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First Date
FIRST DATE is a collection of three short stories based on first love.
In FIRST DATE, when Alice gets invited to a Ball, on Christmas Day, she is bowled over. No-one had ever asked her out on a date before, let alone invited her to a ball. However, the bubble bursts too soon. It turns out she is filling in for an ex-girlfriend. Even so, she puts on a brave face and heads for the Ball. She can have a good time even if it does not lead to love. A Ball is still a Ball after...
(FIRST DATE is based on my real first date...)
In CARELESS CUPID, a mission becomes harder than expected... you are not supposed to fall in love with the person you are trying to help.
In THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY, Rachel might get a lot more than she expected on her big day. A stranger from the past flushes out feelings she had put aside. A lost love is hard to forget...
In FIRST DATE, when Alice gets invited to a Ball, on Christmas Day, she is bowled over. No-one had ever asked her out on a date before, let alone invited her to a ball. However, the bubble bursts too soon. It turns out she is filling in for an ex-girlfriend. Even so, she puts on a brave face and heads for the Ball. She can have a good time even if it does not lead to love. A Ball is still a Ball after...
(FIRST DATE is based on my real first date...)
In CARELESS CUPID, a mission becomes harder than expected... you are not supposed to fall in love with the person you are trying to help.
In THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY, Rachel might get a lot more than she expected on her big day. A stranger from the past flushes out feelings she had put aside. A lost love is hard to forget...
131 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2012
10 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Wester
20 books169 followersVanessa Wester is bilingual in English and Spanish, since she was born and raised in Gibraltar. With a degree in Accountancy & Law, she initially worked for two leading accountancy firms, before she changed career and became a secondary school mathematics teacher. Over the past fourteen years, she has devoted her time to the upbringing of her children, whilst giving up a lot of her time to help voluntary organisations. Now, she is teaching again, but still dreams of pursuing her literary career.
Vanessa developed her writing bug in 2010. Her main published work is ‘THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY’, which is comprised of HYBRID, her debut novel, followed by COMPLICATIONS and RETURN. You can also find out how it all began in the prequel to the Trilogy, EMILY.
In addition, she has written a novelette called FIRST DATE, which is based on her true story. She has also published, and included stories in, six anthologies to raise money for fantastic causes, such as Gurnard Primary School on the Isle of Wight.
Writing is one of her passions, reading the other. The day she decided to start writing her ideas down she found another way to lose herself in a book, whilst finding an outlet for her imagination. It is the best way she can think of to escape from everyday life. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel based on the life of her great, great, grandparents... and is finding the research fascinating!
Readers can find Vanessa Wester online at:
Blogger http://vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.c...
Twitter https://twitter.com/vanessa_wester
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vanessaWeste...
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pub/vanessa-...
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/vanessawester/
Vanessa developed her writing bug in 2010. Her main published work is ‘THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY’, which is comprised of HYBRID, her debut novel, followed by COMPLICATIONS and RETURN. You can also find out how it all began in the prequel to the Trilogy, EMILY.
In addition, she has written a novelette called FIRST DATE, which is based on her true story. She has also published, and included stories in, six anthologies to raise money for fantastic causes, such as Gurnard Primary School on the Isle of Wight.
Writing is one of her passions, reading the other. The day she decided to start writing her ideas down she found another way to lose herself in a book, whilst finding an outlet for her imagination. It is the best way she can think of to escape from everyday life. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel based on the life of her great, great, grandparents... and is finding the research fascinating!
Readers can find Vanessa Wester online at:
Blogger http://vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.c...
Twitter https://twitter.com/vanessa_wester
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vanessaWeste...
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pub/vanessa-...
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/vanessawester/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 3, 2014
1st story is incredibly childish. I cringed away from the characters for the most part. Alice was incredibly insecure. Derek was probably just passing the time because he didn't make much of an effort either and Ben is the classic guy that only sees the best friend when she suddenly shows interest in another guy. Super clichéd.
2nd story was pretty disappointing. The premise was good and the story was actually pretty funny and interesting but ended too fast and felt unfinished.
And finally the 3rd story...Better than the first two. You actually get to know a little about the characters. The story wasn't very interesting for me though. It was much like a wind from the past. Something not really important for the future.
Overall? It was slightly entertaining but ultimately felt like a waste of time.
2nd story was pretty disappointing. The premise was good and the story was actually pretty funny and interesting but ended too fast and felt unfinished.
And finally the 3rd story...Better than the first two. You actually get to know a little about the characters. The story wasn't very interesting for me though. It was much like a wind from the past. Something not really important for the future.
Overall? It was slightly entertaining but ultimately felt like a waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2016
First Date is a collection of five stories with an excerpt from a longer novel at the end. I suspect that First Date and Engagement Party will resonate with many. We then have Careless Cupid, a supernatural encounter and Precious, a generation-spanning tale. The final story was the darker Black Warning.
I was pleasantly surprised by Vanessa Wester’s ability to paint vivid pictures for her readers within the constraints of the short story format. In her first two works, she cleverly used topics with which most of us are familiar. The excitement and anxieties created by the first date and the family dynamics of an engagement party.
Having pulled her readers in with her easy writing style, Ms Wester then gives us three rather different stories, culminating with Black Warning which will send a shiver down many a spine. The author maintained a consistent pace and stuck to her task, not falling into the trap of irrelevant sub-plots.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read which will take no more than a couple of hours. If like me, you don’t normally read short stories, this delightful mix may well change your mind. I have no hesitation in awarding this book five stars.
More of my reviews can be found at:
http://whisperingstories.com/
I was pleasantly surprised by Vanessa Wester’s ability to paint vivid pictures for her readers within the constraints of the short story format. In her first two works, she cleverly used topics with which most of us are familiar. The excitement and anxieties created by the first date and the family dynamics of an engagement party.
Having pulled her readers in with her easy writing style, Ms Wester then gives us three rather different stories, culminating with Black Warning which will send a shiver down many a spine. The author maintained a consistent pace and stuck to her task, not falling into the trap of irrelevant sub-plots.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read which will take no more than a couple of hours. If like me, you don’t normally read short stories, this delightful mix may well change your mind. I have no hesitation in awarding this book five stars.
More of my reviews can be found at:
http://whisperingstories.com/
January 16, 2014
"First Date" by Vanessa Wester is composed of three delightful shorts, each approaching love from a different angle. The first reminds us all of how tumultuous young love or "infatuation" can be, never knowing how your heart truly feels until it's forced to decide. The second was my favorite because it threw a bit of otherworldly interest into the mix. I loved the idea of a cupid sent from above to help us out. And the final short reminds us that what once was can never be again. This book was a great way to spend some down time without having to get embroiled in complicated subplots and character analysis. Easy beach or before bed read!
January 1, 2015
"First Date: Love & Regrets" by Vanessa Wester is the short and well written story of a first date, one that brings back the rush and excitement of that youthful time for many. Hopes and fears, worries and expectations, and then reality, which is always different.
In this case we question the motifs for the date and we have another man present, making this a playful and exciting read as we wait what will happen.
The cover is very poignant, signifying the sparks and fireworks of young love and fancy. The book was free on Amazon at the time of purchase and turned out to be a real treat.
Excellent.
In this case we question the motifs for the date and we have another man present, making this a playful and exciting read as we wait what will happen.
The cover is very poignant, signifying the sparks and fireworks of young love and fancy. The book was free on Amazon at the time of purchase and turned out to be a real treat.
Excellent.
September 6, 2014
What a wonderful novella of 4 contemporary fiction romantic reads!! ... Each short story is entertaining, keeps you engaged, the pages turning & wanting more :) ... I would recommend this to everyone :) ... Also, readers of 'New adult' (18-25 years of age) genre should really get a kick out of these typical short stories that reflect situations that could happen, except for the one adorable, sexy Cupid story ;) ... I can't wait to see more & bigger books from this creative author with longer, full length stories & more pages filled with her wonderful imagination!
December 7, 2012
What A Cute HEA Christmas short story. It is young love so fresh & new with all the trappings of heartache & embarrassment that can go with it. She is a rebound date for one man but then finds out someone loves her that she never saw coming.
