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The First Man You Meet
Shelly Hansen was horrified when her great-aunt's wedding dress arrived - because, according to family legend, she was destined to marry the next man she met. So when she tripped on an escalator and fell into Mark Brady's arms, she told him - and herself- that she wasn't interested in marriage en she started seeing him everywhere... . Coincidence?
187 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
271 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Macomber
902 books20.7k followersDebbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
September 13, 2024
When Shelly receives a package containing her great-aunt Milly’s wedding dress, she has reason to be upset. The “magic” wedding dress has a legend that goes with it, that the first man you meet after receiving the dress will be the man you marry. Not only does Shelly not want to get married just yet, the first man she meets after receiving the dress is her complete opposite. This short story was a really cute read. Shelly and Mark were an enjoyable twosome, the story was a lot of fun and a quick and easy read.
April 21, 2023
A magic dress? ✔️
Chance encounters? ✔️
The perfect hallmark romance? ✔️
Y’all this is such a cute novella. I need this to be a movie on hallmark if it’s not some one please make it into one.
Chance encounters? ✔️
The perfect hallmark romance? ✔️
Y’all this is such a cute novella. I need this to be a movie on hallmark if it’s not some one please make it into one.
May 24, 2019
Such a sweet, cute and entertaining read. I love it!
July 28, 2011
Fast read and in typical Debbie Macomber fashion, PERFECT! Girl gets wedding dress with legend, meets Man. Man doesnt believe legend, neither does girl but they keep meeting (according to legend) and end up falling in love, even though girl fights it!!
July 19, 2019
I like some of these old books of Debbie Macombers'. They are delightful romanaces and easy to read on a summer's day. I have been collecting them for years.
April 27, 2015
1.5*
Ok, written in 1990 but mentions cell phones, dvds, laptops ?!? Did someone go back and just give this book a "face-lift"?!
Onto the plot and characters - The heroine is an idiot! Who tells a random guy she just met that she is not interested in marriage and not with him?!? Who asked you?!? She keeps making a fool of herself! Then the plot... what plot!? The whole novel consists of the hero and heroine "accidentally" bumping into each other !?! The mystical wedding dress is just a silly plot device... just thrown in there randomly.... Finally, the heroine REFUSES the hero for no apparent reason ... Just because she "doesn't want a relationship" ?! Who meets their dream guy in their adulthood and just refuses to be with him?! And why?! Again , a conflict created by the author just - because!
October 2, 2019
Fun book to read. I enjoyed the characters.
December 18, 2023
It was okay. Not too bad. Hallmarky vibe and also sisterhood of the traveling pants vibe as well. A magic dress that fits anyone. I mean to be honest they really didn't know eachother. The characters. I mean I'm a sucker for romance but this was just so rushed. Also very cheesy. But it was alright.
A 2.5 I give it.
A 2.5 I give it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2014
Just plain silly and stupid
June 10, 2014
Another excellent book
I just love reading Debbie's books. She has a way of making you fall in love with the characters and becoming engrossed in their lives.
I just love reading Debbie's books. She has a way of making you fall in love with the characters and becoming engrossed in their lives.
February 10, 2015
A romance
A fairy tale romance. Something to occupy the mind for a few hours. Easy reading. If true love only happened that way.
A fairy tale romance. Something to occupy the mind for a few hours. Easy reading. If true love only happened that way.
May 10, 2015
Short and sweet, predictable in the same way many romance books are but magical just the same and just what I needed to break from a run of thriller novels back into lighter reading
June 2, 2025
Sally Hansen really wishes her mother would leave her alone with the constant questions about her meeting the right man and settling down. She is perfectly content unattached, she has a career in videos that she is trying to build and, while she can see being married at some, now is not that time.
But then her landlady, a woman who loves knowing the latest news comes by with a package that has been delivered. She unpacks it and the gift, from her great Aunt, her mother's aunt.There is a whole family thing about this aunt. She was the first woman in the family to have a career before marrying and had absolute no desire to marry anybody, she want to a lawyer and had gone to law suit. It was one of Sally's favorite family stories, how the aunt had gotten a dress make for an all together different event, and got sent a wedding dress that the seamstress wouldn't allow her to either pay for or return. The aunt was absolutely determined not to pay, but the dress maker told her that she would marry...and very shortly.
Of course, the aunt ended up marrying the very next man she met after getting the dress within 10 days. So now the dress is in Sally's closet. On friday the 13th, she goes to the mall and manages to fall, knocking a man that she has never seen before, to the floor along with herself. Before they went their separate ways, she makes sure to tell him that she is not interested in marrying anybody to make sure things are absolutely clear.
Then they start running into each other just about every day for the couple of weeks Sally makes sure she works hard to prevent their getting involved but guess what, they do anyway.
I recommend this to anybody who likes to read stories about people suddenly changing the entire future plans based on something hitting them like a lightning bolt. And then ending up doing what just a few week before they were certain they weren't interested in doing.
But then her landlady, a woman who loves knowing the latest news comes by with a package that has been delivered. She unpacks it and the gift, from her great Aunt, her mother's aunt.There is a whole family thing about this aunt. She was the first woman in the family to have a career before marrying and had absolute no desire to marry anybody, she want to a lawyer and had gone to law suit. It was one of Sally's favorite family stories, how the aunt had gotten a dress make for an all together different event, and got sent a wedding dress that the seamstress wouldn't allow her to either pay for or return. The aunt was absolutely determined not to pay, but the dress maker told her that she would marry...and very shortly.
Of course, the aunt ended up marrying the very next man she met after getting the dress within 10 days. So now the dress is in Sally's closet. On friday the 13th, she goes to the mall and manages to fall, knocking a man that she has never seen before, to the floor along with herself. Before they went their separate ways, she makes sure to tell him that she is not interested in marrying anybody to make sure things are absolutely clear.
Then they start running into each other just about every day for the couple of weeks Sally makes sure she works hard to prevent their getting involved but guess what, they do anyway.
I recommend this to anybody who likes to read stories about people suddenly changing the entire future plans based on something hitting them like a lightning bolt. And then ending up doing what just a few week before they were certain they weren't interested in doing.
March 29, 2024
Shelly is focused on her job as a video producer, but her mother is determined to find her a husband. Then, Shelly receives a package from her great aunt. Decades ago, her aunt's dressmaker delivered a wedding dress rather than the item that the aunt had requested. The dressmaker told her that she would marry the next man she met. And she did, even though the two seemed an unlikely match, and they lived happily ever after. So now Shelly is in a panic. She doesn't want to get married! She goes to the mall to meet her best friend do discuss this unwanted development and trips on the escalator, falling into the arms of a handsome tax attorney. She tells him right there she doesn't want to marry him but within a few weeks they are engaged and then married. Sorry for the spoilers but if you didn't see that coming, you've never read a Debbie Macomber book.
It has been many decades since I read a Debbie Macomber book and this one was pretty much what I remember. The heroine is nice, but seriously overreacts to the arrival of the dress. "Now I no longer have free will and will have to marry this strange man." But the dress has magical powers. It perfectly fits both she and her friend although they are very different shapes and sizes. The main trope is opposites attract, since she is a free-spirited creative and he is a suit-wearing business type. But the author made it believable that they would fall for each other. The book was first published in the early 1990s but it has held up pretty well. The "dated" aspect that struck me the strongest was that they kept going to the mall. That definitely made me think of the 1990s.
It has been many decades since I read a Debbie Macomber book and this one was pretty much what I remember. The heroine is nice, but seriously overreacts to the arrival of the dress. "Now I no longer have free will and will have to marry this strange man." But the dress has magical powers. It perfectly fits both she and her friend although they are very different shapes and sizes. The main trope is opposites attract, since she is a free-spirited creative and he is a suit-wearing business type. But the author made it believable that they would fall for each other. The book was first published in the early 1990s but it has held up pretty well. The "dated" aspect that struck me the strongest was that they kept going to the mall. That definitely made me think of the 1990s.
June 27, 2019
I read this as part of preparations for the author's visit to the local library system.
