This one just didn’t grip me - super fun premise but I couldn’t manage to care about Jessie and Cal…at all. Bummer!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really kept me on my toes. Everything that happened I expected differently. This was definitely a book that you can’t predict what’s going to happen. I just kept wanting to shake Jessie for being so ridiculous and I really expected a different outcome than what happened. Very, very enjoyable. I would like to read more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)

Laura Jane Williams has done something truly special with Love at First Sight—a romance novel that kept me completely engaged, had me guessing until the end, and ultimately felt like a breath of fresh air in a genre that too often romanticizes chaos over stability.

From the very first page, I was hooked by the story’s pacing, the multi-dimensional characters, and the way Williams effortlessly weaves humor, longing, and deep emotional introspection into her storytelling. Unlike many romance novels that rely on over-the-top dramatic twists or toxic dynamics disguised as “passion,” this book delivers a nuanced, mature love story that feels both real and deeply rewarding.

Atypical Ending That Felt Like a Healing Moment

One of my absolute favorite things about this book was the ending. So many romance novels glorify the “fiery, unpredictable, head-over-heels, can’t-live-without-you” dynamic that often veers into dysfunction. Instead, Love at First Sight takes a refreshingly grounded approach, showing that love built on stability, trust, and emotional security is just as—if not more—romantic than the whirlwind infatuations we so often see.

As someone who has experienced the emotional highs and lows of being drawn to chaotic relationships, this book felt like a healing experience. I saw parts of myself in the protagonist, especially in how she grapples with her own expectations of love, her personal growth, and the ultimate realization that sometimes, the best love isn’t the one that sets your world on fire—it’s the one that makes you feel safe, seen, and supported.

Engaging Plot with Great Character Development

The character development was phenomenal—not just for the main character but for the supporting cast as well. Williams crafts multi-layered, fully realized people whose choices and emotions feel authentic, rather than just existing as plot devices. Watching the protagonist evolve, untangle her past, and make choices rooted in self-awareness rather than impulse was incredibly satisfying.

And while I won’t spoil anything, I loved the journey of this book—the twists, the small moments of self-discovery, and the beautifully executed emotional payoff. Williams keeps you guessing, making it impossible to put the book down, while also ensuring that every moment feels earned and meaningful.

Final Thoughts

This book absolutely deserves 5 stars. It’s engaging, emotionally rich, and offers a fresh take on love that so many romance novels shy away from. If more books celebrated the steady, healthy, truly fulfilling relationships rather than the chemical, chaotic ones, I think a lot of readers would feel the same kind of healing and validation that I did while reading this.

If you’re a fan of romance, fiction, or character-driven stories with emotional depth, Love at First Sight is a must-read. I’d gladly recommend it to any friends looking for a story that’s both heartfelt and refreshingly different from the typical love story.

3.25⭐️
Love at First Sight was my first Laura Jane Williams book and it was honestly such a cute and lovely introduction to her books!

I thought the characters were interesting and unique. The plot was a little messy and convoluted at times but I did enjoy the love story/happy ending that wasn’t so straight forward.

The ending was a bit rushed for me. I wish we had an epilogue to tell us what happens with Stray Kids and Henry. The last chapter felt like an epilogue but without enough info.

Overall, it was a quick, easy, and pretty enjoyable read!

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

I really liked the meetcute for this, but afterwards I didn’t understand why our fmc was still pinning after him after her interactions with Leo, especially when she found out he was willing to go on dates whilst in a relationship? I don’t think this is a book that I’d.be recommending.

A quick, lighthearted read

It was an alright story for the most part. Some of the characters were quite unlikeable (by design), with the exception of Jessie’s best friend, India, and local butcher Leo.

The story as a whole was not overly compelling and yet I kept wanting to read on to see how it went. The twists at the end were insane, the last one by FAR my favorite part.

I enjoyed most of Jessie’s internal dialogue and banter with the MMC. I also liked that despite what ultimately occurs between these characters, Jessie is encouraged to pursue her dream.

I think Jessie experiences personal growth through the story and that is always great to see.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a cute and quick read.

I will say the FMC frustrated me. She got on my nerves. I understand she was trying to find herself, but I couldn’t stand how she let certain characters treat her and would never stand up for herself.

