Thank you Netgalley, Simon Teen, & F.T. Lukens for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🥰🫶
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I absolutely love F.T. Lukens’ books and this one is no different! The friend group in this is top tier and even though this is F.T.’s first mystery book, they did such a fantastic job! 😁 There were so many twists I wasn’t expecting and I definitely didn't see the ending coming! 🫨
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Cam - a human in a world populated with supernatural beings, that is until the first day at a new school he triggers his first clairvoyant vision where he sees a murder!
Al - a witch who is Cam’s best friend for many years. However, added pressure from the witch’s council along with Cam’s new abilities makes their and Cam’s friendship hang in the balance.
Mateo - a werewolf and youngest brother of 3, also Cam’s crush. Could this be the year Cam finally talks to him?
Kaci - Mateo’s best friend and practically a sister in the Lopez household. She has the ability to see ghosts - all the time! Can being a fellow physic help Cam adjust to his new powers?
Gemma - a human who knows SO much about the supernatural and has a popular ClickClacK account. A rainbow in human form who I love!
Reese - a plant sprite who joins the friend group in order for there to be a “sprite advocate” at the lunch table. He and Mateo have beef because of their species’ politics.
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This ragtime team comes together to prevent the murder Cam saw happen on the first day of school. I love how these characters interact with each other and the group as a whole. Each character in the group has a unique relationship to another in the gang and somehow they all make it work - even Mateo and Reese 😭. This book also touches on friendship in high school and how that can evolve or even lead to friend breakups. I think it's something I haven't seen much of in YA but is totally something that happens in real life!
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Overall, I had so much fun with Love At Second Sight! I will definitely be reading it again in the future! ☺️ You know this is a good book when it broke my over month-long reading slump and was literally the only thing I could read all of April. It's just that good! 👏

Genre: YA Fantasy with mystery and romance
Narration: First person past tense, single POV.
Perspectives: Gay MC, nonbinary author and side character
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the ebook.

F.T. Lukens is great at writing adorable YA romance. This is the first book I’m reading by them in as many years, and I enjoyed this one a tad less than Spellbound but a lot more than Otherworldly.

LASS is a fantasy set in a world where there are many supernatural beings among humans, from werewolves to faeries. The MC is one of the few humans at his high school... or is he? One day he has a vision of the future and all of a sudden he’s pushed into the world of the supernatural, to his parents’ dismay.

Overall, this is a lighthearted, sweet, and heartwarming read, though it also touches on some higher-stakes topics at times.

I got hooked into this story from the moment Cam has his first vision. The mystery completely drew me in, and it was difficult to put the book down.

I especially loved the found family/friend group situation, truly a case of band of misfits. They each bring something unique to the table, and I appreciated the message of people being stronger together, when we break down the barriers of cliques. Each character was also very individually loveable.

The villains in the story do a good job of portraying the dangers of bigotry and how it can truly shut you off from reality and love.

As a lover of romances, I would have appreciated a bit more build up of the tension between Cam and the love interest. But I was still invested in the romance, as little as we got. And what was there was super sweet. It was hard not to root for them.

Love at Second Sight is another great Queer YA paranormal by author F.T. Lukens. This one follows highschooler Cam discovers that he's not a powerless human. His best friend's a witch but the ability to foresee someone' future from a touch takes him by surprise. Now al the different paranormal fractions are interested in him and he's made a group of misfit paranormal friends. Yet his best friend has distanced themselves and he has to figure out a way to stop a murder he's foreseen.

With a charming group of misfits that are all struggling with their powers and a mystery this Queer paranormal is guaranteed to entertain new and old F.T. Luken's readers.

Fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds is about to start his sophomore year in high school. He is excited to be reunited at school with his best friend, Al, but Cam is still nervous about the school year. While Al wants to “embark on our journey to fully embrace our future and our true selves,” Cam just wants to blend in quietly. As an ordinary human in a school full of paranormals, Cam figures that shouldn’t be too hard… at least until he gets a psychic glimpse of the future and then collapses in front of half the school.

