The First Time I Saw Him (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick) - Hardcover

by Laura Dave (Author)

The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave is a tense and emotionally engaging thriller about family, forgiveness and the risks people take for a second chance.

Five years after Owen disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have started building a more settled life in Southern California. Their fragile sense of safety changes when Owen unexpectedly appears at Hannah’s new exhibition.

Knowing that Bailey could be in danger, Hannah is forced to act quickly. Hannah and Bailey soon find themselves on the run, racing to prevent secrets from their past from catching up with them. Along the way, Hannah must decide how much she is willing to risk to protect Bailey—and whether returning to Owen is still possible.

This long-awaited sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me combines family drama, emotional depth and page-turning suspense.

Book Highlights

• Written by bestselling author Laura Dave
• The sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me
• A Reese’s Book Club selection
• An instant New York Times bestseller
• Features suspense, family secrets and unexpected twists
• Explores forgiveness, protection and second chances
• Inspired the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me
• Suitable for readers of domestic and family thrillers
• Hardcover edition with 288 pages
• Published by Scribner
• Publication date: January 6, 2026
• ISBN: 9781668002964

Author Biography

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have sold more than six million copies and have been translated into forty languages. The Last Thing He Told Me was the Goodreads Mystery & Thriller of the Year for 2021 and is now a series on Apple TV+, cocreated by Laura. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their son.