Second First Impressions
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- Create Date：2021-03-29 14:11:32
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Sally Thorne
- ISBN：0062912852
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Deborah Schneider
，
This book is fun， despite some pretty heavy baggage of hero and heroine。 I have a soft spot for funny heroes， and cute heroes。 OK - gorgeous heroes， even though tatoos are not my thing。 I'm not marrying the make-believe dude， so that's fine。 My only reason for not giving the book a "5" is that the heroine spent way too much time whining about how "old" she was。 Yeah， 25。 Over the hill。 The references to "old lady" fashion bothered me too - because I'm older， and I love fashion。 Stop with the eld This book is fun， despite some pretty heavy baggage of hero and heroine。 I have a soft spot for funny heroes， and cute heroes。 OK - gorgeous heroes， even though tatoos are not my thing。 I'm not marrying the make-believe dude， so that's fine。 My only reason for not giving the book a "5" is that the heroine spent way too much time whining about how "old" she was。 Yeah， 25。 Over the hill。 The references to "old lady" fashion bothered me too - because I'm older， and I love fashion。 Stop with the elder stereotypes。 But， funny and charming win over that - so I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a slow-burn romance， funny one-liners and the growth of main characters。 。。。more
Sharondblk
，
So sweet。 This was my first Sally Thorne novel。 I requested it from NetGalley and figured I'd get a light fluffy romance。 Then my NetGalley sent me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review。 When I needed something light I started reading it。 And it was light and lovely。 And yet， somehow when I got to the end， this book had not just been a romance， but a journey of growth， friendship and discovery。 It challenged Ruthie's preconceptions， and presented the kind of characters you don't often s So sweet。 This was my first Sally Thorne novel。 I requested it from NetGalley and figured I'd get a light fluffy romance。 Then my NetGalley sent me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review。 When I needed something light I started reading it。 And it was light and lovely。 And yet， somehow when I got to the end， this book had not just been a romance， but a journey of growth， friendship and discovery。 It challenged Ruthie's preconceptions， and presented the kind of characters you don't often see in romance， including old people as strong， lovely secondary characters。 And， the cherry on this sundae is the epilogue doesn't ruin ruin everything， or make me regret not just stopping on the last page。 I highly recommend this book。 I may have cried just a little near the end， and I certainly laughed quite a lot throughout。 。。。more
Victoria Lanigan
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I knew I was in for a treat when one of the 87 year olds at the retirement village says she had three boyfriends at once as she tried to tell Ruthie she needed to shake it up a bit。。Ruthie Midona is 24 going on 124。 She works at a retirement village。 She likes life orderly and spends her free time running a forum for a faith based Tv show and dresses likes she’s a cast member of the #GoldenGirls。 She hasn’t had a kiss since prom night and knows it’s time to get out there in the dating game， but I knew I was in for a treat when one of the 87 year olds at the retirement village says she had three boyfriends at once as she tried to tell Ruthie she needed to shake it up a bit。。Ruthie Midona is 24 going on 124。 She works at a retirement village。 She likes life orderly and spends her free time running a forum for a faith based Tv show and dresses likes she’s a cast member of the #GoldenGirls。 She hasn’t had a kiss since prom night and knows it’s time to get out there in the dating game， but how is the question。 。With the help of a co-worker turned BFF she decides to submit to online dating but what she doesn’t expect is Teddy Prescott to blow into her life。 The tattooed and free spirit son of her boss brings much levity and sincerity to her life。 With a list of zany characters including the beloved Parloni women make this book such a fun read， including Teddy’s love for his rescued turtle。 That relationship alone was perfect。。This book was full of so much heart， I loved it。 I loved the raw vulnerability of Ruthie and Teddy and I loved the Parloni’s， just want and see and you will fall in love with them too！ 。I feel like the theme to her life is when Teddy is coaxing her into the pool and he says “Get in experience something。 ““Life requires full up to the neck participation。” This could not be a truer statement！ 。Thank you to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for an arc in exchange for an honest review。。This book is available April 13th！ 。。。more
Ryann Uden
