Thursday 17 January 2013

Book Review: The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris.


Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Paperback, 496 pages.
Release date: January 17th 2013.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

How do you hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from you?
Can you let go of the past when you know what is in the future?
And how do you cope when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye?

This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and how they fell in love and were torn apart. The first time Molly kissed Ryan, she knew they'd be together forever. Six years and thousands of kisses later she's married to the man she loves. But today, when Ryan kisses her, Molly realises how many of them she wasted because the future holds something which neither of them could have ever predicted…



 The story of Ryan and Molly, how they fell in love, then fell apart; The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris is a truly emotional read that will tug at your heartstrings – guaranteed.  Perfect for fans of One Day, The First Last Kiss has great characters, a compelling storyline and a bittersweet twist that will stay with you long after you’ve said goodbye to Ryan and Molly.

What if every kiss was a countdown to goodbye?

Ryan and Molly have known each other since they were teenagers. They’ve shared thousands of kisses, so many in fact that Molly can’t remember them all. She can remember the important kisses of course – the first kiss (A total disaster!), the real first kiss (much, much better), an engagement kiss, a wedding kiss, and then, of course, the last kiss. But what about all the kisses in between, and what about the first last kiss, the kiss that signaled the beginning of the end for Ryan and Molly, the kiss that split their lives into before and after,  the kiss that began the countdown to the end, the countdown to ‘nothing will ever be the same again.’

When we meet Molly she is moving out of her house, packing up the memories of her life with Ryan, because, love, just like a kiss can be fleeting, and nothing lasts forever, we all know that. Molly knows it better than most, because Ryan left, and now she’s alone.

Ali Harris – WOW! I bow down to you because this book blew me away.  Fun fact: The First Last Kiss made me cry on public transport. (I know!) Also, this is not something that happens to me ever, so when I say that this book is an emotional read, I am not kidding!   Also, while I immediately liked the sound of The First Last Kiss from reading the synopsis, I just wasn’t expecting it to fall in love with it like I did. The First Last Kiss is not only beautifully written, but the characters, oh, you will fall in love with these guys, not just Ryan and Molly, but the secondary characters too. Nanny Door. I loved this lady!

But back to Ryan and Molly.  The First Last Kiss takes us through their relationship from present day right back through time, so we get to know them from when they are just getting to know each other. We watch them grow up, fall together, fall apart and everything in between.  And I guess that’s why this book tugs at the heartstrings so.  I really felt like I knew Ryan and Molly while I was reading this book, and I guess it’s always hard to see things going wrong for people you care about.

We may still be in the first month of 2013, but I can safely say that I’ve already read one of my favourite books of the year.  I’m not a huge reader of chick-lit, and if not for the fact that I am a fan of Harris’s work from her career as a magazine journalist, I might have passed over this one, so if you’re thinking the same, I urge you not to.  This book is a truly great read, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you’re thinking that it doesn’t really look like your thing. It is your thing, I promise. And it will probably (definitely) make you cry. But it will totally make you smile too.  The First Last Kiss is a total must read, so go read it!
 

22 comments :

  1. OH dear god even your review has me filling up. I don't think I'd be able to read it. I'd be a total blubbering mess. Terrific review Hun

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  2. I'll look out for this one.
    Ann

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  3. Wow! Awesome review! I don't read a lot of adult but this looks fantastic.

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  4. Fantastic review, Leanna! This definitely sounds like something I'll love and I'll probably be sobbing as well. I saw One Day and was doing that ugly cry...ha...so I'm sure this book will elicit the same response.  Since it's one of your 2013 favorites, I'll definitely be checking it out!

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  5. This sounds absolutely amazing Leanna! I love when I find a book early on in the year that just blows me a way, I think it's a good sign that it's going to be an awesome book year:) I can't wait to follow Ryan and Molly through all their ups and downs and finally find out why Ryan leaves. *adds to list immediately*

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  6.  Thanks, Emma! I think this one will make everyone cry a little bit (or even a lot!) but it's worth the tears! :)

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  7.  I'm slowly making my way back to reading more adult books after a couple years of mostly just YA. This is a really good one -  hope you enjoy it if you read it!

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  8.  I think you'd love this one, Christina!

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  9.  Can't wait to see what you think of this one, Jenny! I was pretty sure I'd like it but didn't really expect to love it like I did, so it was a great surprise! :)

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  10. Oh I'm so happy that you loved this book Leanna, I've had my eye on it for ages and now I can't wait to read it!! I usually weep at anything, so thanks for the heads up I will make sure to read my copy at home! Beautiful review Leanna! :)

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  11. I really enjoyed this one too although not as much as her debut Miracle on Regent Street. I loved Ryan and the last sentence was so beautifully heartbreaking *sighs*

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  12. This looks wonderful!  I loved One Day and definitely wept on the bus when I read it so I am sure I will love this.  Great title and the cover too!  THank you for the wonderful review!

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  13. Becky @ Stories & Sweeties17 January 2013 at 23:37

    Wow, I don't usually pick up chick-lit, let alone adult books, but you have me dying to read this! Your review was wonderful, and I'm definitely going to be putting this on hold at the library!   Thanks, Leanna!

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  14. I normally don't like chick-lit either, but if the characters are well-written and the emotion is believable (read: not insta-love) I'd be willing to give this a try. If it made you cry on public transport, I'm sure it must be a decent read!

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  15. This sounds really good, although it's quite depressing to think that every kiss is one step closer to the last kiss! Will keep an eye out for this one :)

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  16.  Oh, it's so good, Jasprit, and yes, definitely best read at home -- not on the bus. lol! Can't wait to see what you think of this one!

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  17.  I must check out Miracle on Regent Street - it somehow passed me by last year. x

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  18.  Thanks, Priya! For me this was a much more emotional read than One Day -- tissues at the ready!

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  19.  This one is definitely worth reading - I never read chick-lit (I've read Bridget Jones & The Devil Wears Prada and that's about it!) -- This is a beautiful book, though so maybe I should branch into chick-lit more often! :)

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  20. I keep seeing this book around and I keep thinking to myself 'buy it, buy it' but I'm on a mini-book buying ban and haven't. YET!

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  21.  Oooh, buy it! It costs around £5 on Amazon at the mo -- it'll be the best £5 you'll ever spend! ;)

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  22. My flight from London City Airport was delayed so was browsing and found this book's title intriguing, bought the book, sat down and started reading and could't put it down. I felt for the characters, all of them, but especially for Ryan. They were beautifully described. The combination of present and past made me continue reading and wondering, I needed to found out why Molly is packing up her house. Reading the book made me laugh, struggle, quote passages to my husband, kiss my husband whenever I passed him and cry. And yes, I went through all those emotions in public transport, reading a book. It was the best book I have read in a very long time, emotional, real and beautiful.

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