This was an adorable MM romance with some of my favourite tropes,
-forced proximity
-second chance
-found family

This was a cute read and I'm excited to see what comes next.

I haven't read the first book (though I didn't feel as if I was missing out on anything - it's definitely set up in a way where you can jump into it here)
I thought this was such a beautiful story. I genuinely got teary a few times. I really, really enjoyed this. Definitely a new fan of Julian Winters! Can't wait to read more!

Thank you so much to St Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

There’s something undeniably comforting about a second-chance romance, but Last First Kiss doesn’t just comfort. It glows. Julian Winters has crafted a soft, sincere love story full of heart, humor, and the kind of yearning that sneaks up on you and stays.

At the center is Jordan Carter, a 24-year-old perfectionist wedding planner trying to balance family expectations, career pressure, and the heartbreak he never quite got over. That heartbreak? Jamie Peters—the boy who once meant everything and who’s suddenly, inconveniently, back. And of course, he’s charming, gorgeous, and completely impossible to ignore.

Their reunion is messy in the best way: full of awkward run-ins, late-night confessions, and moments that make your chest ache a little. Winters handles their chemistry beautifully, it’s slow, full of tension, but tender. You feel their shared history in every interaction, even the snappy, flirty ones. The banter is so natural, and the emotional payoff is chef’s kiss.

What I really loved is how grown this romance felt. These are characters who have hurt each other, who have grown apart and changed, and are learning how (and if) they can find their way back. It’s not about rekindling puppy love. It’s about choosing each other again, with eyes wide open.

There’s also so much joy in the setting, weddings, chaos, meddling family, hilarious supporting characters, and it brings this rom-com energy that balances out the emotional undercurrent really well. It never feels too heavy, even when it tugs at your heart.

My only small note is that I sometimes wished we got a little more of Jordan’s internal world, more of the deep, messy emotions behind his decisions. But even then, the story still hit me where it counts.

If you’re looking for a queer romance that’s gentle, affirming, and full of second chances—this one’s for you. It’s cozy, a little sparkly, and sincerely romantic. I finished the last page smiling like an idiot.

*Last First Kiss* picks up about a year and a half after the events of *I Think They Love You*, following Jordan, Dex’s cousin, as he tries to figure himself out and his place in the family business, all while falling head over heels for Jamie, Dex’s best friend.

First, I think it’s important to stress that **this book is a sequel**. While it can technically be read as a standalone, it will **completely spoil everything** in *I Think They Love You*. I’d actually bought that one and was keeping it for a rainy day, but by the time I realized *Last First Kiss* was a sequel, I was already 15% into it with no hope of forgetting what I’d learned. So thanks for that, I guess.

I ended up pausing this book to read *I Think They Love You* first, and I’m glad I did, because both protagonists are very present in that earlier installment. They have multiple interactions on page and are even implied to be *sort of* together by the epilogue. But I wouldn't call *Last First Kiss* redundant: it offers a refreshing dose of new drama for the protagonists to work through before they reach their happily ever after.

As much as I enjoyed the book overall, I felt it suffered from major pacing issues, which made the experience rather tedious at times. The characters are funny and touching. I found Julian’s experience relatable as an ace person myself-sometimes it’s not as simple as “just” liking some genders, both, or none. Sometimes it feels like more trouble than it’s worth to try and label yourself. I really appreciated the representation and how lovely the cast was.

That said, everything takes too long to happen, especially at the beginning, which really dragged for me. The conflict with the love interest (the main reason the MCs can’t get together right away) doesn’t appear until 65% into the book, and the third-act conflict between the MCs is pretty weak. The timeline of events also felt inconsistent: a “heavily pregnant” woman in book one ends up with “fourteen-month-old twins” in this installment (so roughly 16 months have passed), but a flashback chapter still refers to “last Valentine’s Day” as the one from *I Think They Love You* (impossible, there should have been another Valentine's Day between). These inconsistencies kept pulling me out of the narrative, as I found myself constantly trying to make sense of the timeline.

Overall, I’d rate this book closer to 4 stars than 3, but I’m knocking off a star because it’s *unacceptable* not to have marked this book as a sequel on Goodreads, NetGalley, in the blurb, or anywhere in the book itself. This completely spoiled the first book for me, and I’m honestly tired of publishers and authors tricking people into buying sequels without proper warning, regardless of whether they can be read as standalones.

e-ARC: 4.5⭐️ rounded up —

Jamie and Jordan were both such genuine characters and the character development was STRONG. Even though the story was solely from Jordan’s perspective, I loved how we really got know both characters and understand their vulnerabilities, motivations, and overall personalities. I also loved how the combination of present-tense, brief memories, and full flashback chapters gave depth to the story and showed us how their relationship had been developing for years and years and years. Everything that I thought, “I love this, but I want MORE” when I finished I Think They Love You, this delivered in full force.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

I loved this book so much that I literally read it in one day.. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. This book is a standalone, but if you want to meet Jamie and Jordan first, they are in the last book, I Think They Love You. I found reading them in order made for a richer reading experience. This book is about figuring out who you are and what you want. It’s a beautiful love story that had me giggling and kicking my feet. I loved every moment. I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely love how Julian Winters writes main characters. This book builds off of the Carter family that we met in I Think They Love you., and it brings us the story of Jordan Carter, a insanely competitive event planner, a perfectionist, and someone who is deeply confused about his identity. The only time he isn't confused is when he is around Jamie Peters, the first boy he kissed and the one he can't stop thinking about.

