Book Description 

parks fly in this second chance m/m rom com when an unlucky-in-love event planner realizes the man-of-honor at the high profile wedding he’s planning is the same man who broke his heart.

They say you never forget your first kiss. But Jordan Carter wishes he could forget the one he shared with Jamie Peters as teens. And the one they almost shared again last year before Jamie made it clear he wasn’t the “right” man for Jordan to be with while he’s figuring himself out.

Now, Jordan’s fully focused on his career at 24 Carter Gold, his family’s event planning company, and ready to move on – until his boss assigns him to plan a new client’s high-profile wedding. The bride’s man-of-honor? None other than Jamie.

As things ramp up the closer they get to the wedding, so does Jordan’s relationship with Jamie, with sarcastic asides turning into steamy hook-ups. But can Jordan afford to pursue Jamie if he’s still unsure of who he is? Or is knowing who he loves enough? Venue shopping, cake-tastings, and dress fittings with the man he can’t forget just might change the man Jordan Carter is meant to become.

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters is a second chance romance about finding yourself–and the love of your life.

My Review 

I’ve read a few of Winters’ YA books, but this is my first experience reading one of his adult romances. This is apparently his second foray into the adult genre and this book is connected to his first adult romance. 

The narrative unfolds from the perspective of Jordan, who works for his family’s prominent event planning business. He is determined to prove that he’s ready for the big leagues by leading the company’s return to wedding planning. Unfortunately, the groom’s best man is Jamie, with whom Jordan shares a complicated history. 

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, his family’s company has recently hired Javi, who used to work as a competitor, and seems insistent upon stealing Jordan’s lead planner role. 

This was a sweet romance with a lot of big feelings. There’s a second chance element since Jordan and Jamie shared a kiss as teens, but nothing ever came of it. This is also a friends to lovers book, although the pedantic might point out that they are more like friends of friends than friends. There are tons of funny moments, but my favorite would have to be the cake tasting. 

The best part of this book, however, was the patience and tenderness that Jamie takes with Jordan as they start hooking up, including checking in to make sure Jordan is giving clear and enthusiastic consent. 

I would absolutely recommend Last First Kiss. I was not aware that this was the second book in a series and I didn’t feel lost, but in retrospect, the existence of earlier material makes a lot of sense. This was one of the better contemporary romances that I’ve read recently: funny, great chemistry, and interesting characters. I certainly hope Winters writes more adult romances in the future. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.