As Jess falls in love with River after initially despising him, she demonstrates how unreliable first impressions can be. When Jess first meets River, she considers him “sullen,” “moody,” and “antisocial” (8-9). She calls him “an asshole” (45) to his face when he steals her parking spot, doesn’t hold the elevator for her, and fails to recognize her when they meet for a second time. When Jess finds out that they are a Diamond Match, she is in disbelief. She tells River that the match must be an “error” because “there’s no way” (69) they are a match. As River initially does little to convince Jess she’s wrong, she is hesitant to reconsider her judgment.

However, Jess slowly begins to see River in a different light. This change reinforces River’s statement that “we’re only programmed to think about first encounters on a very primitive level” (162). Although Jess is contractually obligated to spend time with River, she is surprised to find that, the more she gets to know him, the more she enjoys his company. On their first date, Jess concludes that it’s “the best date she’d had in seven years” (148). She reluctantly admits that River is charming and funny, even though “he wasn’t supposed to be” (152).