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25-year-old Ruthie Midona loves her job at the retirement community and plans to live and work there until she retires and moves into one of homes， too！ One day， she makes a rare trip off the property and plays Good Samaritan to a tattooed motorcycling hunk who can’t pay for his gas。 He thanks her by complimenting her look， thinking she is wearing a Golden Girls costume on her way to a costume party！ Ruthie leaves with hurt feelings and validation that leaving the Providence property is always a 25-year-old Ruthie Midona loves her job at the retirement community and plans to live and work there until she retires and moves into one of homes， too！ One day， she makes a rare trip off the property and plays Good Samaritan to a tattooed motorcycling hunk who can’t pay for his gas。 He thanks her by complimenting her look， thinking she is wearing a Golden Girls costume on her way to a costume party！ Ruthie leaves with hurt feelings and validation that leaving the Providence property is always a mistake。Soon tattooed Teddy appears at Ruthie’s office （his father just bought the property）， gets a temporary job on the property and even becomes her next door neighbor。 Everyone warns her that Teddy is a charmer and that her innocent heart is not prepared for the likes of him。 However， the more she gets to know the real Teddy， the more she realizes he is a generous and caring man who is just looking for some peace in his life。 She also knows he will be leaving as soon as he has saved enough money for his own tattoo studio， so she tries to protect her heart and keep him at arm’s length。 Ruthie’s journey could have been cliche， but in Thorne’s hand it is anything but。 The hilarious story is told through Ruthie’s perspective and we witness every revelation and experience as she transforms herself from shy， insecure introvert into someone confident and willing to take what she wants from life。 Teddy is a dream， and the surrounding characters all leap from the page including Renata and Aggie， two eccentric senior residents who enjoy torturing assistants and employ Teddy to help them with daily tasks and not-so-daily tasks such as plating a McDonald’s meal as if it were a featured entree in a 5-star restaurant。 Hilarious and heartwarming， this one kept me reading late at night and early in the morning。 I loved the author’s previous work （The Hating Game） and love this one even more！ If you love books by Kristan Higgins or Jennifer Crusie， check this out！Advanced copy courtesy of Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks。 。。。more
Katie Mac
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I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I adored The Hating Game， but I hated 99 Percent Mine because Thorne stripped away the sweetness with which she wrote Josh and Lucy and turned the chemistry into spite and ill-intentioned sarcasm。 I was happy to see that， with this book， Thorne returns to the sweetness and lets the relationship between Ruthie and Teddy develop organically; it's clear from the tiniest of details Thorne incorporates that they care deep I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I adored The Hating Game， but I hated 99 Percent Mine because Thorne stripped away the sweetness with which she wrote Josh and Lucy and turned the chemistry into spite and ill-intentioned sarcasm。 I was happy to see that， with this book， Thorne returns to the sweetness and lets the relationship between Ruthie and Teddy develop organically; it's clear from the tiniest of details Thorne incorporates that they care deeply about one another。 Thorne's silly， almost frenetic way of incorporating asides from her characters makes her reader （at least， this reader） feel as though they have more insight into not only the protagonist， but also the side characters。 Read this if you loved The Hating Game or if you're in the mood for a sweet， kind of strange contemporary romance with some heat。 。。。more
Rebecca Holliman
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This new novel has Sally Thorne's signature wit， humorous situations， and eccentric， loveable characters。 The story centers around Providence Retirement Villa， a retirement community managed by twenty-five-year-old Ruthie， who is socially anxious and feels most comfortable around older people。 Her orderly world is turned upside down when the community is bought out by a large company。 The owner sends his son Teddy， a carefree tattoo artist and motorbike enthusiast， to live on-site and his stuck- This new novel has Sally Thorne's signature wit， humorous situations， and eccentric， loveable characters。 The story centers around Providence Retirement Villa， a retirement community managed by twenty-five-year-old Ruthie， who is socially anxious and feels most comfortable around older people。 Her orderly world is turned upside down when the community is bought out by a large company。 The owner sends his son Teddy， a carefree tattoo artist and motorbike enthusiast， to live on-site and his stuck-up daughter Rose to evaluate the business side of the concern。 Of course， opposites attract and the love story between Teddy and Ruthie develops sweetly， even as chicanery involving Ruthie's missing boss further threatens the survival of Providence。 The story is entertaining and the characters endearing。 Ruthie and Teddy's back stories lend them some depth as well， and the conflicts between them and their respective families add interest。 The dialogue sparkles with wit and a bit of edge， making this a perfect escapist read for the summer。 。。。more
Nicki
