I had a very hard time with this one. I loved the sound of it and the cover is super cute, but I unfortunately did not finish it. I found it to be a little too cheesy for my liking.

I really wanted to like this book, but honestly it was driving me up the wall. The FMC, Jessie, drove me up the wall the entire book. She didn't see the forest for the trees and I was tired of her swooning over a guy who was not worth it. I really wish that we had invested more in her relationship with her best friend, provided more backstory to her and her father's relationship, etc. I just got tired of hearing about Cal and how torn she was.

"Love at First Sight" follows Jessie, a full time nanny dealing with feeling disgruntled with her life right now. She had a long time boyfriend who broke up with her when her father got cancer. She gave up her flat and had to move into a basement bedsit and just doesn't think she's going to find the one. Cue her going to Whole Foods and having a moment with a stranger named Cal that turns into bliss after a fire causes them to have to leave the premises. What follows is a pitch perfect day when due to a twist, Jessie and Cal end up not exchanging numbers. Jessie's best friend pushes her to hang up signs trying to find him, and she can't get him out of her mind though there's a guy that has been steadily pursuing her. When Jessie opens the door to her nannying job one day, there stands Cal.

The entire premise of this novel is Jessie really wanting to be with Cal and her deciding to not pursue it because of "family" but still wanting to be with him and torn between another guy. I know another reviewer said that Jessie reminded her of herself when she was 13. And honestly, that is what I had too. She was too indecisive for me. She kept talking about her nannying job like there were her family and it was weird when you saw how her boss treated her. Also she had to be the most naive person in the world when you read about what was going on with a certain plot point. I just thought that Williams didn't do enough for a reader to get there with Jessie or her love interests or to even really root for her.

The other characters outside of Cal were not developed well at all. I only bring that up because of the ending we get (no spoilers) that had me going well that was a weird change. I think that it could have worked if Williams had devoted time to building up everyone so you could see the ending and be happy with it. All in all, okay romance read, just not something I would re-read in the future.

Oh, the miscommunication trope, how you exhaust me!

I really really wanted to love this one. It just felt so very cheesy in multiple places, I found the minor characters extremely unlikeable, and the lack of communication between basically any character in this book was frustrating.

The redeeming factors were absolutely Williams’ writing style and wit as well as Jessie’s story of growth. The fact that she chose herself in the end and stood up for herself made me so proud and was VERY relatable!

3.5⭐️

**Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for the eARC**

Jessi thinks she may have found the one in a Whole Foods fire alarm drill. Cal is charming and there’s an instant spark. Until he saves a woman’s life and she can’t find him. She battles the desire to find the one who is making her believe in love at first sight and taking the chance with the solid man she has known for years.

This book is overall a cute story, and has some great insight into how to treat children with trust and respect. I liked that message. The beginning felt very weak and did not quite hook me like I hoped. As it went along the storytelling got stronger and more interesting/high stakes vibes. I also was not a personal fan of some of the stream of consciousness narration that would sometimes happen in the book. And some style choices. Overall a quick and easy read for someone wanting to read a romance/self love/follow your dreams type of book.

I wanted to love this story, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the best fit for me. It was in the execution of everything that wasn’t jiving for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for the eARC!

This book had a lot of promise - the premise is really fun: a great (totally spontaneous) date ends abruptly with no way for either party to contact the other. And then they find each other again, but... it's complicated.
Some of the pieces of their great date were fun - I do wish the author had picked something different to break the two up/end the date. I also wish the complication would have made itself apparent a little faster - though then I might have felt like the will they/won't they was too repetitive.
I didn't love the writing style, and I especially didn't like the main characters. The side characters, however, were gems. Leo and Teddy and Ali? I'm all in on them. Jessie and Cal? Not so much.

How fun! Was it hard to watch the relationship between Jessie and Cal and Jessie and Ali. But loved how supportive Leo always was of Jessie.

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams is a heartwarming, witty, and utterly charming read that gave me all the feels. From the very first page, I was hooked on the chemistry, the emotional tension, and the delicious slow-burn build-up.

