i’ve never been completely sold on second chance romances. maybe i just haven’t read the book that will make me a die-hard fan. but you know what i do adore? best friends to lovers. there’s just something so pure and deeply heartfelt about it—the kind of love that builds over years, filled with inside jokes, unspoken understanding, and a connection that never really goes away. and last first love delivers exactly that.
lily and isabella’s story is the definition of complicated. they were best friends all through high school, became something more for a short time, had a major falling out, and then spent years apart. now, ten years later, lily is back in town, determined to finish writing her book. but when an old bucket list resurfaces, so does isabella—the one person tied to all of lily’s most important memories. and while isabella would rather leave the past where it is, fate (and their meddling friend group) clearly have other plans.
the heart of this book is their friendship. even when things are messy, even when the past hurt lingers between them, their connection is still there. it’s in the way they gravitate toward each other, in the way they talk (or don’t talk) about the past, in the tiny moments that show just how much they still know each other. and honestly? that made their eventual romance feel even more meaningful.
now, let’s talk about the falling out. this book leans heavily on the miscommunication trope, and while that can sometimes be frustrating, i actually think it was handled well here. sure, it’s a little predictable (but let’s be real—when you’ve read as much romance as we have, everything starts to feel predictable). what i appreciated, though, was that the author didn’t just brush over their emotions. we get to see both lily and isabella process their hurt, their regrets, and their fears. and when the truth finally comes out, it’s not an immediate “okay, we’re back together now!” moment. they actually talk through their pain and mistrust, allowing space for all those bottled-up feelings to be heard. it felt earned, and i loved that.
also, i have to mention the text messages. the group chats were fun (especially with all the playful chaos from their friends), but my absolute favorite thing was lily and isabella flirting over text while hanging out with everyone else. that secret, oh-we-shouldn’t-be-doing-this-but-we-are kind of tension? yeah, i ate that up.
the side characters were also a highlight, adding so much warmth and humor to the story. and i really hope valeria gets her own hea in a future book because after what she went through? she deserves it.
if i had one critique, it’s that some parts of the story felt a little repetitive or overly drawn out. there were moments that could’ve been tightened up without losing any of the emotional depth, and at times, the pacing dragged when it didn’t need to.
that said, i still think this is a strong debut novel. if you’re in the mood for a second chance romance with best friends to lovers at its heart—plus a little bit of angst, a lot of warmth, and some truly adorable text message flirting—last first love is definitely worth checking out.