The publisher kindly sent me a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
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.
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.
Second First Impressions Review
Going into this book, I was really excited about the unique setting — especially for a contemporary romance. While I enjoyed this book, it’s not one of my all-time favourites.
Second First Impressions follows Ruthie, a 25 (going on 80) year old who works in a retirement community. When the son of a property developer shows up, Ruthie takes it upon herself to have her most eccentric residents hire him for chores. But it turns out that Teddy surprises all of them and ends up turning Ruthie’s world upside down.
I enjoyed the charcters in this book. Ruthie is super cute — she’s this young girl living and working in a retirement community. Since she’s around this all the time, it makes sense that she’s older and wiser than her years. I loved watching her come out of her shell because of Teddy, Mel and the Parlonis.
The best characters in this book are definitely the Parlonis. They’re so funny and every moment with them is a good time. They certainly have the best lines and you can’t help but love their personalities. I also love the tasks they set up for their personal assistants and how Teddy ultimately surprises them.
While the plot is enjoyable in this book, I just wasn’t necessarily pulled by the romance. There’s a connection between Ruthie and Teddy but it just didn’t seem to be enough for me. Sometimes it feels like they’re better as friends than a romance. It works — but I just wanted more from it.
Overall, Second First Impressions is an enjoyable contemporary romance. While the romance is lacking a bit for me, it’s still a good read and the characters certainly drive the story. If you’re a fan of Sally Thorne’s previous books, you’ll love her signature writing style and will certainly enjoy this new story.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Favourite Quote
It’s amazing how life works. You can wake up in your current existence and then go to bed with everything changed.
About the Author
Sally Thorne is the USA Today-bestselling author of The Hating Game. She spends her days climbing into fictional worlds of her own creation. She lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband in a house filled with vintage toys, too many cushions, a haunted dollhouse and the world’s sweetest pug.
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