Thank You F. T. Lukens, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I completely loved this book so much despite the lag in the actual plot staring. I was intrigued by the blurb when I hit request and I do not regret requesting this book. The lore did not lack depth and the urban fantasy was the best part! The supernatural community was uniquely set in a queer-normative world which was comforting to read about.

The chemistry between Cam and Matteo was sizzling with tension. The plot twist had my jaw on the floor and I'm still reeling from shock.

take a break in reading. The way the author plotted this book is amazing because the pacing was perfect and everything was unfolding and tying together perfectly towards the end. I enjoyed the revelations and watching it unfold was very satisfying.

Overall, this was an enjoyable paranormal romantic fiction.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children Publishing, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for this advance reader copy! You can pick up Love at Second Sight on April 29, 2025!

This book deserves so much hype!

I ate this book up! It has paranormal creatures and magical vibes. The suspense is so good and kept me on edge! I enjoy the friendship that Cam have made. There is a romance subplot, and I thought his werewolf crush, Mateo is adorable! I love there's LGBTQ representations in this book! I'd love to read more of her books in the future!

Here's what you can expect:

- paranormal/magical elements
- romantic subplot
- lots of humor
- suspense
- LGBTQ representation

I highly recommend picking up Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens if you are for a paranormal suspense with LGBTQ representation!

FT Lukens never missed. I always have a good time with all of their books and I have no regrets with this one. I’ve definitely got some teens who are gonna love this.

If you like Sky High I think you'll love this one, its queer and joyus while dealing with some heavy topics in relation to magical folk. Overall I was surprised by how much I loved the book, knowing that I would love anything that Lukens writes this is saying a lot. I specifically loved the depth of characters and how they each were flawed or different in their own ways, well rounded, and in general the characters felt real. I really loved the story and am eager for whatever Lukens does next.

4.5 stars rounded up.

In case we haven't already established my undying love for FT Lukens, let me reiterate here how much I adore FT Lukens. They are one of those authors who creates what I think is my favorite book of theirs' ever, and then next year comes out with a new one that I somehow adore even more. I've been going through this same pattern of "No this is the best thing Lukens has ever written!" since receiving an ARC of "So This Is Ever After" three years ago. While something about "Love at Second Sight" didn't resonate with me quite as much as their previous works, it's still a delightful adventure of a book that I had to adore.

Cam Reynolds is ready to make the best of his sophomore year. It's just not looking too promising, when he's one of the few humans living in a town (world) full of the supernatural - witches, werewolves, sprites, the whole paranormal romance section. His older brother disappeared a few months back without leaving a forwarding address, his best friend Al is pulling away from him, and his parents hate absolutely everything to do with the paranormal, and his longtime crush, werewolf Mateo, is so far out of his league. Then it all gets even messier when he gets caught up on a hallway brawl and has a psychic vision of the future, of a girl he doesn't know dying bloody. And suddenly Cam is one of the rarest supernatural beings to exist: a clairvoyant, able to glimpse the future with only a touch. But he has a murder to solve before it happens.

Lukens' strength is always in their ability to combine humor and mystery into a singular story. Even when the book is at its darkest points, the humor that shines through manages to have me cackling out loud. And then there's the lovely friend groups I've come to count on in each of Lukens' books; such different people that seem to come together naturally and create such fun dynamics. In this case, a clairvoyant, a witch, a werewolf, a sprite, a medium, and an overly-invested human all band together to solve the murder Cam saw before it happens.
The romance seemed to take a backseat in this story more than previous Lukens' books, which was okay, but I would have loved to see more of Mateo. He seemed so precious and just didn't have a lot of time to shine in the ensemble.
The overall setting is a lot of fun - it felt cozy, like a paranormal Stars Hollow where the biggest problem is small factional disputes between the werewolves and the sprites. But the appearance of Cam's powers reveals the dark underside of the society to him; factions vying for his membership with gifts, enemy groups with increasing tensions that could blow at any moment... It's a fun setting. And the mystery of the murder-to-come is fascinating too - I loved the wrap up, even if it happened a bit too quickly!

All of that to say, "Love at Second Sight" is a solid addition to FT Lukens' collection of works and I cannot wait to see what we get next!

"When a teen has an unexpected vision about a future murder, he must juggle newfound interest from the supernatural community with trying to prevent the murder from happening in this "riveting" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) new romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F.T. Lukens.

Fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds wants to spend his sophomore year flying under the radar. That shouldn't be too hard, considering he's a human going to school with kids who have paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch, Al, and his longtime werewolf crush, Mateo.

Then Cam has a psychic glimpse of the future in front of most of the student body, seeing a gruesomely murdered teen girl from the point of view of the killer. When Cam comes to, he knows two things: someone he goes to school with is a future murderer, and his life is about to change. No longer a mere human but a clairvoyant, one of the rarest of supernatural beings, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time.

As the most powerful supernatural factions in the city court Cam and his gift, he'll have to work with his friends, both old and new, to figure out who he can trust and who might be a werewolf in sheep's clothing. Because the clock is ticking, and Cam and his friends must identify the girl in the vision, find her potential killer, and prevent the murder from happening. Or the next murder Cam sees might be his own."

I'm just saying, Cam should have expected to have some supernatural power what with going to a school full of supes. I really don't think many regular humans go there...

What a fun, unique, and downright adorable YA paranormal mystery! Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens completely charmed me with its blend of spooky suspense, heartfelt character moments, and Scooby-Doo-style sleuthing—with supernatural creatures, of course.

Cam, our lovable main character and narrator, is the heart of this story. He’s brave, compassionate, and endlessly relatable. From the moment he has a psychic vision of a murder from the killer’s POV (yikes!), you can feel the weight of his emotions—and you root for him as he’s suddenly thrust into the supernatural spotlight at school. And because Cam is learning everything about this magical world as it unfolds, the reader gets to discover it right alongside him. Sprites, faeries, witches, werewolves, psychics—they all exist in this world, just... hanging out with the humans. Casual.

The mystery plotline? Absolutely my favorite part. It kept me guessing while never losing that cozy, classic paranormal adventure vibe. Think high-stakes teen detective work but with heart—and magical hijinks. There are clever references to Scooby-Doo that made me grin, and just enough suspense to keep things interesting.

But what I loved most was Cam’s growth. Watching him open up, step into his psychic abilities, and figure out how to work with friends (old and new) was so satisfying. Al, his witchy bestie, is fantastic, and Matteo—the charming werewolf crush—adds just the right amount of soft, sweet romance. It’s a story about embracing your whole self, even the weird, wild, and magical parts, and that message shines through in every chapter.

Lukens has such a gift for creating warm, wonderful characters and building worlds you just want to stay in. While I wouldn’t have minded a few more twists or a bit more romantic tension, the smooth pacing and endearing tone totally won me over.

If you're in the mood for a little romance, a little spooky, and a whole lot of heart, Love at Second Sight is a perfect pick.

3.5 stars

I love FT Lukens, but Love at Second Sight was just missing something for me. Overall still really enjoyed this but didn't hit the way I expected it to.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Extremely readable. I loved the large cast of characters, especially Kaci, and the moments where they were in the full group really shone, though it was nice to see Cam’s individual relationships with each person develop. That said, I would have liked to have spent more time reconciling with Al (and their moms). Like in all YA, grown ups play a nebulous role but I think the witches roles felt murkier than they should have given that they’d been in Cam’s life the longest. Overall I really liked this and feel like middle school me would have also spent a Sunday afternoon reading it in one sitting and grown up me really appreciates the representation.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

This book could have cut a third to a half of its length, as so much of it felt meandering and like filler to reach a word count. The plot was slow, and most of the action didn’t really occur until the last 70% or so. I found myself uninterested with this one most of the time, and sad to say it just wasn’t for me.

F. T. Lukens has done it again. I'm telling you, no one does an ensemble cast like they do. If you loved So This Is Ever After, you'll love this book. The cast is similar, all with unique voices and personalities that are engaging and endearing. Lukens takes so much care in how they write relationships, never overlooking platonic bonds in order to uplift and praise romance. In this book especially, it really felt like the friendship between Al and Cam was the central point of the book, with the crushing on the sidelines. As an aroace person, I really appreciated the prioritizing of friendship here! And how we got to see so many different kinds of relationships in the various people who showed up for Cam.

