Synopsis:

An unflinchingly honest, wickedly funny, and heartfelt debut about a down-on-his-luck gay man working out how he fits into the world, making up for lost time, and opening himself up to life’s possibilities 

“Hilarious, tender, raw, and heart-stoppingly moving . . . I adored this powerful, wonderful book.”–Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters

Danny Scudd is absolutely fine. He always dreamed of escaping the small-town life of his parents’ fish-and-chip shop, moving to London, and becoming a journalist. And, after five years in the city, his career isn’t exactly awful, and his relationship with pretentious Tobbs isn’t exactly unfulfilling. Certainly his limited-edition Dolly Parton vinyls and many (maybe too many) house plants are hitting the spot. But his world is flipped upside down when a visit to the local clinic reveals that Tobbs might not have been exactly faithful. In fact, Tobbs claims they were never operating under the “heteronormative paradigm” of monogamy to begin with. Oh, and Danny’s flatmates are unceremoniously evicting him because they want to start a family. It’s all going quite well.

Newly single and with nowhere to live, Danny is forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, a flamboyant nonbinary artist whom he’s known since childhood, and their eccentric group of friends living in an East London “commune.” What follows is a colorful voyage of discovery through modern queer life, dating, work, and lots of therapy–all places Danny has always been too afraid to fully explore. Upon realizing just how little he knows about himself and his sexuality, he careens from one questionable decision (and man) to another, relying on his inscrutable new therapist and housemates to help him face the demons he’s spent his entire life trying to repress. Is he really fine, after all? 

Danny Scudd’s life is not going according to his plan in First Time for Everything by Henry Fry.  Brutally honest and endearing, I found myself cheering Danny on as he traversed life as a gay man in London. Danny is a character that reminds us we may say and do the wrong thing but it’s owning up to those mistakes that separate us from the pack. And Danny’s journey to accept himself is inspiring and satisfying!

This book has one of the most memorable and hilarious openings I’ve read. We meet Danny as a patient in a health clinic as he’s being tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Danny believes he’s in a loving, committed relationship, so how would he have an STD? And while hearing Danny’s internal (and external) thoughts—specifically in this scene but throughout the novel—is laugh-out-loud funny, it’s also a harsh reminder of how the LGBT+ community is often not accepted or forced to conform to the heteronormative world.

From this low point in Danny’s life, things get progressively worse as (he thinks he) breaks up with his boyfriend, is forced out of his flat, moves into a commune with his flamboyant best friend Jacob, and struggles at work. Finally seeking therapy, the reader accompanies Danny as he reluctantly faces things from his past, explores his new dating life, and learns to love himself and his friends.