Allison moves to Los Angeles after her brother's tragic passing, with a mother who is on her about being single. One night, Allison goes out to a bar and meets Reid, a famous radio host that her father and late brother loved listening to. Reid is older, but there's something about him that attracts Allison to him. While Reid and Allison start talking, Allison meets Emma, Reid's daughter, and starts attracting feelings for her as well. This story was interesting with the age gap between Reid and Allison, and then Emma and Allison's blooming relationship. We see Allison tend to family struggles and grow throughout the book, and while entertaining, there felt like something was missing at the end. I enjoyed listening to Amy Silverberg, the author, narrate the book, and that's what stood out most to me.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

This was more of a "slice of life" kind of book than I was expecting. It was an interesting story, and I liked the characters. I'm just not usually into books that are more "people centered," so I guess this is on me. If you like that type of novel, then you would enjoy this one. I did like the main character. Some of her thoughts were pretty funny. It's a decent book, just not my cup of tea.

*“First Time, Long Time”* is a smart, melancholic exploration of grief, creative stagnation, and romantic messiness, told with sharp wit and a distinctly modern voice. I appreciated the book’s honesty and Silverberg’s flair for writing realistic, flawed women—but ultimately, the story didn’t quite land for me.

The protagonist, Allison—a late 20 year old lit professor with too many side hustles and not enough direction—is refreshingly real. She’s drifting through Los Angeles post-loss, emotionally stuck after her brother’s death. Those quiet, aching moments of grief were the novel’s most powerful and affecting sections. As someone who has experienced sibling loss, those parts resonated deeply. They were subtle, unsharable, and captured the emotional numbness well.

Stylistically, Silverberg’s writing is often clever and observant. The dialogue feels natural, the tone is dry and ironic, and there are moments where her wit genuinely shines. However, the pacing felt sluggish—especially in the first half. I found myself checking the progress bar repeatedly, despite the engaging language. The plot meanders, and some developments, particularly the emotional arc with Reid’s daughter Emma, felt rushed and underdeveloped. I would’ve preferred a deeper dive into that relationship over the more predictable older-man romance.

The audiobook is narrated by the author herself, which added a diary-like intimacy to the experience. While Silverberg does a fine job as a narrator, this autobiographical tone sometimes made the story feel more personal essay than novel, which didn’t always work in the book’s favor.

Overall, *First Time, Long Time* is a compelling debut with flashes of brilliance—particularly in its exploration of loss and disconnection—but it didn’t fully hold my attention or deliver on the emotional stakes it introduced. I’ll definitely keep an eye on Silverberg’s future work, though—her voice is promising.

(2.75 ⭐ absolutely loved this bumping up to 3.)

Audio, narrated by author. Really enjoyed her narration, and how smart and insightful the story was. Book was my first introduction to her - I see she’s also a comedian and a writing professor, both of which come together in this! So many insights into the human condition with beautiful and unique wording… and lots of times that I laughed out loud. I hope she writes a second book and I’ll look for her other material now that I have learned of her.

This was an enjoyable story but I found it hard to fully immerse myself. I really liked how realistic Allison was in the sense of having side hustle and hobbies outside of work. I loved the writing and how witty it was I just couldn’t get into the story.

I really enjoyed the interweaving of past and present and how grief not matter how long ago it was is always with us. I listened to this on audio book and the narrator perfectly conveyed the characters and was exactly how I imagined Allison to sound.

3.75 ⭐

I really enjoyed this book. First Time, Long Time follows Alison, a woman in her late 20s/early 30s who has left home to pursue becoming a writer. She is struggling to make ends meet as a teacher, book club facilitator and writer. She meets Reid Steinman, a famous radio host around twice her age, in a bar and instantly feels a connection. They begin dating and she slowly falls in love with Reid... until she meets his daughter, Emma. She begins seeing them both at the same time.

