This was a unique and engaging debut. The story itself was good, but what really stood out was the writing style—it felt like a mix of clear plotting and stream-of-thought that kept me turning pages. Alison’s character and messy family history made the book feel relatable, even if not everything worked perfectly.

It’s not a flawless novel, but it’s funny, thoughtful, and moving in parts. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it definitely left an impression and is worth picking up.

Thank you Amy Silverberg, Hachette Audio, and Netgalley for this audio ARC in echange for my honest review.
My favorite part of this audiobook was the narrator (the author). Silverberg did an excellent job sounding expressive and comedic at times. I felt like I was having a conversation with someone and they were telling me a story. The flow of the narrator in combination with the writing style made it feel conversational. The style and execution of this audiobook was so unique to me. I am glad I got the audio version because it made my experience better.
This book is very character-driven which slightly hindered the plot. The ending felt rushed, and was not satisfying for the reader. I understand what Silverberg was going for, though.
Now I want to say that the FMC, Allison, was such a mess in a relatable way. All of her worries and overthinking spirals were reminding me of myself. Allison definitely towed the line between selfish and selfless. She was very lost and fumbling her way through life which is believable for a person who is grieving. I think her character was realistic, which I don't see in a lot of books. She wasn't written to fit any mold or to appease any standards for female main characters. The author wrote a very observant and shrewd FMC, which made me think of society and people differently. I could be biased in liking her character because I have been through things she has.
Grief is the main character in Allison's (FMC) life; she is learning to navigate her feelings and life while carrying a huge weight of grief. Silverberg focus on grief was very real and unidealistic. I liked the way Silverberg ties grief into every thought, and decision the character made. Silverberg has a way of stating something well-known and giving it a new perspective. A lot of quotes from this book will stick with me. I will absolutely read another Amy Silverberg book.

Got an ARC from Hachette Audio and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book, and that review is coming late because I just couldn't get into this one! I couldn't find a way to get invested in the plot and made it about 1/3 of the way through before DNFing.

Difficult to find the storyline, main characters seem one sided. Not a fan of the audiobook tone.
It’s seemed quirky but I had a difficult time getting through the story. Some moments of discomfort and some really funny one liners.

First Time, Long Time by Amy Silverberg was a bit of enigma of a book for me. I walked away from it with basically the impression of “okay then.” and that’s about it. The writing style was fresh and interesting and I enjoyed the narration as delivered by the author herself. I definitely enjoyed the book more when the author was narrating it rather than reading it myself. I think that could be because to me, the story felt like something as told by a friend; with the starts and stops and meandering thoughts of a long winded story you could be told over brunch. Similar to that experience I’m walking away from this book with a sense of knowing more about someone but not having gained much of anything. I didn’t dislike the book but also at no point was I moved or connected. I hope this book finds the audience that will cherish it because the voice definitely is unique.
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**Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the ALC and eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Gut geschrieben, interessante Twists der Story, zt. ein wenig grenzwertig, aber es löst sich dann immer ins Gute auf. Schöner Spannungsbogen dadurch.

First time, Long time, is peak sad girl x weird girl vibes but in an oddly relatable way? In this story, we follow Allison, a woman in her late 20s still trying to find herself (relatable) while balancing a relationship with a man around her father's age (not so relatable lol) while also having a blossoming relationship with an "unknown" (would be spoiler) third party. The narration of this book was fantastic, we really got to get into the mind of Allison, her mood swings felt like ours, her discomforts were palpable, and her happiness and wins felt like my own. The author Amy Silverberg did a phenomenal job bringing this book to life through their writing and narration, touching on difficult topics within familial dynamics, including grief, while showing how even dysfunctional familys are loving familys but how they show it is unique to them, however, it is still made clear that many of these behaviours can be toxic and finding the right outlets to cope such as therapy and are encouraged.

I really enjoyed this one, im a big fan of messy FMC and this one definitely took the cake. The plot of the story I was fully invested in.Read like a memoir, the story is more character driven than its plot which I loved.

I didn't enjoy this book. I'm n0t sure if it was the narrator or the writing, but it felt very whiny to me, and not very engaging.

I enjoyed it but it needed to be 50 pages longer. I feel like we got more backstory (not even a second timeline just backstory) than the plot. The pacing was off. So much happened in the last 20% and it was just so abrupt? Some of the chapters ended abruptly as well. That being said I liked the voice and the authors writing.

This audiobook was narrated by the author and it felt like a memoir.

