I have really enjoyed K.L. Walther's characters and stories and was so excited to dive into this one. I did struggle a bit with how to rate it, waffling between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately decided on 3 because the issues I had with it really got me riled up. I will more than likely still buy the book when it releases.

What I liked:

-Meredith and Wit. Look, I know they have their own book and this one wasn't about them, but I LOVED seeing them again. As I mentioned before, I've liked all of Walther's characters, but Meredith and Wit are something special to me and by far my favorite. Having them appear in this book felt like a little extended epilogue of "The Summer of Broken Rules" where we get to see them and their relationship in the future. Did I mention that I loved it? 5+ stars for Mer and Wit!!!
-Field Hockey. This is not a sport that is especially popular or well known where I live, so I thought it was cool that Mads not only played it, but played on a club team. My daughter plays club soccer and I liked that we got a glimpse of Mads' love for the sport, as well as the dedication that goes into playing for a club team.
-Marco. Such as sweetie pie, who isn't perfect. Despite his faults (did I wish he were a real person so I could smack him upside his head? Absolutely), his positive attributes outweighed the not-so-positive. Conner might have been her proclaimed BFF, but her friendship with Marco felt deeper and more nuanced.
-Mads' friendship with Conner and her journey through discovering her true feelings regarding their relationship. Took me back to my own teenage years.
-The deep familiar ties and love between Mads, her brother, and dads. Were they perfect? No, but no family is, and it was obvious that they had each other's back and would move mountains for the other.
-The ending result for the couples.

What I didn't like:

-The family's treatment of Katie (brother Austin's fiancee), as well as the character of Katie herself. I didn't feel like evolution of discovering Katie's true motives/personality was as well done as it could have been, and her character revelation felt jarring. With that said, I do sympathize with her and felt that the entire family was awful to her. Mads is more easily forgiveable, as she is a teenager and her emotional immaturity is quite evident. However, the dads, as leaders of the family, did not do enough (in my opinion) to bring Katie into the fold and to curb Mads' unfair accusations. Even if they agreed with what she said and felt towards Katie, as parents they should have put their feelings aside, trusted her brother and guided Mads on how to be more supportive. Mads is quite immature, even for her age, and the dads don't do much, if anything, to help her evolve. Which leads me into my next complaint.
-Austin. He had potential, but he was an awful fiance to Katie. He did not do enough to incorporate Katie into the family or adequately defend her to them. I do believe he truly loved her, but he still sucked.
-Austin's best friend (I can't remember her name). I get that the point of her was to be a justaposition to Mads' relationship with Conner, but her and Austin's relationship was a giant red flag for me and no one can change my mind on that. I didn't get Mads' devotion to her when it was obvious the sentiment wasn't returned. Maybe it was supposed to be, but that wasn't communicated at all and I felt that while the family adored the BFF (ugh another pet peeve is how the dads made it seem like she was their pick for Austin over Katie), she liked them only because they were Austin's family. Also, she supposedly is in love with Austin, but decides to confess her love at the bachelor party, which shows her selfishness and makes me question her love. And finally, Austin doesn't do enough to distinguish his feelings towards BFF as platonic rather than romantic and I felt that it in turned was leading her on. I'm trying to wrap this up because I'm being wordy, but I could write a 5 page paper on how their relationship was not ok and contrubuted to Austin's neglect of Katie.

TLDR: I really liked the Meredith and Wit cameos, as well as the ending result for the characters' romantic relationships, but the characters themselves fluctuated between leaving something to be desired and just straight up giving me rage.
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC in return for my honest opinion!

The romance is wonderfully cute, filled with tender moments and emotional authenticity, while the characters feel like people you’d love to have in your own life.

I am a big fan of K.L. Walther's other books so I jumped on the chance to read the ARC of A First Time for Everything and I'm so glad I got the chance to as I really enjoyed this book. This was a cute book and I really liked the fact that while it was about finding Mads a date, it wasn't just about that I had other subplots and sprinkled many other themes into the story. My only complaint is I feel like some parts of the book were rushed and there. were 1 or 2 things mentioned that I wished we got to see fleshed out. But overall a very feel-good and sweet book.

Madeline, Mads, has a great family, she is talented at field,hockey and is completely adorable. I loved her and her family. Her brother just got engaged and Mads does not like his fiancee, although she tries to get along with her. She is going to be a bridesmaid and the bridesmaids discover she has never had a date or been kissed so they resolve to fix this. Here begins the fun and much hilarity. Delightful!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC! I was seriously so excited to read this one because I adored The Summer of Broken Rules and this completely lived up to my expectations! It had all the fun, swoony energy I was hoping for. Think weddings, high school romance experiments, and the thrill of first love!

Mads was such a fun main character. She’s full of life and energy, her inner monologue had me laughing, and she felt so authentically teenage. Following her journey was such a joy and she made the whole story sparkle!😍

The family dynamics was also pure gold. They were sweet and chaotic in the best way, like a warm hug you didn’t want to end. And the friendships were just as heart-melting. Every character brought something special and I loved watching their little moments together.

And don’t even get me started on Marco Alvarez! From the moment he showed up, I knew he was the one. He’s that effortlessly cool guy with just the right amount of charm. Total book crush material!🥹🫶🏼

Even though the focus is on Mads and her growth, the romance still delivered all the feels. Their chemistry was adorable, their moments together made me grin like an idiot, and yes, the Taylor Swift references made everything even better!🤭🤍

This one follows Mads through a full year so you get all the seasons and all the vibes. It’s the perfect light and feel-good read when you want something fun, sweet, and totally heartwarming. I couldn’t stop smiling!

Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something that feels like sunshine in book form ☀️

3.5⭐

This was such a nice YA read: the whole story revolves around a teenage girl, Mads, her brother’s wedding and her first love.

I really enjoyed this book. I must say it took me a little to get into it, just because I needed to click with the writing first, but after that, I found the story very nice. It was fast-paced and it was pretty predictable, but enjoyable at the same time.

Starting off with the characters, Mads was written in a very realistic way in my opinion. I’m a teenager myself and I found some of my personality traits and characteristics in her as well. I found her very outgoing, a bit of a people-pleaser and very good in relationships with others: both her family and her friends/romantic interests.
Katie, Mads’s brother’s fiancée, has a very nice and satisfying character arc. At first you find her pretty cold, almost not participating in Mads’s family life, but in the end the author shows her true, hidden side, which I thought was beautifully done.

Plot-wise, there isn’t much going on, because it all revolves around the wedding and Mads trying to find her “plus one” with the bridesmaids, but how it was told and being in our main character’s point of view made it very entertaining. Reading Mads's thoughts and feelings really added something to the story that I feel like wouldn't have been there if it was told in 3rd point of view.
Finally, the writing was very easy to follow and, though it was simple and understandable, it was nice to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend for everyone to read it when it comes out, ‘cause I think K.L. Walther, once again, did a great job!

Such a beautiful, fun story. Mads is figuring out how much more there is to every person with every interaction she has. With all the dating she’s been doing, she’s diving deeper into her feelings for her best friend Connor. I loved Marco from the very beginning. Katie seems so closed off, but man do we get to know her. I was happily surprised by the outcome of all the relationships.

This book was so cute!! I love KL Walther’s writing and this book was no different. I loved the setting of a wedding and all the side characters and I especially related with Mads, so her journey to find a wedding date was so entertaining to read. This was the perfect coming of age story for the summer time!

I’ve yet to read a K.L. Walther book I didn’t absolutely love - and yes, I’ve read them all. She has such a gift for creating effortlessly likeable characters, and while I’ve said it before, it’s worth repeating because it’s a huge part of what makes her stories so engaging. Bringing back Meredith and Wit—two of her best—from The Summer of Broken Rules? Pure genius. 4 stars, rounded up to 4.5… though let the record show, I would’ve docked a star (and screamed) if Mads and Marco hadn’t ended up together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Madeline (aka Mads) is shocked when her brother Austin, who she’s always been incredibly close to, gets engaged to Katie in Paris. She doesn’t particularly like Katie, making things even more difficult. When Mads reveals she’s never been kissed during a game of Truth or Dare with the bridesmaids, she embarks on her own Bachelorette-like journey to find love.

This was adorable!! I loved the characters and watching them grow throughout the year. I especially related to Katie and enjoyed watching Mads gradually start to understand her. Mads felt like a true 17-18 year old so I appreciated that the author wrote this the way she did. I feel like this is good for both YA and adult audiences.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC!

A fun read. A teenage Mads, on the brink of college years, dealing with the usual high school stress, plus feeling left out oh her beloved brother’s engagement. She gets pulled into the wedding planning, and as the youngest bridesmaid, feels ver6 out of place. She cope admirably with many challenges thrown her way. A good coming of age title.

BOOK REVIEW: A First Time for Everything by K.L. Walther

A First Time for Everything is the cutest, sweetest, YA romance that will take you back to being a teenager!