Laura Jane Williams has such a gift for creating characters that feel real—flawed, hopeful, vulnerable, and deeply human. The romance unfolds with just the right mix of humor and heart, making it impossible not to root for them. There’s a tenderness to the story that lingers long after the final chapter, reminding you that love often shows up when you least expect it—and sometimes, all it takes is one glance to change everything.

If you're a fan of heartfelt rom-coms with smart writing and emotional depth, this book is an absolute must-read

Fun setup with a London backdrop, nanny drama, a messy love triangle, and a future evil stepmom, but it tried to juggle too much without enough depth. Jessie was frustrating—too hung up on the wrong guy and slow to grow a backbone—but her bond with Henry, the kid she nannies, was the highlight. I wanted more from her relationships with Leo, her dad, and India, and some actual consequences for the worst characters. Still, it kept me reading and had some sweet moments.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found it inane and not very well done. THank you for the opportunity.

This was a sweet and quick read!

We follow career nanny, Jessie, as she has a meet-cute into the perfect impromptu date that ends on very dramatic note and without exchanging phone numbers. Only for Jessie to run into the man from her perfect day. On the job. As her boss’s new boyfriend.

I really feel like the “side” characters made this story! Everyone felt very real and I loved their impact on Jessie’s life even if it wasn’t always positive. Jessie is pretty frustrating throughout but I still enjoyed her.

Overall, lovely read.

Love at First Sight is a good summer read. It has it all; betrayals, secrets, lies, insecurities, a love story and a London, England setting. Jessie is a nanny with dreams of starting her own “out of the box” child care business. She’s caught between the man she thinks she’s destined for, Cal, and one she’s known for years, Leo, plus she has to deal with her dad’s relationship to her evil step-mom-to-be and her demanding famous boss.

Love at First Sight has a lot of potential, but there’s just too much going on and not enough substance to support the plot and subplots; a lot of telling and not enough showing. I wish there were more interactions between Jessie and, Leo, her dad, and her best friend, India. My favorite parts of the book are the interactions between Jessie and Henry, her seven-year-old charge, they come across as genuine. Henry is written as an age-appropriate, typical kid, which I really enjoyed.

As for Jessie, I’m over the main character trope of being hung up on having a significant other because they think it’ll make their life better, and not believing another character when their words are backed up by their actions. Jessie does both of these things. She keeps holding on to what she *thinks* instead of what she’s seeing. She is also missing a backbone for most of the book, however, there is significant growth on this matter. Jessie comes into herself both personally and professionally. I just wish at least one of these things would’ve happened sooner rather than later along with deeper character development, for everyone, and the reason behind her father’s behavior. There is also a lack of comeuppance that I really wanted to see. Overall, I was kept engaged and enjoyed Love at First Sight.

Thank you to publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the digital ARC of Love at First Sight via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed Love at First Sight, all thoughts are my own.

This book was so good. The first 10 or so chapters were a bit slow since they were character building - there are a lot of characters in this book. Jessie, Cal, Leo, Jessie’s father and evil step mom to be, friends, bosses, etc. So there was quite a bit of background needed before the story really got rolling.
Jessie felt like one of my best friends. I laughed at her antics, cried with her, got frustrated with her decisions, and was happy for her growth.
It’s really special when an author can make you feel that way about the character in their book.

In this book, we are immediately introduced to Jessie and Cal. Jessie is convinced that Cal is the one, but they part before exchanging contact info. The rest of the story revolves around Jessie and Cal and Jessie’s family, work, and dreams. She is convinced that Cal is the one she is meant to be with. The rest of the story is about Jessie’s journey to her happily ever after, though it isn’t quite as easy as her first meeting with Cal. I appreciated the chance to read this book - it was provided in advance by NetGalley- but I found it to be predictable and often frustrating. There are a few times where there is space for an unexpected turn, but that doesn’t happen and it’s simply a cute, predictable story. If that is what you are looking for, great! If not, probably best to keep on looking.

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love at First Sight is a fast-paced, lighthearted contemporary romcom featuring several classic tropes, along with a great setting in London!

