The First Time I Saw Him

Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall's pulse-pounding journey in the riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, The Last Thing He Told Me.

How far would you go for a second chance?

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.

From the publisher

Simon & Schuster/ Scribner | Jan 6, 2026 | 288 Pages | ISBN13: 9781668002964 | Women's Fiction

1. How has Bailey and Hannah's relationship evolved over time? In what ways is their relationship different from The Last Thing He Told Me?

2. Consider the epigraphs that open each section. How do they relate to the themes of the book? Why do you think they were chosen?

3. Despite the years apart, Owen still wears his wedding ring, and when approached by a woman, he tells her, "I'm married." (p. 9). What does that tell us about his feelings toward Hannah? What does this choice communicate about his character?

4. When we flash back to Nicholas's first meeting with Frank, Nicholas describes him as seeming like a "smitten family man" rather than "the head of a crime empire." (p. 82). What does this description tell you about Frank's character? Does it impact your impression of the organization?

5. In what ways has Hannah grown into her role as Bailey's parent?

6. We follow Hannah and Bailey from California to Paris to the South of France. What role does the setting play in their journey? Why do you think these places were chosen?

7. "Isn't that how it happens? You add it all up (you can't begin to add it up) and you don't just love someone. You know him." (p.1 55). Hannah thinks this after Nicholas tells her and Bailey his plans to travel to Eze to meet with Frank. What does this quote tell you about what love means to Hannah?

8. Owen finally reunites with both Bailey and Hannah. How do these reunions differ?

9. We learn a lot about Nicholas's past-why he chose to participate in the organization and how he walks away from it. What would you have done in his position? Would you have made similar choices? Why or why not?

10. Second chances play a big part in Hannah, Bailey, and Owen's story. Do you believe in second chances? If so, under what circumstances?

Book Club Talking Points:
This is one of those books that feels quiet while you're reading it, but it really sticks with you after. It opens the door to great conversations about love, fixation, and how easily we can rewrite a relationship in our own minds. Everyone in a book club will probably have a different take on the characters' choices, which makes for honest, sometimes surprising discussion. It's thoughtful without being heavy, and there's plenty to talk about once the last page is turned.

"Every single review is just out of this world and I am going to add mine. Five stars." -Jennifer Garner

"Could not stop flipping the pages... people are going to love to have this in their book club." -Reese Witherspoon

"[Dave] provides plenty of twists and emphasizes the love that binds her characters together, even the bad ones. How far will they go to keep their families safe?" -New York Times Book Review

"Dave's ability to chart her characters' emotional geography-mapping love and loss-and the way she explores their intimate connections help explain her popularity; propulsive pacing doesn't hurt, either." -Vogue

"Dave's embrace of tension instead of action turns the novel into an effective study of suspense. Her taut prose matches the story, with moments of emotional poignancy... The First Time I Saw Him offers a sense of completion to the characters of its predecessor and provides answers... a tense story, but a surprisingly tender one." -Washington Post

"Twists and turns will keep readers guessing throughout the novel at how it will all end. The characters' love and concern for each other show through their thoughts and actions... This sequel is sure to be a hit." -Library Journal

"[The First Time I Saw Him] dives deeper into Hannah's character and the grit she needs to survive. Readers can use what they learned from the first book, a best-seller, to jump right in." -Booklist

"[A] heart-pounding sequel... The pacing is brisk from the very first page, with Dave nimbly juggling multiple perspectives and timelines en route to a finale that provides readers with satisfying answers to their questions." -Publishers Weekly

"An essential sequel that ties up loose threads while providing a thrilling ride across continents." -Kirkus

"Oh boy, this one will be big: Dave's 2021 novel, The Last Thing He Told Me, was a blockbuster hit, adapted into an Apple+ TV series (the second season starts Feb. 20). The sequel is set five years later, with Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, trying to move on after her husband Owen's disappearance. Well, guess what. He's back, and their lives are, again, in danger." -AARP

"A heart-pounding sequel... as [Hannah and Bailey] go on the run, expect old enemies, new threats, and a race to decode cryptic clues that may or may not lead them to safety... and Owen himself." -TheSkimm

"The distinctive mix of mafia saga, love story and globetrotting action thriller is just as beguiling as before." -The Sunday Times UK

"I don't want to give too much away about this sequel, but I can say this: it's pure adrenaline. The kind of book you inhale like your favorite snack-you keep reaching for just one more handful until suddenly, the box is empty. I couldn't stop. My heart was in my throat!" -Woman's World

"I was captivated by the development and growth of the relationship between Hannah and Bailey... their love and concern for each other are evident no matter what." -Times Ledger

"It's not often we find a story with this much emotional depth, as well as deeply fleshed out characters whom we come to care for. Throw in a heart-stopping mystery, and put a fork in it: it's done." -Florida Weekly

"A suspense-tinged exploration of trust, love, and the secrets that bind people together." -Parade Magazine

"So engaging that even the most reluctant thriller readers will be on the edge of their seats page after page." -BookTrib

"Utterly thrilling and superbly told, the sequel is every bit as compelling as the first instalment." -Scottish Mail

"Equally action-packed and deeply felt, this sequel is every bit as incredible as The Last Thing He Told Me. Clear your schedule because once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. I loved everything about it." -Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of She's Not Sorry