Love at First is a gorgeously-written story that plays with the idea of a “fated” meeting on a balcony between two teenagers (with echoes of Romeo and Juliet) and then fast-forwards to their re-encounter as adults. It offers a relatable, grounded exploration of how much work and risk and change and patience goes into the ways people love each other (mostly, but not exclusively, romantically). There’s a rich set of secondary characters, and a deep investment in the setting. There aren’t a whole lot of big external plot events, but it was gripping nonetheless.

Romance readers will find a real homage to the genre in this book. The plot structure is masterful in how it moves from the GREAT BIG TROPES we all know and love (fated mates, second chance, rivals-to-lovers) and slowly narrows them down to a compellingly specific story of two people, all while ramping up the angst and feelings.

Fans of Love Lettering will find some familiar things to love (swoony prose, a memorable hero, well-articulated themes) and a few stylistic differences (a tighter focus on the love story, dual POV, and 3rd-person past narration) all of which work wonderfully. Highly recommend!

Wow I really loved this book! I won't lie, I am so pleasantly surprised because Clayborn's previous work Love Lettering was a book that everyone loved and I just could not connect with. That being said, the writing was excellent so I knew I would want to check out work from her in the future so I am very thankful to get to read this early. I loved Will & Nora and truly felt that their longing was palpable. Clayborn's unique set-ups and wonderful prose are part of what makes this story wonderful, but the star to me is the side characters! I loved the neighbors! I cannot wait for this book to come out and to share my love of it.

Loved this book, the story of Will and Nora.

Will saw Nora years ago, just before his life changed forever. He is trying to change everything about the place she lives and loves, so do they have a chance of being friends or more?

Loved all the other characters that live in the building.

I’m embarrassed to say that Love Lettering was my introduction to Kate Clayborn. I read it at the beginning of the lockdown and it was warm and comforting and exactly what the doctor ordered. So I was excited to be given the opportunity to review an ARC of Clayborn’s new book: Love at First.
That excitement remained while I read the book. It’s so very good. It’s darker than Love Lettering because grief plays such a major part; it’s included in every fibre of the story. And connected to the grief is love, so much love. Both main characters had to deal with parental neglect but where Nora had her grandmother and the people in the apartment building, Will was alone. Over the course of the book he finds love and friendship and more love. The setting, the characters, the romance – everything really – were wonderful. Every part of Love at First is complex and clearly crafted with so much love.
I absolutely loved this book and I’m sure I’ll read it over and over again.

A delightful romantic story that will please all lovers of the genre! The characters were absolutely lovely and the storyline flowed seamlessly. Highly recommended!

What a lovely treat this book was. It was love at first sound for Will and 16 years later he finally meets the voice & fuzzy image of a brown ponytail he fell for in a balcony scene as memorable as Romeo & Juliet's. Will & Nora's story has a little something for everyone: personal growth, love for others but also one's self, midnight rendezvous and a cast of supporting characters you will cheer for. Seriously, is there an opening in this building for me to move in?! I promise to never call it a unit and always come prepared for poetry night.

The dual perspectives keep the story fresh and interesting and really allows you to really feel for all of the characters and see how they got to where--and who--they are today. There is heart, there is loss and grief and everything is written in a quiet, gentle way. Nothing feels forced, nothing feels over the top or implausible.

I know I already mentioned them once, but the supporting characters in this book were the shining stars for me. Maybe I'm realizing how important neighbors are during this time of quarantine but Nora's support system, and of course Gerry and Sally, really add such a richness to this story that I can't emphasize enough. 4.5 stars for this heartwarming tale.

Many thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of LOVE AT FIRST by Kate Clayborn.

Simply put, I think that Clayborn is one of the best line-level romance writers out there right now. Her prose is top-notch. But this too extends to her ability to craft compelling characters, with real problems that get you in the heart, mind, and gut. I really felt for all the characters in LOVE AT FIRST (it really is a delightful cast as the pull quote says-- I mean, Gerry, come on!)., but especially Will.

I love reading Clayborn's work. This book is no exception. I did feel a little bit like the plot was a bit unsatisfying, but I loved watching her characters at play. Can't wait for her next one!

Thank you so much to netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed "Love Lettering" so was excited to hear that Kate Clayborn wrote a new book! This one started slow, similar to how I felt Love Lettering started, but once I got into it I found myself rooting for Will and Nora. The characters felt like old friends and it felt more like catching up than learning about someone new. I totally though this book was going to end at the 70% mark, but then one last twist was added to the story. I think it probably could have been a bit shorter, hence by 4 stars vs 5, but overall a lovely happily ever after read.

This was such a sweet, sweet read. I just love that family theme. That you don't have to be blood related to be a family.
And that one for all the life time. So, sweet. It is so nicely written.
Really enjoyed it.

3.5 stars.

This book was pure amazing. This storytelling is just amazing!
The writing was just beautiful!
I really enjoyed reading this.
Thank you NetGalley Publisher and Author

I’m smiling! My cheeks , my chin, my entire face hurts! The laugh lines at my cheeks look scarier, reminding me of deep lines belongs to something between Nicholson’s Joker blends with Phoenix’s Joker! But I don’t care! I’m feeling so good!

I love reading thrillers to bend my nerves and I love reading feel good romcoms to heal those poor nerves after the destruction those thrillers have made!

And this book is definitely the best cure to calm my nerves, making me sing aloud and rehearse my dance moves ( at COVID days I invented crouching tiger meets twerking panda dance: I plan to show it on a YouTube video but my husband insists the world is not ready for this kind of eye bleeding experience ) ! It’s freaking awesome!

I’m proudly rounding my 4.5 stars to 5!
Lovable MCs, more lovable, quirkier but also smarter neighbors made me sing “ A beautiful day in neighborhood” and wear my read sweater.

This sweet, so heartwarming book tells about no matter what family we come from we can choose our own people to love and make them our own family by sharing our true hearts, we can also choose what kind of person we want to be! And we must always give a chance to love by taking risks, learning to be reckless, rash: because a unique love always worths to every risk you take.

Will and Nora met 16 years ago when they were two little teenagers. Will didn’t see Nora’s face, it was too dark to decipher her real figures but he heard her laugh and watched her throw tomatoes at his way to scare the squirrels. And he knew he was in trouble : he already started to fall for her at first! She didn’t realize he was there watching her.

And 16 years later they meet at the same building: but right now they’re too nemesis because Will inherited his recently deceased uncle’s apartment he has never seen for long time ( actually he has seen him very same day he’d fallen for Nora) and he doesn’t want to live there: he wants to rent this place out. Of course the long time inhabitants of the building including Nora don’t want their place turn into an Airbnb friendly motel kind of unit! Nora declares war and does anything she can to stop Will rent his place.

Their frenemies kind of starting with wrong foot relationship eventually turns into good friendship as like Will’s relationship with the other neighbors because even though he is coming from neglecting family and it’s so hard for him to open his heart to people, he cannot resist to the true charm and genuine manners of those lovely people.

From Marian to Salas family, Benny to shy Emily and 80 years old Jonah: all of the characters are realistically portrayed, reminding you of your own family members, neighbors, your colleagues.

Overall: I’m so happy that I loved this book so much more than “Love Lettering”! This time author touched my feelings softly and warmed my heart, gently brushed my soul! She did such an amazing job!

It earned each stars I gave! Maybe it deserved more! I highly recommend to anyone who desperately seeks inspirational, motivational reads and die hard romcom lovers like me!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing this reviewer digital copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I love Love Lettering so I thought that I'll give this book a try. It was wonderful! I always like enemies to lovers type of books and this is kind of that... I like how the couple got together... :) I love the two POVs too. Love the ending too. :) Such a sweet and romantic book.

Read @kateclayborn's LOVE AT FIRST last night. She's one of those authors where you almost feel sad starting a book because you know it's not going to last long enough. This one, like LOVE LETTERING was completely and utterly absorbing. Fan for life.

Loved getting swept up in Nora and Will's story where there are cute (though allergy-inducing) kittens, second chances, and golden hour meetings.

This was sweet and well-written. Both characters experience a lot of growth, and there are some fun secondary characters.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book. It deals with love, community, family, grief, and belonging.

Nora is the president of her building’s board. Will has inherited an apartment from an uncle he never knew. Will wants to turn his unit into a rental, but Nora tries to show him that this building is really a family. The building does not make his renovation easy.

Will is tightly wound due to his past. He is afraid to let go and let someone in. Nora is not open to newcomers because she wants to protect her found family of fellow residents. Their hesitancy and longing are palpable.

This book is so wonderful.

I received an ARC for my honest review.

When Will inherits his estranged uncle's apartment, with the caveat that he cannot sell it for at least a year, he begins renovations to rent it out, to the protest of the other residents of the building-- especially Nora, the youngest resident by far, and one who's fiercely tied to the integrity of the space. A beautiful enemies-to-lovers, Love at First is sweet, charming, and full of love-- not just romantic love, but the love between family, found family, and the buildings we call home.

Competing with my friend Hollis for complete lack of chill and worrying about expectations if I save it up, it might not hit the same or I might be disappointed, I dove headfirst into this. I'll re-up my comment on her review. By 15%, I wasn't worried. The characters already felt real and rounded, the story line in that <i>killing me softly Kate</i> way meanders pleasantly but purposefully to the point it wasn't clear if I cared if I ever finished the book. By about midway, I realized my heart was getting a little fragile and heavy, because Kate Clayborn is nothing if not a sneaky author.

First my feelings on Clayborn are absolutely no secret. She writes ordinary humans doing their best, trying their best, learning they are for each other (and they make extraordinary romances!). Her books have a gentle feel. Even in this sorta-enemies-to-lovers installment, the respect and regard for each other makes it feel more like compassionate competition than enemies, watch on the whole is much much more convincing. And oh boy, has her writing matured.

The things that floor me and resonate with me as a reader are the way I can feel intensely for the main characters immediately, add they aren't hard to understand, and it's not in some "tell" fashion. She builds worlds and settings: here an apartment and its mostly senior tenants, along with our two main characters. Will is...sigh. Nora...I understood her deeply.

Will. Will is rootless. (I honestly started my review early because I started to feel bogged down in emotion and was worried that it would end up saying "Erp," and indeed, Clayborn's demonstration of Will tumbling along plays out delicately without being frustrating.) And what better than to have him discover himself where everyone's roots are deep and entrenched and the branches are many.

Here's the thing. She builds intimacy and revelations through everyday scenes (again) and Will and Nora feeling too off-guard in their teensy-bit adversarial relationship. But also, the sense of ache I'm coming to recognize as "Clayborn-heartache" builds slowly in this one. So slowly, that at 50% I realized my chest was hurting and I was a bit heartbroken for the two grieving main characters. However, it's this vulnerability that lends itself to how inescapable the love and love scenes feel. And I mean, Will literally suffers from the Falconbridge syndrome of first kisses. So inevitable. And so right.

And the way she uses time and the golden hour. Ugh. So many ways. Kind of like how the title of the book was really clear, until she punched me in the gut with it (I might have sob-guffawed?) I thought the use of sight-glasses-and frankly tomatoes were brilliant and squishy and probably richer than I could ever capture. In employing all these things, these improvements,these settings, these shrines, Kate Clayborn also deftly creates a way for the present-day characters to reconcile themselves with their past-and to make a believable peace with it. I'm...it was...I'm in awe.

And Nora. One of my strongest childhood relationships was with my grandmother. (Nora spent summers through her late childhood and teen years w/ her Nonna) I had separation anxiety throughout most of my young years, but I could stay and travel with my grandparents. She died when I was quite young, but I look like her, got some qualities of hers, and will never forget when I once woke up in their house and started crying bc I was all alone (I didnt ever have my own bedroom!) And she said "hush. I'm right here." Not in a comforting way. In a "I'd never leave you, dummy" way. So elements of grief I get. Loyalty and sentimentality I get. Grandmothers and granddaughters. The way they actually do influence you. And the way your life and person feels like a mash up of who they were, and that it is easy to build a shrine of material things around you instead of letting go.

And my God, Gerald Abraham. I mean all the secondary characters, really. But he is my favorite. So I'm just leaving this here.

I think Kate Clayborn understands love and vulnerability in many different ways. I'm sure a lot of people do. But what she's proving here is that she can tackle universal themes without being tired, she can write character-driven novels that are sneaky and unique. She can break our heart quietly with her pen. What's clear to me, above all else here, is that she's dedicated to a craft and constant improvement. She's giving what we readers deserve. I don't think it's hyperbole. I think she's exceptional, and in my opinion looking at her record thusfar, unmatched in contemporary romance.

I'd like to thank Netgalley & Kensington for the ARC. This has not affected my review in anyway, and to prove it, I will own this book in 2 formats at a minimum. I'm only sorry you all have to wait until February for it.

Loved it! It was such a relaxing and cute book to read. A really lovely romance story and a great tale about family, friends and opening up to someone new.

Nora isn’t impressed when Will inherits her neighbours apartment and comes with charm, good looks and a devious plan to rent out the apartment... she doesn’t know how to feel about having strangers renting an apartment in what is effectively her extended families block of 6 apartment ‘units’. She declares war on Will and shows him exactly what living in her territory will be like!

Rated 4 stars as it was a little longer than I felt it needed to be. Loved the ending though - so that you could see exactly how everyone was 2 years after the events of the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC.

First things first, Kate Clayborn is an AMAZING writer. Her storytelling is beyond original and creative. Although I loved “Lovelettering”, I went into this book hesitant because how many times can you read neighbour wars stories but this was cute / romantic / funny / emotional just everything you want in a romcom book without being cliche.

Also, if you have not read lovelettering, please do!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so thankful to receive this book from netgalley as an ARC because I loved the author’s previous book, love lettering.
This did not disappoint! Two complex characters, Nora and will, and their lovely story. Just wondering. The author’s writing is just lovely.