The world building was also very well done. It was straightforward while still being complex, and I enjoyed the politics around each group of magical creatures. That was really interesting to delve into, and appreciated that the book took the time to do so. The magic itself was epic--loved the plant magic especially. And Lukens does a fantastic job of doing the "super special powered MC" without it feeling too cheesy. I was so here for the ride, and having a great time the whole way. Watching Cam settle into himself and his powers was so good--and such a great metaphor for queerness, honestly. I kind of want to reread it specifically to focus through that lens.

While I did overall love this book, I do have a few gripes: 1) the ending was just way too rushed. We didn't really get resolution to Al and Cam's relationship. Especially given Al's moms. That was frustrating, and with how much time we'd been given to invest in their friendship, it was frustrating not to get the payoff of them /really/ talking it out. The writing, especially at the beginning, was also rather repetitive, so we could have cut words down there and put them in the ending instead. 2) I would have like more time to resolve Cam's arc. I won't go into spoilery details, but I wanted Cam to truly be able to face their fears after the climax with the rest of the cast instead of just one friend.

None of these complaints are deal breakers though, and I will still be whole-heartedly recommending yet another banger of a book from this amazing author! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the review copy.

I enjoyed other F.T. Lukens books before this one and expected to like this one as well, and I did like it quite a bit. I was kind of surprised this one didn't have more focus on the romance in the story as other books by the author have much more of the story dedicated to the romance portion. I really liked the side characters in this one as their personalities are quite fleshed out and they actually feel like different people with their own lives. I gotta say Al definitely annoyed me at times near the beginning though. The argument between Al and Cam was just kind of weird and unneeded.

The plot focus was interesting for this book, I know I mentioned it before but I really expected more focus on the romantic aspect between Cam and Mateo, it just feels very different from the authors other titles. You could honestly remove the romance in this book and it really wouldn't change much at all. I also feel as if the "big bad" of the book was kind of obvious but the drastic measures they went to near the end was intriguing and definitely kept me hooked until the end of the book. Overall I really did enjoy this book, it had it's faults as any book will but it was a pretty solid read in my opinion. Definitely would recommend if you enjoyed previous F.T. Lukens books or are looking for any LGBTQ+ friendly titles for a younger audience, although do keep in mind the heavier topics near the end of the book.

Rating: 3 5

This might be my least favorite book that I've read by this author so far, but I'm still looking forward to reading more of their books. The brief drama between Cam and Al seemed unnecessary. They claimed they acted the way that they did because they were jealous of him. But they were being a bad friend before that. And Cam had to be understanding of that for some reason. With the title and cover of the book, you'd think it would be more of a romance, but it really wasn't. This is more about friendship and trying to prevent someone from getting murdered. It was pretty obvious to me who the villains of the story were from the start. This was still overall a fast paced and well written story.

4.5 stars

Cam hopes that changing schools as a sophomore will help him to stay flying under the radar. Since he’s a human at a school where kids have supernatural powers, that shouldn’t be a problem. Until he has a psychic glimpse during a school fight where a girl gets murdered.

Turns out true psychic visions are rare in the supernatural community, so Cam suddenly finds himself the center of attention. But all he wants to do is solve the mystery of the girl he saw to hopefully stop her murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Love at Second Sight by FT Lukens! Always a fan of Lukens work, and this might have worked its way up to my favorite book by them. It seemed like there was a little more at stake in this book than in their previous books.

Let me just start by saying Lukens brilliantly draws parallels between the way Cam’s parents won’t accept their supernatural ability and parents that won’t accept their kids’ sexuality. Cam’s parents are trying to change who he is, despite his journey towards accepting himself. It’s a very fitting comparison to make in a society that is actively trying to erase LGBTQ+ identities.

Aside from that, the characters are what initially drew me into this story. Cam is a wonderful narrator, and eventually finds a little group of friends who accept him wholeheartedly. And help him on his journey towards the supernatural. His relationship with Mateo was adorable, and it had a realistic progression throughout the book.

The ending of the book is a bit wild, taking a turn that you might not expect. But this made the book even more engaging for me, and I was definitely on edge for that last 20% of the book. If you like supernatural mysteries, definitely check this one out when it comes out in April!