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I received an ARC copy of this book and was super excited because I， like so many others， loved "The Hating Game"。 "Second First Impressions' was super sweet and Sally Thorne's imagination conjured up a setting that hasn't been used a great deal in fiction。 Come to think of it， I have never read a romance set in a retirement village。 It is a charming idea， and my mind immediately went to the comfort of the home that my grandparents lived in before they passed。However， in the charm and safety the I received an ARC copy of this book and was super excited because I， like so many others， loved "The Hating Game"。 "Second First Impressions' was super sweet and Sally Thorne's imagination conjured up a setting that hasn't been used a great deal in fiction。 Come to think of it， I have never read a romance set in a retirement village。 It is a charming idea， and my mind immediately went to the comfort of the home that my grandparents lived in before they passed。However， in the charm and safety there comes a lack of excitement。 Granted excitement isn't something you would expect to find in a story set in a place like this， but "Second First Impressions" felt a little too much on the comfortable and safe side。 I didn't feel any sense of urgency to read the book as quick as I could to find out what was going to happen， even though I didn't find it a hard read or have a sense of annoyance about it。 Ruthie was a lovely leading lady and relatable， but Teddy as the leading man never really screams chemistry between the two of them。 The tension between the two doesn't come across well。"Second First Impressions" is a charming and very easy book， almost frustratingly so。 。。。more
Nikole
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Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of Second First Impressions！What a fun and quirky little read！ Like many， I LOVED The Hating Game and was eager to read this new release from Sally Thorne。 I thought the romance in this book was the cutest。 I loved how different Teddy and Ruthie were， yet they seemed to fit so well together。 I appreciated who Ruthie was as a character and found her struggles relatable。 This book had depth， but wasn't overly emotional an Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of Second First Impressions！What a fun and quirky little read！ Like many， I LOVED The Hating Game and was eager to read this new release from Sally Thorne。 I thought the romance in this book was the cutest。 I loved how different Teddy and Ruthie were， yet they seemed to fit so well together。 I appreciated who Ruthie was as a character and found her struggles relatable。 This book had depth， but wasn't overly emotional and found a good balance。 The side characters were very entertaining and the surprise between two of them at the end was great。 This book was a light， fun read that I think any rom com reader would enjoy :） 。。。more
Jennifer （JC-S）
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‘By the time I leave here， you’ll have someone。’Meet Ruthie Midona: she is twenty-five and works at the Providence Luxury Retirement Village where she is the live-in manager。 Ruthie is devoted to her work and is a dedicated protector of the endangered golden bonnet tortoises living in the village’s gardens。 There is not a lot of excitement in Ruthie’s life。 Her temporary co-worker， Melanie Sasaki， decides to help Ruthie get into the dating scene。 The Sasaki Method involves several stages， and Ru ‘By the time I leave here， you’ll have someone。’Meet Ruthie Midona: she is twenty-five and works at the Providence Luxury Retirement Village where she is the live-in manager。 Ruthie is devoted to her work and is a dedicated protector of the endangered golden bonnet tortoises living in the village’s gardens。 There is not a lot of excitement in Ruthie’s life。 Her temporary co-worker， Melanie Sasaki， decides to help Ruthie get into the dating scene。 The Sasaki Method involves several stages， and Ruthie’s really not sure whether she wants to participate。Two of the village’s more eccentric residents， Renata and Agatha Parloni seek Ruthie’s assistance in employing a new male assistant。 They are tough taskmasters: none of their assistants has lasted for more than a week。Enter Teddy Prescott， the son of the property developer who has just bought the retirement village。 He is a good-looking young man with an intriguing past。 The Parlonis employ him， his father allows him to stay in the retirement village （in accommodation adjoining Ruthie） and life becomes interesting。 Teddy is not going to be staying long， and Ruthie （although she finds him attractive） does not want to become attached to someone who will soon move away。In the meantime: what will the property developers do with the retirement village， why won’t Sylvia （Ruthie’s boss who is currently on holiday） respond to Ruthie’s messages， and what is the secret that makes the Parlonis sad？ Will Ruthie be able to step outside the constraints she lives her life within， and will Teddy ever meet his family’s expectations？While the ending was all a little too neat for me， I enjoyed the story。 Ms Thorne has combined interesting characters， several important life issues， and romance， all delivered with warm humour。Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes。 Jennifer Cameron-Smith 。。。more
the。bookish。mom