Cam is stunned by the vision, given he has never had any reason to think he is anything but human. But he is even more shocked at what he saw — a teen girl about to be murdered through the eyes of the killer. However, Cam has no idea who the girl is, when the murder will take place, or if there is any way to stop it. He also knows nothing about being a clairvoyant or his on new-found abilities. Cam’s parents are totally unsupportive, harboring prejudice against non-humans and not at all happy to find Cam manifesting abilities. And Cam’s brother, Aiden, has disappeared and Cam has no idea where he has gone. And with Al putting some distance between them, Cam feels quite isolated and in over his head.

Fortunately, Cam finds some unexpected allies in a group of new friends in school, including his crush, werewolf Miguel Lopez. They not only help him begin to navigate the paranormal world he is newly a part of, they also try to help him track down the murderer and intended victim. But as more of Cam’s visions begin to come true, he knows it is only a matter of time before the killer will strike as well. Now, Cam will need to rely on the strength of his friends to help him stop a killer before it is too late.

F.T. Lukens is so great with young adult fantasy stories and this one is no exception. I absolutely loved Love at Second Sight and was caught up in the story right from the beginning. We join Cam on his first day of school and it is clear he wants to just keep a low profile. Cam isn’t the kind of guy that wants a lot of attention on himself, yet before he knows it, he is famous as the kid who had a vision. Not only has Cam previously assumed he was a regular human, but being a clairvoyant is incredibly rare, which means all the supernatural factions in town are now trying to woo him into aligning with them. He is overwhelmed and stressed, and his parents are no help, his brother is missing in action, and his best friend seems to want to move on to other friends. Lukens does such a great job putting us in Cam’s head as he tries to handle this dramatic change in his life and figure out where to go for help and support. He soon finds himself with a new group of friends, mostly paranormals with one human “advisor,” who are all helping him navigate this process. As is often the case with young adult stories, the adults aren’t there to support him and the teens are forced to rely on themselves, both to help Cam work through this new dramatic change to his life, as well as to deal with the fact that he has seen a future murder and has no idea how to figure out who the victim is and how to stop it.

The first portion of the story focuses mostly on Cam and his new abilities. We seem him come to terms with suddenly having a rare and cherished power, and the attention that quickly follows. We also see him learning more about the various paranormal factions, as well as more about his own powers. It gives a great foundation for the world building, which I found nicely done. We learn about the different paranormal groups — witches, sprites, psychics, werewolves, and fairies — both from the adult world, as well as through the various teens that Cam befriends. Cam also has more visions, which allows him to become a “verified” clairvoyant, something that at first feels overwhelming, but which Cam eventually comes to not just accept, but embrace. He also finds a great group of friends who support him and who become a real family to him. So it is a nice journey for Cam over the course of the story.

Once the foundation is laid, the second half of the book focuses more on the future murder. They ultimately learn who the victim is, but still don’t know the identity of the killer or when it will all take place. So the whole gang gets involved trying to help Cam uncover it all, and ultimately to try to stop the attack. I get why this is delayed a little while the groundwork is laid earlier in the book, though I couldn’t help but feel like it warranted more urgency than we see early on. It was also not clear to me why all Cam’s other visions came true within the day, usually hours, but this vision came weeks before the attack. But once this part of the plot gets going, it is super exciting and it really has a thrilling conclusion. It all comes together in surprising ways and there is a nice intensity to the climax. It also gives a chance for Cam’s friends to all get involved, again showcasing the new bonds he has formed.

There is a romantic element to the story, though that is not the focus. Cam has had a crush on a fellow classmate for a while, and we see him and Miguel become friends and shyly circle one another for a while, until they ultimately admit their interest in each other. It is sweet and warm and very G-rated, but fits well with the overall tone of the story. But this definitely a story more focused on Cam’s journey, as well as his bonds with this group of friends more than it is about the romantic relationship.

Overall, I found this one super engaging and just a lot of fun. I loved Cam’s journey, really enjoyed the world building, and appreciated the exciting way it all comes together. I can definitely recommend Love at Second Sight.

It’s the last Wednesday of April, so you know what that means… book review time! I cheated a little. I picked a book by an author whose work I’m fond of, so I went in with the assumption that I would enjoy the book. It’s fluffy gay stuff wrapped up in a supernatural cozy mystery. Of course I’m into it. Love at Second Sight by F. T. Lukens was released yesterday (the 29th) by Margaret K. McElderry Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

Love at Second Sight follows Cam, a regular teenage human boy, who just wants to spend the new school year hanging out with his bestie Al, who happens to be a witch, and moon over his crush, Mateo (a werewolf). And most of all, he wants to stay hidden in the background. An unfortunate spectacle in the hallway ruins any chance Cam has of a normal year. He has an obviously supernatural episode that can only mean one thing: he’s clairvoyant. On top of bringing him some seriously unwanted attention, the vision he has is one of blood and death. Was it real? Who’s the girl? If it hasn’t happened yet, is there any way to stop it? Along the way, Cam collects a ragtag group of supernatural friends who might help or might hinder his investigation. The only thing for certain is he’s not alone and there’s no disappearing into the background for Cam.

The plot was great, if a little predictable. Some of the clues were a little heavy handed, like they didn’t want to be overlooked. But it was fun and had everything you can really ask for from a cozy mystery meets teen supernatural fantasy. Uncontrolled powers. The encourager of all the mystery shenanigans. That weird teenage compulsion to not involve the adults. It’s adorable. My only real problem with the book is the pacing. It starts out super slow for the first three quarters of the book, then everything is kind of crammed into the last quarter. There’s not even much character development early on. Some stuff happens then everything stagnates for far too long before things start happening again. The action could definitely have been woven throughout the story better.

The characters are where this book really shines. They’re all super relatable. It’s a fun group with someone for everyone to adore. Cam is the typical teen trying to find his place in the world. When it turns out he’s special but he doesn’t know what to do about it and his support system fails him, he chooses to let new people into his life even though it’s risky. Al grows a lot. Mateo proves that even seemingly perfect people need help. Gemma is nuts and I love her. Reese is probably my favorite, but I wish he could have had a bit more to do. Kaci starts as the mean girl, but abruptly changes into the spacey friend which could have been handled better. But overall, I loved everyone.

The writing was cute. There are a lot of references and current slang that will surely date the book in a few years (some of it is already dated), but I enjoy that kind of writing some times. Especially when I’m looking for something that I can look back on for nostalgia purposes.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Love at Second Sight. It’s not my favorite book by Lukens, but it’s not something I feel was a waste of time. It was cute and that’s all I was hoping for.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Probably closer to 3.75. If you’re not familiar with the author, I’d definitely recommend one of their other books first.

This was such an enjoyable and charming YA paranormal mystery/romance/coming of age story. I’m a huge fan of Lukens and this latest installment is another fantastic addition. Cam is a regular teen just trying to survive high school with witch best friend and his werewolf crush. When Cam gets a vision of a girl running for her life and covered in blood, his entire life changes. Now Cam isn’t a normal teen, now he has to navigate competing paranormal factions all wanting him to join their clans in addition to parents who just want him to go back to the way he was.

As Cam tries to figure out how to save the girl from his vision he makes new friends and comes into himself and his new clairvoyant future.

Cam is adorable and I even though I can’t see the future I really related his to his struggles navigating a world where he just wants it to make sense. I loved the found family in this book and the romance was so cute. Lukens really captures the YA voice so well and even in a story with sprites and werewolves and witches, the problems Cam encounters are deeply relatable.

Thank you so much to Simon Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Simon Teen for an Arc!!

If you ever watched the Heartbreak High one-shot from Critical roll this is very similar. I loveee supernatural books that take place in highschool and this did not disappoint. The plot was engaging, characters were well written and overall just a good read! It was mostly just fun vibes until the main conflict happened towards the very end. Overall, a good book! :)

In Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens, Cam discovers his newly clairvoyant powers after he receives a vision through touch while trying to escape a fight in the hallway of Central Shady Hallow High School. This first vision involves a girl who was attacked, lying on the ground covered in blood and near death. Two more visions occur and he is confirmed and verified as a clairvoyant. All the paranormal factions start to court him to join their group. He’s more interested in finding out the identity of the mysterious girl from his vision and trying to help her. His new friend group includes Gemma-a human, Mateo-a werewolf and also Cam’s crush, Al-a witch and his BFF, Kaci-a medium who sees ghosts and Reese-a sprite. He finds out Aiden his estranged brother is dating a faerie. Their parents are normal, non-magical and very opposed to the paranormal lifestyle. Will Cam and his friends solve the mystery before his first glimpse becomes a reality? Found family, true friendship, self realization and mentoring are the real magical gifts of this story. ARC was provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon Teen via NetGalley. I received an advance reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've read several Lukens novels, and they can count me as a devoted fan. This novel isn't as romance heavy as previous novels, focusing more on the mystery instead. But it's no less delightful.

If found family is your favorite trope (it's definitely mine), you'll discover it in spades with this story. Finding your people, being supported, and having them show up for you - it's all here with this cast of characters that stole my heart. Fairies, sprites, vampires, werewolves, witches, etc. all attend Cam's high school where he has a disturbing vision of an unknown girl being murdered. Before that vision, Cam believed himself to be an ordinary human. His life dramatically shifts after that.

I had fun watching this group that began as a mixture of acquaintances and rivals become friends as they raced to solve the mystery and hopefully prevent a murder. Their investigation is filled with twists and turns sure to keep you flipping the pages and maybe staying up far past your bedtime. The last 20% moves quickly, and you won't want to close the book. Cam and Mateo are adorable as they awkwardly and shyly begin a relationship in the midst of everything going on.

Recommended to readers who enjoy magical beings in a contemporary setting, themes of self acceptance, and a roster of charismatic characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Despite a best friend who's a witch and a crush on a werewolf, Cam Reynolds has always been regular human, albeit a bit odd to some, and he likes it that way. Moving schools sophomore year is hard enough, at least a lack of anything magical has allowed him to largely exist unnoticed. Yet when a hallway fight ends in a very public display of Cam's new psychic powers, any hope of invisibility or normalcy goes out the window. Add in the fact that said psychic glimpse was of a teen's brutal murder from the perspective of the murderer, and Cam suddenly finds himself in search of a killer who very well might be one of his fellow students, all while fending off the swarm of supernatural factions who are very interested in their city's new clairvoyant.

I very much enjoyed the past works I've read by F.T. Lukens and was so happy to get a chance to read their latest! Filled with a wonderfully varied cast of characters, a cool magic system, and oh yeah, a murder mystery - this book was definitely an entertaining ride. Firmly in the YA realm, I found the drama - be it about friendships, family, romance, or just general high school troubles - to be perfectly in tune with teenagers at this point in their lives. It's always refreshing when a book feels true to the age of its characters, and not like it's filled with adults living in the bodies of sixteen-year-olds.

Also, speaking of friendship, the ride-or-die vibes that run throughout the novel were so heartwarming, and the found family aspect just added to the love! If you're looking for a fun mystery with a side of sweet romance, I recommend giving this one a try.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3,75

This was a cute coming off age story that shows the importance of good friends and the effects of bigotry.
I wasn’t shocked at all about how far people are willing to go to wipe out everything that they deem „not normal“.
The mixed group of friends, all coming from a different background was super heartwarming to read about. Considering our current political climate I think this is a really important and uplifting message.
I would have wished that more of the actual action would have been spread a little more across the whole book because it felt like a lot of the plot was happening in the last 15%. While the mystery kept me going I felt like some of the clues were just connected too late. No smart decision to be found in YA once again haha.
Over all this is definitely another super magical FT Lukens story with cute characters and a gripping mystery.

I honestly think the title (especially combined with the cover) is absolutely misleading though. It’s not a romance at all, there is a crush and not much else happens. The more important themes are friendship and bigotry for sure.
It’s also much more of a (murder) mystery book than a romance.

F.T. Luken always seems to find a way to my heart and this book was no difference. This was another fun YA romance with super naturals. A fast read with so much mystery in between. I love Cam and how he goes through his own self discovery journey while navigating a mystery.
I definitely recommend this fun cute read!

3.75
a fun fantasy YA romp with a focus on friendship and self-discovery in a magical, queernormative world. a very easy and feel-good read that I think YA readers will really enjoy (even where it felt a little too neat and young for me).

I really enjoyed the motley crew in this story and the different personalities within. I love a group of kids who need to solve huge problems without the grown ups (even when the reasons for no adults are super contrived). having the kids be from different magical families was also a fun element.

I also find the overall plot concept quite fun- the combination of mystery and fantasy and romance was nicely balanced. I wasn’t able to guess all of the reveals, and I think the twists were well used.

my major complaint is where the plot got a little too convenient or obvious (e.g, with the villain characters). but overall very entertaining and worth trying as a lighthearted read.

This was a such a fun, fast and mysterious read! I loved the array of supernatural characters and how they all came together to figure out a mystery, even though that's not what Cam's family had in mind for his school year. The only thing I wish there was more of an explanation on, was his brother Aidan, who gets mentioned a lot but his wrap up kind of felt rushed. But if you're looking for your next queer read, then look no further! Definitely recommend this one!

This is the first book I've read by this author but I'm looking forward to more!

AHHHH THIS BOOK. I haven't been much into fantasy and mythological creatures lately, but this book might get me back in my groove. Cam is a "normal" teenager attending a high school with very paranormal classmates. While witnessing an altercation between members of two paranormal factions, he is hit (hehe) with a clairvoyant vision. Turns out, not only is Cam very paranormal himself but he's also now thrust in the middle of the politics of paranormal beings while ALSO having to investigate who and what it is that he saw. High school is hard enough to navigate alone, but learning the complexities of paranormal life? Forget it, Cam needs allies, friends, fast. Luckily, there are people who are more than willing to step up. And if one of those people is a cute, shy, intelligent and did I mention CUTE werewolf? Well, Cam isn't complaining.


Right out the gate, the things that I very much enjoyed: Cam, Gemma, the found family, the emotional growth and omg the APOLOGIES. Yay, for modeling mature behavior for teenagers! I think this was a fast paced read and while there were a lot of mythological creatures mentioned, it didn't feel over crowded.
One aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the exploration of prejudices: not only among the characters but also as the reader. That felt like timely and poignant commentary on what we're current reality is. I personally found myself falling in the pitfall of thinking I knew who was in Cam's vision and why, only for those prejudices to be proven wrong. The exploration of unity and community within the main friend group and their allies/individual relationships was very nice to see as well. Community was such an important part of this book and I loved that about it.

Some trigger warnings, though, as the book deals heavily with these topics: violence and maybe gore (Cam's vision), family issues, prejudice, depictions of panic attacks and child abuse/harm.

Cam’s bestie is a witch, much to his parents chagrin, but he’s always been a boring ol human. Until the first day of his sophomore year when a fight breaks out between werewolves and sprites and he experiences his first Glimpse.

Turns out Cam is clairvoyant. But that Glimpse was witnesses a pretty horrific scene.

So now not only is Cam dealing with parents who are less than thrilled to discover their son has powers, a brother who disappeared a few months ago to build his own life, a bestie trying to pull back to focus on her magic skills, but now he also wants to figure out how we can stop what he saw.

Along the way he builds a fantastic group of eclectic friends who lend their help and support.

Everything comes to a crescendo the night of the occurrence he glimpsed as his parents take steps he never expected.

I love the found/chosen family trope so this was right up my alley. The magical world is realistic enough to not need major world building and the characters are interesting (Gemma is my fav).

I'm a big F.T. Lukens fan and was thrilled to be able to read this early edition of their newest book. Once again F.T. Lukens creates a believable fantasy world without all those distracting explanations so many fantasy books are rife with. The characters are well rounded and interesting. It did bother me that the romance storyline was very thin because the title and cover make it seem like the relationship would be the main point of the story. Instead, the story really focused on the main character's journey to self acceptance and the creation of his found family.