Jessie, a nanny, doesn’t believe in love at first sight, until a fire alarm in Whole Foods places her in a stranger's arms. Cal is fascinating and humorous. Their chemistry is obvious and they end up spending the day together. They don’t exchange phone numbers though and Jessie is worried that she’ll never see him again. Jessie ends up finding herself face to face with Cal when she answers the door to greet her boss's boyfriend. She is absolutely shocked and she and Cal pretend they don’t know each other. As Cal and Jessie ignore their feelings, Jessie starts spending time with Leo. She has feelings for Leo but thinks he is a womanizer so she questions his sincerity.

The writing was very good, especially when it came to detailing the descriptions of the setting. The love triangle was a bit over exaggerated and the several plot lines felt like too much at times. Nonetheless, certain aspects were interesting and this was a fun read overall.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

2.5 stars rounded up
Henry, the child, was my favorite character, which says something. Everyone else was pretty awful. Well, maybe not Leo, but his character wasn't fully developed and I thought there was little chemistry between him and Jessie. He deserved better. Also, I hated the name of Jessie's company, Stray Kids. Really? I mean, like you're pulling random kids off the street to have a place to play? "Stray" sounds like orphaned animals. Anyway, it was a really quick read so I did finish it but wouldn't recommend it. The beginning was so promising - funny and great banter between Jessie and Cal and one of the best meet-cute ideas I've ever read. Then it kind of went downhill. The whole side story about her father and his girlfriend was ridiculous and absolutely not needed here. I think there was too much going on and not enough attention paid to the main story.

Oh man, where to begin?! As someone who LOVES London & romance books, I was hooked the second I saw the synopsis!!

This romance book is a whirlwind from chapter one until the very end! As someone who likes to think of what’s coming ahead in a book, trust me, you can totally think you know where the storyline is going & still not see where our main character, Jessie, ends up!

I really resonated with Jessie on several occasions. I feel like Laura Jane Williams did an amazing job writing these characters.

Well worth the read. It was fun, quirky, and rollercoaster!!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Laura Jane Williams for an Advanced Copy of this book!

I had a lot of hope for this book. I thought it would be really cute and it's definitely a different type of story. I struggled to get started because the beginning was just too much. It was definitely a "this is too good to be true" type of situation. I pushed myself to keep going though because I really wanted to know more and see where everything was going to go.

I will say, that this book did not go like I thought it would. There were so many characters and so many side stories. I like how the story ended up going, specifically, the end results for each character, but the process of getting to those points.... that was rough. Having so many characters and so many side stories, it was just a lot going on for one book. I felt like the FMC and who she ends up with, their story was pushed to the side and I think I would have enjoyed more of their story. I could have done with all these side stories taking more of a backseat. They honestly could have been their own stories and I would have wanted to read about them.

I also struggled with the cover. The description of the FMC is that she is blonde. I do like that they changed the cover and feel that a thorny rose is way more appropriate.

This isn't a book I would recommend.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute story that is kicked off by a meet cute after a fire alarm goes off and two strangers have an instant connection. They are unable to exchange information and the next time they see each other is when he shows up at her boss’s house to take said boss on a date. At the same time, she is getting to know the local butcher better but isn’t sure if he is actually interested or if he’s just a big flirt. As the story goes on it becomes clear which couple you ship. I think I was initially drawn to the premise of the book because I have experienced that instant connection before, but there’s usually more to the story. The boss was a real piece of work and I did get frustrated with the FMC because of how she put up with mistreatment from so many people in her life. Cute book but not particularly novel.

Going into this one i thought it would be just another run of the mill romance story and well.....I was really surprised and really invested in Jessies story!

After a meet cute with the lovely Cal and spending a magical day with him in London, Jessie realises she forgot to get Cals number and so now she has no way of contacting him. She believes she'll never see him again. Until one day she opens the door and there is Cal holding a bunch of flowers only, they aren't for her!

The characters were wonderful in this story especially little Henry and I have to say i had a soft spot for Leo.

I truly thought i knew how the story would go and I was so wrong, really enjoyed it!