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I finished this book last night and MAN， Sally Thorne is just such n amazing writer。 Throughout this book I felt。 so。 much。 She did an exceptional job bringing in sub plots and little bits that add so much to the story and characters， but didn’t lose sight of the main plot/story with Ruth & Teddy。 The setting at a retirement home was so neat and different， and the side characters added smiles and laughs throughout。 I loved this opposites attract romance， and with BOTH Ruth & Teddy there was so， I finished this book last night and MAN， Sally Thorne is just such n amazing writer。 Throughout this book I felt。 so。 much。 She did an exceptional job bringing in sub plots and little bits that add so much to the story and characters， but didn’t lose sight of the main plot/story with Ruth & Teddy。 The setting at a retirement home was so neat and different， and the side characters added smiles and laughs throughout。 I loved this opposites attract romance， and with BOTH Ruth & Teddy there was so， so much more to them than their outward appearance and what people thought of them， which was fun to watch them discover that about each other and themselves。 Teddy had the kindest heart， and although this was a closed door romance for the most part （maybe one semi descriptive scene？） I wasn’t wishing or waiting for steam。 This is a book that I thought about when I wasn’t reading it and left early to pick up the kids from school so I could sit and read！Second First Impressions comes out 4/6 so go check it out！Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Rachel
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Ruthie is devoted to life at Providence retirement villa。 An old woman inhabited in a 25 year-old’s body。 Always caring for everyone and never herself。 Until she meets the new guy， Providence owner’s love child， Teddy。 Her new neighbor。 The Parlonis’ new errand boy。 A tattoo artist saving up to co-own a parlor。 The two couldn’t be anymore opposite。 Little do they know their First Impressions were quite lasting？What a sweet story that starred a cast of quirky characters doing quirky things， all t Ruthie is devoted to life at Providence retirement villa。 An old woman inhabited in a 25 year-old’s body。 Always caring for everyone and never herself。 Until she meets the new guy， Providence owner’s love child， Teddy。 Her new neighbor。 The Parlonis’ new errand boy。 A tattoo artist saving up to co-own a parlor。 The two couldn’t be anymore opposite。 Little do they know their First Impressions were quite lasting？What a sweet story that starred a cast of quirky characters doing quirky things， all the while growing， learning， and falling in love。 It wasn’t a slow burn per se， it was just slow-moving in the first half。 But the second half？ I found it touching， heartfelt。。。 even tear-jerking。 I liked Ruthie and Teddy， but Renata and Aggie Parloni took the cake here。 And， not to mention， there were endangered tortoises。 。。。more
Alexa
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Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne Do you like books with much more character growth then romance？ 🐢 （𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴） 👉🏻What I liked 💗 : 🐚The elderly sisters at the senior center 🐚 character growth 🐚 the turtles What I didn’t like ❌ : + very slow paced + not enough romance + the main character Ruthie I loved Sally Thorne’s book THG， I was so excited for this book but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this one。 I had a really difficult time connecting to the main ch Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne Do you like books with much more character growth then romance？ 🐢 （𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴） 👉🏻What I liked 💗 : 🐚The elderly sisters at the senior center 🐚 character growth 🐚 the turtles What I didn’t like ❌ : + very slow paced + not enough romance + the main character Ruthie I loved Sally Thorne’s book THG， I was so excited for this book but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this one。 I had a really difficult time connecting to the main character Ruthie， and I think it’s because she acted like a grandma。 Teddy， wanted to open a tattoo shop， but he’s sort of seen as the family screw up and decides to work at his family’s retirement resort to pay for his shop。 The two of them meeting is kind of the push they needed to follow their dreams or make changes in their personal life。 I felt like this book had a ton of character growth and not enough romance for me。 I got to about 50% and realized that I wasn’t in love with the story， and it was too slow paced。 So I decided not to finish it at this time。 。。。more
Erin
，
Giggle out loud funny and totally heartfelt is what this latest offering from Sally Thorne promises to give。 And boy does it ever deliver！ This book is attraction， and tugs at heartstrings， and intrigue， and conflict。 And everything you want in romantic fiction。 And I love the message of letting the past go， letting people be who they are - not what you want them to be， and taking a leap of faith to get what you want。 It was perhaps a little repetitive in its descriptions of Teddy。 His eye colou Giggle out loud funny and totally heartfelt is what this latest offering from Sally Thorne promises to give。 And boy does it ever deliver！ This book is attraction， and tugs at heartstrings， and intrigue， and conflict。 And everything you want in romantic fiction。 And I love the message of letting the past go， letting people be who they are - not what you want them to be， and taking a leap of faith to get what you want。 It was perhaps a little repetitive in its descriptions of Teddy。 His eye colour and physique and tattoos are mentioned quite a bit， and it became a little grating after a while。 Thank you to Sally Thorne， Hachette Australia， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dot & Needle
