced relationships and friendships. I found the therapy sessions to be a highlight as they allowed Danny to work through his situations and their authentic feel made them feel accurate and helpful. The author did fantastic work creating a story injected with humor and authenticity with characters that represent the whole spectrum of human personalities. I laughed, I cried, and I can’t help but highly recommend this work!

I found this book to be tender, sweet, and funny, while also dealing with some heavy topics about LGBTQ+ identity and the general complications of friends growing up and growing apart. It was a delight to read, and I finished it in a few days!

Synopsis: Newly single and recently “evicted,” Danny Scudd feels like his life — his carefully constructed life — is falling apart. So he moves in to an eccentric “commune” with Jacob, his best friend from his hometown, and a slew of other LGBTQ+ artists. What follows is a journey of inspiration and discovery in the hopes that Danny will actual feel fine for once.

I'm not sure about this book. Some parts were relatable so I didn't totally hate it but I just thought the story boring. I had high hopes for this book but in the end it just wasn't for me.

The First Time for Everything is the story of Danny (a gay man in London) who is finding his way to his authentic self and the finding the family of his heart. The auxiliary characters are also well written and I found myself rooting for Danny. Some have likened this book to a queer Bridget Jone's Diary and I can see the similarities. A good read!

3.5/5. Danny Scudd's life has been flipped upside down. After a five year relationship, he finds out that his boyfriend was disloyal, and he gets evicted from his apartment. Forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, this is where the real fun begins.

Filled with wit and humor, you quickly feel like you're one of Danny's friends. Through many pop culture references and slang, we glean another side of the characters, but at times, all the references were a bit too much. I was consisently rooting for Danny and sometimes wanted more depth.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read about a twentysomething trying to find their way, complete with lots of humor and heart.

I really enjoyed the story of this, but I found the execution less good: the characters are so talky (the protagonist literally sees a therapist in this novel, but many of the characters' conversations with him also feel like therapy); the ending section moved things along too fast; I felt perplexed by some of the resolutions achieved in this narrative.

On the whole, though—a quick, entertaining read that explores some important issues (and reminded me of Honey Girl in that regard). I think this would actually play quite well as a movie or TV show.

3.5/5

I will be recommending this to my followers. I think more people should know about Henry Fry and his book First Time For Everything.