Second First Impression by Sally Thorne Book Review

Second First Impressions

Author: Sally Thorne

ISBN: 9780349428918

Pages: 354

Genre & Tags: Contemporary, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Workplace Romance, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Jealous Hero, Humour

Steam: Open Door but so tame it’s practically clean

Release Date: April 13th 2021

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Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Thorne, and Little Brown Group UK for sending me a DRC of Second First Impressions.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of these links, I may make a commission. This does not affect my review.

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Synopsis: From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

Distraction (n): an extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.

Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.

Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.

Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin.

Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.

Hilarious, warm, and romantic, Sally Thorne’s novel delivers an irrepressibly joyous celebration of love and community for fans of 99% Mine and The Hating Game.

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“I always thought that love would feel like something gentle, but this isn’t. I feel a clawing, desperate need to hold his heart in my hand and to fend off anything that might damage it.”
– Sally Thorne, Second First Impressions

My Rating: ★★★★☆

This was just the sweetest, most adorable story ever!

I hate to compare all of Thorne’s books to The Hating Game but if you are hoping for a book like that, this is not it. Second First Impressions is a sweet, charming, almost fluffy story about two people who seem so different coming together. Ruthie is 25 going on 125 and Teddy is 27 going on 17 but when they are forced to work together they help each other grow in all the ways they needed.

Teddy is an absolute charmer (you know the type) he’s sweet and funny and manages to make everyone fall in love with him. Ruthie is not exactly uptight but she has this old lady librarian thing going on (that totally works for Teddy). She had makeover written all over her and I was concerned there was going to be a 2000’s romcom style makeover but thankfully, it was done much better than that. In fact, both characters end up changing in little ways but the changes are for themselves.

The story is a touch predictable but that’s fine because it delivers on what you want. It’s like a cuddle-buddy in book form perfect for when you have a touch of the blues.

FYI: There is a sex scene but it is so tame the book is practically clean. It’s actually a pretty sweet scene.