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I saved up Sally Thorne’s Second First Impressions to read on my birthday weekend， but unfortunately binged it all in one sitting lol。 The story starts with our heroine， Ruthie of the grandma chic and Teddy with his beautiful locks and feckless air making terrible first impressions of each other。 They are soon forced to work （and live） together as Ruthie’s job at a luxury nursing home community is threatened by Teddy’s real estate developer family。 I felt so much sympathy for Ruthie’s fear of ch I saved up Sally Thorne’s Second First Impressions to read on my birthday weekend， but unfortunately binged it all in one sitting lol。 The story starts with our heroine， Ruthie of the grandma chic and Teddy with his beautiful locks and feckless air making terrible first impressions of each other。 They are soon forced to work （and live） together as Ruthie’s job at a luxury nursing home community is threatened by Teddy’s real estate developer family。 I felt so much sympathy for Ruthie’s fear of change but also admired her determination in taking steps to do so despite her introversion and traumatic past。 She’s such an old soul and really just a kind person that I wanted the world for her。 I liked that Teddy recognised her worth under all the shyness and made an effort to draw her out （often with silliness）。 Once Ruthie was comfortable with him， the banter was great fun with good-hearted snark。 It also was so adorable to watch Ruthie being unwillingly charmed by Teddy’s quirky， weird and oddly sweet personality （and HOT bod lol）。 The whole cast of characters in this book was compelling！ I really enjoyed the MCs interactions with all the secondary characters， from the Parlonis to Melanie Sasaki， the temp turned trusted friend。 They really added a fantastic depth and dimension to the story。I adored this charming， emotional and quirky， quirky book。 Thank you so much to the publishers for the arc！Release: 31 March （ANZ）/ 13 April （Rest）CW: Fatphobic comments and death of spouse 。。。more
Mel Hawk
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Okay this was so great！ Renata was my favorite character。 This was such a good book and with such great character development。 Teddy you the man！ 😍😍
Anya
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Thank you to William Morrow （via NetGalley） for the ARC！This was very cute and sweet and fluffy and low-stakes， and a perfect spring break read since I am stuck inside while the weather can't make up its mind （it's been snowing off and on and I'm about over this）。Ruthie runs a retirement community， dresses like an old lady， and has pretty much decided she will live the rest of her life and die there。 And she's okay with that。 Until Teddy shows up。 He's the boss's son， and a bad boy。 He's covered Thank you to William Morrow （via NetGalley） for the ARC！This was very cute and sweet and fluffy and low-stakes， and a perfect spring break read since I am stuck inside while the weather can't make up its mind （it's been snowing off and on and I'm about over this）。Ruthie runs a retirement community， dresses like an old lady， and has pretty much decided she will live the rest of her life and die there。 And she's okay with that。 Until Teddy shows up。 He's the boss's son， and a bad boy。 He's covered in tattoos， and is untrustworthy （or so Ruthie has been told）。 His dad needs somewhere to stash him so Teddy can prove that he can finish something for once in his life while he saves money for his own tattoo studio。 And Ruthie has the perfect job for him: personal assistant to Renata and Aggie， two of the most ruthless and demanding residents of the retirement community， who have run through dozens of assistants already。 Teddy is determined to prove himself， while Ruthie doesn't think he'll last a week。 She also doesn't think she's in any danger of being charmed by him since she clearly lacks any appeal with her wardrobe of brown cardigans and grandma glasses。 But when Teddy moves into the unused half of her on-site cottage and they start to spend more time together， Ruthie learns more about why Teddy is the way he is， and she starts to see that maybe she's not happy just accepting her lot in life。This book was soooo super cute。 Teddy is charming as HECK and very swoony。 It never felt fake， though， even though the whole time we are led to believe he's a bit of a player and has never been serious about anything in his life。 Ruthie is sweet and naïve， but opens up throughout the book， and learns what she really wants in life。 She also has a very dry sense of humor， which I LOVE， and reminded me of myself a bit。I was not really a fan of the religious stuff， but it's not a super huge part of the plot。 It's mostly just referenced in Ruthie's past， but it does have an influence on her character。 Her parents suck， full stop。 I would have liked to have seen the mental health aspects of Ruthie's character a little more developed because I feel like it was kind of just plonked in there and not really examined very much。The side characters were super fun。 I aspire to be as wacky as Renata when I'm 90-something years old， and Melanie was also super cute and added a lot of fun to the plot。Relatedly， I would now like several more tattoos。Anyway， this was very cute and fun， and I really enjoyed it！ Not as intense as The Hating Game for sure--it definitely felt much more low-stakes than that one--but really enjoyable！ 。。。more
susana ♡
