Book Review: The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris

Can you let go of the past when you know what is in the future?

And when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye?
This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and they 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 ever have predicted.

I loved Ali Harris's last book Miracle on Regent Street. The First Last Kiss has a very different feel but is just as brilliant. Ali Harris delivers the love story of Molly and Ryan whose relationship spans 20 years. We jump back and forth, in the present Molly is packing up her house and we know that Ryan has gone but you have to read the whole book in order to discover where. The past covers the whole of their relationship, the awkward teenage years, highs, lows, house moves, contentment and disappointment. I really enjoyed the format of the book, it allows the reader to get to know Molly and Ryan and all of those around them.
Each chapter begins with a page detailing a type of kiss, these include; The Kiss to End All Kisses, The Remorseful Kiss, The Judas Kiss and The Tell Me It's Not True Kiss. Some of these kisses are kisses that Molly and Ryan have shared and some they haven't. It's such an interesting part of the book, it really makes you think of the kisses you have taken part in in your life and the moments when they took part.
I felt that Molly and Ryan's relationship was very realistic. It's not all hearts and flowers, they show how much work a relationship takes and the compromises that have to be made. There were times when I disliked Molly a little as I felt that she was sometimes selfish. Yet I think that she changes a lot throughout the book and her regrets are heartfelt.
The First Last Kiss is a heart warming read. It had me laughing and crying but most importantly it made me think of the bigger picture and be grateful for my lot in life. You will not be disappointed with this book, Ali Harris has given us a modern day love story that I highly recommend.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 5/5

Many thanks to the people at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book to review, The First Last Kiss is published on January 17th and I urge you to go get a copy!