Book Review: The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris.

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster.
Paperback, 496 pages.
Release date: January 17th 2013.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

How do you hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from you?
Can you let go of the past when you know what is in the future?
And how do you cope when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye?

This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and how they fell in love and were torn apart. The first time Molly kissed Ryan, she knew they'd be together forever. Six years and thousands of kisses later she's married to the man she loves. But today, when Ryan kisses her, Molly realises how many of them she wasted because the future holds something which neither of them could have ever predicted…

 The story of Ryan and Molly, how they fell in love, then fell apart; The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris is a truly emotional read that will tug at your heartstrings – guaranteed.  Perfect for fans of One Day, The First Last Kiss has great characters, a compelling storyline and a bittersweet twist that will stay with you long after you’ve said goodbye to Ryan and Molly.

What if every kiss was a countdown to goodbye?

Ryan and Molly have known each other since they were teenagers. They’ve shared thousands of kisses, so many in fact that Molly can’t remember them all. She can remember the important kisses of course – the first kiss (A total disaster!), the real first kiss (much, much better), an engagement kiss, a wedding kiss, and then, of course, the last kiss. But what about all the kisses in between, and what about the first last kiss, the kiss that signaled the beginning of the end for Ryan and Molly, the kiss that split their lives into before and after,  the kiss that began the countdown to the end, the countdown to ‘nothing will ever be the same again.’

When we meet Molly she is moving out of her house, packing up the memories of her life with Ryan, because, love, just like a kiss can be fleeting, and nothing lasts forever, we all know that. Molly knows it better than most, because Ryan left, and now she’s alone.

Ali Harris – WOW! I bow down to you because this book blew me away.  Fun fact: The First Last Kiss made me cry on public transport. (I know!) Also, this is not something that happens to me ever, so when I say that this book is an emotional read, I am not kidding!   Also, while I immediately liked the sound of The First Last Kiss from reading the synopsis, I just wasn’t expecting it to fall in love with it like I did. The First Last Kiss is not only beautifully written, but the characters, oh, you will fall in love with these guys, not just Ryan and Molly, but the secondary characters too. Nanny Door. I loved this lady!

But back to Ryan and Molly.  The First Last Kiss takes us through their relationship from present day right back through time, so we get to know them from when they are just getting to know each other. We watch them grow up, fall together, fall apart and everything in between.  And I guess that’s why this book tugs at the heartstrings so.  I really felt like I knew Ryan and Molly while I was reading this book, and I guess it’s always hard to see things going wrong for people you care about.

We may still be in the first month of 2013, but I can safely say that I’ve already read one of my favourite books of the year.  I’m not a huge reader of chick-lit, and if not for the fact that I am a fan of Harris’s work from her career as a magazine journalist, I might have passed over this one, so if you’re thinking the same, I urge you not to.  This book is a truly great read, and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you’re thinking that it doesn’t really look like your thing. It is your thing, I promise. And it will probably (definitely) make you cry. But it will totally make you smile too.  The First Last Kiss is a total must read, so go read it!