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arc kindly provided by william morrow via edelweissruthie has been living at providente retirement villa for so long that she’s 25 going… 85。 she loves her routine， her nighttime baths and her favorite tv show reruns。 teddy prescott is the son of the owner of providence， who gets tired of teddy not taking life seriously。 he decides to make him work at the villa to see if it’s possible that teddy learns what it means to have reponsibilities。 coincidentially， renata and aggie， two residents of the arc kindly provided by william morrow via edelweissruthie has been living at providente retirement villa for so long that she’s 25 going… 85。 she loves her routine， her nighttime baths and her favorite tv show reruns。 teddy prescott is the son of the owner of providence， who gets tired of teddy not taking life seriously。 he decides to make him work at the villa to see if it’s possible that teddy learns what it means to have reponsibilities。 coincidentially， renata and aggie， two residents of the villa， are looking for a new assistant that lasts longer than a week， and teddy arrives exactly on time for the job。 for ruthie， this means she has a new neighbor… or more like a roommate。this might be the most difficult review i’ve written in a long time。 i want to explain myself properly so i am going to do this in two phases。what i loved: 1。 ruthie。 what an amazing character。 probably one of my new favorites。 she was so relatable and an eye-opener。 she made me realize how easily we fall into a secure， comfortable pattern because we’re too scared of change， even if that pattern isn’t good for us。 2。 teddy。 i fell in love with him instantly， and i would have loved to know more about him。 i feel like some things about him weren’t discussed enough by the ending， and that makes me very sad。 i have so many questions！ 3。 the romance。 lovers of slowburn， this one is for you。 i am not a fan of it and it bothered me a lot （will explain more later）， but it pays off very well。 there were amazing quotes and dialogue in this book。 i barely highlight passages in books， but this time i have a ton of highlights。 the romance felt like poetry。 4。 melanie and the parlonis。 they were amazing secondary characters。 at first， renata irked me a bit… but i ended up loving her。 what i didn’t love: the plot。 everything between 20% and 75% felt so flat and boring to me。 it makes me really sad because this book could have been a favorite of mine， but i can’t overlook this。 the characters helped compensating this， but it was too much for too long。 it felt like a waste of time for ruthie and teddy。 for this reason， i am giving this book 3 stars。 i am giving it one more than i planned to， but i can’t deny the beginning and the ending were brilliant and the characters are the strongest part of the book。 。。。more
Brook Obsessed
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A comical and eccentric opposites attract romance that charmed me instantly with its unconventional cast of characters！ A vastly different approach than I’m used to by this author and a refreshing look at a prim and proper retirement home employee falling for the misunderstood， rich bad boy。 Unique and filled with quirky characters， this book was a pleasant surprise！Ruthie has been working at Providence Retirement Villa for a very long time。 So when the charming son of the new owner moves in， Ru A comical and eccentric opposites attract romance that charmed me instantly with its unconventional cast of characters！ A vastly different approach than I’m used to by this author and a refreshing look at a prim and proper retirement home employee falling for the misunderstood， rich bad boy。 Unique and filled with quirky characters， this book was a pleasant surprise！Ruthie has been working at Providence Retirement Villa for a very long time。 So when the charming son of the new owner moves in， Ruthie must learn to deal with his goofie and sometimes elusive personality， while running a business。I really loved the weirdness of each character and how the two rich retired ladies kept making Teddy do crazy， off the wall errands。 Every personality brought something to the table and this is a romance that was more about character growth and living life to the fullest than anything else。 The only thing I would have added was a little more steam。 This is a tender and heartwarming story about finding family， overcoming hang ups， and pushing ourselves to do the things that scare us！ A cozy read with individuality！ 。。。more
lazybookconqueror
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Unlike any Contemporary Romance I have ever read How does Sally Thorne come up with these ideas？ Second First Impressions is an extremely unique and quirky book about Ruthie Midona （the 25-year-old reverend daughter） who is the stand-in manager at Providence - a high-end retirement villa。 Ruthie is methodic and high strung and she has an immense fear of messing up。 She dresses and acts like she's 125 instead of 25。 Even the residents around the villa seem more lively than she is。 Besides making Unlike any Contemporary Romance I have ever read How does Sally Thorne come up with these ideas？ Second First Impressions is an extremely unique and quirky book about Ruthie Midona （the 25-year-old reverend daughter） who is the stand-in manager at Providence - a high-end retirement villa。 Ruthie is methodic and high strung and she has an immense fear of messing up。 She dresses and acts like she's 125 instead of 25。 Even the residents around the villa seem more lively than she is。 Besides making sure the place runs smoothly， her only other hobby is taking care of the many Golden Bonnet Tortoises she rescued and brought to live around the place。