December 29, 2013
A reminder of what almost every teenage boy or girl went through in their teen years. I remember wishing for that boy to notice me and dying inside when he doesn't . Download and read about Alice and her first date, first kiss and all the embarrassing things that can happen in our teen years.
December 17, 2014
This book had wonderful short stories about different characters and their experience with the first date and love. I would recommend it to anyone.
April 15, 2018
First Date is a simple story that is kind of like Ronseal. It does what it says on the tin. It is about a first date. Alice, our protagonist, has never had a date before. She is I higher education and gets invited to the Christmas ball by one of the handsomest lads in her school. Furthermore, he is in a band. Double score. Except it doesn’t go according to plan.
Now, I should have liked this short story more than I did. It had all the makings of a really cute, romantic tale. However, Alice was a whiny protagonist. Her insecurities became insufferable and her transference of these insecurities onto her friends just made her seem like hard work. If she was an actual friend of mine she would be placed in the “High Maintenance” category.
Also, random threads of the story seemed to be thrown in for justification without being fully developed. Over all, it just wasn’t great story telling.
First Date by Vanessa Wester is available now.
For more information regarding Vanessa Wester (@vanessa_wester) please visit www.vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.co.uk.
Now, I should have liked this short story more than I did. It had all the makings of a really cute, romantic tale. However, Alice was a whiny protagonist. Her insecurities became insufferable and her transference of these insecurities onto her friends just made her seem like hard work. If she was an actual friend of mine she would be placed in the “High Maintenance” category.
Also, random threads of the story seemed to be thrown in for justification without being fully developed. Over all, it just wasn’t great story telling.
First Date by Vanessa Wester is available now.
For more information regarding Vanessa Wester (@vanessa_wester) please visit www.vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.co.uk.
October 3, 2014
Again, these are the reviews obtained via Amazon... Enjoy!
Lovely bite size treat, 12 Dec 2012
“I very much enjoyed this short story, a lovely little bite size treat easily devoured in a single sitting. The ending was a nice touch that I didn’t see coming.”
A Touching Story of Teenage Years, December 28, 2012
First, this review may contain spoilers. I read this story from a point of view that probably wasn't the author's intention. I thought it was a loving yet satirical look at teenage years, the emotional cravings over boys and girls who in later years seem so ordinary. Because both the boys in this story are somewhat undesirable: Derek is a flake and Ben a self-absorbed tool who flirts with girls and leads them on for the sheer joy of it. Yet although it's written from a teenage girl's point of view, who can’t relate to those years, when feelings ruled, we desperately wanted to be noticed by the opposite sex and did all kinds of goofy things for it. That wasn't the time for deep character analysis! The author conveys that sense very beautifully. As well as some family dynamics that happens during that period of our life. But in the end in my opinion the valued kiss is really ephemeral and empty and that’s where the satire comes in. Although the author may be hinting at a happily-ever-after romance, I don’t know, but that’s OK, readers see different things in the same story, right?
Chick-Lit with a twist, 6 Jan 2013
“This is Chick-Lit with a twist, and a squeeze of class. The style is comfortable, fluid and at ease with itself. As a bloke it's probably not really my preferred genre, but then, that said, I read Daphne Du Maurier, The Bronte's, Mantel, Emily Dickinson, Beecher Stowe, Zora Neale Hurston etc., so why should the genre (or the gender) pose an obstacle. The story is crisp, well constructed, and not quite, (in the end) what one would expect. Wester is a class act with a knack for descriptive form. It is difficult to create layered characters in a short story, but she achieves characterisation with a deft touch. If there has to be a criticism, (and it does not detract from my 5 star rating), it would be that the whole thing is (very slightly) constrained by an innate political correctness which limits impact in some instances, e.g. Brenda is a "BARMAID", not a “Bartender”, big guys named George with sweaty armpits and fat fingers are Bartenders; but this is a very minor criticism, and the storyline is good, solid and well developed. I would have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone, (male or female), it’s a damn good read, and wholly enjoyable. Keep it up Ms Wester.”
Short and sweet, January 13, 2013
“I enjoyed this short, sweet story about a young girl’s first date. It had a couple of typos, but they didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of this well written story, and the ending surprised me! I look forward to reading more books by this new author.”
