The First Time I Saw Him

by Laura Dave

Review

If you’re even thinking about picking this one up, it’s absolutely essential that you read Book 1 first—no exceptions. One of my favorite details was how the epilogue of Book 1 and the prologue of Book 2 are the exact same moment. When read back-to-back (which is exactly what I did), the transition is seamless and makes the story feel like one continuous experience rather than two separate books. That flow really pulled me in and kept the momentum going without missing a beat.

After finishing both books, I’m beyond excited to see the television adaptation. I can so clearly picture Jennifer Garner bringing Hannah to life, and I’m really curious to see how closely the show sticks to the source material. In Book 1, we uncover the true reason Owen ran when his company came under federal investigation, and Book 2 explores the fallout from those decisions and the lengths he’s willing to go to in order to make things right. I genuinely enjoyed this continuation of the story—it felt like a natural extension rather than an unnecessary add-on—and I can’t wait to watch it all unfold on screen.