As much as this is a love story between Jordan and Jamie, it's also a story about finding oneself in the workplace, in your personal life, and in a relationship. This is demonstrated through Jordan's office relationship with Javi, his wedding client's relationship ups and down, Jamie's issues with parental disapproval, and ultimately Jordan and Jamie's path toward each other.

While it isn't necessary to read I Think They Love You before this one, I would strongly encourage readers to do so as it helps explain the family dynamics and provide some background to the plot lines that develop in Last First Kiss.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

I have been obsessed with this book since the first crumbs of Jordan and Jamie's more than a friendship were teased in I Think They Love You, so for this book to come out AND have the name of one of my favorite One Direction songs makes it feel this was written just for me. I love the journey of self discovery we see Jordan go on with his demisexuality and coming to terms with the feelings he's had for Jamie for so long. Oh Jamie, my poor sweet repressed baby angel. After a lifetime of feeling like he's never been good enough for his parents, it's hard to see how that's internalized into him feeling like he's not good for Jordan either. But I loved seeing how the pair come together and all hail childhood friends to lovers as the superior trope.

4.5 stars

This is a follow-up story of sorts from I Think They Love You and revolves around the world of 24 Carter Gold. Here, we finally get to see the story of Jordan and Jamie, who we met in the earlier book and left me curious. As much as I enjoyed I Think They Love You, I think I liked Last First Kiss just a little more. Jordan and Jamie are such interesting and layered characters, and Julian Winters crafts a story that holds your interest and keeps you invested. The emotions are real, and the characters' struggles feel relatable. All in all, this was a super fun read full of emotion, a little humor, and just a touch of spice. I had a good time.

Even though I hate third-part breakups, I just hit that five-star button without a second thought. Like Julian Winters says in his author notes, what a couple of goofballs these two are. From the first page on, I was hooked on their story. I adored their “comfort checks,” and those small flashbacks were top notch. This story has all the feels of fanfic (third person, present tense) and so many lovely scenes. I rooted for Jordan and Jamie constantly, and that scene when Jamie was sick … I just kept smiling.

What stood out to me most, though, was the demi rep. Not being able to label yourself, just knowing you like that one person—figuring yourself out as an adult—it’s done so beautifully. Wow. That last part made my eyes shine with tears.

This might be my favorite Julian Winters’ so far!

This was such a great second chance MM romance with a really fun wedding planning backdrop! I loved how much the bond between the characters like family, friends, and coworkers played into the story. It felt like such a warm and connected world, and that’s always one of my favorite things about Julian Winters’ writing.

The romance started out so addicting to read, and I was really rooting for Jordan and Jamie in the beginning. But eventually… I started getting a little annoyed with Jamie. I didn’t feel as deeply connected to them as a couple as I wanted to, even though their history and the second chance angle were so compelling.

What really stood out to me was the amazing representation. The book explores struggling with your sexuality, especially when it feels like everyone around you is focused on your love life and it was done beautifully. The demisexual rep was especially meaningful to me; it’s rare to see asexual spectrum representation in romance, and I found it so relatable.

Overall, this was a really solid, heartfelt read with some truly great moments, even if I didn’t love the romance as much as I hoped. 3 stars for me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

This was a great second-chance MM romance with a very intriguing wedding planning plot as well. I really enjoyed the cast of characters introduced throughout the story as the bond between the characters was such a focal point for everything.

The romance itself was addicting to read about in the beginning but eventually I started to become a bit annoyed with the love interest. Overall, the romance ended up being decently well done but I didn’t feel truly connected to them as a couple.

My favorite part of this book by far was the amazing representation of what it’s like to struggle with your sexuality in a world where people are always concerned with your love life. I love seeing demisexual representation as it’s very relatable to me and it’s rare for me to actually see it or any sort of asexual representation in the media.

Thanks so much to netgalley for allowing me to read this book early!!

This book should have been my catnip, but I was never fully invested in the POV character. I think I didn't really understand his background/damage, which left me less sympathetic to his behavior than I'd like to have been. The nonlinear timeline also jarred me at times. And then I didn't ever feel like we got to know the other MC deeply enough (which, granted, is an issue for any single-POV book).

All that said, the book had some very effective and moving scenes, and for the most part, I wanted to keep reading. I'm rounding up to four stars.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I want to start by saying I LOVED this book!!! So much 💕💕 I kept having to put the book down because I didn’t want it to end too soon.

I did not read the first book and did not feel like I was missing anything but I’m tempted to read it now so I can stay in this world a little longer. And will be *fingers crossed* keeping a lookout for Javi’s book.

This is such a sweet, slow burn romance. Beautiful story of family, friendship, and finding one’s self. Julian Winters handles the intersectionality of queerness, race, and status with grace and compassion. I loved the subtle references to other romance books.