The emotions of youth, January 15, 2013
“This is a touching and innocent story of the expectations and emotional unknowns that confront us all in our youth. When emotions first rule our lives and before everyday life consumes us pushing innocence aside. Well written and flowing. I’m not usually drawn to stories written from the woman/girls point of view, but I found this story engaging and enjoyable
Lovely bite size treat, 12 Dec 2012
“I very much enjoyed this short story, a lovely little bite size treat easily devoured in a single sitting. The ending was a nice touch that I didn’t see coming.”
A Touching Story of Teenage Years, December 28, 2012
First, this review may contain spoilers. I read this story from a point of view that probably wasn't the author's intention. I thought it was a loving yet satirical look at teenage years, the emotional cravings over boys and girls who in later years seem so ordinary. Because both the boys in this story are somewhat undesirable: Derek is a flake and Ben a self-absorbed tool who flirts with girls and leads them on for the sheer joy of it. Yet although it's written from a teenage girl's point of view, who can’t relate to those years, when feelings ruled, we desperately wanted to be noticed by the opposite sex and did all kinds of goofy things for it. That wasn't the time for deep character analysis! The author conveys that sense very beautifully. As well as some family dynamics that happens during that period of our life. But in the end in my opinion the valued kiss is really ephemeral and empty and that’s where the satire comes in. Although the author may be hinting at a happily-ever-after romance, I don’t know, but that’s OK, readers see different things in the same story, right?
Chick-Lit with a twist, 6 Jan 2013
“This is Chick-Lit with a twist, and a squeeze of class. The style is comfortable, fluid and at ease with itself. As a bloke it's probably not really my preferred genre, but then, that said, I read Daphne Du Maurier, The Bronte's, Mantel, Emily Dickinson, Beecher Stowe, Zora Neale Hurston etc., so why should the genre (or the gender) pose an obstacle. The story is crisp, well constructed, and not quite, (in the end) what one would expect. Wester is a class act with a knack for descriptive form. It is difficult to create layered characters in a short story, but she achieves characterisation with a deft touch. If there has to be a criticism, (and it does not detract from my 5 star rating), it would be that the whole thing is (very slightly) constrained by an innate political correctness which limits impact in some instances, e.g. Brenda is a "BARMAID", not a “Bartender”, big guys named George with sweaty armpits and fat fingers are Bartenders; but this is a very minor criticism, and the storyline is good, solid and well developed. I would have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone, (male or female), it’s a damn good read, and wholly enjoyable. Keep it up Ms Wester.”
Short and sweet, January 13, 2013
“I enjoyed this short, sweet story about a young girl’s first date. It had a couple of typos, but they didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of this well written story, and the ending surprised me! I look forward to reading more books by this new author.”
The emotions of youth, January 15, 2013
“This is a touching and innocent story of the expectations and emotional unknowns that confront us all in our youth. When emotions first rule our lives and before everyday life consumes us pushing innocence aside. Well written and flowing. I’m not usually drawn to stories written from the woman/girls point of view, but I found this story engaging and enjoyable
February 29, 2016
Just a quick read about a little girls first date, I'm not sure how old she was, she seemed very immature for a teenager. She got asked to a "ball" with some guy that had just broken up with his girlfriend, she had very low self-esteem so this was her first date. Seemed like they were just going as friends because he didn't call or text her except the time of the dance, then they didn't really spend much time together, they ended up at a church so he could pray and then he took her home.
Meanwhile, her best friend Ben was also there, we learned halfway in that she had a crush on him and he was apparently jealous that she was there with someone else and ended up kissing her goodnight and that was it.
Meanwhile, her best friend Ben was also there, we learned halfway in that she had a crush on him and he was apparently jealous that she was there with someone else and ended up kissing her goodnight and that was it.
August 23, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these delightful short stories. I don't usually read short stories but I'm so glad I discovered and read these.
They are well written, full of emotion and understanding and will provoke your thoughts as any good story should.
They are well written, full of emotion and understanding and will provoke your thoughts as any good story should.
July 18, 2015
Not really my cup of tea, though I did like the cupid story and wouldn't mind more , I read this because I really enjoyed some of the authors other work
December 25, 2016
Please see individual stories for review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews