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thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition
Devon Tennyson has a great life and is happy to watch school football games on Friday nights and secretly crush on her best friend Cas. Suddenly her cousin Foster is dropped in her lap and she has to find a way to shake him loose and continue as if he never existed.
isabelbrieler's review against another edition
4.0
I gotta be honest here, I love retellings. And even more specifically, and am a SUCKER for Pride and Prejudice retellings. It's definitely one of my favorite niche genres. So, I mean, I was definitely going to love this book anyway. However.
I was a tiny bit apprehensive going into the book because of the fact that it is contemporary and that is just generally not super my jam. However! This book was actually really really good. I laughed out loud on several occasions, I had a wide smile on my face through most of the book. This was a really cute, really enjoyable retelling and I'm probably going to exchange my library copy for one of my own to reread in the future.
As for the plot itself, there's not a whole lot to cover since it is a retelling. I loved the romance, but a lot of that is for the same reasons I love Elizabeth and Darcy. I thought having a protagonist in an Austin retelling who loves Jane Austin and references her frequently was a little heavyhanded at first, but it grew on me. I was a little disappointed that some of the plot (i.e. the Wickham/Lydia/Georgina drama) from Pride and Prejudice didn't play out in First & Then, but I'm not sure whether or not to count that against the book. Just...bear that in mind -- this is a pretty loose retelling for sure.
I was a tiny bit apprehensive going into the book because of the fact that it is contemporary and that is just generally not super my jam. However! This book was actually really really good. I laughed out loud on several occasions, I had a wide smile on my face through most of the book. This was a really cute, really enjoyable retelling and I'm probably going to exchange my library copy for one of my own to reread in the future.
As for the plot itself, there's not a whole lot to cover since it is a retelling. I loved the romance, but a lot of that is for the same reasons I love Elizabeth and Darcy. I thought having a protagonist in an Austin retelling who loves Jane Austin and references her frequently was a little heavyhanded at first, but it grew on me. I was a little disappointed that some of the plot (i.e. the Wickham/Lydia/Georgina drama) from Pride and Prejudice didn't play out in First & Then, but I'm not sure whether or not to count that against the book. Just...bear that in mind -- this is a pretty loose retelling for sure.
liviatoures's review against another edition
5.0
“When you love something, you can’t be happy all the time, can you? Like, that’s why you love it. It makes you feel all kinds of things, not just happy. It can hurt, it can make you fucking mad, but … it makes you feel something, you know?”
This book is everything that I've ever wanted from YA Contemporary. It's cute, fluffy, with a mixture of delight that delivers warm in my heart.
Honestly, I can't believe that I will love this book so much with my whole heart. I try to read this book several times before, but never really got further until now. I am glad that I did!
I love almost every aspects of this book. Sure, there are few lil things that left me a bit unsatisfied, but all the characters in this book are capable to make me still enjoy it as much as possible.
Our heroine aka Devon Tennyson is charming, funny, yet so flawed in her characteristic that makes her relatable. She's so funny and full of sarcasm all the time. I love how she eventually growing up and become much more better. Her character development is one of my most favorite in YA world. That's actually said a lot because I rarely know light-hearted books with so much growth in their character.
I also like Ezra Lynley. He's everything that I want for hero's characteristic. He is brooding type, but he never act rude or like a jerk most of the time just to proof how cool he is. His awkward behavior is straight up charming. There are so many moments that I love about him. Especially about many actions that he do for getting Devon's heart.
This book is everything that I've ever wanted from YA Contemporary. It's cute, fluffy, with a mixture of delight that delivers warm in my heart.
Honestly, I can't believe that I will love this book so much with my whole heart. I try to read this book several times before, but never really got further until now. I am glad that I did!
I love almost every aspects of this book. Sure, there are few lil things that left me a bit unsatisfied, but all the characters in this book are capable to make me still enjoy it as much as possible.
Our heroine aka Devon Tennyson is charming, funny, yet so flawed in her characteristic that makes her relatable. She's so funny and full of sarcasm all the time. I love how she eventually growing up and become much more better. Her character development is one of my most favorite in YA world. That's actually said a lot because I rarely know light-hearted books with so much growth in their character.
I also like Ezra Lynley. He's everything that I want for hero's characteristic. He is brooding type, but he never act rude or like a jerk most of the time just to proof how cool he is. His awkward behavior is straight up charming. There are so many moments that I love about him. Especially about many actions that he do for getting Devon's heart.
jennc's review against another edition
4.0
Funny & Sad. I love Emma Mills’ characters. They always sound so real to me. I also like that she rarely writes stereotypes. I loved Foster in this one and I swear Rachel Woodson was Paris Gellar. Not my favorite Emma Mills book but still very good.
emjm's review against another edition
5.0
From my bookstagram circa January 2020 (when I read this):
Anyway, I rated it 5 stars at the time, and while that seems a *bit* much upon reread and reflection, I'm leaving it alone because I still really enjoyed it, and who am I to question my own feelings from three years ago? Oh... that's right. Anway, I still think the author's name is great, and I love that, at that time, I still had some embarrassment at reading high school books. That shame? Gone. Small wins!
First off, the author's name is great ;) Second, this book is set in high school (judge me). The tagline was something along the lines of "Friday Night Lights meets Pride and Prejudice." OF COURSE I BOUGHT IT IMMEDIATELY. I really enjoyed this one.
Anyway, I rated it 5 stars at the time, and while that seems a *bit* much upon reread and reflection, I'm leaving it alone because I still really enjoyed it, and who am I to question my own feelings from three years ago? Oh... that's right. Anway, I still think the author's name is great, and I love that, at that time, I still had some embarrassment at reading high school books. That shame? Gone. Small wins!
tab_michelle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a great palette cleanser for me!
Devon is embarrassed by her cousin, Foster, who is now living with her and attending high school with her. He’s always by her side. They have one class together, gym. They are made to be broken into groups of 2 and Dev picks Ezra - this AMAZING football player, that everyone says is a complete a$$hole! He tells her to get a ball & she straight up says, “Get it yourself.” All the girls are swooning over him, she just knows he’s a mystery. Foster makes the Varsity football team and is Ezra is his mentor. Little did I know that Ezra was falling for Devon the whole time!
Such a GREAT read!
Devon is embarrassed by her cousin, Foster, who is now living with her and attending high school with her. He’s always by her side. They have one class together, gym. They are made to be broken into groups of 2 and Dev picks Ezra - this AMAZING football player, that everyone says is a complete a$$hole! He tells her to get a ball & she straight up says, “Get it yourself.” All the girls are swooning over him, she just knows he’s a mystery. Foster makes the Varsity football team and is Ezra is his mentor. Little did I know that Ezra was falling for Devon the whole time!
Such a GREAT read!
livluvslit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
readwriterojo's review against another edition
5.0
This story was so cute. And felt like a very authentic telling of a high school experience. I could picture everything as if it were happening in the hallways of NHS: from the cafeteria to the gym to the teachers.
malikasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book was SO GOOD. Very funny, well-written, sweet story.
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SPOILER, SORT OF
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I cannot BELIEVE that the heroine had the gall to complain about how Jane Austen's stories don't give us enough about the "happily ever after" part and then she gave us almost NOTHING. Is it too much to ask for just a chapter or two about adorableness, pleeeease?
*
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SPOILER, SORT OF
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I cannot BELIEVE that the heroine had the gall to complain about how Jane Austen's stories don't give us enough about the "happily ever after" part and then she gave us almost NOTHING. Is it too much to ask for just a chapter or two about adorableness, pleeeease?
lorilaws's review against another edition
3.0
First & Then has been near the top of my want to read list since first seeing that gorgeous cover and seeing it compared to Friday Night Lights. This is a quick and captivating read about friendships, family, and accepting people into our lives and hearts.
In the beginning Devon seems to be going through the motions. Her life consists of her best friend (and secret crush) Cas and reading. She is pretty ordinary until her quirky cousin comes into her life. I think it would be hard not to like Devon. She’s so easy to relate to. She’s really seems to be stuck in a rut at the beginning of the book, even if she doesn’t realize it. Her character growth was pretty spectacular by the end.
There are so many fun side characters in First & Then! Many of them had such fascinating stories that I would love to read a book about just them. (Ahem, Mirabell)
Of course there’s some romance in the book! Ezra was a fabulous love interest. He’s mysterious, a bit brooding, but had a great heart. What more can you ask for? I love that he liked Devon and wasn’t shy about it. Even if things were complicated.
Don’t let the football parts put you off if you aren’t a fan. It’s really just a backdrop to the small glimpse of Devon’s senior year. First & Then by Emma Mills was a great debut. I know it will be welcomed with open arms by YA contemporary fans and I’m looking forward to reading more by Emma Mills in the future.
In the beginning Devon seems to be going through the motions. Her life consists of her best friend (and secret crush) Cas and reading. She is pretty ordinary until her quirky cousin comes into her life. I think it would be hard not to like Devon. She’s so easy to relate to. She’s really seems to be stuck in a rut at the beginning of the book, even if she doesn’t realize it. Her character growth was pretty spectacular by the end.
There are so many fun side characters in First & Then! Many of them had such fascinating stories that I would love to read a book about just them. (Ahem, Mirabell)
Of course there’s some romance in the book! Ezra was a fabulous love interest. He’s mysterious, a bit brooding, but had a great heart. What more can you ask for? I love that he liked Devon and wasn’t shy about it. Even if things were complicated.
Don’t let the football parts put you off if you aren’t a fan. It’s really just a backdrop to the small glimpse of Devon’s senior year. First & Then by Emma Mills was a great debut. I know it will be welcomed with open arms by YA contemporary fans and I’m looking forward to reading more by Emma Mills in the future.