I enjoyed this book so much! I only regret how long it took me to get around to it.
In A First Time for Everything you get to go on Mads' journey through young (and maybe true?) love. Just like Mads went on an emotional rollercoaster, so did I. I was frustrated at the characters for their communication and silly decisions, but then also kicking my feet and giggling at their banter.
I loved how different all the characters were, and that made it a lot easier to keep track of who everyone was. (Boy, do Katie and Austin have a large wedding party!)

In this heartwarming coming-of-age romance, Madeline, who has never dated or even kissed a boy, finds herself navigating the exciting yet nerve-wracking world of relationships, college decisions, and family dynamics. As she tries to figure out who she is, she also has to deal with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Katie, who doesn’t seem to get along with their family.

The story is genuinely charming, and I found myself invested in Madeline’s journey. The characters, especially Madeline and her friends, are well-developed and likable. Katie, the sister-in-law, was initially hard to warm up to, but as the story unfolds, we learn that she’s far more complex than first impressions let on.

One aspect that felt a little off was how many people around Madeline seemed to pressure her into dating. At times, it felt like her quest for self-discovery was overshadowed by the constant push to fit into a romantic mold.

Overall, though, this was a cute and relatable read. It’s a light, easy story with a few minor flaws but still a pleasant experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 on Goodreads.

I’ve read pretty much every single book by K. L. Walther, and this one was just as good as the rest! The plot was super fun, it follows Madeline, whose brother’s fiance’s bridesmaids group (that’s really long) basically sets her up on blind dates, all while she navigates her family relationships and school. I thought there was a good mix of romance and friendship and family, which a lot of romance authors don’t tend to do. Even though there were SO MANY characters, I never really got them mixed up.

The only thing I didn’t like was that it was a little unrealistic. Madeline is a student athlete looking to get recruited by top colleges such as Penn. Someone who does a sport year round and is in probably the most stressful high school year would not have this much free time, but of course I understand why it needed to be that way for the plot.

Thank you so much first and foremost to NetGalley and KL Walther for allowing me to read this book early and in advance in exchange an honest review!

This book was everything I want from a YA Romance, with tension, friendship, and likeable characters until..

I just felt like Mads got to pushed into the romance, and I wanted her to develop those relationships herself.

This was such a a cute YA novel! It was actually quite refreshing to read something that wasn't so physical and or using lots of bad words. I loved the vibe of this. I never read anything else by this author because I honestly thought I outgrew most YA romance type books, but I might have to look into more of their books!


While attempting to bond with her future sister-in-law (Katie is a bit stand-offish and cold) and the other (older) bridesmaids, Mads agrees to let them set her up on some blind dates in hopes that she will have her first date, first kiss, and find the *perfect* plus one for her brother's wedding. But as the year passes, Mads begins to realize that she already has feelings for someone close to her - she just doesn't know what to do about it.

A First Time for Everything by K. L. Walther is a sweet and funny YA romcom centering around Madeline (Mads) as she navigates a year in her life - through field hockey, stress about college, being a bridesmaid in her brother's upcoming wedding, and the bridesmaid group trying to find her a plus one to the wedding via a Bachelorette style set-up "game".

While attempting to bond with her future sister-in-law (Katie is a bit stand-offish and cold) and the other (older) bridesmaids, Mads agrees to let them set her up on some blind dates in hopes that she will have her first date, first kiss, and find the *perfect* plus one for her brother's wedding. But as the year passes, Mads begins to realize that she already has feelings for someone close to her - she just doesn't know what to do about it.

In this world of teens having access to SO MUCH, this book felt like some of the YA books I read when I was that age - a cute read that wasn't filled with intimate physical scenes or bad language and I really appreciated that. It felt like one I can confidently recommend to the teens at the small rural library I work (the families here are a little more on the conservative side). This book made me laugh out loud at some parts and had some nice heartwarming sections too. I could really connect with Mads as she navigates the firsts on her dates - it reminded me of my firsts (all with my husband who was my first and only). Truthfully, some of Walther's novels have been a miss for me, but I have really loved The Summer of Broken Rules and this one. I'd definitely read another by Walther!

If you are a fan of Lynn Painter or Walther's The Summer of Broken Rules then you will enjoy this sweet and innocent, heartwarming and fun rom com.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is the second book I've read from the author and I'm sure it won't be the last. In fact, I already bought two of her other books after I finished this! Some adults like to steer clear from YA romance books, but I became invested in the main character Madeline aka Mads from the very beginning! So many tropes to enjoy; enemies to lovers, friends to lovers and wedding tropes all made this read super enjoyable! I'm really glad I was able to read the ARC, and I wouldn't change a thing! Fortunately, it's now available at your favorite book retailers!

Special thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

While the premise of finding a plus-one for a wedding might seem simple, the novel delves deeper into themes of self-discovery, evolving family dynamics, and the complexities of friendship versus romance. Mae’s navigates a series of amusing dating misadventures and a sweet love triangle, all while learning to embrace her authentic self. Overall, a cozy, feel-good coming-of=age story with a strong focus on relationships beyond just the romantic element.

I loved this! It was such a cute read but still had complex characters and relationships. The voice stayed very true to a teenager. I do think the FMC and MMC escalated REALLY fast once they got together and would have liked to see that play out a little more.

