First Impressions

Off Screen Conversations with a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness

By: Matt James, Cole Brown - contributor, Emmanuel Acho - foreword

Narrated by: Matt James

Matt James, the first Black bachelor on ABC’s beloved television show, The Bachelor, shares his views on the controversial topics that defined his season and confronts matters of race, opportunity, and his biracial identity head on.

When The Bachelor franchise announced Matt James as the first Black lead, it was celebrated as long-overdue progress on the primetime show. America fell in love with Matt—the Christian, former NFL athlete, and nonprofit CEO—who charmed millions of viewers each week. But the off-screen conversations around the show revealed the realities and inescapable challenges of being Black in America and the depth of racism that still exists.

On the show, Matt could only go so far in sharing his own story with America. In First Impressions, Matt shares his views on controversial topics like race and opportunity that defined his season on The Bachelor. Matt lives at the intersection of these important issues and shares the wisdom his experience has granted him.

Matt describes the joys and difficulties of being the youngest of two Black sons, raised by a single, working-class, White mother in Raleigh, North Carolina. He elaborates on the spiritual closeness and sense of duty he felt for his mother, but also the complex relationships he had with the many male figures in his life: his prejudiced, Italian grandfather, who had trouble accepting Matt as his own; his father, whose womanizing and petty crime put strain on the family; and his older brother, who was Matt’s protector in youth, but who struggled with the long shadow of their father’s legacy.

Simultaneously inspirational and informative, First Impressions will leave listeners with a deeper understanding of the life experiences that prepared Matt for such a divisive moment in television history.

©2022 Matthew James (P)2022 Worthy Books

Critic reviews

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Matt off-camera. He is a lover of people, a servant of his community, and a man of faith. You may have met the man on-screen, but get to know the person, and a journey, that will move your heart and open your eyes to a life one could only imagine living.

—Emmanuel Acho, Emmy Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man

I thought I learned everything there is to know about Matt during quarantine…turns out I was wrong. He’s such a great human and his book has something for EVERYONE. You will not regret buying this book!!

—Hannah Brown, TV personality and New York Times bestselling author

Matt James is one person that is not afraid to use his platform. During TheBachelor and Dancing with the Stars, the world got to see a glimpse of the many layers of MJ. This book will really let you behind the veil to see the struggle, everything he has faced and overcome. Through it all, he stays grounded in who he is and never loses sight of his purpose. I’m honored to call Matt a friend and a brother. Get ready for a book that has the power to bring us all together and help guide us to really start understanding each other.

—Jimmie Allen

A look inside Matt’s Life

I enjoyed getting to know more of Matt’s background and what makes him who he is today. If you’re looking for bachelor tea, this is not the book for it as he only does a small bit of his time on the show.

If you thought you knew Matt’s story, you don’t.

I binged this book the moment I got my hands on it. I laughed, I cried, and I felt inspired. I listened to the audible version and hearing Matt tell his story reminded me that we really can’t judge someone by their public perception. Thank you Matt for sharing your story with us, your way. I look forward to seeing all the great things you will continue to accomplish.

A Fantastic Listen!

Matt James' book First Impressions is an inspiring glimpse at the complex, gracious, and hardworking man beneath the turtleneck sweater.
Containing funny stories and painful memories alike, this book is full of lessons so impactful I had to pause the recording several times to just...absorb them.
My favorite part was him recounting his experiences in New York, shacking up with some interesting characters and meeting the kids that inspired him to start his nonprofit, ABC food tours- a story so moving I was actually *angry* that it was barely mentioned on the show! It gave me a whole new understanding of who Matt is.
If you're a fan of the bachelor, this book is for you. if you're a fan of heartfelt memoirs, this book is for you. If you're a human being who is looking around at your life thinking you'll never make it out of the rut you're in, this book is for you! Matt James' First Impressions is about race, family, and faith, but mostly, it's about the power of knowing your own self worth.

Inspiring life story!

So enjoyed listening to Matt James tell his life story. Inspiring human being! He did a great job with the narration.

Great Book

loved it!!!! I loved how real and open you were with us.
Matt did a great job recording it.

What a great surprise.

As a person that didn’t have strong opinions either way of Matt, I personally always felt the show never allowed us to see who we was, truly. I am so glad to have listened to his memoir. The insight and story of a bi-racial man was really something to absorb and learn from.
I was also overcome with tears during the chapter in which “Jaden” was spoken of.
I am all the better for reading this book and not because of getting to know this man but because of his message to the world.

Not enough Bachelor details

I really enjoyed learning more about Matt James as a man of mixed race. His stories were incredibly moving and engaging. I'm just disappointed in the lack of Bachelor details. I'm guessing he's still not fully off contract so releasing behind the scenes details isn't allowed. In that case, the book should have waited. As it stands, he only takes about his experience as the Bachelor for about 30 minutes, where at least two additional hours could have been added to include what he went through as the first black Bachelor.