This was a tender, funny, and sweet romance. I loved watching Nora and Will fall for each other while learning how to love. The secondary characters in this one were magnificent. Every time I came back to the book it was like coming home to friends who have become family. I loved this story.

Tender and Warm-Hearted Romance

“The first time Will Sterling saw Nora Clarke, he could barely see at all.”

Kate Clayborn engages all of your senses with her writing and immerses you in the world she has created in every book she writes. She does this very gently and tenderly in “Love At First”.

We are first introduced to young Will and Nora and their non-meeting at the building where Nora is visiting her grandmother. Will needs glasses desperately - he can barely see at all but due to his own stubbornness he is avoiding it. It is due to this that he only truly hears Nora’s voice.

“It burst into the air above him, then trailed down from one of those balconies above like ivy, making his whole body go still, making his adolescent heart stutter-stop in his chest in a way it never had before.”

Nora appears as nothing but a blur with a ponytail on that day.

While this is going on Will’s mother is visiting his only uncle in the building. Will has never met him and hears her having an argument with him; he hears her begging him for help which he refuses to give. Will decides then and there that, “He was done with blurry distractions. He was done with being a kid.” We later find out the terrible truth behind this change in Will and his attitude towards the building.

Will’s life is changed, he decides to get glasses, he quits playing ball, he breaks up with his girlfriend. “He was seeing clearly now.”

Sixteen years later, Nora and Will meet again in the peaceful dark of what Nora calls the “golden hour” of four in the early morning, from balcony to balcony each having inherited apartments in the shabby building. Will has inherited his apartment from the uncle who refused to help Will’s mother that long ago day.

Will and Nora soon find themselves faced off as enemies; on opposites sides of a disagreement regarding the building and must deal with all manner of confusing feelings for one another.

Although to me it is a quieter book than the author’s previous works, it is so, so lovely and full of emotional intelligence and tenderness for her characters. You ache for Will and Nora. You cry for them.

The people inhabiting Nora’s building are an entertaining group adding extra personality, uniqueness and character to the story. They are Nora’s found family and she loves and protects them fiercely.

The true magic comes in the hushed tones of the conversations between Will and Nora, stealing those golden hour moments and learning one another bit by bit. In addition to the hiccup of Will’s heart, the caress of palms meeting for the first time, the quiet moments all expertly convey the new and stunning, surprising feelings Will and Nora have for one another.

The last act of the book sparkles with discovery and excitement as the characters call back to that first non-meeting.

I truly loved this expertly crafted book. It’s a must read for me. “Love At First” nourishes your heart and soul as Will and Nora learn that you don’t have to love in the manner that you learned to love at first.

WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PLOT: 5/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
ROMANCE: 5/5
HEAT: 5/5

I’m a sucker for a Kate Clayborn novel and went into LOVE AT FIRST super excited. I loved the premise and second chance at love for the two main characters. Grief and inability to let go of the past are themes that run throughout the LOVE AT FIRST and Clayborn handles them beautifully. And, while I loved so many parts of this book, my lack of connection with Nora, the book’s heroine, was disappointing.

Clayborn has a wonderful voice and LOVE AT FIRST showcases that. There are many laugh out loud moments that made the book read like the romantic comedy it is. The residents of the apartment building, where much of the book takes place, are eccentric, gruff, and well-meaning and they carried the book frequently. Surprisingly, it’s Will’s boss, Gerald, that steals the space in my heart for secondary characters. He’s gruff and has an aversion to eye contact when the book starts and his transformation is both hilarious and heartwarming.

Then there’s Will. I absolutely adored him. Emotionally neglected growing up, Will faces life with a wall around his heart. His growth throughout LOVE AT FIRST is well plotted and uplifting as he lets Nora and the rest of the apartment residents chip away at his wall. More so, he’s engaging and attentive with everyone he comes into contact with despite his caged heart. He’s one of Clayborn’s best heroes and I would have been happy to read an entire book just about him.

I wanted to love Nora. On paper she checks all the boxes of a great heroine. She’s grieving her grandmother and when Will inherits an apartment in the building, she latches onto him as a way to avoid her grief and her own need to move on. As mentioned, Clayborn handled these themes beautifully, but sadly Nora remained an enigma throughout the book. I never connected with her and at times I felt she overstepped, her inability to let go spilling over, affecting Will’s own character development.

I wish I could give LOVE AT FIRST more than 3.5 stars. Despite this, I do recommend the book, especially if you’re a big fan of Kate Clayborn. If you haven’t read anything from Clayborn, I recommend you check out her booklist!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an early copy of LOVE AT FIRST in exchange for honest feedback.

obviously Kate is a friend of mine, but I loved this book so much and cannot wait for everyone to read it. Such a brilliant way to tackle a retelling, which is more about feelings and tone than plot.

When Will Sterling goes with his mother to meet his estranged uncle, he has a short conversation with Nora Clarke. Decades later, Will is back at his uncle's apartment taking over the lease after his uncle's death. Nora is also back in the building following the death of her grandmother. Although it has been decades since their small encounter, Will still remembers Nora. When Will begins the process of subleasing his apartment, it ruffles the feathers of Nora and the other neighbors, who see all occupants as an extended family member.

This is my first Kate Clayborn novel and honestly I'm underwhelmed after hearing the love for her previous novel, Love Lettering. I found the pacing slower than I would like. The conflict between Nora and Will was very short lived making it harder to want to proceed with the novel, in some ways. It didn't have any "well they, won't they?" feeling that helps to propel romance novels. I'm not sure if I would have finished it except I was reading it for early review. The ending was fine and put an end to the story so there were not cliffhangers or unanswered questions left behind. There were a few steamy moments between Will and Nora but if you prefer closed-door romances you can easily skim those portions.

We got another cute-rom com story to you. 
I got to warn you. I was totally expected for Love at First to be a slow-burning romance story. But I never expect it to be so long. Like I really anticipated slow-burning romance stories because it builds the suspension between the characters and it also builds their relationship and friendship as a whole. Dragging a love story so slow makes the read difficult. I tried several times to finish Love at First. It made it difficult for me to connect with the storyline and the characters. I know that there will be other readers who will appreciate Love at First but for me, it was not my type of book.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my complimentary e-ARC.

Love At First by Kate Clayborn turned my heart into absolute mush. It’s a slow burn love at first sight, second chance romance--which sounds antithetical--but actually perfectly describes this delightful romance.

As a teenager, standing outside his uncle’s apartment, Will Sterling heard a girl on an apartment balcony laugh and fell in love, but he never met her. Sixteen years later, he finds himself back in the same apartment building, now the owner of his uncle’s old apartment, and against all odds, in the dark pre-dawn, he hears that same voice--older but just as recognizable--from two balconies up, and his heart hiccups.

Nora Clarke, while inexplicably drawn to Will, is incensed by his plan to turn his uncle’s old apartment as a vacation rental, which would change the close-knit family dynamic of the building’s residents.

Quirky and tender, Love At First has the best cast of characters I’ve read in a long time. Each neighbor climbed into my heart and refused to leave. I couldn’t forget this book if I tried, but I wouldn’t want to. Nora and Will’s chemistry combined with the gentle evolution of their relationship make this a book not to be missed. Kate Clayborn is the newest author to make it onto my auto-buy list. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

What a sweet and swoony story of love and grief and handling change. I loved Love Lettering and have been so excited to read this newest installment from Kate Clayborn. I was a little hesitant for an enemies to lovers trope. I feel like it's either done well or goes over the top easily, but this was just right. The enemies to lovers pranks were appropriate without being mean spirited. The almost second chance vibe created a sweet connection that carried through the story and I loved it. Thank you for letting me read and review.

I was ready for a light, fun, romantic book and this one was perfect!

The story is told from a third-person dual perspective with Nora and Will as the main characters; but honestly, the secondary characters added so much that I wanted to see the novel become a movie.

Nora is a young woman who is still grieving the loss of her grandmother, “Nonna.” After she inherits Nonna’s apartment, she is the self-appointed charge of the small apartment building in Chicago, where the tenants are more like family, They are all there for each other and they like things just the way they are. So, when handsome Will Sterling is left one of the apartments after his uncle dies, his presence and desire to change the apartment into a rental is not well received, to say the least.

There is a lot of back story with the two main characters and why they are the people they are today. They obviously are attracted to each other but at the beginning of the story, they want different things. Are they willing to examine themselves and grow? Will love conquer all?

I enjoyed all the characters and I enjoyed reading a feel-good book that was easy to read and relate to. Love at First is available on Feb. 23, 2021.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review..

Naww, this book is just what I needed to read right now :) It romantic but it has some depth to it as well, it isn't some sort of Mills & Boon novel.

Will and Nora meet after Will inherits an apartment from his Uncle Danny, a man he didn't know at all. Nora inherited her apartment from her Nonna. Nora spent a lot of time with her Nonna at that apartment so she had a lot of good memories to fall back on, which is something Will didn't have. Both of them were neglected in different ways in their respective childhoods and it is this neglect that comes into play when it turns out they are interested in each other. Can they let themselves fall in love?

I enjoyed the fact that Nora's neighbours are such interesting people, all of them with their own stories to tell, which get teased out as the book goes along. I liked the story of Will and Nora very much, although I didn't really feel that I got to know Will as much as I would have liked, but that is a minor quibble.

In my opinion, this is a love story, sure, but it is also about familial love and what makes a family, a family. Blood ties are clearly not the most important thing and it is lovely to see the bonds between everyone who lives in this apartment complex.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Nora, still dealing with the loss of her beloved Nona, wanted things to stop changing. Therefore, when Will took over his uncle's apartment and wanted to change it into a short-term rental property, she was determined to stymie his efforts. However, they found they shared some sort of connection, but would Nora be able to settle for Will being a temporary part of her life?

Clayborn won me as a loyal fan with her Chance of a Lifetime series. The charm, humor, and warmth of those books captured my hearts, and she did it once again with Love at First.

I have to ask readers to be patient with Will. He comes off very poorly in the beginning of this story, but this was how he protected himself and his heart. When you find out more about his parents and his uncle, I know you will drop whatever you're doing to give that man a hug. His parents didn't love him in the way most parents love their children, and they didn't provide a good example of how to love to him. This left me a bit hardened, but Nora and her crew were up to the challenge of breaking down his barriers.

Nora had a similar experience with her own parents, but was lucky enough to have been properly loved by her Nona. Her best memories were those she shared with her doting grandmother in this very building. But it wasn't just Nona who showered Nora with love. It was her entire "family', which was made up of all the building's inhabitants.

Let me tell you. Nora was one lucky young woman, because fate brought her into a wonderful bunch of people. I loved each and every resident in that building. They were all very special in their own way. They were quirky and kind, and I just felt so welcomed by them all. They won my heart and were such a big reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

And can we talk about Gerald? He started out as Will's stick-in-the-mud boss, but he because such an important part of Will's journey. Their interactions often left me giggling or smiling, and there were some really surprising moments in there too. Gerald might have been responsible for my heart exploding at one point. He definitely made me shed some happy tears.

Overall: Love at First was the total package for me. I loved the romance, the friendship, and all the antics. It was a really sweet and touching story of connection, love, and what makes a family.

I am a mere puddle of a woman right now. I know this will seem a bit hyperbolic, but I really mean it...this is a perfect romance novel.

At this point in my life, THIS is the romance I want to be reading. Stories that unite us with the beautiful, excruciating, imperfectly perfect Human Experience. There are so many lines from the book that I have saved and I will absolutely share them when the book releases but just know that the love in this book...romantic, familial, erotic, platonic...it's all so beautiful. Kate Clayborn writes such exquisite love stories (all the Loves) and it's just a pure gift to the world.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a sweet enemies to lovers story, with the right balance between love, grief and moving on. The thing I loved the most was the sense of community in Nora's building, and the secondary characters were just perfect! All of the neighbours, and even Dr. Abraham and Sally.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. **

Clayborn’s newest contemporary (Love Lettering, 2019) explores the unique experience of falling in love in Chicago apartments that will resonate with city dwellers and rural readers alike. Nora is sad about the passing of her building’s longtime resident Donny, but when she meets new resident Will during her “golden hour” ritual, she’s not upset about her new company. That is until Will announces his plans to convert his unit into a short-term rental. Will is surprised that his estranged uncle left him the apartment and is unwilling to live in a space that brings up memories of his neglectful family. Nora and Will enter into a playful feud, including poetry readings, interviews with local journalists, and rogue kittens to scare Will away from the found family Nora has created after her grandmother’s death. Instead, all of these shenanigans endear Will to Nora, and the two slowly begin to fall for one another amongst Nora’s fears of being disloyal to her neighbors. A superb cast of characters rounds out this sweet slow burn romance.

The writing style is okay and easy to read. However, I find the pacing to be too slow for my liking and there's too much description of everything that I sometimes get sidetracked to what's happening in the story. I did not connect to any of the characters as well as their motivations. I can still see this being loved by other readers, though, it isn't just for me.

This is my second book by Kate Clayborn and I loved it just as much as the first. One of the things I appreciate about her writing is that she does a beautiful job depicting characters struggling with issues under the surface. Nora Clarke is dealing with grief after the loss of her grandmother and the inheritance of her lovely apartment community. Will Sterling is a man dealing with an overwhelming job and heartbreaking childhood trauma. When he inherits his uncle’s apartment in the same building, he is ready to rent it out for income. The neighborhood, led by Nora, attempt to resist his plans. Nora takes it to the next level with creative sabotage and along the way the two realize they are developing feelings for one another. Those feelings actually started many years ago for Will but that is another layer of their story.

The side characters in the story are sweet, funny, and unique but nothing can top the connection you will develop for Nora and Will. They have a winding road to love but every turn feels authentic and intriguing. This is a love story with touches of so many other elements. I highly recommend this one to anyone.

Thanks to Kate Clayborn, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“You don’t have to love people the way you learned to love at first”

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

I requested this book from NetGalley without really knowing what it was about I was just in the mood to read a fast paced, fluffy romance novel. I truly enjoyed this book, it was not mind blowing or anything but it was exactly what I was in the mood for at the moment.

In Love at First we follow Will Sterling, who sixteen years ago heard the girl of his dreams. Now an unexpected inheritance has brought Will back to that same address, where he plans to offload his new property and get back to his regular life as an overworked doctor. Instead, he encounters a woman, two balconies above, who’s uncannily familiar.

This book although it is not very impactful is sweet, cute and adorable. When I was reading this book I was able to dive right into the story and care for the characters. The two main characters are strong headed and apparently know what they want in life, which I enjoyed reading about.

Love at First was a cozy, romantic tale which felt a bit like getting a warm hug. It was comforting, heartfelt and made my heart feel tender at times. I wanted Will and Nora to end up together and every time they had an interaction I was swooning.

My only complaint about the book was that I had a hard time picturing that an apartment unit could cause so much trouble. I understand and love the feeling of found family in the apartment building, but I really had trouble picturing that by giving the apartment a makeover people would feel it was disrespectful.

However, taking this aside I was truly invested in the story. The banter between the two main characters made me laugh out loud and made me feel complete. Overall, this is a fast, heartwarming and heartfelt story about what it is like to give love a second chance.

Love at First is a beautiful romance with the most endearing characters!

Will Sterling fell for a girl the second he heard her voice, in the next second, his whole world had changed. The opening chapter immediately thrust you into the story, keeping you on your toes as to what Will overheard his Mom and Uncle talking about. Sixteen years later, and he's inherited an apartment from his Uncle that he never wanted or needed. The dated building hasn't been updated in years. The only bright spot is Nora, the same girl who he caught a glimpse of all those years ago!

Nora loves the old building and its residents. They represent the stability and family that she always craved. Now that her grandmother is gone, she is fiercely protective of the things she holds dear. This doesn't bode well for Will, whose plans to renovate Donny's apartment and rent it out. Nora's plans to sabotage Will conflict with their growing chemistry and sexual attraction.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Will and Nora! I swooned when Will stepped in to take care of her when she got sick right after trying to mess with his plans. Nora definitely had some issues with change and learning to accept that some things that stagnate, decay.

The residents were such a delight and the bromance between Will and Dr. Abraham had me cracking up! Beautiful, lovely, heart-warming!

4 1/2 stars -Kate Clayborn books never fail to delight. They are always filled with fun, laughter, great characters, and often bring me to tears along the way! I highly recommend anything she writes, and Love at First is no exception. Its a story of second chances and making sure the love of a lifetime does not slip through your fingers again! Nora and Will will such great characters. Highly recommend!

I liked it enough, it was cute. The characters were a little two-dimensional and the plot felt like it was missing something to give it that extra oomph but I enjoyed it. The ‘problem’ (you know the one-the problem in every romance that breaks up the main characters right before the end because they keep getting in their own way) was surprisingly unique and actually made some sense. It’s always nice to have something different in such a formulaic genre. I give this a solid 3.5 stars. I would read this author again.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.