First Time for Everything is the chaotic and joyful story of a man on the brink. Danny is not having a good time. This holds true for most of the book. From discovering his partner hasn’t been monogamous (as he assumed), a brush with illness, and desperately needing a new housing situation- Danny is about to implode. He may make it through, but only with the help of his best friend Jacob, their flatmates, and a new therapist. 

This is a book with a breakneck pace, not in terms of plot, but humor and dialogue. So much of it is blink and you’ll miss it! I do see the comparison to Bridget Jones, though this led me to believe there would be more of a focus on romance. And there is, but Danny primarily goes on a journey of self-acceptance towards himself and identifying as a gay man. I loved the wisdom laced through pages, about the work queer people must do to acknowledge their trauma and in many cases their privilege. 

First Time for Everything is a book that pulls no punches, yet successfully balances heavy content with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy lots of witty banter, found family, and fabulous LGBTQ+ characters. And of course, Dolly Parton fans. Thank you to Henry Fry, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.