I enjoyed "So This is Ever After" another F.T. Lukens book, and to me this book gave me similar vibes. The romance was cute but not part of the whole story, which I enjoyed, and even the murder mystery part of the book was fun to try and figure out. The romance was well paced and the friends feel fleshed out and Cam's friends were fun. This book gave me 80's movie vibes with all the paranormal high schoolers. There were a few things like the brand new school having yearbooks available in the Library, that did bother me but not enough to take a way from the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC!

I decided to read this book as part of the Trans Rights Readathon, as FT Lukens has been on my want to read list for a long time, and I just hadn't been able to find a reason to. Enter the readathon and receiving this book as ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing. I'm beyond happy that I read this book, as the characters are dynamic, I was entranced by the plot, like to the point where I feel like I should have been taking notes with how invested I was.

My only issue is that I wish there had been a tiny bit more shown for Mateo and Cam, because I just loved their dynamic so much!

FT Lukens has been an auto-buy author for me since the first novel I read of theirs, and I’m happy that that hasn’t changed. This was such a unique story, and I’m so glad I read it.

I LOVED the friendships in this book. The ‘paranormal Yahtzee’ but my favourite part of the story, I loved all of them and their connections with each other and Cam. Every single one of them was important to the story, and it just worked. The family situations though… I personally didn't care for any of that & is the reason I’m giving this a 4 instead of a 5.

The title confuses me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cute title and the cover of the book is stunning just like all of the others designed by Sam Schechter for FT Lukens. But it made me think this was going to be a second chance romance, which it definitely wasn’t. Honestly, I’m hesitant to call it a romance at all, it was a paranormal mystery. There is a romance but it’s a minor storyline. The self discovery and teamwork were so much more of the plot, at least that’s how I read it.

Anyway. I adored this. I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy for my shelves when it comes out & I definitely recommend it.

This book was SO MUCH FUN. Another great book from F.T. Lukens!

It was everything I would want from a teen-paranormal mystery with a bit of romance kind of story. Everyone in the main cast of characters were so loveable. The different types of beings in this world all had their own sense of uniqueness and it was great seeing it all come together in the end.

Cam's life situation felt the most grounded and relatable out of all of their previous MCs. He was also dorky, fun, and would panic in situations where I would have reacted the same. The cast of friends Cam makes along the way all felt like real teenagers reacting the way real teenager's would. I think I've said this in a previous review but I find that kind of hard to find, and Lukens excels at it.

Lukens does a great job of writing a feel-good kinda goofy paranormal high school story while adding in some real spooky tension at the end. I think some people may find the shift towards the end of the book jarring but personally, I loved the escalation. I think it added to the oddness of this fun world.

Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this ARC!

I absolutely LOVED this one and it might be my favorite FT Lukens’ book yet 👀

FT writes such incredible found family stories and this one was no exception! You have Cam who was human… until a school fight which made him have a vision and realize he’s actually a clairvoyant. Then there’s his whole group of paranormal friends including Al, a witch, Mateo and his brother + cousin, werewolves, Kaci, a psychic who sees ghosts, Reece, a sprite, and then finally one normal human who just loves the paranormal, Gemma.

The whole story revolves around Cam’s first vision… seeing a murder. He and Al work tirelessly to try and figure out who is being murdered and who is the murderer. This takes the two of them + the others on a whole race to try and stop the vision from happening. Friendships are tested, people are accused, and in the end, the biggest plot twist and absolute horror occurs (I was quite literally panicking that it wasn’t going to be a happy ending).

The story was so unique and soooo well written! I never saw parts of it coming and wow that ending was so full of twists and turns that I almost wish there was 30 more pages afterwards to fully recover from it.

I HIGHLY recommend picking this one up if you love found family, paranormal settings, murder mysteries, and of course a little bit of romance on the side🥰

This was a really sweet YA mystery. Lukens does a great job meshing the human and paranormal world. It's magical realism done correctly! I wasn't expecting the kind of suspense that this gave, but I was here for it! Of course, like any good YA it needed an element of romance and that was done really well. It made me want to be young again.. crushing on the werewolf. The story was funny at times, sad at times, scary at times - everything you want in a fast paced YA novel. The characters were so much fun to hang out with for a few days. Well done.