Allison is an aspiring writer patching together an existence in Los Angeles, working several jobs while she deals with the death of her brother and the general dysfunction of her family. Her father is referred to as The Problem, her mother is selfish but over-involved in Allison’s life, and they are all doing a terrible job at processing their familial trauma.

I listened to the audiobook edition of this novel, narrated by the author. Silverberg’s honest, sardonic voice brought a great tone to the narrative, but I was surprised that the protagonist was 28 years old, as the whole thing was reading very young and naïve to me.

A lot of the blurbs I’ve seen for this book give quite a lot of the very sparse plot away, so I’ll refrain from offering a synopsis here. There were a number of keenly insightful and funny moments throughout this book, but the plot was very strange and under-developed for me. It felt more like a snapshot into a young woman’s life than a fully fleshed-out novel, but regardless, I very much enjoyed listening to it. I could see this author having greater success with a short story collection. I would recommend this title on audio for the author’s narration alone and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Amy Silverberg!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to be an early listener of this title, available now!

The writing for this was very sharp and witty which I loved, but I did have a hard time connecting with the character

3.75⭐

Allison is a writer who has recently had to deal with her brothers unexpected death (check Trigger Warnings), and she's lonely.

Until she recently run into her childhood radiohost crush & has slightly fallen for him... And his daughter... Yes.

I genuinely don't know how to feel about this particular trope, however I was hooked from start to finish. So it is what it is, I guess.

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Allison, a 28 year old aspiring writer and community college teacher, moves to LA hoping to rebuild her life after grieving her older brothers untimely death and growing up under emotionally volatile parents. In LA she is unable to write, financially unstable and drifting from her sense of self.
She meets Reid Steinman, a charismatic but old radio host, who was once idolized by her father. Despite their decades wide age gap, they start seeing each other.As Allison falls under Reid's allure, she starts rethinking what she wants, especially when she meets and becomes emotionally entangled with Emma, Reid's daughter.

This is an emotionally layered, often darkly funny exploration of grief, identity, and the disorienting nature of desire. The prose is a standout: wry, clever, and full of smart observational detail. Allison’s voice feels both self-deprecating and sharply aware, her dry humour often masking a deeper ache that lingers beneath the surface. The novel thrives in its psychological terrain, particularly in the way it captures Allison’s magnetic pull toward the charismatic but self-centred radio host Reid, and her more ambiguous, emotionally charged connection with his daughter, Maddie.

The book occasionally falters in narrative pacing. Some middle sections meander, mirroring Allison’s emotional paralysis a little too effectively. The novel seems more interested in evoking moods and intellectual dilemmas than driving toward resolution, an artistic choice, yes, but one that may leave some readers feeling unmoored or hungry for more shape and structure.

That said, First Time, Long Time is a bold and often incisive debut. While it may not be for readers looking for tidy plots or traditional romantic arcs, it will resonate deeply with those drawn to emotional nuance, flawed characters, and the complex intersections of grief, memory, and desire. Silverberg writes like someone who understands the ache of wanting to be understood, and the heartbreak of losing your sense of self in the process.

I LOVE the relationships situation in this one ! Narrated by the author herself, live that !

thank you netgalley for the copy

This was just ok for me. Unfortunately, I kept holding out for it to get better and it stayed at just ok, throughout. I didn't find a single character very likeable and therefore wasn't very invested.

How can I simultaneously like and dislike a book? For starters, I think it's a fantastic debut and found it hilarious at times! The story revolves around 28 year old Allison, who struggles with grief over losing her brother, a situation made more complex by her complicated family dynamics. Amid this, she meets and begins a relationship with Reid, a famous radio host in his 60s.

I mostly found Allison pretty annoying in this I couldn’t connect with most of the characters. A lot of messy situations are happening all at once and it can be hard to keep track of them. The ending was I don’t know disappointing. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.

The author did a great job narrating her book, although I sometimes forgot that this wasn’t a memoir; it’s a fiction book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for my audiobook ARC.

This was okay. Not really my type of book. However, I will say the narrator was really good. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a memoir and totally fictional.

I really loved the premise of this book. It started off well. The writing was good and the author had a clear path. It did start to drag a bit, though and took a while to pick back up. I don’t mind a slow burn, but this one felt a few chapters too long. I expected a messy plot (you know…affairs and all) and once the characters started to develop, it didn’t disappoint. The narration was really good. The voice and tone were perfect for this story.

🌟 3/5