Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
How do we grow as individuals and as a couple?
Today’s book has a special place in my heart. I have so many things to tell you about, so enough chit-chat, here goes the Book Pick for today.
Book Description
Ruthie has been handling all the affairs at Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for a while now. She knows all the residents, treats all of them as family and everybody loves her. She has dedicated so much of her time to the establishment, forgetting about her own hopes and dreams. Her first encounter with Teddy Prescott, the owner’s son, is not as delightful as she would have expected. However, when Teddy temporarily moves to the retirement center, things slowly shift.
My Thoughts
I will start with the obvious: this book is loud! There is a lot of dialogue, superb exchanges and explosive secondary characters. I would even dare say that these secondary characters create the atmosphere in the story. We have Ruthie’s intern Melanie, who develops a step-by-step for Ruthie to find the perfect guy. Then we have two charming old ladies, Renata and Aggie, whose purpose in life is to torture young handsome men. These 3 create a noisy background to our love story. There is no dull moment with them.
Somehow, they are the opposite of Ruthie and Teddy. Our main characters are quiet and like to keep to themselves. Both have things to prove to their families and this is why they are at Providence. They start on the wrong foot, but they start trusting each other, forming a beautiful friendship that turns into love. They explore all aspects of their bond. Ruthie has complete faith in Teddy’s abilities to manage his own tattoo shop and he encourages her, willingly or not, to get out of her comfort zone.
There are several types of relationships in this book. We have the friendship between Ruthie and Melanie, the bond between Renata and Aggie, and Teddy’s respect and devotion to the two old ladies. In a more subtle way, we have the work relationship between Ruthie and her boss, as well as the respect everybody has for Renata’s fashion taste and luxurious background. I admire Sally Thorne for weaving these into such a beautiful environment, in which the love story between our main characters develops.
Speaking about Ruthie and Teddy, I felt he was spoiled a lot by her. It was not done in an annoying way, not at all. On the other hand, once he understands her issues, he is there 100%. His care-free attitude is actually a defense mechanism. He knows she deserves much better, he knows he should stay away and he really does put the effort into it. But... the heart wants what it wants. Both have scars from their past and how these are uncovered is gently executed.
Favorite Quote
"You’re the thousand-dollar dress on the rack in this thrift store and I can’t believe no one’s picked you up yet."
One of the best compliments that Teddy gave to Ruthie is the one in this quote. A straight forward: “you’re gorgeous”, in his own way. The context in which this line appears is what makes this even more amazing. Dear men, us women like a compliment here and there. If you manage to make it sound sincere, you’re awesome!
Conclusion
Second First Impressions is one book you don’t want to miss. You’ll smile and your heart will start beating faster and faster for our characters. An amazing combination of friendship, love, gratitude, respect, perfect office conduct, all wrapped up nicely in chapters between covers. I highly recommend it and I encourage you to look beyond the small issues here and there. There is so much depth to it.
Goodreads link: goodreads.com/book/show/45553600-second-first-impressions
Amazon link: amazon.com/Second-First-Impressions-Sally-Thorne/dp/0062912852
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Release Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 9780062912855
Language: English
Let's Chat
There are so many themes I’d like to debate with you. But I shall pick one for the purpose of a more coherent chain of discussion. Support. I see it as imperative for a successful relationship of any kind. This is everywhere in the story. We have support between best friends, the residents at Providence support Ruthie in her search for the perfect partner. She encourages Teddy. Do you feel you can count on your partner like that? We all have common plans, but we have some individual ones as well. This feeling that you can count on each other is as important as love. What crazy idea of yours was backed up by your partner?
That’s it for now. Until next time, love a lot!
Anca Ilcu
Columnist | Book Buff of Moody Melon Magazine
I've been a book blogger since 2016. Books have helped me escape my stressful job, keep a positive mind and nurtured my soul. While I mostly read Romance, I also like the Young Adult and Fantasy genres. Every chapter deserves praise and every book should be appreciated.
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