The book follows Alison's relationship with grief (following her brother's death), her sexuality, dating two (related!) people at once, fame and independence.

This book was read by the author which I absolutely LOVE as you hear the story how they perceive it and in their voice. Amy was really engaging and the narration/performance was a solid 4.5 ⭐ for me.

Though it was quite a slow-paced book, I was fully engaged the whole time and couldn't wait to find out what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this Advanced Reader Copy. 📝🎙️🏳️‍🌈

messy gal with daddy issues moves to LA and starts dating an older man who is her dad's idol, and also starts sleeping with his daughter on the side. this was just generally pretty predictable and didn't really do much for me? this book did have some funny writing, silverberg is definitely a comedian, but that didn't make up for the lack of interesting plot.

I love unhinged women books with covers depicting women lying in unusual positions but I just didn’t connect with the FMC. Her inner dialogue felt scattered and almost inauthentic despite the incredibly personal details she shares.

I liked how this explored different age gaps and genders in relationships as well as grief but it just didn’t ring true to me.

Is this a literary masterpiece? No. But it is the rare novel that read me back.

A chronic over thinker and people pleaser, Alison is passing through life without much of a plan. When she enters into a relationship with a famous radio host, she never expects to feel something for his daughter too. Complicating matters is Alison’s family history— A mother who bent over backwards for an unstable father, and the death of her brother, all of which affects her today.

Yet the story isn’t even necessarily what kept me so engaged (although the story was compelling) the way the story is written was just perfect for my brain. It followed a plot, but it was also somehow a stream of thought that was never ending.

Funny, insightful, and moving, this is a stand out debut I would recommend again and again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

i love a messy girl story. give me a 28-year-old adjunct lit professor making bad decisions and wading through grief any day of the week. first time, long time absolutely delivers on that premise. it just doesn't do much to surprise. it's not reinventing the wheel. it's more like the quieter, flatter cousin of fleabag.

the core of this book is allison, who’s drifting through los angeles, teaching creative writing, facilitating book clubs, barely writing, and trying to feel something again after the death of her brother. her grief is the strongest and most moving part of the novel. as someone who's lost a brother, those sections hit in the exact way they should. they were quiet, aching, unsharable. those are the moments where the book feels most alive.

what didn't work for me was the central relationship with reid, a shock jock radio host in his 50s, clearly modeled after someone like howard stern. i just couldn't get past it. not even in a "wow, how daring" way, but in a "why would you willingly sleep with this man" kind of way. and while i don’t blame allison for being messy while she’s grieving, confused, and emotionally underwater, some of the weirdness pushed past relatability into cringe. in one scene, she calls into his radio show and lets him ask invasive sexual questions about her on-air. later, he tells her that he had no idea it was her. it felt like the book wanted to play with power and exposure the way fleabag does, but instead it just made me uncomfortable.

there's also a thread of queerness here. her connection with reid’s daughter is clearly meant to complicate things, but honestly felt underdeveloped. the tension was there, but it never got the emotional weight it deserved. i would have much rather read a book about that relationship. it had more depth, more ambiguity, and more potential than the central romance ever did.

stylistically, the writing is often clever and observant, especially in its dialogue. there are some truly great lines and small character moments that made me pause and appreciate silverberg's control of tone. she's clearly a skilled writer. but the book feels like a short story stretched past its limit. there's a lot of pacing drag and long stretches where nothing much happens, and then some plot points (like the emotional turn with emma) feel rushed and dropped too quickly.

also: i listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author. while her narration was perfectly fine, the effect made the book feel strangely autobiographical, like i was listening to someone read their own diary aloud. it added a layer of discomfort that didn't help the story land any better.

in the end, this is a solid entry into the messy girl canon. it's not as sharp or shocking as it wants to be, but the grief storyline is tender and real. for that alone, i'm glad i read it.

This book had some fantastic writing here and there and spectacular characterization. However, it managed to feel like not much happened to these characters we knew inside out by the end!