Madeline is a 17 year old field hockey player who is very close to her family. Which is why she is so hurt when her brother, Austin, gets engaged in Paris without them. Madeline and Austin’s fiancé, Katie, have never been close but Mads wants to change that. So not only does she agree to be a bridesmaid, but also agrees to a dating experiment that the bridesmaids concocted to find her a plus one for the wedding.

This story shows a 17 year old girls navigating her brother’s wedding, dating and just general life as a teenager and finding first love. This book has a dynamic cast of characters and is filled with humor. And the fact that we get cameos from characters in some of K.L. Walther’s previous books is a delightful bonus! A First Time for Everything is a beautiful story filled with teenage angst, family drama and wit. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the opportunity to read an ARC of A First Time for Everything in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

I genuinely think my favorite thing about K.L. Walther's books are the covers! They are just too cute every single time and I love that they are all coordinated with each other. I especially loved the cameos from my beloved Meredith and Wit!!! It felt seamless for them to be a part of this story and I was super excited to see that the characters from While We're Young briefly too.

For the rest of the plot, I loved how she tackled the love triangle. It can really make or break a book and I feel like the relationship that ended did so in a natural way. I was rooting for them both until the final few chapters, though I am extremely happy with her choice in the end ;)

While this was not my favorite of hers, I want to preface this next part by saying I still enjoyed the book. I think it really came down to a three key factors on why this book didn't get its typical 5 stars from me, the self proclaimed biggest fan of K.L. Walther Books.

SPOILERS(ish) AHEAD!

1. The ages of the characters.
- Most of the time, I have no trouble connecting with Young Adult characters. For some reason, this book felt juvenile. Maybe it was the prom plotline or Mads applying to college, but it really impacted my experience this go around. Plus, Mads and Marco were made out to be immature at times (for their own reasons) which frustrated me. Their age gap was a huge factor too. I know they grew up together, but as someone the same age as Marco, I would never be remotely interested in junior/rising senior in high school. It nagged the back of my mind the entire book and was the largest factor for the rating.
2. Katie and Mads
- Something about this really bugged me too and I think it was the pacing. The big reveal of their reasons relationship dynamic came too late in the book (it made me a bit misty eyed though) for me to feel like it was actually resolved. There were plot points that happened that were never discussed again that felt like elephants in the room throughout the book. I really sympathized with Katie and wish she had more time to shine outside of the things left unsaid about her true personality.
3. The ending
- The final scene felt wholly unnecessary in Marco and Mads' relationship. The I love yous were said and they were happily dating. Mads got her fireworks first kiss and having the ending as her losing her virginity felt out of left field for the tone of the book thus far.

That being said, I still enjoyed reading a new book from K.L Walther. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

I’ve loved KL Walther since reading summer of broken rules. A first time for everything was so cute. The book had YA romance as Madeline navigates between Connor and Marco and I fell in love with her family dynamic. Mads definitely grew up throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing the relationship with her soon to be sister in law Katie.
Bonus was I loved seeing cameos from Meredith and Wit in addition to mentions of some of my other favorite characters from all her other books ie Nick, Lily and Grace as well)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Queen K.L. Walther does it again! Mads’s heart is made up of two things, field hockey and her family. So when her brother proposes to his girlfriend, Katie, without so much as telling them, Mads is shocked. But ever the loving sister, she will paste a smile on her face and pretend to love her new sister in law. This turns to reluctantly agreeing to becoming a bridesmaid, which leads to a late night game of truth or dare where Mads admits she’s next been in a relationship, or even had her first kiss. Now we have a game of who can find Mads a wedding date. There’s a first time for everything when it comes to love, and Mads might just learn she doesn’t have to look very far. WE HAVE ANOTHER AMAZING ROMCOM ON OUR HANDS !! it’s no secret i love K.L. Walther and will gladly read whatever she writes, so when i got approved for an ARC i was bouncing off the walls. i really enjoyed so many things about this story, but i think my favorite is the difficulties of dating as a teenager !!! it can be so hard and scary and u can feel like you HAVE to be in a relationship. but at the end of the day, your person is out there, and you will find them eventually. and who knows? maybe you’ve already found them. all in all i really enjoyed this book. i found the characters witty and i loved seeing all the cameos from past books. i also loved all the swiftie easter eggs🤭 anyways i loved this book and THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND SOURCEFIRE BOOKS FOR THE ARC
Songs i thought of while reading:
frances - ROLEMODEL
water fountain- alec benjamin

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is the second book by KL Walther that I have read and I really enjoy her writing style. This was a really cute book about family, friends, and falling in love. I enjoyed a bit of the back and forth with the main character and the two main men in her life but also the evolving relationship with her brothers fiancé.

While the book takes place over the course of about a year, it felt very summery with talks about playing sports outside and going to the shore. My only quip with the book is the main character felt a little immature for her age. She was about to turn 18 and go to college but she felt more like a 14/15 year old than someone going to college with a sports scholarship but that could just be me outgrowing my own youth 😂. I think this is a great YA book and would make a great read while hanging out during the summer.

K.L. Walther just gets it—every messy, beautiful, heart-racing moment of growing up and falling in love. A First Time for Everything is charming, nostalgic, and full of the kind of magic that makes you want to hug the book when you're done.

It’s a story that captures all the “firsts” in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. I laughed, I swooned, I maybe cried a little—and I never wanted it to end. The characters are vivid and full of heart, and the emotional beats land just right.

K.L. Walther has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and this book is yet another reason why. So far, I haven’t read a single one I didn’t fall head-over-heels for.

If you love stories that feel like summer sun and young love, this one’s waiting to steal your heart.

This book captures the dating life of a high schooler, but it also captures the ups and downs of a relationship with a family member. We get to see and meet so many different characters throughout the book and I feel like every character got their time to shine, not spending too much or too little on any. I absolutely LOVE the main character, Mads. her filed hockey recruitment process is so interesting and I found myself wanting more. She had such a unique personality. She seems like such a fun person to be around. The romance had me grinning and kicking my feet. And the Humor had me laughing out loud. and the angst oh. my. god. don't even get me started. I would recommend with book to anyone who loved K. L. Walther's other books, as it follows the same writing and reading style.

THIS WAS SOOO CUTEEE!!! Her and Marcus were everything to me, I love them so much. We got to see so many different cameos with characters from her other books which was SO fun. Some parts of the books did feel a little weird, i really did not like Katie for most of the books, we did get reasoning for why she acted the way she did so that made up for it a bit! I also really loved Madeline’s dads they were so so funny, also Marcus’ friends reminded me so much of Colin and Finn from Gilmore Girls hehe🤭
Some of the characters didn’t feel as fleshed out as they could have been which was kind of sad cause a lot of them had a lot of potential!
BUT I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND TGIS SO HARD CAUSE IT WAS SO AMAZING AND K.L. WALTHER IS A GENIUS

Review: To sum up my reading experience: I strongly disliked the MC so it made it difficult to enjoy the story over all😅

I had previously read The Summer of Broken Rules by this author and loved it. The romance, setting, and characters were all excellent and created the best vibes for a summer book. By contrast the vibes of this book are sour and discontent.

This book follows Mads as she’s participate in being a bridemaid in the lead up to her brothers wedding. The bridesmaids also work to set up Mads on various dates to help her find a man for the wedding.

Mads does not want to be a bridesmaid. So instead of a fun wedding story like SOBR we are in the head of someone that 80% of the time would rather be doing anything else than participate in wedding activities and I just don’t find that a fun vibe to be in. Mads also does not like the bride and while she tries to get closer to her she also complains about her all the time. Personally I found Katie maybe a bit stiff at times but also far from as terrible as Mads paints her. There’s growth in this but not until the very very end of the book.

As far as the dating goes I wasn’t really that invested. She dated some random people but the focus was mainly on two guy friends she had. One of them didn’t really have a personality past best friend since childhood and the other was in and out of a situationship that made him look like a jerk at times. I didn’t feel a lot of fun chemistry but that could also be because I felt like mostly what Mads did was complain about dating or the wedding. She just kind of across self absorbed a lot of the time.

As far as the writing goes there where a few weird moments were it felt like the author anticipated readers judging something and tried to write an explanation in but it read awkwardly. But other than the story kept up a good pace and I liked the parts of the book being in season.

This book contained one of my new bookish pet peeves, where the male love interest does something sexist but the MC excuses it for them. Just write something else please. We don’t have to sprinkle in the sexism then give them a pass like it was actually a cute or funny thing they did.

Its last offense came right at the end of the book when it perpetuated the idea that a women’s first time having sex would hurt and it would be normal for her to not enjoy it. I could go on and on about how that narrative is so harmful to young girls but I trust that info can be googled.

Overall through it was a miss from me. Thanks to NetGalley and Source Books Fire for a copy of this book, I appreciated the chance to read it!