Editorial note: I received a copy of The First Time I Saw Him in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave is a fantastic sequel to the hugely popular The Last Thing He Told Me. This is your first must-read of 2026.
When I received an early copy of The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave (pub date January 6, 2026), I set aside what I was currently reading and started it right away. Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors, and The Last Thing He Told Me was a five-star/read-in-one-sitting experience for me.
I love her style of literary suspense. They feature a central mystery at play, along with plenty of twists and turns, but her stories are also character studies. She’s mastered this genre, and I will always read anything new she writes.
And I wasn’t the only one who loved The Last Thing He Told Me. It was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, an IndieNext pick, a Goodreads Choice award-winner, and an Amazon and Apple Best Book of the Year selection. The story was also made into the hugely popular Apple TV series starring Jennifer Garner.
2026 is the year that readers get to learn what happens to Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, as the story picks up right where The Last Thing He Told Me left off.
What’s the Story About
It has been five years since Hannah’s husband Owen disappeared. Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. They have put the past behind them. They are also quite close to Bailey’s grandfather, Nicholas.
But everything changes when Owen briefly appears at Hannah’s new exhibition. Hannah knows that he’s sending a signal that they are in danger, and must go on the run from the past.
A Strong Sequel
First, you need to read The Last Thing He Told, or at least watch the TV version, before starting this one. While it does reference the past and has a little recap, it honestly jumps right back into the story. So it would make for a much stronger reading experience if you’ve read the first one. And you should, because the first one is great!
Since it’s been a couple of years, I reread my review and book club questions to prepare for the story. I had a general recollection but didn’t remember some of the more in-depth details. Also, I found out some of my original questions are definitely answered in the sequel! But I’ll keep the same since we didn’t know at the time, but I thought that was kind of entertaining.
I really love all these characters. I find Hannah such an engaging protagonist—she’s strong, holds her ground, and is quite practical. The highlight of the last story for me was her relationship with Bailey, and it’s still prevalent in the sequel.
This story is quick at 288 pages, so you can definitely read it in one sitting. While I love the fast pace, I would have also enjoyed more time with the characters. However, rest assured, it’s a complete story.
A Closer Look at the Past
In the first book, Nicholas’ actions play a pivotal role, but he doesn’t appear till much later. At first glance, he seemed like a villain. After all, for years, he was a lawyer for a crime syndicate. His daughter (Bailey’s mother) died in what appeared to be a car accident. But Owen believes it was the syndicate’s revenge against Nicholas for losing a critical case. This is what causes Owen to turn Nicholas in, and for him and Bailey to go into hiding.
So as I read the first book, I assumed Nicholas was a bad person, but he loves his family. After everything was revealed and Hannah reached a truce with Nicholas, it’s said that he’s starting to form a relationship with his granddaughter Bailey. While that was part of the truce, I was a bit surprised that Hannah was ok with it.
However, it all makes sense after reading The First Time I Saw Him. The story takes place in the present with Hannah and Bailey on the run. But also in the past, it explains how Nicholas got involved with the group, and his interesting friendship with the ringleader, Frank. Again, the story goes in unexpected ways.
While sometimes with central mysteries, you want the present-day story to keep moving forward, I think in this case, we really needed the backstory for Nicholas. I appreciate that Laura Dave provided more context and depth; it really helped make the overall narrative much stronger.
Verdict
As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of the sequel. It was exactly the kind of book I needed to read. It will be a fantastic way to start off your reading year in 2026. It’s compelling, thrilling, and even moving too.
Five stars all round.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