Everything changes when she unexpectedly meets Theodore Prescott， the long-haired， motorcycle riding， full of tattoos son of the owner of Providence。 Circumstances lead to Teddy having to share a cottage with Ruthie and to work as the personal assistance of the most eccentric residents in the villa。Yes， this premise is insane for a romance novel， but it absolutely works。 Sally Thorne managed to write something beautiful and heartwarming within such a strange concept。 And it's also completely different than anything she's written before。 It's a bit moodier （maybe even darker） than The Hating Game and 99% Mine。 But it works and it manages to stand on its own。This is a very slow burn book， but because Teddy is such a charismatic carachter I didn't mind the build up。 He completely stole the scene every single time。 I also like how he was such a cinnamon roll， in contrast to his hard exterior。I really enjoyed the reading experience with this one， but the ending was a bit of a letdown。 Not because of the content， but the way it all unraveled。 Every resolution came in the last 10% of the book。 It was extremely rushed compared to how the book was leisurely telling its story。 And there was a loose end with Ruthie's parents， her grievances with them was such an important plot point and we didn't get to experience the needed confrontation with them。Everything else was just super cute， and even with the rushed ending I still managed to finish the book with a huge smile on my face。Thank you so much HarperCollins for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reviews from the Heart
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This book was so much fun to read！ Laced with the humor we've come to love from this author and a hilarious cast of side characters， I really don't think you can go wrong here。 I don't think the romance slaps you in the face but I did love Teddy and found the whole quirky， sweet story to be incredibly enjoyable。 This book was so much fun to read！ Laced with the humor we've come to love from this author and a hilarious cast of side characters， I really don't think you can go wrong here。 I don't think the romance slaps you in the face but I did love Teddy and found the whole quirky， sweet story to be incredibly enjoyable。 。。。more
Michele
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Sweet and quirky with a lovely cast of characters and some chuckle-worthy moments。 Full review to follow。
Jen
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This book did absolutely nothing for me。 I kept reading hoping it was going to pull together but it didn't。 I loved the side characters in the retirement home and the antics and shenanigans they were constantly up to， but that was about it。 This was lacking the sweetness and the angst that I so loved in The Hating Game。 : （I loved the tortoises， though。 This book did absolutely nothing for me。 I kept reading hoping it was going to pull together but it didn't。 I loved the side characters in the retirement home and the antics and shenanigans they were constantly up to， but that was about it。 This was lacking the sweetness and the angst that I so loved in The Hating Game。 : （I loved the tortoises， though。 。。。more
Jessica
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Sally Thorne has a way with writing captivating stories with genuine characters。 I couldn't put Second First Impressions down。 From the first page， I was charmed by Ruthie and Providence。。。and of course Teddy。 This was a fresh and witty book with so many great themes。 I loved Thorne's The Hating Game because of the banter between the characters， but what makes Second First Impressions so great is that the banter is there but it is centered around a genuine friendship。 This was just a really swee Sally Thorne has a way with writing captivating stories with genuine characters。 I couldn't put Second First Impressions down。 From the first page， I was charmed by Ruthie and Providence。。。and of course Teddy。 This was a fresh and witty book with so many great themes。 I loved Thorne's The Hating Game because of the banter between the characters， but what makes Second First Impressions so great is that the banter is there but it is centered around a genuine friendship。 This was just a really sweet， cute， and charming read。 What would have made it even better would be reading from Teddy's perspective。 。。。more
Emily
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Second First Impressions is a quirky opposites attract， friends to lovers romcom - with a touch of forbidden romance。 After a bit of a slow start， I really started to fall in love with the characters。 🐢 Ruthie who is “24 going on 104” really grew on me as I learned more about her history。 Her growth through the story was so endearing。 🐢 Misunderstood and alleged bad boy Teddy turned out to be the sweetest guy and I loved watching him succeed。 🐢The absolute STARS of the book were the elderly Parl Second First Impressions is a quirky opposites attract， friends to lovers romcom - with a touch of forbidden romance。 After a bit of a slow start， I really started to fall in love with the characters。 🐢 Ruthie who is “24 going on 104” really grew on me as I learned more about her history。 Her growth through the story was so endearing。 🐢 Misunderstood and alleged bad boy Teddy turned out to be the sweetest guy and I loved watching him succeed。 🐢The absolute STARS of the book were the elderly Parloni sisters。 Their antics made the book for me。 ❤️🐢 Turtle conservation - obviously #savetheturtles Did I love this as much as The Hating Game？ No - but for me there’s no comparison anyway。 Do I recommend it for a sweet summer romcom？ Absolutely！ Huge thank you to the publisher for the #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Amanda
