First Love Last Love: A Novel

by Adele Griffin

A Star is Born meets Christina Lauren’s Love and Other Words in this deeply romantic, emotionally sweeping novel about first love, fame, and the long road to finding yourself—even if it takes a lifetime.

When the past collides with the present—literally—one woman must decide if the life she built is the one she truly wants, or just the one she chose.

Vida Jamison favors the reliable and the unsurprising—the things she can count on. But all it takes is a winter storm, a chance encounter, and a familiar voice to turn certainty into quicksand.

Elijah Beck, her first love and most enduring wildcard, is back in town.

He might have struck gold on the stage, writing the soundtrack to the lives of a generation, but for Vida, he’s just the one person who has always known how to get under her skin. Elijah, for all his talent and magnetism, has spent a lifetime being wanted but never quite held—by the industry that made him famous, by the fans who adored him from a safe distance. When an accident lands them in the hospital, Vida has to face the question she’s spent two decades avoiding: Is Elijah her greatest mistake, or the love she was always meant to find again?

Nostalgia is a tricky thing. The past can pull you under just as easily as it can set you free.

Genres: Romance

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

from Wikipedia:

Adele Griffin is the author of over thirty highly-acclaimed books across a variety of genres, including Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, both National Book Award Finalists.

Her debut adult novel The Favor explores themes of friendship, surrogacy, and nontraditional family building.

Find her on TikTok at @adelegriffinbooks and Instagram at @adelegriffin or www.adelegriffin.


website: www.adelegriffin.com


Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/adelegriffi...

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adele-G...


Open Road Media interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSa3P...

Reviews

[Lizzie Fusco]

"For lovers of Daisy Jones" - add to cart.

[☆Laura☆]

2


Vida Marie ha pasado años construyendo una vida estable, convencida de que el pasado está donde debe estar. Pero una noche se encuentra cara a cara con Elijah Beck, el chico que alguna vez fue su refugio, su primer amor, su primer desamor y la persona que marcó su vida.

Elijah Beck conoce demasiado bien lo que significa escapar. La fama, los errores y los años han cambiado muchas cosas, pero no la forma en que una sola mirada de Vida puede desordenarlo todo.


___

Vida y Elijah son una parea tóxica. Él cae mal con todo lo que hace y le hecha la culpa a su adicción, pero con la capítulos de pasado se ve que desde que la conoció cambio mucho y su relación se volvio extraña, ejemplo cuando se rompió la pierna para estar igual que ella o cuando se corto porque ella pasaba tiempo con sus amigas.

Vida se supone que ve que él no esta bien. No quiere ese estilo de vida para ella, pero aun así vuelve una y otra vez, ¿por qué? no tengo idea. Al leerlo, (sobre todo cuando se volvió famoso) no hay razón para que siguieran juntos ni que ella cayera una y otra vez. En el presente una vez que lo ve termina en la cama y se le olvida su esposo. Cuando se revelo lo de L, me quede en shock y no entendí como después de eso seguía enamorada, mejor dicho obsesionada con él.
*Esta separada de su esposo, pero no divorciados ni con pensamiento de hacerlo. Además, hay momentos en lo que ella lo quiere de regreso, pero solo necesita ver a E para olvidarse de todo y todos.

Mejor Miriam (la mamá de E) se dio cuenta que por más que amara a su hijo y que lo intentara ayudar, nunca iba a cambiar y que lo mejor era seguir con su vida y vivirla para ella. Cuando conoció a Tom se dio cuenta que era justo lo que Vida necesitaba y pensó que por fin sería el final de de V y E.

Sentí feo por Tom porque él si amaba a Vida y al final fue el premio de consolación, quería más para él.

Al leerlo no veía como podrían terminar juntos, él era veneno y ella lo dejaba salirse con la suya. Les juro que después del accidente automovilísticos sabía que no tendrían un buen final ya fuera si quedaban juntos o separado.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Karen Axnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading many reviews that sing the praises of this novel, I find myself puzzled by the descriptions of this love story. What others viewed as an emotionally layered, intense relationship was, to me, a sad reflection of a deep bonding rooted in the wounds of childhood. Each of the main characters sought solace in each other’s company as children, which was unsustainable as they reached early adulthood. Each one’s life took a different trajectory – one a traditional married life and the other a meteorically rise and fall as a musician/songwriter. When they reconnect twenty years later, they have an opportunity to reconcile – to lay to rest the tumultuous aspects of their bond and find the purity of the love that underlies their connection.

Ultimately, I found the storyline too fragmented and fraught with emotional instability to be an enjoyable recreational read. This is not a traditional love story, but the ending, after all the drama, was satisfying. I can only offer a mild recommendation for this book.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

[Karen T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Landmark for the free book!

So this one broke me a little bit. I had no delusions that this would be a fluffy rom com, but the layers upon layers of emotional backstory really did knock me off my feet. Both of our main characters are presented as very complex, each battling their own demons. Their relationship, past and present, exemplifies the incredibly powerful hold that first love can have, both as a blessing and a curse. We see the push and pull from both perspectives. Vida knows that Elijah is not a stable presence and often leaves destruction in his wake (sometimes literally), yet cannot help but be drawn to him. Elijah is similarly drawn to Vida, yet is reminded, both by others and himself, that he isn’t good for her. I found this push and pull fascinating, and I also found myself not actually knowing how I wanted this one to end. Unlike most romances, this one definitely does not follow a path of predictability, and I was completely hooked for most of this read, especially past the halfway point!

Thank you to Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Sleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Landmark for the free book!

First Love Last Love by Adele Griffin really stayed with me because of how emotional and complicated the relationships felt. I was especially touched by the love story between Elijah and Vida. Even though it was obvious that Elijah made Vida’s life far more complicated, there was still something deeply moving about the connection they shared and the way neither of them could fully let go of the past.

I also loved how the mixtape chapters slowly pieced together their history. Those sections added so much depth to both characters and helped me understand why their relationship continued to have such a strong hold on them, even years later.

One of the most beautiful parts of the book for me was the relationship between Luke and Elijah. Their bond brought a softer, more emotional side to the story and added another layer to Elijah’s character beyond the romance.

What made the story feel especially heartbreaking was that, although Vida had Tom and had built a different life for herself, she never truly moved on from Elijah. Even after the pain he caused by suddenly reappearing and uprooting her life again, their connection still lingered. That mix of love, hurt, nostalgia, and unfinished feelings made the story feel very real and emotionally honest.

Thank you again to Landmark via NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story both gripping and frustrating

Two kids that grew up as best friends/ the ying to their yang/ the other part of their soul but life and simply growing up threw them into different paths. With challenges such as fame, substance abuse and a very dangerous, impulsive nature, Elijah struggles with finding an everyday peace in his life. Whereas Vida Marie has worked hard to find her norm and herself.

There were twists that I was predicting but also didn't see coming, this story had me hooked, routing for them but also utterly frustrated with the characters and not quite fulfilled.

Thank you Netgallery, Landmark Sources and the Author for allowing me to ARC this book, greatly appreciated.

[Sheri Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of First Love Last Love, Adele Griffin you made my heart cry. The love story of Vida and Elijah, two kids that find each other, their hearts and souls that love but just can't make it. Luke the bond between them, the child that is the one good thing out of the whole situation. Tom who stands by Vida, who struggle with Elijah. This story will wrap its arms around you, pull your heartstrings, make your eyes leak, and in a remember that one you loved your deepest. This book broke me at times, I will give it 5 stars I don't often. Read the book, let your heart break just a little.

Come back to your Review on the pub date,

[Gina Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this novel. I really enjoyed this dual-POV novel, which follows the characters’ relationship over several decades. Both carry their own trauma and find comfort in each other as children, but as they grow older, life and its challenges gradually pull them apart. The book gives a powerful insight into addiction and the effect it can have not only on the person struggling, but also on those around them. At the same time, it highlights the importance of forgiveness and how offering someone another chance can sometimes make all the difference. A solid 4 stars from me.

[Hero · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a fan of second chances and first love tropes, especially with a long separation, so I was excited to read First Love Last Love. It started out nicely with the FMC running into her old flame in a supermarket during a snow storm, but then the story got dizzying with the multiple POVs between the two main characters, Vida and Elijah. Then there was a random chapter from the POV of someone named Miriam and a Dennis. It was just too confusing and I could not keep track of who’s saying or doing what and when

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book that can sweep you right up into its intensity about first love. This isn’t a “second chance” love story, but about how people move forward when a defining love echoes through their life. It reminded me a bit of Daisy Jones.