“I had so much to learn, but at the end of the day, I think what I wanted most was to be unafraid. I wanted to help those who needed it. I wanted to be normal Cam in a paranormal way.”

When fifteen-year-old Cam unexpectedly experiences a glimpse of the future, he sees a gruesome murder of a teen girl from the point of view of the killer. As Cam learns that he is a clairvoyant and has the ability to see into the future, he explores the world of the supernatural and befriends other supernatural beings. In hopes of recruiting him, several supernatural societies also start sending him gifts, since Cam’s power to tell the future would provide protection for any society he chose to join. However, the clock is ticking, and as Cam juggles his friendships, his longing for his parents’ acceptance, and his budding romance with his cute werewolf crush, he teams up with his friends in hopes of preventing the murder.

If you like supernatural creatures, journeys of self-discovery, adorable friend groups, found families, and werewolf romances, this is the book for you! F.T. Lukens has created a witty, action-packed, and emotional story with a slow-burn mystery that kept me reading until four a.m. The friend group mirrors diversity, with each character being a different supernatural being, highlighting the beauty of individuality and the power of supportive friendships. My favorite was Gemma, because she maintained an impactful confidence even while being bullied. The mystery was very interesting, with a “we’re running out of time” element that I really liked since it created high-stress situations. The story also alludes to possible suspects but reveals a shocking twist and a spectacular ending. That being said, the title and cover made me believe the book was a romance, so I was a little disappointed with the lack of scenes between Mateo and Cam. I would’ve liked to see Mateo’s character explored more and the two having deeper conversations. I didn’t mind much, though, as I was more captivated by the mystery, the supernatural world, Cam’s journey as a clairvoyant, and their loving friend group. I would even like this to be a series, which would give us more time with the lovable characters, more mysteries to solve, and more romance between Mateo and Cam. I completely recommend this to anyone who loves the young adult supernatural genre, especially if you’re looking for something with more diversity and representation. And to F.T. Lukens, I look forward to reading more of your work!

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

To kick off this review, I must say that while the book is not bad, there were elements that I felt could have been executed better though. First off, I absolutely adore the cover—the colors, the character illustrations, and even the font are all fantastic. However, I found it somewhat misleading, as it suggests a more romantic narrative than what the book actually delivers. Moving on, I really enjoyed the characters; they were cool, unique, and complex, which made it easy for readers to connect with them and their actions. Yet, on the flip side, I felt they were a bit underdeveloped, and there was potential for deeper exploration. Next, I believe the plot was strong, filled with ups and downs, making it an engaging read. However, I still think it could have been more fleshed out, and that the ending felt a bit rushed and could have used more expansion. That said, I appreciated the underlying message: 'Despite our differences, we can still be friends, and our appearances or possessions do not define who we are.' In summary, while this was an enjoyable read with a powerful message, I feel it could have benefited from being longer and more detailed in certain areas.

Thank you to @simonteen for the eARC and @simon.audio for the free audiobook.

F.T. Lukens is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. Everything they write has been a five star experience for me.

Love at Second Sight focuses on Cam, a human that discovers he’s clairvoyant and can glimpse into the future. He’s been a bit of a loner in the past, but he collects a ragtag group of friends—found family truly is one of the most enjoyable tropes. And his new friends become his support when his prejudiced parents don’t seem to accept him.

The romance is more of a minor part of the story here, although it’s still pretty adorable. But hey, these kids are only sophomores in high school; romance should be adorable and light. The mystery and the friendships are highlight of Love at Second Sight. I got swept up by the story and I couldn’t put it down.

Sooooo I actually read this first with eyeballs (and loved it) and when Simon Audio had it as an offering for an audiobook, I HAD to listen for a second read. I’m pretty sure Kevin R. Free has narrated for F.T. Lukens before and every time I hear his voice I know I’m gonna love it. He somehow just embodies the characters so well, despite how different the books can be.

I just hope there’ll be another release next year so I can continue my F.T. Lukens love affair.