Review of "The Last First Date" by Jay Hall

Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

Your dream life or your dream girl—which would you choose?!

That's the predicament that Beck from The Last First Date finds himself in.
And it's quite a dilemma!

The Last First Date by Jay Hall is a compelling romance novel that follows a seasoned businessman (consultant) and workaholic named Beck, a man who shies away from all commitments and close intimate relationships in favor of his career.

Emotionally detached and disconnected from members of the opposite sex, he fills the void that lingers in his heart through exhilarating/risky activities like skydiving.

We are told that he lives by Kobe Bryant's quote that he "Can't relate to lazy people."

We are also told: “Every time he tried to move forward, one path failed. When he was engaged, his business had slipped. When he worked hard, his relationships failed.”

We learn of previous relationships he had with people like the semi-pro volleyball player to whom he was once engaged or Sevda, the fiery-tempered woman from Azerbaijan whom Beck viewed more as a puzzle to solve (or problem to fix) than a serious companion.

Time and time again, Beck chooses his career goals over relationship ones.

Beck is oddly relatable in a lot of ways. He reflects subcultures found throughout the world that reflect ideals like the salaryman (in Japan) or Puritan work ethic (in America). He is one of those people who prioritizes work and career over personal attachments.

Now, to be honest, this is archetypal and a bit cliche (even Peter Pan in Hook fit this mold), but it still works and is still compelling despite us seeing it dozens of times before.

We learn some of Beck's motivations behind why he became a workaholic, and it's both ironic and relatable. He deluded himself into believing that success would actually get him hitched. We are told: "...he had been working under a false assumption for years—get success, get the girl." He is a man who stubbornly wants to stick to the script—the belief that success absolutely must come first and that the girl will follow.

This isn't exactly a bad thing (you want to encourage people to fulfill their career goals) unless it's taken to the extreme, like in Beck's case.

And what do you know? Beck not only gets offered his dream job (as a COO of a major company) which just so happens to be in his dream city (Las Vegas—Sin City itself), but he also discovers a remarkable and intriguing woman online at practically the same time.

This remarkable, intriguing woman is the book's deuteragonist and love-interest, Sienna.

Sienna is arguably even more compelling and likable when compared to Beck. A divorced nurse and single mother with a sharp mind, boundless empathy, and quiet strength, she carries the emotional weight of the story with quiet dignity. While Beck searches for meaning through success and motion, Sienna seeks healing, stability, and a rekindling of the idyllic life she once dreamed of. Her grounded worldview and self-awareness contrast beautifully with Beck’s restless ambition, giving the story its emotional center.

More than just a love interest, Sienna is a portrait of post-trauma resilience. Her scenes—ranging from gym routines and public health work to shower reflections and single-mom struggles—are deeply humanizing. She doesn’t need saving, but she does long to be seen. In Beck, she finds not a rescuer, but a man learning to finally look at someone other than himself.

Together, their story is not just about love—it’s about timing, courage, and unlearning the myths we build our lives around. In a world full of curated profiles and transactional relationships, Beck and Sienna's connection feels like a quiet rebellion: honest, flawed, and earned.

While there aren't villains in a traditional sense, we do get a few notable antagonists in this book. For example, there's Sienna's husband/ex-husband, Jack, who also effectively serves as a foil to Beck. Like Beck, Jack deprioritizes his romantic commitments in favor of other things—namely, status, indulgence, and eventually, his own ego. But whereas Beck wrestles with the tension between ambition and intimacy, ultimately choosing growth and vulnerability, Jack doubles down on avoidance and self-interest.

Jack serves as the main antagonist in Sienna's side of the story, often raising her hopes of reconciliation only to dash them like a glass vase against the floor.

Another antagonist in the novel is Hayden, a corporate recruiter and member of the board who seduces Beck with a lifestyle of wealth and excess in exchange for him coming on board as a consultant and eventually as COO.

What's strange is that Hayden is a bit of an antagonist, but he isn't evil, and he isn't doing anything inherently wrong. In fact, you could argue that he really admires and respects Beck. However, the circumstances of Beck's life and his interest in/relationship with Sienna complicate matters, making Hayden seem more like the devil on Beck's shoulder than just some guy who wants to hire him.

Hayden is effectively the antagonist of Beck's side of the story.

We also get some interesting (and even bizarre) side characters. Some of these characters even imply supernatural or even divine intervention like Wally, a farmer who just so happens to know everything Beck is going through before inexplicably vanishing. Was he an angel or was his ride just that speedy?

There's also Callie, a receptionist who briefly appears in the book but made a pretty profound impact on Beck and us (the readers). Callie, like Wally, seems to know what Beck is going through. She recognizes that something—or someone—is keeping him from accepting the position. Callie reads the situation and seems to understand people.

We also get some interesting characters on Sienna's side of the story like her son, Spencer, who is some kind of young genius or prodigy. There's her best friend Sloane, who acts as Sienna’s emotional anchor and comic relief. Sloane’s fierce loyalty, new-mom energy, and willingness to meddle in Sienna’s love life provide both heart and humor.

Actually, come to think of it, Beck has his own "version" of Sloane in his life: his friend Randall, who serves as an example to him of what not to be. Randall is pretty clearly a bad role-model and influence on Beck, almost serving as a more extreme version of Beck himself (like a foil). Beside one on-again/off-again relationship, Randall completely abandons his relationships after a night or two. He is troubled in a lot more ways than that, and he seems to hold Beck back like crabs in a bucket.

There's also Sienna's dog, Luna, a pug, who may be a nominee for Cutest Character.

This book explores the ideas of serendipity and chaos theory: “Seemingly random events happen all the time. We don’t give them much attention because alone, they are unimpressive or dismissible. But when you look back at an extraordinary event in anyone’s life, chances are you will discover a series of these random events which had to occur for the fantastical to be realized."

What are the odds that you get offered your perfect job in your perfect city at the same time you meet your perfect partner who lives hundreds of miles away?

If you love romantic dramas...
Check it out on Amazon!