Shelly, the protagonist, makes pet relaxation DVDs for a living. She's otherwise sensible. When her great-aunt's legendary wedding dress arrives, she takes it as a bad omen. The family legend has it that the dress leads the receiver to meet her future husband. Enter what's his name, a tax accountant by trade and already engaged to someone else.
This book is one of the author's early ones and not bad, if not particularly excellent either.
And yet, as soon as I finished reading it, I checked out the next volume.
Though it is a romance, there isn't much to worry about. A few kisses and a passing thought regarding the possible post-marital future are mild.
Shelly, the protagonist, makes pet relaxation DVDs for a living. She's otherwise sensible. When her great-aunt's legendary wedding dress arrives, she takes it as a bad omen. The family legend has it that the dress leads the receiver to meet her future husband. Enter what's his name, a tax accountant by trade and already engaged to someone else.
This book is one of the author's early ones and not bad, if not particularly excellent either.
And yet, as soon as I finished reading it, I checked out the next volume.
Though it is a romance, there isn't much to worry about. A few kisses and a passing thought regarding the possible post-marital future are mild.
May 16, 2025
When Shelly receives a package containing her great-aunt Milly’s wedding dress, she has reason to be upset.
The “magic” wedding dress has a legend that goes with it, that the first man you meet after receiving the dress will be the man you marry.
Not only does Shelly not want to get married just yet, the first man she meets after receiving the dress is her complete opposite!
This short story would make a really cute and fun Hallmark movie! It was a very quick read. Its an older book by Debbie Macomber, but still was really enjoyable.
The “magic” wedding dress has a legend that goes with it, that the first man you meet after receiving the dress will be the man you marry.
Not only does Shelly not want to get married just yet, the first man she meets after receiving the dress is her complete opposite!
This short story would make a really cute and fun Hallmark movie! It was a very quick read. Its an older book by Debbie Macomber, but still was really enjoyable.
April 29, 2021
Delightful, funny, and yet contentious with twist and turns of emotional upheaval for the sake of emotions regarding settling down in life. Are we ever really ready? How do we know, when we find Mr. Right? Is it fate or is it magic? Who really knows! Whatever happens we should believe!
October 22, 2021
I never want to get married
Shelly didn't want to get married. She thought she had it all with a career. Her aunt sent. Her the wedding dress that she got married in. She told SHELLY THAT THE FIRST MAN SHE SAW SHE WOULD MARRY. IT IS A CUTE STORY AND I LIKED IT!
Shelly didn't want to get married. She thought she had it all with a career. Her aunt sent. Her the wedding dress that she got married in. She told SHELLY THAT THE FIRST MAN SHE SAW SHE WOULD MARRY. IT IS A CUTE STORY AND I LIKED IT!
August 13, 2022
I did not know how to feel about the borderline cheating part..but I enjoyed it, it was short but cute. I loved the part where Mark confessed that deliberately planned where they would 'coincidentally' meet. The ending was rushed, but it still left me feeling warm
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2022
Is it real or just the dress?
The dress may bring the man but you have to figure out the rest. It isn’t that easy just like real life, but very entertaining these two are. But Debbie Macomber has never let me down yet, it is a good fun read.
The dress may bring the man but you have to figure out the rest. It isn’t that easy just like real life, but very entertaining these two are. But Debbie Macomber has never let me down yet, it is a good fun read.
July 25, 2017
Predictable.
September 28, 2017
Cute and romantic! I always lover her books, and this one didn't disappoint
March 13, 2018
A fast read and it's a lot like the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Series."
December 5, 2018
A little odd but it was ok.
December 31, 2018
Far to predictable and a little boring to be honest.
January 9, 2019
Funny and well written by Macomber. Love at first sight can be real when you believe, but hardly magical wedding dresses.
April 4, 2019
A novella, rather than a novel, this is a slight but entertaining and amusing romance. Perfect for respite on a dreary, somewhat sad day.
April 9, 2019
Predictable but an interesting idea.
August 10, 2019
Short and sweet
December 10, 2019
A beautifully written romance. Perfect for Christmas, the magical season of reading which makes any book perfect for delightful moments of leisure reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews