Kate Clayborn’s Love at First is one of those books that you immediately feel has wrapped you up in a warm hug, and in which the characters and their story creep gradually and unobtrusively under your skin and wind around your heartstrings. Ms. Clayborn is one of my few go-to contemporary romance authors, and this book demonstrates yet again exactly why that is; this is a beautifully understated but gloriously romantic love story full of poignancy and tenderness featuring fully-rounded, supremely relatable characters with ordinary, everyday lives and ordinary, everyday problems.

We first meet Will Sterling when he’s around fifteen, and his mother has taken him to meet the uncle he never knew existed. He has no idea why they’re there, and while he’s waiting outside the apartment block for his mother, he hears a girl’s laughter coming from somewhere above him. He looks up to the balcony and even though he can’t see her clearly (he’s short sighted and needs glasses) Will is immediately captivated. Something about her – the swishing of her sleek ponytail, her animated gestures, the sound of her voice – calls to him and he stands watching while he can hear his mother and uncle arguing in the background.

Sixteen years later, Will is a dedicated and hard-working ER doctor when he discovers that his uncle Donny has died and left him his apartment. Will doesn’t want it – thinking about the things he’d learned that day so many years ago, or about his long-deceased parents stirs up too many painful, unresolved emotions – but under the terms of the bequest, he can’t sell the place for a year, so he decides instead to fit it out for short-term lets until he can legally dispose of it.

Unlike Will, Eleanora – Nora – Clarke has very fond memories of the apartment building where she spent so much of her childhood, and regards the other (mostly elderly) inhabitants as family. The only child of two archaeologists who spent most of their time away on one dig or another, Nora lived with her grandmother during the summers and has, following Nonna’s recent death, come back to Chicago to live. Moving from San Diego, adjusting to remote working and struggling to cope with grief over her Nonna’s death has led to bouts of interrupted sleep, and now, a few months later, the hour between four and five in the morning has become her ‘Golden Hour’, a time for coffee and quiet reflection before confronting the day. She knows the habits of her neighbours well, so when, on one particular morning, she wakes to hear someone else moving around on one of the balconies, she knows it must be someone new. She ventures outside, and looking down, sees a man standing quietly, his handsome face cast in light and shadow from the glow coming from inside… and feels suddenly that this is someone she should meet.

Will and Nora engage in a short conversation, but they don’t see each other again until a few weeks later, during the meeting of the residents Nora convenes after learning of Will’s plan to let out Donny’s – Will’s – apartment to short term renters. She’s outraged – and the other tenants are worried – at the prospect of a steady stream of strangers coming and going, hating the idea of breaking up their close-knit community – and determines to come up with ways to get Will to change his mind. She thinks if she can get him to see the unique qualities of the building and the people in it, he will fall in love with it (and them) too, and abandon his plan.

For the first part of the book, Nora and Will are at odds, he spending a couple of weeks clearing out and renovating his apartment, she trying to slow him down, put him off and generally make things difficult for him. It’s a bit childish, sure, but for Nora, this is the family unit she’s never really had, and losing that on top of losing her Nonna is just too much to face. And for Will, it’s the place where his life changed forever and he all he wants to do is leave behind the memories of the hurt and disappointment he associates with it.

But even though they want completely different things, neither of them can deny the strong pull of attraction they feel towards one another. The chemistry between them is intense yet understated, and their interactions are awkward and lovely, a mixture of unutterable tenderness and raw vulnerability as they begin to learn about and love each other, slowly helping one another to let go of the things that hurt them and are holding them back. I loved the way the author slowly reveals their truths – to the reader and to each other – showing not only how their pasts have shaped them but also their dawning awareness that those pasts don’t define them and that they can choose another path.

Nora’s neighbours are quirky and wonderfully drawn, as is Will’s uptight but insightful boss, and I loved the found family aspect of the story, the idea that we can choose who to love and surround ourselves with by sharing our hearts and our truest selves.

I had just two minor quibbles, which account for the A- rather than a full-on A. Firstly, I didn’t care for the way Nora treats Will near the end; okay, so it’s a very stressful time but it still felt cold. Also, I’m not a fan of romances where friends or family have to provide a very big nudge to get the protagonists to see what is under their respective noses; I much prefer them to work it out for themselves.

Apart from that though, Love at First is, quite simply, a delightful love story. It’s not flashy or drama-filled; it’s a quiet, heartfelt and deeply emotional tale in which the romance builds slowly and organically, the character development is incredible yet subtle, and the regard and respect the two leads have for one another – even when they’re on opposite sides – infuse every page. I’m sure Kate Clayborn’s many fans will need no urging to pick up this latest release, but if you’ve never read one of her books, Love at First would be a wonderful place to start. Strongly recommended.

Grade: 4.5 stars / A-

Disclaimer! I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley. That has in no way influenced my review.

Sixteen years ago, Will Stirling first cast eyes on Nora Clarke and was instantly smitten. He was standing under a shaded tree, listening with a sinking heart to his mother pleading with the uncle he hadn't even realised existed, while she was up high on a balcony, throwing little tomatoes at thieving squirrels.

Cut to the present day, when Will is an overworked doctor and has inherited his uncle's apartment. With the exception of seeing his intriguing mystery girl in the garden, he has nothing but bad memories associated with the place and he doesn't like the run-down building or location. The terms of his late uncle's will states that he can't sell the place for the first year, but he's planning on having it modernised and put up for short-term rentals, so he can go on with his life.

Nora Clarke and the other residents of the building where Will has inherited are appalled when they realise that Will wants nothing to do with the place, and is going to use his unit as a rental. Nora is still grieving for her grandmother, whose apartment she inherited and now lives in, having barely changed a thing since her dear Nonna was alive. Having always had a safe haven in the building, and feeling a strong sense of kinship with the other long-time residents, Nora can't understand why Will wouldn't want to be enveloped by their quirky community. She and the other owners decide to try to sabotage Will's efforts as much as they can.

As it turns out, of course, Nora and Will have a lot in common. Both grew up with distant and preoccupied parents, the difference was that Nora had a loving grandmother and the other residents in her Chicago apartment building. Will had no one else and was completely orphaned in his late teens. He's used to having to fend for himself, putting himself through college and medical school through hard work and dedication. He's never had any long-term relationships and seems frankly baffled by the many slightly off-beat traditions that the residents of his uncle's apartment building seem attached to. He's very attracted to Nora, though, even more so after he discovers that she is, in fact, the same person he saw on that balcony all those years ago.

The blurb for this romance describes it as a second chance story, but it's not like Nora and Will have this complicated past and just need to find back to one another. Their past encounter consists of one single encounter, where they didn't even speak or even see each other - Will is the only one who is aware of it having taken place. So it's more of a love at first sight story, as having seen the vivacious teenage Nora all those years ago seems to have made Will uninterested in all other women.

I liked a lot of things about this book, but unfortunately, the actual romance between Will and Nora is probably third or fourth down on that list. Will and Nora on their own are both interesting and complex characters, both with a lot of emotional baggage they need to work through before being able to commit to a romantic relationship and finding a happy ending. The various supporting characters in the book are all awesome and made the book really come alive. They include Nora's best friend and colleague Deepa (who I will happily read a book about) and Will's starchy superior who's trying to reconnect with his ex-wife. There are the various individuals who live in the apartment building, all of whom are great and act as Nora's extended family and support network. I loved reading about all of them - I didn't really feel swept away by the actual central romance.

Kate Clayborn is a good writer and seems very skilled at writing memorable characters. I still clearly remember and think about several of the protagonists in her Chance of a Lifetime trilogy. There was a lot to like about this story as well, but the romance that should have been front and centre kind of came second to the found family narrative that I found most compelling. It was still a lovely read, and I'll keep my eyes open in case Clayborn decides she wants to give Deepa a book next.

Judging a book by its cover: It's become quite clear that cute, animated covers for romance novels are the popular thing right now, and this is a really nice example. I may be biased because purple is my favourite colour and just look at that rich plummy colour, lightening towards the bottom. Gorgeous. It may be that I also prefer the covers not to have actual little cartoon people on them.

Huge thanks to @kensingtonbooks for the early copy. I had very high expectation of this one since I loved 'Love Lettering', but it turned out to be very different. In a good way. Though it took me a bit to actually get into the story, I ultimately ended up enjoying it. Will and Nora's love story is sweet and the side characters add up to its charm. But on the downside, the book itself didn't make much of an impact. Did I like it? Yes. Will I read it again? May be. If you are looking for a cute romantic read then 'Love at First' is a good choice.

I like a good fluffy romantic comedy from time to time, but this one left me lacking a little something. I was more interested in the quirky community of neighbors than I was in the two main protagonists Will and Nora. I did think their characters had interesting back stories and histories but this wasn’t fleshed out a whole lot. That being said there was a cute meet (two if you count the almost meet they had which was arguably the better of the two). And the plot was enjoyable even if it was completely predictable. The writing was good and there was a nice thread of humor through the whole story. Teenage Will’s mother brings him to his uncle’s house to ask for help and he even though he desperately needs glasses he is denying he spots the blurry image of her on the balcony and he feels an instant connection. Years later his uncle leaves him that apartment and he is taken aback to hear the same voice call to him from the balcony. Of course they’re opposites so in between their arguments they can’t help the sparks from flying.

I so enjoyed this sweet romance. Dr. Will Sterling was a dreamy male lead and Nora was relatable. Their romance of course has some challenges and bumps in the road but I felt like they were believable and not just misunderstandings for the sake of drama. I loved the cast of supporting characters. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of romance.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A slow burn enemies to lovers... sign me up.

I am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story, and if you can pull of the slow burn it makes the book so much more enjoyable. This is my second book by Kate Clayborn, and she has hit it out of the park. I fully enjoyed both main characters, Nora and Will and their well developed characters, but the real win for me was all the fun characters within the apartment complex. The characters add to the deep world building, which is somewhat becoming rarer and rarer in books these days. I want a book that makes me laugh and smile, but it's just all fluff.

This is going to be a perfect spring break or summer read.

This is a slow read, but one that is so good. If you have the patience and the time, you'll be rewarded with a quiet romance filled with quirky side characters--Dr. Gerald Abraham was my absolute favorite. The story alternates between Will and Nora so you know exactly how they feel about one another, how each struggles with their feelings, and why the problem isn't necessarily one contributed to just a lack of communication. They're both still processing grief in their own ways. Nora is protective of her found family but also resistant to change. Will hides his wounds and is hesitant to start a relationship despite his strong attraction to Nora. There are things each has to work through before they can decide what the next step is. Clayborn's beautiful prose provides us a snapshot into their lives and I am so glad I got to read it. The book left a lasting impression, one filled with a long sigh of contentment.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Love at First by Kate Clayborn was such a delight to read. On the day Will Sterlings childhood ended he heard Nora Clarke speak and instantly fell in love and he heard his uncle describe him as rash, reckless and selfish and vowed that he would not be that person. When to his great surprise he inherits his uncles apartment, his first thought is to sell it because it will forever be tied in his mind to that day and those words, however by the terms of his uncle’s will he cannot sell the apartment for a year. Nora Clarke grew up spending summers with her Nona as her parents spent the summers on archeological digs and had no time for her. When her Nona became ill she returned to look after her and her found family in the apartment building. The news that Will intends to turn his apartment into a short term rental unit has the other tenants up in arms and Nora is delegated to resolve the situation. If you are looking for a story with a heartwarming romance, strong supporting characters, cute kittens, and clandestine bathroom renovations, that will make you laugh out loud and utter a sigh when Will puts his glasses on then this is your book. Highly Recommend. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: February 23, 2021. #LoveAtFirst #KateClayborn #KensingtonBooks #ContemporaryRomance #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookstagramer

I really enjoyed Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, so I was thrilled to see she had a new release! I think my expectations might have been a bit too unrealistic, but I found Love at First to be a charming-ish read overall.