First Time Long Time is so fresh, voicey, and funny. It follows a 20 something narrator thru an interesting age gap relationship with a semi-famous older man who hosts a popular, kinda sleazy sounding radio show (think Howard Stern meets Joe Rogan). She’s kinda into him bc of his celebrity, because of his wealth? And because of her daddy issues, but then ultimately falls for his emotionally chaotic daughter. Because the book is written in first person and read by the author, it really felt more like a memoir than a work of fiction and I would suspect it is probably based loosely on some of her life experiences. While her narration was perfectly fine for memoir or comedic essays it didn’t feel dramatic/perfomative/actor-y enough for what I’m used to with novel narration. Not necessarily bad at all just set a tone that didn’t match the genre. Overall it was a great palette cleanser for me after a dense, emotionally intense read (Emperor of Gladness).

I was excited about this one but the author narrating this book was a complete miss—I am super picky when it comes to audiobook voices and hers was not a fit!!! (DNF)

I’m sure there are people who will adore First Time, Long Time. It’s undeniably funny with well-written prose, but I just couldn’t get myself to continue. For me, it was… boring. The humor and writing weren’t enough to make up for the lack of momentum.

The writing in this was insanely good, the way she describes things really itched a spot in my brain. I didn't know I needed. I wish I had a physical copy of this so I could've annotated it the whole way through.

Really loved her internal monologues, would recommend this for fans of beautiful writing, character driven books and imperfect but real characters

First Time, Long Time was a solid listen overall. Amy Silverberg’s writing had a nice mix of humor and heart, and I liked how personal it felt with her narration. Some parts dragged a little for me, but there were definitely moments that pulled me back in. I didn’t fully connect with everything, but I still appreciated the story and the voice behind it. It was a chill, thoughtful audiobook, just not a standout for me.

Just finished First Time, Long Time by Amy Silverberg and I need someone to talk to about it immediately 😭✨
It follows a late-night radio advice host—Sybil—who’s living in this hazy, in-between version of her life. She’s kind of floating: stuck between what she thought adulthood would be and the weird, beautiful mess it actually is. She's sharp, hilarious, deeply flawed, and totally lovable. Think a 30-something woman who gives relationship advice but can’t quite figure out her own heart? Yeah. That.
The writing is smart and sneakily emotional—funny in a way that catches you off guard and tender when you least expect it. If you like your coming-of-age stories with a side of chaos, yearning, and just the right amount of romantic delusion, this one’s for you.

Thank you, Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, Amy Silverberg and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before it's published on 22nd July 2025.

First Time, Long Time is read by the author Amy Silverberg. I'm always a big fan of authors reading their audiobooks, as most of the time it adds a layer to the storytelling and brings the characters to life even more. This was the case for FTLT. The audiobook was clear and easy to understand from the beginning and throughout, with no audible errors or repeats.

The story follows Allison in a time of change in her life. It reminded me a lot of Milk Fed by Melissa Broder, which is one of my favourite reads. I always enjoy an FMC who's still working things out and trying to become the main character of their own life. It's incredibly relatable to read, and I found myself immersed in the fictional Los Angeles that Allison inhabits very quickly. This was a quick and easy listen, which was fun thanks to the author's narration. I also really enjoy audiobook jingles (I know, I know, it's so niche!) at each end of an audiobook, and I particularly enjoyed the ones that Hachette Audio used on this audiobook. I can't wait to hear them again, hopefully soon!

This is the author's debut novel, I believe, and I came across it on NetGalley, so I decided to give it a try.

My biggest problem with this one is how it's all over the place, almost entirely. And the POV switches are just not something I enjoy. Also, the synopsys doesn't take place until perhaps the last 20% of the book, so maybe that should be changed.

The writing was ok, but it felt a little choppy. I didn't find most, if any, of the characters truly likable, and I feel like it could have been more of a novella or a novelette.

2.75 rounded up