Book Review : The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris

Title : The First Last Kiss

Author : Ali Harris

Publication Date : January 2013

Publisher : Simon & Schuster

Source : Purchased

Overall : 5/5

How do you hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from you?

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

And how do you cope when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye?

This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and 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 have ever predicted...

The First Last Kiss is definitely a book I would never ever forget and I am writing this review right after crying (not a normal occurrence!). Sorry for the typos, if any! I may have read a lot of books, love stories but The First Last Kiss is most beautiful story I have read in a while. The sight of it makes me want to lie down and cry my heart out all over again.*sobs*

The First Last Kiss. The First Last Kiss. The First Last Kissssssss..sss! To be honest, I don’t even know how to start reviewing this great book. It’s my very first by Ali and I absolutely loved it. It’s a tearjerker (someone should have warned me!) and from the first page, I knew this book would be fab. Some chapters are Post-Ryan and are written in present tense and Molly could be seen moving on with her life and some chapters are in past tense, when Ry’s still a part of Molly’s life. I was curious about three things – 1) Where is Ryan? 2) Why did he leave? 3) If he left, with who?

As I read on, I collected bits and parts and grouped them together. Then, I managed to see the whole picture and how perfect the title is for this story. I didn’t want the book to end. Though it’s about five hundred pages long, it felt so short. Couldn’t get enough of Molly and Ryan’s epic love story of all time. The story was absolutely romantic and I thought it’s just another love story with a fairytale ending. Man, I was so wrong. Everyone should just get this book and read, I mean it.

Molly, the heroine in this story never thought she would fall in love till Ryan Cooper made an appearance in her life. In the beginning, Molly is preparing to move out of her house and Ryan has left. Packing up and seeing things that she has shared with Ryan made her emotional. They have shared hundreds, thousands kisses but honestly who could keep count? Every kiss seems just like another kiss, a gesture of love and affection till Ry was diagnosed with The Incurable. Ever since the big C, each and every kiss has its own meaning. With every kiss shared, Molly’s a step closer to losing Ryan.

In this book, I was introduced to the different kinds of kisses. I never thought kisses could be differentiated, you know, like viruses. This book is not just a love story but also a lesson for lovers out there. Molly captured each kiss with her camera as well as her heart; the (horrible) first kiss, the (fabulous) real first kiss and the kisses they shared at their engagement, wedding and honeymoon, some significant others and of course the first last kiss.

This book reminded me of One Day, it just did and I totally imagined Anne Hathaway as Molly and Jim Sturgess (or maybe Ryan Fletcher?) as Ryan.  I loved how this book was written, the mix of past and present events and the connection. This story was very emotional for me and I had to stop reading it for a few hours. I was lost and drowned in the fictional world that Ali has set and I totally felt the emotion through Ali’s words. The chemistry between Ry and Molly was undeniable and there are beautiful bits between them and if you ask which my favourite part was, I really can’t tell. I felt connected to both the characters from the start. Normally, I would prefer sugar coated love stories, you know, those smooth running, happily ever after kind of stories but this book was an exception. The ups and downs of Ryan and Molly’s relationship showed me that no matter how perfect a pair looks from others’ POVs, each relationship has its problems, and compromise is important. It’s not easy but if you want love, you have to put in efforts and make it happen. Love will definitely astound you and leave an indelible mark in your memory if you make the effort to cherish the kisses, enjoy each and every moment with each other. Ali has written the fact of life - that one has to die someday and leave their love ones behind and conveyed a very important message through this book. The last quarter of the book had me crying out loud and I said to myself that I am not going to read anymore books after this.

All I can say is, The First Last Kiss is a story EVERYONE should read! The characters were all amazing and the plot was so greatly planned. Ali Harris has put the saying ‘nothing lasts forever’ in a heartbreakingly beautiful crafted love story. A story that would pierce deep into your heart and make you appreciate your other half, people you love and your life, live the moment and savour each kiss as each kiss could be your last. I am not exaggerating but to me, The First Last Kiss is the best definition of true love. If it’s not, I don’t know what is. Titanic, what?

Meaningful, gripping tale with lots of kisses in between. Before I sign off, here’s a warning so your book remains dry and pretty : kindly place a pack of Kleenex by your side if you are planning to read it.

Before I sign off, here’s a line from the book :

“Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about appreciating the journey.”