If At First

by J.B. Vample

589 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2026

About the author

Instagram: @jbvample
Facebook: Author J.B. Vample
TikTok: j.b._vample

J.B. Vample is an author who fell in love with the written word at a young age. While in her final year of high school, she came up with the concept of her new adult fiction series The College Life Series. After years of writing only for herself, J.B. published her debut novel College Life 101: Freshman Orientation in 2015. Since then, she has written and published the other eight installments of TCLS. Her latest contemporary romance standalone Right as Reign is her tenth novel. Currently residing in Philadelphia, J.B. continues to write while managing her career as an indie author.

Reviews

[Natashia Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

If At First - @jbvample
Pub date: April 16, 2026

First of all thank you so much for sending me this ARC. Thank you for trusting me to read these words.

If at first you don’t succeed is it worth the try again?? YES IT IS!!

Can I say that Levi is a GOOD MAN!! The care and concern, the support this man had for Halo!! Whew!!

I’m not gonna spoil this beautiful second chance journey but let me tell you. I stayed in JB’s DMs just ranting about what was going on. I was enjoying every minute of it. She did an excellent job with giving you enough of everything so that you can feel and enjoy their journey back. You were able to understand the connection and pull between these two. Was it pretty? Nope. But what I loved was how thorough this was written. Every plot line was explained and you got closure. That twist got me though…. 🫣.

I love JB’s writing. The quality she gives with every story.. It is appreciated. She took her time and it shows. Y’all don’t be giving her enough credit for me. I hope you all read this book and enjoy Levi and Halos story as much as I did.

[Vijaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

JBV continues to hit me with worlds I just want to dive into. I love how she wove the "second chance" theme through the story and characters, illustrating that there's more than one version of a "second chance", you just have to be brave enough to take the leap.

Halo and Levi are such a cute couple; even their bickering is hilarious. My heart felt for them in their moments of turmoil, especially for Levi and his emotional rollercoaster. Great lesson for JBV to infuse here...that men need community too and healthy means of working on their mental health. They can't let old definitions of masculinity define how they evolve.

Lastly, JBV's peripheral characters always feel just as built out as her main characters and in this instance, I think she may have outdone herself. True friendship and how showing up for each other even when it's most difficult was just as much a theme here as "second chance".

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful second chance!! I fell completely in love with Halo as individual characters as well as their romance. Seeing the initial page count did shake me up a bit but the journey was so worth the slow burn! This is my blueprint for healthy friendships, relationships, and family dynamics. While it took these characters a little long to speak their minds, whenever it was time to have a serious conversation it was so healthy and refreshing to read! Not everyone is perfect but just because you make mistakes it doesn’t mean that you dont deserve to be loved.

I expected somewhat of a plot twist but neverr would have expected what actually happened. Such a beautiful full circle moment. This was my first read by JB Vample and I mostly certainly will be looking forward to reading more <3

[MicroLocs&Books⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m just loving every book I read by JB Vample! A 2nd chance is my favorite and let’s just say my girl Halo was not playing with Levi! But my guy Levi was determined 🤭😏