3.75 stars This book is sweet, delightful and adorable (Pippa the FMC loves synonyms). I have not read a Jo Watson book before, and I didn’t know what to expect, and what I got was a slow burn, he falls first that made me giddy, and characters I fell completely in love with.

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I got to know the characters, it really took flight. Pippa is autistic and is a brilliant air traffic controller. Andrew is a pilot who frequently lands at her airport. When they recognize each other’s voices at an airport restaurant, they get to talking and realize they could help get their families off their backs by fake dating at special functions.

In her forward, Jo Watson mentions she received her autism diagnosis later in life, and how much it helped her understand herself. That understanding is made so clear in Pippa’s character development. As the mother of a neurodivergent son, I can tell you that Pippa is so authentic, and she clearly exemplifies the very best characteristics of high functioning autism, while also showing the struggles.

The slow burn of this book felt like an old fashioned love story. I couldn’t wait for their quick conversations as she gave him his landing instructions. Just the looks, smiles and slight touches had me wanting more. She has to get use to hugging and starts off just giving him a quick hug with a tap on the back which they call pugs, so cute. The spice is light, but so rewarding.

Pippa is literal, doesn’t understand sarcasm, can only socialize in small amounts, and doesn’t handle change easily. She also makes inappropriate but often hilarious comments. I love that Andrew not only accepts Pippa’s quirks, but loves her more for them.

I loved that the message for this book is that everyone is worthy of love. Love at First Flight will lighten your mood and leave you feeling good about life. I highly recommend

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Wattpadbooks for the ARC in return for an honest review

This book was so sweet! I absolutely adored Pippa, and being on the autism spectrum while also being an air traffic controller and how she navigates her life was such an interesting read. And pilot Andrew was so good with her, though I do think his character could have been fleshed out a bit more. It’s only from Pippa’s POV though so I get why it wasn’t. Also love that it takes place in South Africa, and gives a new twist on the fake dating trope.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

“Love at First Flight” by Jo Watson, was a fun, heartwarming read! I, like Jo Watson, was recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum so I was very excited to check this one out because of its neurodivergent lead, and it did not disappoint. “Love at First Flight” is a solid 4 star read for me!

Pippa, an air traffic controller, and Andrew, a pilot (aka "Flightbird Six Zero Zero"), agree to fake date—she needs a reunion date, and he needs his family off his back. Their banter, even over the intercom, is really charming.

What really stood out for me was Pippa’s autism representation. Jo Watson, gave Pippa a lot of her own traits, and it felt real—her love of airplanes and synonyms, her struggles with social cues, even sensory overload moments. Seeing that perspective in a romance was amazing.

Andrew is total golden retriever boyfriend material—patient, kind, and fully accepting of Pippa as she is. Their chemistry is Chef’s kiss. The slow burn was incredibly well done. That said, some might find Pippa’s inner monologues a bit detailed, and Andrew a little too perfect.

But overall? This is a funny, feel-good romance about self-acceptance and finding someone who loves you exactly as you are. If you like fake dating, workplace romance, and authentic neurodivergent rep, definitely give it a read!

Love At First Flight
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“It was as if the entire world and all the elements were involved in this moment, the stars and sky and clouds and wind and engine roar.”
☁️🛩️
How do I know a book is going to be a five star read? When I stay up until 2:30 in the morning reading, I did not want to put this book down and I think it should be on everyone’s tbr!! Let’s start with the easy things you’ll love…the authors note in the beginning sets the book up perfectly, it was authentic and kind, I always appreciate when authors share a piece of themselves with us. It’s funny, we get some spice, Pippa and Andrew will give you butterflies and have you smiling and giggling, it’s sweet, and just felt warm and glowy (just trust me lol). It is single POV, but I felt like Jo wrote in a way that we could tell how Andrew was feeling and what he was thinking along the way. We didn’t hear much about the setting, but it does take place in South Africa and I don’t think I’ve read a book that takes place there so I enjoyed that! I fell in love with every piece right away 🧡
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I loved the autism representation and I think the book does an amazing job at tackling autism / neuro-difference misinformation. Andrew and Pippa’s story came so naturally and beautifully. Everything that she questioned about herself were the things that made him fall in love with her 🥹
“When people get to know me well, they usually don’t like me.”
“That’s just not true. The more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I’ve liked you, no…no, loved you.”
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The air traffic control and pilot situation was not only very timely, but also kinda hot…I said what I said. “I trust you to help land my plane.” I mean come on?! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you @jowatsonwrites @wbywattpadbooks and @netgalley for this e-arc, mark your calendars, preorder, do what you gotta do to get this book, it comes out March 18th!

[ARC review]
LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Jo Watson is the first of two ARCs I have with that title.

This one is about a nuerodivergent air traffic controller Pippa and Andrew, the pilot she convinces to fake date her for their various social engagements, to keep people off their backs about why they are still single.

Air traffic control is a fun deviation from the usual romance writer occupation, and the setting in South Africa was a first for me. It was cool to see someone in a high stakes job with career ambitions, none of which had to be tempered because of her relationship.