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I laughed， I cried， My heart grew three sizes。 This book is completely amazing。
Yvonne Olson
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Goodness， I loved this book。 Review to come closer to publication， because I can't handle my feelings right now。 Goodness， I loved this book。 Review to come closer to publication， because I can't handle my feelings right now。 。。。more
Elley Murray
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I'll admit， I was a little hesitant to pick up Second First Impressions at first。 I adored both The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine so much， and Josh & Lucy and Darcy & Tom have their own special little boxes in my heart where they live and I feed them a special diet of marshmallows and matchbox cars and Smurf toys。 And I'll be honest， I just wasn't sure there was room for another couple in there。 And while I do LOVE this book and I adore Ruthie and Teddy， this book doesn't quite have the same m I'll admit， I was a little hesitant to pick up Second First Impressions at first。 I adored both The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine so much， and Josh & Lucy and Darcy & Tom have their own special little boxes in my heart where they live and I feed them a special diet of marshmallows and matchbox cars and Smurf toys。 And I'll be honest， I just wasn't sure there was room for another couple in there。 And while I do LOVE this book and I adore Ruthie and Teddy， this book doesn't quite have the same magic for me as Sally Thorne's first two books did。 Which isn't to say it's not a phenomenal book - because it is！ Definitely a 5 star read， I didn't put this book down for a second and inhaled it all in one go （and may have slightly burned myself trying to read while cooking dinner， haha）。 But I just might only need this one in paperback， and not paperback， ebook， AND audio， is all I'm saying。 （Why yes， I AM an obsessed Sally Thorne fangirl， however did you notice？）Anyway， this book is lovely。 I really love Ruthie， with her mushroom cardigans and her endangered turtles and her routines。 As much as I adore Teddy （OH， Teddy。。。 you vainglorious creature， you。。。） I really enjoyed the development of Ruthie's friendship with her coworker Melanie as much as the romantic relationship in this book。 Plus the madcap adventures of Aggie and Renata， lol。 The hijinks they get up to are hilarious， and I love that these two elderly women are part of what remind Ruthie to remember to be young and live her life。 The romance in Second First Impressions is sort of soft and slow and cozy。 Teddy is a bit like the stray cat that shows up on your door step and you put out food for it and eventually you realize that oh， this is your cat， you are now a cat owner。 Surprise！ There's a sort of slow， mellow， warm and fuzzy friendship feeling more than a hot and steamy， I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off heat here （though there is some heat as well， don't get me wrong！） There's more of the quirky weirdo element Sally fans will remember from The Hating Game （"I want to juice your head like a lemon" remains one of my favorite lines from a book EVER） which I really love and just touches something in me and makes me feel like I've found my people。 A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review。 All opinions are unbiased and my own。Like this review？ Check out more of my reviews on my blog， Elley the Book Otter 。。。more
Phrynne
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This was an absolute delight to read。 I loved all of the characters and became totally involved in their lives to the point where I am missing them now I have finished the book。I defy anyone not to love Teddy， full name Theodore， the meaning of which is Gift of the Gods。 He is definitely a gift to womankind！ His relationship with Ruth is so much fun although there are tears in there too。 Most of the characters are endearingly quirky and there is a lot of humour along the way。 The turtles were cu This was an absolute delight to read。 I loved all of the characters and became totally involved in their lives to the point where I am missing them now I have finished the book。I defy anyone not to love Teddy， full name Theodore， the meaning of which is Gift of the Gods。 He is definitely a gift to womankind！ His relationship with Ruth is so much fun although there are tears in there too。 Most of the characters are endearingly quirky and there is a lot of humour along the way。 The turtles were cute too！Nicely written， loveable characters， good story。 Recommended to anyone looking to read a satisfying romance and/or discover a new book boyfriend。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Ally Bryan
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4。5 RTC
Karlie
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I give it 5 endangered golden bonnet turtles 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Second First Impressions
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Second First Impressions&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft