Thank you to NetGalley, Hayley Quinn and HQ Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this one a bit difficult to get into because the main character is just pining after and trying to find this mystery man from her date. But it does get better as she begins to find herself a little bit and meets some new people that change her life. It wasn’t my favourite romance, but it was a bit unique in its premise.

The Last First Date was an overall okay read. The story dragged on and I found Helen and Brody's relationship lacking in some areas but I enjoyed the premise of the story and the ending.

I enjoyed this so much! It was acute easy read that I kept wanting to pick up and get to the end of - and then I was sad when I did.
Helen is a baker with a popular vlog - she goes on a mystery date while visiting her family outside of london and there she meets Brody. It's a perfect match but after losing his contact details on the dating app, she struggles to get back in touch with him, sending her on a wild goose chase to track him down.
I enjoyed Helen as a character - I appreciated she was in her thirties and I found that endearing and relatable.

I'd definitely look for more books from this author in future thanks to the fresh perspective she put on this romance book.

Lovely romance with attempted comedy.

The Last First Date follows a 30-something single woman on her escapade to find love - this time for good. Is it going to be the handsome Brody? Well, after the fantastic Last First Date, it seems the gods may want Helen to deepen her character and go from the shallow person she was to a more interesting and interested human being - who's not just hooked up on looks. So the romance part of the book works, but the comedy part is sadly lacking. Helen's grandma comes closest, but most of the time the writing feels like cringeworthy episodes of You've been framed! You just keep watching the video in amused bewilderment.

When Helen Pines goes on an absolutely exceptional first date with a match from a dating app, she is sure this is her last first date ever. Brody is her dream man, and he is every fairytale come true for her.
When I read The Last First Date by Hayley Quinn, I was sure I knew the way the story was going, but guess what? I was wrong! When Helen tries to reconnect on the app with Brody, she realizes the company has had a huge data breach and all her matches are gone for good. This plummets her into a Serendipity style search for her prince charming using what little she has to go on.

This book is a quick, super enjoyable read. Helen is relatable and funny. I didn’t know which way the story would go, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Hayley Quinn does an exceptional job of introducing many characters that you get to know quickly and entirely, and this helps you become invested in Helen's story easily.

This book feels like an authentic romantic comedy, and it was written for you if:
-You love the 2001 film Serendipity
-You want to read a sweet, funny, fade to black romance
-You’re looking for a lighthearted, quick read

I was hoping to enjoy this book a bit more but it felt kind of slow so it took me awhile to want to finish it. Thank you NetGalley for this copy,

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for allowing me to read this book!
It seemed like a cute a book based on the description it just didn’t do it for me.To me Helen just seemed desperate and so sad all the time. Brody seemed like a great guy at first but he definitely wasn’t the one for her. I didn’t really feel like they had chemistry. I did like that her friends tried to help her find him again! I loved Ish a lot and just wished she could see what was right In front of her sooner. I feel like things happen for a reason and this book definitely supports that thought process.

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me an ARC on this novel.
I'm sorry to say that I did not enjoy this novel, I struggled through it as it just did not capture my attention. There were grammatical errors as well which I find very frustrating.

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

Average, That would describe how I feel about this book. I really didn't feel any strong connection to any character or any of the plot. A little relatable sure, but not really memorable. The writing was just okay and didn't really do anything to keep me invested. Again it was an easy, quick read. It's a great if you're wanting something cute and easy to read.

Super cute!!!!!
I loved this book because it showed that sometimes when we chase after everything we think we want, we are missing out on all the amazing things right infront of us

The cover and book description really drew me in and I had high hopes for The Last First Date.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect to Helen. Her biggest problem being single at 30 not only didn't do it for me but frustrated me -- her woe is me attitude coupled with "but at least we aren't at war" but then going right back to self pity and naïvety just had such a lack of awareness.

Helen seemed the worst of the millennial stereotypes -- entitled, no real job or income and yet still expecting the world to provide for her.

I was also uncomfortable with how Elle is stereotyped as a latina.

This was an easy, lighthearted read. Perfect for those days you want to read, but want something you don’t have to think about too much. I did find the story a bit predictable at times. Nothing against the author, but I felt the writing style was tricky for me to follow at times.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc.

This book was ok… it was fun, light hearted and easy enough to read. I almost got a modern day Bridget Jones vibes from the initial onset of reading.

I love the cover on this one - eye catching and vibrant.

Unfortunately I didn’t connect as much with this book as I would have liked. I can’t quite put my finger on it but something just didn’t click.

I wouldn’t say avoid this, if you want an easy read that you don’t need to think much about, this may be for you.

The Last First Date
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 5/20/22
Author: Hayley Quinn
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 3.03

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: At 31-years-old, Helen Pines is determined to give online dating a go, she matches with drop-dead-gorgeous Brody, and they hit it off immediately. One date later, Helen’s heart is still singing. Brody’s everything she’s looking for in a man. But then she receives an error message on the app… all her contacts have been deleted. With nothing but Brody’s name and job title to go on, Helen is determined to track him down. But despite the initial chemistry, Helen realises she knows surprisingly little about her mystery man… Was it really love-at-first like, or will she find a new love along the way?

An utterly hilarious laugh-out-loud romance that will have you grinning from ear to ear from the first page to the last!

My Thoughts: This was a cute, laugh out loud, fun romantic read that I devoured pretty quickly. A perfect end of summer read (or beginning of summer). At first, I could not connect with Helen, while she is flawed and at times unreliable, what bothered me the most was how she judged her friends; then after the Brody obsession lifted, I felt like she grew as a character, became more likable and relatable. My most favorite character was Ish, he was adorable, kind, and charming, I connected immediately. The characters were well developed, witty banter, chemistry, and creatively written. The supporting characters were fantastic and such diversity. The author’s writing style was complex, emotional, and kept me engaged. Overall, this was a great read that I enjoyed. This book released in May and I would recommend as a good end of summer read.

*2.75 stars

To start, I'd like to say that I do not consider this to be a romance novel. This is more of a chick lit than a romance. The book's premise is about how challenging it is for single women, especially those in their 30s, to find love, but it is poorly executed. Helen, the main character, was unlikable to me because for a 31-year-old woman, she was immature and as a main character she's uninteresting. She's desperate for a man yet ignores the guy who's actually interested in her. Even when she finally started dating him, I didn't sense any chemistry.

It was hard for me to adapt to the writing style. The internal monologues and description were overly long, and the conversation felt unnatural (many cringe lines were also spotted), making the pacing slow, but I was able to speed-read it. I get the message that this book was trying to show, but it didn't utilize the story's full potential.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital, and Hayley Quinn for the ARC of in exchange for my honest review.

Helen meets Brody on a dating app. She thinks he could be the one, but then the app crashes and she has no way of contacting him. She decides to track him down, but will be all the remembers him being. A fun read.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I experienced a proper sense of deja-vu with this book: the story did not feel original and the characters were bland and uninteresting. I like a good romance story and always enjoy them when they make me laugh. Instead, this book from Quinn bored me close to tears and it felt like a copy of so many other books I have read recently.

Single Helen is the typical lonely woman, having returned home to live with her parents, mourning her previous relationship. Her ex, Jonathan, sounds like he was leading her on and it isn’t too surprising that this relationship never went anywhere. Except Helen cannot see this and wallows in Cornwall with her blogging and Instagram page stalling for lack of creativity. Finally turning to dating apps to move on from Jonathan, Helen has a magical first date with handsome Brody. But losing his details on the app encourages Helen to return to London and try and find this dream man. Sound familiar?

What follows is Helen stalking Instagram and anywhere she can remember that Brody might be. It is supposed to be funny but I found it tedious because it felt so reminiscent of similar stories. Although some of the character developments were surprising, it still wasn’t enough to keep me entertained and invested in the story. Despite loving Brody’s plea for a final first date in a hope to settle down, I don’t think the plot delivered that cutesy romance that is also implied by the cover. There was a lot of chat and not much else happening, when I think I would have preferred Brody to be less of an enigma and maybe even switching to his narrative perspective to add more depth to the story.

I also felt confused by Helen’s supposed career. Whilst Quinn describes how Helen writes articles for a living, alongside her Instagram page, I was bemused by how this would provide an actual income to live off, especially considering she rents in London. Coupled with her friend, Ish, who also is an Instagrammer, I could not understand how they could make a living whilst apparently not doing very much. It felt very unrealistic; I wish I could have the same magic money pot these characters appear to have!

To be honest, this was just about ok for a romance read but it was not very interesting. I thought so much more could have been done with the plot to make it entertaining. I enjoyed the different direction that Quinn eventually took the plot but, in my opinion, this was far too late coming and made for a slow and predictable narrative.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Last First Date’ is the latest book by Hayley Quinn.

At 31-years-old, Helen Pines is far from where she thought she would be. Whilst her ex-boyfriend is now engaged, Helen’s ordering Deliveroo for one, wistfully dreaming of her last first date. Determined to give online dating a go, she matches with drop-dead-gorgeous Brody, and they hit it off immediately. One date later, Helen’s heart is still singing. Brody’s everything she’s looking for in a man – sexy, charismatic, and the perfect gentleman. But then she receives an error message on the app… all her contacts have been deleted. With nothing but Brody’s name and job title to go on, Helen is determined to track him down. But despite the initial chemistry, Helen realises she knows surprisingly little about her mystery man… Was it really love-at-first like, or will she find a new love along the way?

If you’re looking for a warmhearted love story then look no further, as ‘The First Late Date’ is the perfect love story to get lost in.

The story is seen from the perspective from Helen, heartbroken after finding out that her ex was newly engaged and she was alone. After some gentle engagement from her granny, Nanny B, she joins an online dating app where to meets Brody. After the perfect first date, she’s convinced she’s found the one until the app crashes and all the data is lost including Helen’s connection with Brody. Helen is determined to find Brody and have the second date. During this quest, Helen finds herself, looking up her grandmother’s long lost lover whilst meeting a historian blogger called Ish.

I loved this story and I adored Helen. She’s a romantic and wants to find the one. A bakery blogger, she’s trying to build her platform and audience but it’s taking longer than she hope on She’s kind and thinks that after finding Brody and his sweet words that he could be her forever. But, when she doesn’t hear from him with the help of her two best friend Sophie and Elle and then Ish, a quirky historian befriends her and joins her on her quest.

This story is a fantastic love story that drifts between the bustling streets of London and the beaches of Cornwall. The cast of characters are a great mix of personalities, the fieriness of Elle, the sharp wit of Nanny G, along with the quirky kindness of Ish. Sweetly written, ‘The First Last Date’ is a story of hope, adventure and new beginnings.

You can pre-order ‘The Last First Date’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops from 12th August 2022.

The Last First Date was a lighthearted, fun read that I enjoyed very much. I had never read anything from Hayley Quinn, but will look for books by her now. The book centers around 31 year old Helen Pines, whose last boyfriend broke up with her a year ago, and is now engaged. Helen thought he was the one even though none of her friends and family ever thought so.

On a trip home to visit her parents and her nan, Helen signs up for an online dating app. Her Nan G, quite the character, has convinced her that she needs to do this. Helen meets Brody in the app and agrees to meet him for lunch the next day. They have a wonderful first date and he says he'll be in touch to plan their second date. In Brody's profile on the dating app he said he was looking for his last first date.

Helen is confused as she never hears back from Brody. It turns out the dating app crashed and all contacts and info was lost. The app started up again, but nothing was left from before the crash. Helen and Brody had never swapped contact info as they communicated through the app. Now Helen has no way to contact Brody and vice versa. Helen fantasizes about Brody and their date and truly believes he is the one. She is convinced she must find him and with help from her friends sets out to do just that.

This book has a lot of scenes that will make you laugh out loud as the search for Brody goes on and it also has some poignant moments about love, dating, and who the right one is for each of us. I can't say much more without giving the story away, but do yourself a favor and get this book as soon as it's available!

I wanted to like this book because the premise sounded good. I couldn’t get into it though, the writing was all over the place and I didn’t like the main character, Helen.

I guess it wasn’t the book for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.