I’m such a huge fan of The Summer of Broken Rules and the way K.L. Walther writes and creates worlds in such an intimate and real way. You want to live in the books with these characters. This was no exception, it was a cute and wholesome romance that captures you from beginning to end.

Sometimes love is looking for us when we're least expecting it. Sometimes, it's right under our noses.

I loved the general theme and the characters of this story. I have no complaints about any of the characters, especially Da and Dad. They were the best, most supportive parents in a YA novel I've read in a long time.

I wanted to really like this book. However, it fell flat for me. It felt like a rich kid with a very "woe is me" mentality. I felt there really was no actual conflict, internal or otherwise. Truthfully, the only thing that kept me reading was wanting to know more about the brother and future sister-in-law.

The above being said, I would recommend this to a younger audience if they were looking for a light, easy read.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley, for the ARC opportunity. This honest review has been left voluntarily.

This book wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. As a YA romance, it was fun but just a little too YA for me. I found myself eye rolling at times to a good portion of the book but it's probably just because it's rich high school girl problems. It did pick up for me a little at the end. Would definitely recommend to a younger/teenage crowd.

I have really enjoyed all of this authors books and this was no exception!

I really loved the bachelorette style date set ups and th0ught that there was a great amount of character and relationship development throughout the story. The only thing that was bugging me a little bit is the pacing of the story. I enjoyed that it was set over a full year, but I wish we would have seen more than heard about different events and things that happened throughout the book.

I LOVED who the main character ended up with in the end (I was rooting for him the whole time) and will be slotting this pretty high in my author ranking.

I liked the premise of this book, and enjoyed it overall but it wasn't a straight away hook for me. I thought the main character, Madeline, was relatable and enjoyable and she was definitely the highlight of the characters. I found her story to be very relatable, but also overdone. I found Katie, the SIL, to be very annoying. I will say though, there is character development and I'm happy with how the book ended. Overall, it was enjoyable.

A First Time for Everything follows Mads dealing with her older brother's engagement to Katie who is closed-off and seemingly stuck up. To Mads's surprise, Katie asks Mads to be a bridesmaid. Determined to build a bond with Katie, Mads agrees not only to being a bridesmaid, but to also going along with a Bachelor-esque journey and letting Katie and the other bridesmaids help Mads find the perfect plus-one for the wedding.

I really loved how this book was a combination of YA romance (Mads going on dates to find her plus-one) and a family-centered story with Mads trying to get to know Katie and build a relationship. The dynamic between Mads and the older bridesmaids was fun to read. I do wish we got to see more bonding moments between just Mads and Katie, either throughout the entirety of the book or at the end after the conflict resolution. It would have been interesting to see more of their character growths through the lens of their relationship.

I also like that the book took place over the span of a year. It made the overarching romance between Mads and who she ends up with more believable vs. being an insta-love plot. With that, I'm so happy the childhood friends to lovers plot had its chance and wasn't completely ruined by 1) the guy best friend actually being the WOAT or 2) their friendship being completely ruined after. It was such a fun and refreshing depiction of a healthy platonic relationship and a guy and girl being best friends who love each other -- just not IN love with each other -- with zero other expectations.

I am a big K.L. Walther fan so it is no surprise that I absolutely adored this book. But what I loved most was not the romantic aspects but the family aspects. I really enjoyed reading Mads learning to love her soon to be sister-in-law and seeing what her brother saw in Katie. Katie was such a great character, she was so complicated and wonderful. Mads was a great MC to follow, I saw a bit of my younger self in regards to dating in her. She was determined and passionate and stubborn as hell. And Marco was fantastic, from the first time we meet him I was hoping it would be him in the end. This book was fun and emotional. It felt a little different from Walther's other books and I loved it.

This had everything I've come to expect from a fun YA romcom by KL Walther. There's tons of wedding planning/party/ceremony shenanigans involving the FMC's brother and fiance PLUS the other bridesmaid's are determined to get virgin, never had a boyfriend before, field hockey jock, Madeline a date to the wedding through a series of bachelorette style dates. Nothing could go wrong there right? I loved that there were two dads in this family but was a little disappointed because I thought for sure Madeline was going to fall for a girl not a guy. Aside from that it was still a fun story and great on audio narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was my second book by K.L. Walther. I LOVED The Summer of Broken Rules. I also enjoyed this story with the younger character nagivating the world of being a bridesmaid and getting into college. I am from Philadelphia and love how she writes about this area. I feel like the characters are believable. As a teacher, it felt like my students will be able to relate to the problems in the book. Honestly, I plan on continuing to read everything she writes!

A First Time for Everything was a sweet and nostalgic coming-of-age story that captures all the awkward, exhilarating, and emotional moments of firsts—first crush, first kiss, first time stepping outside your comfort zone.

That said, while I appreciated the heart of the story and the overall message, the pacing felt a bit slow at times, and some of the dialogue and internal monologue didn’t fully resonate with me, especially Katie overall. The overall Bachelor Nation plot also seemed weird to me considering she was only seventeen.

Still, I think this would be a comforting read for anyone looking to reminisce about those in-between years—awkward but formative, uncomfortable but unforgettable.