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Second First Impressions

Review

Second First Impressions

Sally Thorne, the USA Today bestselling author of THE HATING GAME and 99 PERCENT MINE, returns with SECOND FIRST IMPRESSIONS, a smart and funny love story between two very unlikely people.

Ruthie Midona has worked at the front desk of the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, living on the property since day one. Though only 25, she prides herself on being orderly, tidy and dedicated to her job, all at the cost of having a social life. A reverend’s daughter whose first and only romantic escapade was an utter disaster and abject humiliation, Ruthie has convinced herself that she has no need for a life outside of work, especially one that includes dating. When we meet Ruthie, her boss, Sylvia, is away, and she is hell-bent on proving that she can handle Providence on her own --- especially now that Prescott Development has acquired the Villa, and rumors are swirling that they plan to completely take over, glamorize and repurpose it into something entirely new.

"...a clever and truly hilarious novel.... The second two-thirds of the book is perfectly paced, with great dialogue, just the right amount of conflict, and the emotional punches that Thorne is skilled at writing."

So far, Ruthie has managed without Sylvia, but the Villa’s wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just thrown a curveball her way. Sisters Renata and Agatha Parloni are 90-year-old diminutive demons, and they have just lost their most recent assistant. Renata is prone to challenging her assistants --- all of whom must be young, attractive men --- and they have never had one last a full week, which leaves Ruthie to run their errands, pick up meals, tidy their home and adhere to their every zany command.

While doing just that, Ruthie meets a tall, dark and handsome biker with a shocking head of long hair. She performs a good deed, paying for his gas, but their meet-cute quickly turns sour when he praises her “Golden Girls” costume, which is actually one of her best outfits. Years of teasing about being the reverend’s daughter and “Truthful Ruth” --- not to mention her temp’s recent line of questioning about her unintentional celibacy --- have left her sensitive, to say the least, and she flees the scene without ever learning the stranger’s name.

When Jerry Prescott, the head of Prescott Development, appears in her office with his feckless son, Teddy --- the aforementioned biker --- Ruthie is knocked right off her feet. Not only does Jerry clearly not give a damn about Providence, he decides that the vacant side of Ruthie’s home will be the perfect place for Teddy to lie low for a few months so that no one knows his son is broke and homeless. Faced with the reality that she will be sharing a wall with the gorgeous man who just insulted her, Ruthie thinks up the perfect punishment: Teddy will be Renata and Agatha’s new assistant.

As the Parloni sisters start bossing around Teddy --- in stripper outfits and white t-shirts that are soaking wet, no less --- Ruthie begins seeing a new side to Teddy. True, he is a looker and he knows it, but he also is a real people-pleaser who is desperate to find some structure in his life. As Ruthie gets to know him, her temp, Melanie, tasks her with getting to know herself, too. She tries to convince Ruthie to take part in her own “Sasaki Method” instruction, which she promises will have her coupled up by Christmas and married by next year.

With the Parlonis causing mischief in the background, devious Teddy flirting with and charming Ruthie, and Melanie challenging her routines, Ruthie has her hands full as it is --- and then she learns the unthinkable: Prescott Development is preparing to sell Providence. With a new sense of self, a potential love interest (and did I mention those wacky sisters?), Ruthie has to decide what really matters and what she is willing to sacrifice to keep it.

SECOND FIRST IMPRESSIONS is a clever and truly hilarious novel. Readers of Sally Thorne will recognize her signature quirkiness and delightful sense of humor, but in her third novel, she has managed to write something completely different from her previous works. Ruthie is entirely her own heroine, packed with old traumas and sensitivities, but decidedly sure of herself and her work ethic at the same time. I loved her role in Providence and the attention to detail with which she approached every aspect of her job, often accomplishing remarkable things without even realizing it. Though I immediately could see Teddy's charm, I admit that I spent the first few chapters wanting more Ruthie. “She’s too good for him!” I cried. But just like he made an impression on her, Teddy grew on me, and I soon found myself rooting for them both individually and as a couple.

Once you get to know the characters, their banter soars and the tension between them finally starts to emerge. The second two-thirds of the book is perfectly paced, with great dialogue, just the right amount of conflict, and the emotional punches that Thorne is so skilled at writing. If you loved THE HATING GAME but were put off by 99 PERCENT MINE, I recommend you give Thorne another try.

Reviewed by Rebecca Munro on April 16, 2021

Second First Impressions
by Sally Thorne

  • Publication Date: April 13, 2021
  • Genres: Comedy, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction
  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
  • ISBN-10: 0062912852
  • ISBN-13: 9780062912855