"Love at First" is a cute little romance with pretty complex characters. Both Will and Nora are loveable, and I was invested in both of their backstories. There are a ton of quirky, endearing side characters too, and I loved the general concept of the story. It's sweet, it's light, it's fun to read, and oh do I love a good found family in my books!

I did think that the conflict between Will and Nora felt a little forced at times - they really had no actual reason to consider each other enemies (though I'd argue they never really did but just pretended to), and both of them suffered from a heavy dose of instalove which is a trope I don't necessarily enjoy. I prefer there to be more (real, not forced) obstacles, more meat to the development of the romance. And a part of me really would have loved for them to actually meet back in the days when they were teenagers instead of it being a one-sided thing.

In the end, I'm pretty sure I won't remember much about this story in a few months. It's not a Stand Out kind of romance full of new ideas and groundbreaking characters. But it's a really enjoyable, well written, quick and fluffy read, and that is, after all, what I want and expect from my romance novels.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the arc!

Will first noticed Nora when he was a teenager visiting his estranged uncle and heard her voice from the balcony of her grandmother's apartment. Years later, she is living in her grandmother's apartment and he has inherited his uncle's, which he wants to turn into a short-term rental. Very sweet story about Nora's learning to adapt to big changes and Will allowing other's into his life and care for him.

I really love the charm of Kate Clayborn books. At times, I could be frustrated with Nora but I also liked the realistic way that they went about love, slowly and with purpose. I loved the evolution both her and Will went through over the course of the book and the pacing was strong. The only thing I would change is that there are times when the descriptions can be a little long; three paragraphs to describe a feeling. In those instances, I did do some skimming. Overall, I really enjoy her books and find them a delightful get away from my realty, without being too cheesy or unrealistic. I look forward to posting about it on my instagram tomorrow.

Thank you to both Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Love at First by Kate Clayborn in exchange for my honest review. This was the perfect story to read during Valentine's Day weekend, it had just enough romance and cheesiness to carry the story. With most romance novels in my opinion, it's pretty hard to come up with a unique story/conflict without becoming cheesy, which was really my only qualm with this story! The slow burn of Nora and Will's relationship was totally obvious but designed well for the reading to truly enjoy the journey. I loved the side characters too, especially Jonah and his use of nicknames like "Beanpole" for Will! It's hard to imagine an entire apartment complex feel like a family unit, but I guess if the same residents lived there for over 20 years you would get to know all the tenants pretty well! If you're on the hunt for an easy romance read to sink your teeth into, look no further than Love at First! Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Love at First by Kate Clayborn. Kensington Books, 2021..

Will first sees Nora on a day when his life changes forever. She is thirteen and he is two years older. They meet again when he inherits an apartment from his uncle. Nora already owns her late grandmother’s apartment in the six-flat building where the other owners have become her family. Their story begins with Will’s plan to register his unit for short term rentals instead of living there himself for the year his uncle’s will requires before selling.

Will and Nora are credible and easy to care about. Each suffered a lack of childhood love and security so grew up accustomed to feeling alone, and are now hesitant to recognize and embrace their feelings. Their story spins out slowly as they fumble their way toward each other. There is enough descriptive detail so readers know and understand how the two main characters feel. It is a slow story, like slow food, to be savoured, not rushed.

Writing and character development is impeccable. Supporting characters are quirky and consistent. Readers will likely recognize their own family and friends among them.

This lovely book was my introduction to Kate Clayborn’s work. I have a second ready to read.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Love at First free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #LoveatFirst #NetGalley

Kate Clayborn has an amazing gift for building such sweet, warm, and deeply thoughtful worlds within her stories. Love At First is no exception! Will and Nora leap off the page with their chemistry and their depth. And as a native Chicagoan myself, the supporting cast of Chicagoan neighbors completely stole my heart. This book made me feel a part of the family in a way few other stories ever have. It was equally swoony and poignant. I truly cannot wait to revisit it!

Loved this one! Kate Clayborn has created a beautiful story about a doctor striving to not live to passionately and falling for the one woman he can't forget. Nina and Will were such a beautiful couple. Will is struggling with the complicated emotions related to cleaning out his estranged Uncle's apartment. His arc throughout this story was really natural and felt so real. Nina is such a bright character who has such a deep desire to protect the tenants in her late Grandmother's apartment complex like they are family. The tenants are fantastic as well and have very distinct but great personalities and made the story even better!

I would definitely pick this up if your wanting a romance story with a great couple, interesting side characters and a slightly slow burn. Clayborn's writing is so atmospheric and engaging I couldn't put this down! Highly Recommend!

Kate Clayborn has done it again! She wrote such a warm, heartfelt, lovely romance. It has bits of so many delightful tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, even a hint of second chance romance. The secondary characters get their own impressive development, and I love the found family aspect of the neighbors.
Nora and Will are so sweet together. Their emotional growth throughout the bookwas wonderful, and I adored the grand gesture moments. This book was the perfect read for Valentines week!

I picked up Love Lettering on a whim one day, shockingly read it the same day, and fell in love with Kate's writing. When Love at First popped up on here I almost screamed - I was so excited to read something else of hers.

This was... THIS WILL BE one of my favourite reads of 2021. I just loved Will and Nora and the whole makeshift family Nora had for herself in her building. I loved the character growth and the pacing of the story was just right. I liked how playful it was at first, and how you felt the shift at every intended moment.

I think what I love most about Kate Clayborn is that her writing always makes me feel like holding my breath. Not because of suspense, but because of the whispered moments between the characters that feel so intimate at even the smallest gesture. I felt like a fist was wrapped around my heart.

Anyways, I could go on and on about this but honestly, bottom line is I loved this. I can't wait until everyone gets to get their hands on this one.

I really enjoyed this book! Will ends up getting an apartment that his uncle left him when he died, which happens to be the same apartment he visited when he was 16. He ended up seeing Nora then but Nora didn't see him. They meet again all these years later.

It was a slow burn and I think I liked that! It's different then the insta love.
I did end up liking Will's growth in the book more than Nora's.

This was a very sweet, emotional romance. I thought the storyline was unique and interesting, and there were both laugh out loud and tearful moments. I did have a bit more of a challenge connecting with Nora, but I loved Will, and I loved their slow-burn romance. This is a wonderful mix of romance, chosen family, and overcoming one's past. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advance digital copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
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I am a huge fan of Clayborn's previous novel, Love Lettering, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Love at First!
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Unfortunately, Love at First did not charm me in the same manner as Love Lettering. Mostly, I did not connect with the characters the same was as before, and that character connection is what so endeared me to Love Lettering. I know it's not always fair to compare novels, but Clayborn won me over with the lol-humor of the former MC.
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Love at First is cute, but I never truly felt compelled to keep reading. The story is fine and there are some sweet moments, but ultimately, I found myself a bit bored :(. Clayborn can definitely write and I appreciate the way she strings words together, but this one just feel flat for me.

Happy Thursday, Friends!! My nanny family are headed north for the weekend so I get an extra long weekend myself. The temps are going to be in the negatives for the HIGH this weekend with more snow on the way so I’ll be spending all weekend tucked in bed with plenty of blankets and snacks! Do you have any plans for this weekend?
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When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I was DYING to read it. I really enjoyed Kate Clayborn’s book Love Lovetting and I was hoping I’d get approved. And then when I did, I had to stare at the title for months just counting down the days until February when I could finally dive in! I was NOT disappointed.
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If you’re a fan of meet cutes, hot doctors, hilarious elderly neighbors and friendships to last a lifetime, look no further! I honestly don’t know who I fell for more, Nora & Will or the rest of the tenets in the building. I snorted out loud more than once reading a line from Jonah or Marian. I swooned at Will, cheesed at Mrs. Salas and cheered on Nora throughout. Not one character was a waste, each added their own magic to the family that they had created in that run down apartment building. What starts as a less than friendly fued involving Will’s newly inherited unit and his desire to use it as an AirBNB of sorts, turns into a full blown friendship, and then into so much more. You can’t even stay mad at Will for long because he is so genuinely charming and just an all-around good guy. The angst was low and reasonable, none of that will they, won’t they, overly dramatic stuff. The things holding Will and Nora back from their happily ever after felt not only realistic, but very relatable. I myself come from some AWFUL examples of what it means to love someone and I swore for years and years that I would never settle down. I would never get married, I would never commit myself to another person the way my parents did. And then like Will, I found my Nora and I was reminded that the right person is worth facing all of your fears.
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Oh Kate. Can I call you Kate? You have opened my heart and poured this story right in where I have a feeling it’ll find a permanent home. I will be buying my own physical copy of this book as soon as it publishes on the 23rd and I HIGHLY recommend you do the same!

Love at First
Rating: 2 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Love at First was not for me. Sadly I had to DNF it at 30%. I just could not get into it. I was really looking forwards to reading it because I really enjoyed Ms Clayborn's Love Lettering.
I liked how the prologue introduced us to these two characters. We are introduced to more of Will's back story and I instantly was invested to see how the family event that happened to him here would affect him for the rest of the story, but unfortunately once the story took off I was bored.
It took me four days just to read what I did. It was just not for me, but maybe it could be for other readers.

2.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

You know that feeling when you can see objectively why a certain book or author would work for so many people, but you come to find that it just doesn’t work for you? That’s my experience with Kate Clayborn. I DNFed Love Lettering, and now in spite of wanting to give her another go because I did see objective potential in her work, I find myself feeling very underwhelmed by Love at First.

Of course, I do see the appeal. The storyline in itself is fairly charming, and the prose flows very well, even if it failed to fully engage me. I think this is very much a case where my preferences just didn’t align with what the story delivered.

I did really like the “community” aspect, even though I did struggle to visualize them, given that Clayborn provides no clues as to physical appearance; it’s all implied through name choices. Once again, I found my friend Aarya’s analysis of this valuable, pointing out the odd way in which this hints at diversity without confirming it.

And I just didn’t get what others were swooning about? The premise is there, but the execution does not deliver. I didn’t feel anything for Will or Nora, in spite of the fact that they supposedly had this sweet moment in their past. There appears to be attempts to build romantic tension and have tender moments, but I skated right by them, feeling pretty much nothing, which is sad to say.

Despite my optimism and wanting to hope for the best, I just didn’t love this book and don’t think Kate Clayborn is the author for me. However, I don’t regret giving her a second chance, as I can theoretically see why she and her books are well loved. As with any hyped book or author, I think you should take all the raves and critiques with a grain of salt. And if this book or any of Clayborn’s works sound good to you, I hope you try them and that they work better for you.

This book is an utter delight! Sixteen years ago, Will heard the voice of a girl he knew was special on a day that changed his family forever. Now, he rediscovers the girl, Nora, when he unexpectedly inherits the apartment where his world was shattered. Nora is horrified to learn that her late friend's nephew plans to turn his apartment into a short-term rental, disrupting the lives of the tenants she adores. As everyone knows, found families are my favorite trope in books, and this one is done so well. I first discovered Kate Clayborn with her lovely book, Love Lettering, last year and have now bought her other three books. She is a must read for me now!

Oh my heart! Love at First is my first five-star read of 2021. This sweet romance is bursting with charm, characters you'll cheer for, and emotional moments that will surprise you.

Nora grew up spending summers with her grandmother in her small apartment building, and all the neighbors became her extended family. And what a cast of characters they are! After her grandmother dies, Nora stays and settles into Nonna's life and apartment, not leaving much room for her own life. But when Will inherits his estranged uncle's apartment in Nora's building, life becomes much more complicated for both of them. Will wants to unload the apartment as quickly as possible by finding a new tenant and Nora wants the building to remain familial-like, even resolving to a few hi-jinks to keep it that way. The situation forces them to make peace with things from their pasts and embrace a future they didn't know they wanted.

While there are moments that made me laugh, this novel has depth, too. Will and Nora do have issues. In fact--let's be honest--they could both probably benefit from some therapy, but the walls Will has put up and the fact that Nora doesn't want anything to change are understandable reactions. It was refreshing to watch them work through the things keeping them apart--the ups and the downs--with a little help from their friends.

Love at First is romantic--like swoon-worthy romantic!--with just the right amount of steamy thrown in, as well. Entertaining and satisfying, it's one I'll want to reread again!

Love Lettering was one of my favorite romance reads last year so I had high expectations of Love at First. It did not disappoint! I loved the cast of "family" that was much bigger than blood relations, I loved the backstories for the hero and heroine, and I thought their romance felt believable and charming. There's even poetry as a key plot point! Five sparkly stars for this book that expanded ideas of friends and family into a really lovely community. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

Kate Clayborn can't go wrong. Her books are some of my favorites and this one wasn't any different. I listened to Kate on a romance book panel and she said her favorite parts of books are a big cast of characters and watching the protagonists open up to each other and to themselves. Love at First hit the mark on both of those fronts in such a delightful, comforting way that this book felt like a big warm blanket and made me feel cozy and secure.

Will is a serious and intense ER doctor. He inherits an apartment in Chicago from his uncle who he didn't have a relationship with. The will stipulates that he cannot sell the apartment for one year. He has some trauma over his relationship with his parents and uncle and the apartment is not comforting for him. He decides to offer it up for short-term rentals so he can make some money before being able to sell it. The other residents of the apartment complex are not so happy about this endeavor and their spokesperson Nora starts on a gentle campaign to get him to change his mind.

Nora basically grew up in this apartment complex with her grandmother. The other residents are her found family and she doesn't want to change anything about their little community. She also has a complicated relationship with her parents and her work life isn't progressing like she wants it to. The sudden influx of changes in her life overwhelms her and she unexpectedly finds comfort with Will.

I loved watching the two of them open up to each other and to themselves. Nora's decision to make some small cosmetic changes in her bathroom felt like such a win after being afraid of tarnishing the memory of her beloved grandmother. Will's willingness to share his hurt with Nora and start to care about the other residents made his character arc so sweet.

This book was practically perfect. If you loved Love Lettering you HAVE to read this one. I can't wait to see more of this author's work.

This was cute, light and adorable. I enjoyed the first book in the series and this stand alone second book was just as good. This was a bit different than Love Lettering. You can’t help but love the characters the author creates and root for them. The relationship is a good slow burn.