Will and Nora "meet" (without seeing each other) as teens and then meet again when they are older. It was very much a slow-burn romance. The side characters were probably my favorite part; endlessly entertaining!

Rounding up to 4 stars. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was my first book by Kate Clayborn, and I was very impressed by this author. I will definitely read more from this author.

This book had all of the things I love in a good romance. You have a little enemies to lovers, a great set of secondary characters, a few steamy times and a happy ending.

The plot of this story was original while still following the typical romance style. The characters were fun and well developed, and I felt I connected to our main characters. The writing style was pleasant and I felt the book had nice pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy for review.

A solid modern romance. While it was somewhat predictable (what romance isn't) it had it's cute moments. My favorite character was the apartment complex. It was a rich, homey character that gave depth to the storyline! Another great Clayborn book!

It was a little predictable and I never truly believed the tension between the main characters. While I like knowing I'm in store for a happy ending, I was never actually invested in these characters' "will they, won't they".

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoy Kate Clayborn’s novels and this latest one did not disappoint. Nora and Will meet in an apartment complex where they are both dealing with loss and insecurity. They are immediately attracted to each other, but are afraid to act on their feelings. What starts as a mutual agreement swiftly turns into something more powerful. There is great chemistry between the main characters. A fun read.

I loved Kate’s Love Lettering, so I had high hopes for this book, and was not disappointed. Like Love Lettering, this book has a strong sense of place- rooted in Chicago but centered on the building where Nora lives- surrounded by the found family of her Nonna and her childhood summers. Nora wants to do right by her neighbors and Nonna’s memory.

Will first saw Nora on a summer day 16 years before. The things he learns that day were an emotional bomb in his life and he was never the same. But he’d heard the laughter of a girl on the balcony and had fallen in love. I loved Will- he was an emotional mess but also incredibly sweet and sincere. His relationship with his best friend was a delight to read.

The joy for me was both Will and Nora’s relationship progressing AND the cast of characters who support both of them. I wanted to be adopted into their building!

But what had me in tears was the ending scene. I cannot think of another proposal in a book that had me crying from
the beauty of it. Time reading Love at First is time well spent. ♥️

This is the kind of book that makes you want to fall in love.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book (surprising myself with this) is that it felt so plausible and real. Between Nora working from home and having this sweet relationship with her neighbors, to how she meets Will and everything that follows, it feels like Kate Clayborn has sprinkled the real world with a bit of magic, and it's wonderful! Nothing felt heavy-handed, their love developed with such a light touch that it genuinely felt like as readers we were falling in love with them.

I cannot get enough of the sickbed scene in the middle of the book, because Will fussing over Nora was my favorite thing ever. I know no one wants to read about a character being sick for a long time in a romance novel, but I could have read about Will taking care of Nora forever. Even the way he looked out for her even after he was gone was so sweet! Also, the budding friendships between Will and all of the neighbors, and especially with Gerald at the hospital, were such a great way of showing his character development.

This book is exactly what I needed this month in 2021. It's sweet, full of love, and reads like wrapping yourself in a comfortable blanket. There are so many personal touches that might not resound as much for others as they did for me, but I loved it all. Absolutely recommend!

Kate Clayborn is definitely on my auto-read author list now. After loving last year's Love Lettering, I eagerly anticipated Love at First and it did not disappoint. Whereas in Love Letting the author really made the city a character, in this one, the unassuming apartment building and its inhabitants are integral to the story, and I really loved them. Maybe it's the element of knowing places like this and their Midwest-niceness, where people really do know and care for each other and the smallness of a community like that within a bigger city. I very much so enjoyed Will and Nora's love story, and the ways they were able to see and work with each other's wounds and find each other. The encouragement of those around them, even those like Will's gruff, older doctor mentor, made it so sweet as they found family with them. With a word perfect ending to the story, this was a definite winner.

3.5 stars

Will first "sees" Nora when he was fifteen years old. He doesn't really see her face, but hears her sweet voice and feels something. Will's life changes dramatically that day they visited his uncle Donny that he never knew existed. It was then that he learned that his father was sick.

