Love at First: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances

I really wanted to like this book. I am fan of happily ever after romances, especially those by Sophie Kinsella. I loved the cover of this book and I loved the first impression that I got from reading the first few chapters. Unfortunately, after I started reading, I felt let down by my high expectations. There wasn't anything wrong with Love at First. It's a typical romance that will satisfy many readers. It just wasn't my cup of tea. One thing that I really enjoyed was the cozy aspect of the book. I felt that the characters and situations were warm and I liked learning about how the two characters fell in love. One thing I didn't like was that the plot felt boring to me. I started to skim when I felt like there weren't enough things happening to move the plot along. I also didn't really get the author's sense of humor. In short, Love at First is a great romance, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

SWOON. Kate Clayborn's writing works for me in such a major way. She suffuses all these tiny details into her books, down to the sentence level (with judicious yet delicious use of parens to include little asides!). More than once, it felt like she writes how I think. The plot of Love at First is a bit slower than my average romance read, but I'm glad I was along for the ride: This one gets swoon-y! The conflict between the two main characters (Nora and Will) isn't MAJOR, which I actually liked - it made them feel more like adults. Or at least, it made them feel true to life/my romantic experiences (sometimes conflict and tension are quiet things). And I'd be remiss not to mention the cast. Will recently inherited an apartment in Nora's building - she considers all those living there to be family aaand he wants to unload his unit asap. I really enjoyed scenes with the neighbors, as well as Will and Nora's friends. Mostly this one just gave me warm fuzzies so I'm happy to recommend it!

This was such a tender and heartfelt novel. The prologue grabbed me right away and I didn't want to put the book down. Kate Clayborn balanced all of the emotions and humor so well in Love at First. Her writing is magical and I found myself swooning one minute and then laughing out loud the next. I loved this entire cast of quirky and charming characters. Love at First is a love story, but it's not just about romantic love. It's also about the love between friends, neighbors, found families, and most of all, it's about loving yourself. There are too many things to list, but here are just a few of the things I loved: - The great mix of tropes: forced proximity, enemies to friends to lovers, and second chance-ish romance. They worked well together and felt really balanced. - All of the secondary characters, especially Gerald. Each provided amazing comic relief and I loved the bromance between Gerald and Will. - How Nora and Will's story came full circle. I loved the backstory and that ending and epilogue made me swoon so hard. Their love was subtle and almost quiet, but it was so very tender and beautiful. I loved that it wasn't rushed and that they each recognized that they had to reconcile their pasts before being able to truly move forward. - "I'll see you." I loved how this simple line could be interpreted not just to say goodbye/see someone later, but to really see a person for who they are. That connection of understanding and being seen was so powerful between Nora and Will. - The importance and theme of family. This was one of the most painful and beautiful parts of the novel to me. I was really touched by how this group of "orphans" took care of each other and created their own new family. My heart is so full. I really can't recommend this book enough. CW: grief, loss of loved one, parental abandonment *I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*