The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave

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The First Time I Saw Him (2026) Book Review | ⭐⭐✨ (2.5/5 Stars) | A Different Perspective… But It Still Didn't Quite Work for Me

⚠️ Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! ⚠️
If you haven't read The First Time I Saw Him (or even The Last Thing He Told Me), this review contains full plot details and discusses the ending.

📚 Quick Stats

Rating: ⭐⭐✨ (2.5/5)

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Murder

  • Organized crime

  • Violence

  • Gun violence

  • Emotional abuse

  • Physical abuse

  • Death of family members

  • Substance use

  • Strong language

  • Themes of grief and trauma

🤔 My Thoughts

I had mixed feelings about The Last Thing He Told Me, and unfortunately, The  First Time I Saw Him landed in almost exactly the same place for me.

⭐ 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I actually found this one a little more interesting than the first book because we finally get more answers. We learn what Owen has been doing behind the scenes, we spend more time with Nicholas Bell, and we get the missing pieces that eventually lead everyone back together.

But...I still think I have the same issue with Laura Dave's writing style.

Or maybe it's the audiobook narration.

It's hard to tell because I listened to both books rather than reading them.

The story itself should feel urgent. People are literally being hunted by a criminal organization. Characters are constantly running, hiding, decoding clues, flying across countries, and trying not to die...

...yet somehow the entire experience feels like someone is calmly reading me a bedtime story. 😴

I kept waiting for my heart rate to go up.

It never really did.

It's a strange disconnect because on paper, everything happening is exciting. The tone, though, stays so gentle and reflective that I never truly felt the danger.

📖 My Biggest Issue

I also have to admit...

I'm just not a fan of sequels that spend a large chunk of their runtime replaying events from another character's perspective.

Yes, this isn't exactly the same story.

We do learn a lot about what Owen was doing behind the scenes, Nicholas becomes a much bigger character, and the ending extends beyond the first novel.

But there were plenty of moments where I felt like I was revisiting territory I'd already covered.

I was hoping for a brand-new adventure rather than, "Meanwhile...here's what Owen was doing." 😂

🔁 The Repetition

Another thing that continues to bother me is the repetition.

Laura Dave often circles back to the same ideas and emotional beats over and over.

Some readers enjoy that reflective style.

I'm...not one of those readers. 😅

Instead of reinforcing the emotion, it just made the book feel much longer than it actually is.

And honestly?

This isn't even a particularly long novel!

Yet it somehow felt like I had been listening forever.

That's never a great sign.

📖 Full Plot Summary (SPOILERS)

Five Years Later...

The novel takes place five years after The Last Thing He Told Me.

Hannah Hall unexpectedly spots Owen Michaels at a housewares exhibition in Los Angeles.

Before disappearing again, Owen secretly slips a flash drive into Hannah's pocket.

Moments later she receives an anonymous warning telling her to leave immediately.

Recognizing the danger, Hannah contacts Bailey, now an adult working for a demanding Hollywood casting agent, and the two flee Los Angeles before men posing as utility workers can reach them.

🏡 Safe House and a Shocking Death

The pair hide at a safe house owned by Hannah's former fiancé Jake.

There they meet with U.S. Marshal Grady Bradford, who reveals shocking news.

Nicholas Bell has died.

Or so everyone believes.

Nicholas had quietly spent the previous five years protecting Hannah and Bailey from the criminal organization that once threatened them.

Without him, the balance of power has changed.

The Organization's new leadership no longer feels obligated to honor the old agreements keeping Hannah and Bailey safe.

💾 Owen's Secret Messages

The flash drive doesn't contain documents.

Instead, it contains dozens of photographs from Hannah and Owen's relationship.

At first the pictures seem sentimental.

Eventually Hannah realizes they're actually clues.

Each photo points her toward someone connected to Owen's past.

Following the trail leads Hannah and Bailey through California before they board a private plane that eventually takes them to Paris.

🇫🇷 Paris...and an Unexpected Reunion

Instead of finding Owen...

Hannah finds Nicholas Bell.

He's alive.

His death was completely staged.

Nicholas explains he faked his own death to determine whether the Organization would still honor its promise to protect Hannah and Bailey.

The answer?

Not anymore.

🕰️ Nicholas's Backstory

Large sections of the novel finally reveal Nicholas's history.

Years earlier, financial problems pushed him into working alongside the powerful criminal syndicate known simply as The Organization.

Its leader, Francis "Frank" Campano Pointe II, became both Nicholas's employer and close friend.

Over time, their families became deeply intertwined.

After Nicholas's daughter Kate died in what everyone believed was a tragic accident, Frank remained one of Nicholas's closest allies.

Eventually Nicholas wanted out of organized crime.

Frank agreed, allowing Nicholas to retire while Frank's son-in-law Wesley took over many responsibilities.

Everything changed after Owen testified against Wesley.

Nicholas eventually uncovered the horrifying truth:

Kate hadn't died accidentally.

Frank's daughter Quinn had orchestrated Kate's death.

Realizing the Organization would always threaten Owen, Hannah, and Bailey, Nicholas secretly joined forces with Owen to protect them once and for all.

🎭 The Final Plan

Nicholas's fake death was only the beginning.

Frank is preparing to hand control of the Organization over to Quinn and Teddy.

Unlike Frank, they want revenge.

Nicholas decides there's only one way to stop them.

He will confront Frank directly during Frank's birthday celebration in Èze, France.

Hannah refuses to let him go alone.

Meanwhile Bailey reunites with Owen in nearby Antibes, where the two monitor events from a boat while Hannah and Nicholas infiltrate the gathering.

🔫 The Confrontation

At Frank's birthday celebration, Nicholas and Hannah confront Frank, Quinn, and Teddy.

Nicholas reveals that he possesses decades of evidence documenting the Organization's crimes.

If anything happens to Hannah, Bailey, or Owen, everything will be handed over to American authorities.

Quinn wants them all eliminated.

Frank surprisingly refuses.

Instead, he appears to shoot Nicholas.

For a brief moment everyone believes Nicholas has been killed.

But it's all part of an elaborate performance.

Frank intentionally stages the shooting so Quinn and Teddy believe Nicholas is now an enemy of the Organization, allowing the larger plan to unfold without exposing Frank's true intentions.

🏁 Ending Explained

The final flashbacks reveal that Frank, Nicholas, and Owen had secretly worked together behind the scenes.

Frank ultimately concludes that endless revenge benefits no one.

Instead, Nicholas agrees to become the visible target while Owen, Hannah, and Bailey disappear permanently from the Organization's attention.

Nicholas chooses exile, relocating to Tuscany, where he can finally live quietly near the graves of his wife and daughter.

Meanwhile Hannah reunites with Owen and Bailey at the marina in Antibes.

For the first time in years...

Their family is finally together again.

Their long nightmare appears to be over.

❤️ A surprisingly hopeful ending after two books filled with running, hiding, and looking over everyone's shoulder.

💭 Final Thoughts

I know these books have a huge fan base, and I can absolutely see why.

Laura Dave creates compelling family relationships, and there's something undeniably comforting about her writing.

Ironically...that may be exactly why these books don't fully work for me.

When I'm reading a thriller, I want to feel anxious. I want to think, "Just one more chapter..." because I can't stand not knowing what happens next.

Instead, I found myself thinking, "This would pair nicely with a blanket and herbal tea." 🍵😂

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that if it's what you're looking for.

It just isn't quite what I personally want from a thriller.

📚 If You Enjoyed This Book...

If you're looking for family-centered mysteries and suspense novels with emotional depth, you might enjoy:

Have you read both books in the Hannah Hall series? Did you enjoy getting Owen's perspective, or were you hoping for an entirely new story? Let me know in the comments! 😊

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