Sixteen years later, Will is now a doctor and back to his now deceased uncle's apartment that his uncle left to him. It's there that he sees Nora again. He's not sure that it's the girl from many years ago, but soon realizes it is. Will wants nothing to do with the apartment and soon fixes it up for short term renters. Nora, at first, has plans to sabotage him the help of her quirky neighbors--she learns of his family history and why he doesn't want to live there.

Nora doesn't like change. She has lived in her deceased Nonna's apartment and hasn't changed anything in it. Will is someone who wants to be loved, but is afraid of ending up like his parents: young and in love, but then lost with the idea of not being with each other.

I enjoyed this sweet romance about learning to love and be loved. I really liked Will and his internal thoughts. There were sweet moments between Nora and him that had my toes tingling--one in particular towards the end of the book involving tomatoes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

It was time for a sweet book to warm my heart. After enjoying Kate Clayborn’s last book Love Lettering, I had high hopes that Love at First would fit the bill. It did.

This is a delightful story because the characters are so engaging. Beyond main characters Will and Nora, the wonderful secondary characters add lots of heart showing that love and family can come from many places. Love at First was a welcome break from the heavier books I’ve been reading.

It’s nice to read a book that makes you swoon.

4.5/5

I'm a Kate Clayborn superfan and she has yet to write a book that I haven't loved with every fiber of my being. She has this incredible ability to gut me with her love stories and I've found that I'm a big fan of her brand of angst. Love at First was another beautiful and achy book from Kate Clayborn. I shouldn't have been surprised by how much I fell for this story.

The prologue of Love at First opens with a teenaged, blurry-visioned Will meeting his maternal uncle for the first time one afternoon when his mother drags him to his Chicago apartment. This is a pivotal moment in Will's life - it's bittersweet because he hears Nora's voice here for the first time but this is also when his dreams decidedly end up crushed. Fast forward years later, Will is now an ER physician and his uncle, who he never met after that one afternoon, has left his apartment to Will. He plans on fixing up the unit and renting it out as an Airbnb. Enter Nora, who is also now living in her grandmother's apartment, still grieving from her loss. The apartment building and its tenants hold a special place in her heart, so Nora definitely does not want a rotation of strangers in her building. This creates tension between Will and Nora - I wouldn't call them outright enemies, but they are in opposition to each other. Obviously, this is a romance novel, so there's also an absurd amount of sexual tension between the two that we get to watch play out throughout the book.

All of the characters in Love at First are so well-written. Of course, we get to see more of Will and Nora in the book, but even the secondary cast felt like and living and breathing individuals with their varying personalities. There's almost an element of found-family among these neighbors. They are fiercely protective of each other, care about each other's happiness and sorrows, and it's genuinely the sweetest thing ever. Some of them also serve to lighten the book with their humorous meddlesome ways. Will's boss, who eventually becomes a good friend to him, is another great addition to this book - we even get to see his second chance romance in the background!

Back to talking about Will and Nora. Both of these characters have baggage which led to them being guarded with their emotions. They are both dealing with different traumas in Love at First. Will has his struggles from growing up unloved as a child - ugh, chest aches - and Nora is dealing with the grief of having lost her beloved grandmother. In a way, their argumentative interactions with each other is a form of solace from their baggage and it was clear to me as a reader, that they were meant for each other. The two have a lot of emotional growing up to do in the book before finally coming together as a couple but the journey was lovely and satisfying. Kate Clayborn fed my romance reading soul with this book. I mean there are numerous scenes of Will leaning against doorways, deliciously swoony kisses, all the consent, and emotional monologues and realization moments that had me clutching my chest!

I don't know how Kate Clayborn does it, but I'm here for everything that she writes. There's a reason why she is one of my all-time favorite authors and once again, with Love at First she proves why she 100% deserves to be on my list.

This book has everything! Long lost love (kind of), enemies to lovers, not one but two grand guestures, and it introduces a new favorite book boyfriend. Will is one the best book boyfriends to come around in a while and made this already enjoyable book even better. Add in a whole cast of lovable characters and this is a win. ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