Book review: First Time We Laughed by Christine Miles

3.75⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ Timing is Everything #2
Others in the series ~ Last Time We Loved #1
Setting ~ Colorado
Publication date ~ February 8, 2022
Page Count ~ 294
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ characters in their 30’s, small business owner, florist, architect, friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, miscommunication, slow burn, second chance, mostly fade to black with little steamage

Jillian & Jackson met through their BFF’s/business partners, Alyson and David. They grew close rather quickly, but one misunderstanding/miscommunication tore them apart. Flash forward a few months and they need to work together to help plan the bachelor/bachelorette party for Alyson and David.

Jackson is a workaholic and has a nightmare of a client. Like seriously, that guy was the worst! He’s been neglecting his friends and family, but when his mom makes an announcement about her health he finally realizes there’s more to life then just work.

Jillian and sister, Brynn, were always at each others throats growing up, but when Brynn is on mandatory bed rest due to her pregnancy Jillian automatically steps up and becomes her servant Monday – Friday. While doing that she’s still running the business and helping Jackson plan the party. Jillian, also, has a strained relationship with her mother that we see play out.

There is more emphasis on their work and family lives as opposed to them finding their way back to each other. I’m happy we have dual POV because I could tell the breakup took a toll on both of them, more so for Jackson since he really didn’t know why she broke up with him. I can’t say I really agreed with Jillian’s reasoning either. After a very scary situation, they eventually figure themselves out and all works out as we knew it would.

Overall, I found it to be well written, but I wish they would have had their talk a lot sooner. I’m not big on the miscommunication trope, but luckily only a few months were wasted and not years and years as that bugs me more.

Series notes:
A sort of continuation from book 1 as that couple is heavily involved in this story. They’re BFF’s and best man/maid of honor. I’d recommend starting with Last Time We Loved.

Side notes, neither of which affected my review:
~ Jillian is Argentinian and speaks Spanish quite frequently and it wasn’t always easy for me to figure out what she was saying with no translation.
~ Jackson has sandy blond hair, but the cover model looks to have brown hair to me.

*Thanks to the author for sending me a paperback. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Add to your never ending TBR  ~ goodreads

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.

Book blurb:

Electric and addictive, First Time We Laughed is the heartwarming sequel to Christine Miles’s contemporary romance Last Time We Loved .

Jillian Castillo’s life turns hectic when she agrees to temporarily help her sister’s family, in addition to co-running her successful flower shop and being her best friend’s maid-of-honor. Then Jackson—her ex she’s trying to avoid—approaches her with a plan to surprise their engaged best friends that she can’t ignore. Jackson Lovett never expected his architecture career to take over his life. Now he’s up to his neck in the project from hell when his family needs him the most. Though he still doesn’t understand the reason why Jillian broke up with him months earlier, spending time with her again becomes the one bright spot in his life.

As they work together as maid-of honor and best man, the chemistry between them is just as electric as it had been months ago, and their emotional connection deepens. Can they find a way back to each other for a real chance at love? 

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