“Because that’s what love is like—a puzzle. You need every piece to see the full picture.”

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I liked this one even more than I Think They Love You. but I also think I wouldn't have liked it as much if I hadn't read the first book and had a front row seat to Jamie and Jordan's little escapades from Denz's perspective. this book is a queer awakening "later" in life (i.e., age 26, which our society sadly considers "later" in life when it comes to knowing if you're queer or not). it has demisexual and pansexual representation. and it features an interracial relationship (Jordan is Black and Jamie is white). I love how the queer awakening was done in this. sometimes queer awakening books can be full of internalized homophobia, but I didn't see that here. it was more just general confusion about identity and labels. which I find especially true for the ace/aro spectrum because you have that "lack of" that makes it difficult to know what you're feeling/not feeling!

I thought the third act conflict and breakup was overdone/overdramatic, but I could see it coming from a mile away so it didn't surprise me or anything.

I'm not a huge fan of third person single POV (it always feels so impersonal to me, like I can't get close enough to the characters), but I was able to get into this one, and I devoured it. I can't say I liked the POV, but I liked the story enough to keep going.

oh most importantly I looooooved the relationship between Jordan and Jamie!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book!!

this is a beautifully diverse narrative immersed inside a trope that never gets old. my only critique is that I felt disconnected from the characters, perhaps this was because the pov was in 3rd person, but everything felt very surface level. the book leans towards very descriptive on what was happening on the outside, but not as much on the inside. many romance novels get sucked into a vortex of internal monologuing, but this one skims past that. I did find it particularly captivating that instead of struggling internally, jordan's thoughts were navigated through many tough conversations with loved ones. I wanted to hold jordan's hand through each minor revelation.

Thank you @youhadmeathea for the advanced copy!

I love @wintersjulian . This is a Julian Winters fan account. @adibkhorram and I are the president and VP of the Julian Winters fan club. Julian’s second adult romance book is fantastic!

I LOVED following Jordan and Jamie and their sparks from I Think They Love You. It was so sweet to watch their love story unfold from flashbacks and present day. The wedding shenanigans added to the fun and yall…. That initial first kiss?? And then AGAIN AS ADULTS!!! And THE CAR!! And SHOWER YOU SAY?? 😏

Julian writes such gorgeous love stories but at the heart of them is loving yourself, being true to you, and finding you people. I cried for the last ten percent of this book cause it felt like Julian was talking to me directly. As someone who is often alone, and sometimes feels like they are growing in loneliness, it just really hit home.

The ending was perfect (grand gesture!!) and the epilogue?? Amen.

I love getting to read Julian’s words. We are so lucky to have him!!

"Last First Kiss" is a hopeful story that blends romance with self-discovery. While it embraces some of the familiar, even saccharine, touches of the genre, these elements create a comforting and recognizable framework that allows for moments of genuine introspection. Stories like this—mechanism-driven as they may be—play a vital role in representation, making the novel a satisfying read for anyone who values both the heartfelt rhythms of romance and the importance of seeing themselves reflected in its pages.

Jordan Carter es un joven planificador de eventos que vive bajo la sombra de su exitosa y famosa familia. Aunque domina el arte de las primeras citas y las buenas impresiones, su vida amorosa está lejos de ser un cuento de hadas. Todo parece ir según lo planeado cuando tiene una cita perfecta con una mujer encantadora... hasta que un rostro del pasado aparece y desata el caos emocional que creía haber superado.

Jamie Peters no es solo el mejor amigo de su primo: también fue el chico con quien compartió un beso que marcó su adolescencia y a quien ha evitado desde entonces. Pero cuando Jamie reaparece como el padrino de una boda que Jordan debe planear, ambos se ven obligados a trabajar juntos y a enfrentar los sentimientos no resueltos que han arrastrado durante una década.

Con el estrés de organizar la boda perfecta, las expectativas familiares, y una serie de encuentros cargados de tensión, humor y nostalgia, Jordan tendrá que decidir si está listo para dejar de esconderse, enfrentarse a su verdad y tal vez, solo tal vez, arriesgarse a vivir su última primera vez.
--

Jamie me cayó mal. Creo que era necesario que tuviera POVs para poder entender si de verdad amaba a Jordan, porque desde mi perspectiva no queda muy claro. Se supone que no quería nada con él porque, según Jamie, Jordan todavía tenía que descubrirse, y si bien eso es cierto en parte (aunque solo un poco), al final quien vivía una mentira era Jamie. Que Jamie se enojara con Jordan por lo de Javi me pareció bastante hipócrita, sobre todo considerando lo que él estaba haciendo con Sloane.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

I have recently just discovered this author, so when I saw this book, I got very excited. The second chance romance arc is one of my favorites and it was done very well in this story. The whole bisexual/pansexual representation was a nice touch in this book. Trying to discover and figure out who you are is not always so simple and easy. So, books tend to stray away from this topic or are very biased against it. This story at times really had me connecting with it based on my own personal experiences. That really helped pull the whole story together. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute story with good representation in it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the arc I enjoyed reading it.