It is #OwnVoices, as both the author and main character are autistic, and Watson says in the author's note that she gave Pippa some of her own characteristics and interests, along with others that are common amongst those with autism. But obviously one character cannot encompass the full scope of what it is to be on the autism spectrum, which is exactly why we need lots of books about diverse experiences. Because it's still necessary to show and remind people that everyone deserves to be loved, and that the right person loves you for who you are.

This is a contemporary romance featuring Pippa Edwards, a neurodivergent air traffic controller, and Andrew Boyce-Jones, a pilot. Their daily professional interactions take an unexpected turn when they finally meet in person and agree to a fake dating arrangement. As they spend more time together, real feelings develop, leading to a heartfelt and humorous love story.

Set against the unique backdrop of the aviation industry, the novel explores themes of self-acceptance, personal growth, and unexpected love. With its engaging characters and slow-burn romance, it’s a charming and uplifting read for fans of romantic comedies.

Love at First Flight is a wonderful fake dating. romance. This story is told from Pippa’s perspective. She loves fish, planes and synonyms; and is fed up with her family wishing she had a boyfriend. She then strikes up a fake dating plot with “Flightbird Six Zero Zero”. Fake dates lead to real friendship, and then the sparks come. I loved Pippa and I loved Andrew and they were so special together. I appreciate how Andrew made it clear that he treasured everything about her, especially the things that she had come to believe make her unloveable. An open door romance filled with humor, tenderness, and the type of communication where people feel accepted for who they are and. can imagine a bigger future than they previously thought possible.

Oh my word!

I loved this one!

He’s a pilot and she is an air traffic controller. They meet through work and decide they could both benefit from fake dating.

She is on the Autism Spectrum and he is just the absolute best with all of her sensory processing needs. This is so sweet and quirky and all the things!

I read this all in one day which I NEVER do! It was a super fun romance and gets all the stars from me!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this as an ARC!

While I can seriously appreciate the representation of a neurodivergent person on the spectrum, this book didn’t really do it for me… the setting was great (Helooooooo South Africa), the premise was good, but dang, the writing left so much to be desired. At times it felt quite juvenile, and at times the inner monologue of the FMC was so long that I found myself skipping large chunks of the chapters. I do understand this to be part of the autism representation, but at times felt too information overload and it took me out of the story itself.

While others may love this book, it just wasn’t it for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Right from the start, the author’s note set the perfect tone, helping me understand the heart behind this story. As a neurodiverse reader, I truly appreciated the thoughtful and authentic representation—it meant so much.

And then… we get the cutest meet-cute EVER! Pippa is a force to be reckoned with, but watching her be her true self around Andrew? Absolutely heartwarming and so relatable. And Andrew? The ultimate book boyfriend—kind, patient, caring, and completely dependable. Their connection is pure magic.

And just when I thought I had this book figured out—that tear-jerking surprise ending! I was not ready! This is an absolute must-read—add it to your TBR now!

Easy four stars! Slow to start, but really cute once I got into it. Good autism rep, fun fake dating trope, and the aviation/airplane part of this was so interesting to me!

What a fun, romantic travel themed book!

It’s everything a rom com should be. It was a fresh take on “fake dating” to cope with pressures from friends and family.

While the formula may sound familiar, these two characters keep you interested and entertained. The author’s first hand take on being on the spectrum is realistic, unfiltered and endearing.

As someone who reads a lot of romance novels it is always nice to find one that stands out against the "typical" romance book. I loved the representation of autism in this book. I did find the start a bit slow and it took me some time to get into the plot but by the end I enjoyed it! Overall it was not my favourite romance book, but I would recommend it to those who like to have more relatable representation in romance novels!

Wow. I haven’t read such a beautiful romance in a while. This isn’t your typical romance, but thats exactly what makes it so special. It’s an authentic portrayal of what it means to love someone who is neurodivergent.

I absolutely loved the banter between Pippa and Andrew! They fit so well together! And Andrew? He was so WHOLESOME!!

The autism representation was beautifully done, making this novel a sweet, (neuro)spicy, and cozy read.

This was such a good book that includes true representation of autism. I really enjoyed reading it and getting to know the characters. Watching the character development was fantastic!

Interesting read for sure. The story was slow at the start and is alittle too long for my taste in romance books. But overall good book to read.

Thanks Netgalley and author/publisher for the ARC!

This was cute but a little long and a slow start. I have never read anything like it so it makes it stand out and feel unique in that way!

Love at first flight is possibly the worst book I have ever had the displeasure of reading.

I was excited for this book there is so little Autism representation in books but this book was impossible to pallet .

The MC constantly droned on and on and there was so much over explanation that I was constantly getting bored .

This book ended up being a hard no for me, despite a few cute moments neither character where likable and no matter how hard I tried to get into the story I couldn’t

Thank you Netgalley Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group | W by Wattpad Books for the arc

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a fun and quick read! I read it in less than 24 hours. I loved the autism spectrum rep, the banter between our main characters, and the ATC and pilot romance. I am also an aviation nerd and appreciated that about this book.