The First Time I Saw Him

New out January 6, 2026

The First Time I Saw Him

Laura Dave

First published 2026

7.67.6 / 10
Score out of 1029 ratingsEarly score · confidence 17%
  • NYT bestseller · 3 weeks on the list, peaked at #4

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About the book

Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them. But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance. A gripping, rich, and deeply moving novel about the power of forgiveness, The First Time I Saw Him picks up right where the epilogue for the “genuinely moving” (The New York Times) The Last Thing He Told Me left off, giving readers the eagerly awaited and absolutely exhilarating sequel to Dave’s global blockbuster.

Description: publisher’s blurb via Hardcover

Where the score comes from

The sources average 7.3 across 29 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 16% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Rankings average of 7.8. That is how 7.6 comes out.

SourceAverageRatingsWeight
Hardcover7.329 100%

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