How Not to Ruin It Before the Starter Arrives

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

You’ve made it to the date. You’re seated. You’ve ordered drinks. Nothing’s been set on fire (yet). So how do you make it through the first 20 minutes without blurting out something deeply weird, mentioning your ex, or panic-laughing at inappropriate moments?

In How Not to Ruin It Before the Starter Arrives, Fran Preston tackles the high-pressure world of first-date conversation, body language blunders, and the unbearable tension of whether to order garlic bread. With warmth, wit, and painfully accurate anecdotes, Fran offers a practical (and deeply relatable) guide to keeping things on track before the food even hits the table.

Covering everything from conversation landmines and nervous habits to mastering the art of pretending you’re cool with sharing starters, this is your go-to manual for surviving the make-or-break early moments of a date without emotionally imploding.

Because you only get one chance to make a good impression—and ideally, it should happen before the hummus arrives.