I did enjoy the little twist at the end though. It was so sweet.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Jessie, a nanny with a heart full of hope, certainly does—especially when she meets Cal during a chaotic fire drill at the local grocery store. Their connection is instant, electric, and feels like the kind of all-consuming love she’s always dreamed of. They spend a whirlwind day together, but just as quickly as he appeared, Cal leaves to help a stranger get to the hospital. It isn’t until after he’s gone that Jessie realizes they never exchanged numbers. Her mind races, consumed by thoughts of him, wondering how she might track him down. Little does she know, Cal is about to step back into her life in the most unexpected way—when he shows up at her boss’s house for a date.

This book was a quick, easy read. The characters were engaging, with enough backstory to make it clear who they were and how they fit into the narrative. The pacing was solid overall, though there were a couple of slower moments. While I initially expected a typical romance (based on the title), I found it to be more about personal growth—particularly about finding your own voice and doing things for yourself rather than for others. Jessie’s journey to discover her voice is at the heart of the story, and there’s a romance subplot that plays a key role in her development.

I’d definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy cozy women’s fiction, but it might not satisfy those looking for a more traditional romance.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

It's been a while since I read a romance book with the type of humor and banter that I enjoy, and this book delivered it. Jessie was a likable character when it came to how she interacted with children but I struggled with her interactions between adults. Maybe that's intentional? Jessie got her HEA but it was a bit back and forth to get there. Also a lot of chapters were filled with her internal ranting but it still held the story together. Overall this was a cute, quick read.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!

I requested to read this because the cover just drew me in.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. I was not sure what to expect. It was too easy, a happily ever after-meet cute? Too easy. Sure enough the plot went in a direction I half expected but wasn’t sure I liked. I was hoping to relate to Jessie since she’s in her mid-30s like myself. However, she was a bit frustrating and difficult to read about because she could not stand up for herself. When it picked up and she eventually did, I was rooting for her! The MMCs were both unlikable for me but I’m glad that Jessie found her HEA. Fun, quick read.

Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Well this ride gave me whiplash. I kept getting drawn into the story but just couldn't figure out at times what I wanted to happen. I kept expecting common tropes to play out in a predictive way and never happened. Pick up this book if you are sick of romance books all having the same formula. I enjoyed the journey and of course the HEA.

I like the idea of the plot, but the writing was mid. It didn’t have a lot of banter, some of the ways the characters acted were hard to follow. I think it’s a quick read for someone who really enjoys romance.

Imagine meeting the love of your life in the checkout line at Wholefoods. Jessie and cal don’t get to exchange numbers so she spends her time trying to find him. But by some change, they are able to reconnect. Unfortunately there is a big obstacle in their way. I was shocked by the ending but I wanted Jessie to be happy and find what she truly wanted.

I found this book to be a little slow. The story was cute but I don’t think I see myself reading it again.

Thank you NetGalley, Laura and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the E-ARC!

Publication date: August 19th 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #LoveatFirstSight

Quick, easy read! Love at First sight gives a glimpse into a woman transforming from a push over to finding her voice. She falls in love with a man in one afternoon not knowing his last name or number to reach him. The rest of the story is spent finding this man and herself with a twist at the end.
Cute
But it was so mild and parts were drawn out. I was not fully into any of the side characters either. Mild is just the best word for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam NY for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to like a book when you don’t like the characters. I struggled to get through this because I felt no connection to Jessie and no chemistry between her and the MMCs. I did enjoy her monologue at times. It was very casual but funny.

Some characters are very intentionally portrayed as frustrating or mean, and while for the most part I disagreed with their actions, at certain points I thought to myself “yeah, no that makes sense” or “I might do the same”, which just muddled my feelings toward the characters more.

Another thing that struck me was the amount of modern language and brand placement (examples include Uber Eats, AirPods, Whole Foods, Netflix, TikTok, Gen Z, etc). I worry these things might date the book as time goes on.

Overall, I think this book has okay bones, but the execution fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I requested to read “Love at First Sight” by Laura Jane Williams as I enjoy her writing.

This is the type of novel you need to come to with the write expectations. If you’re looking for a light-hearted romance with some quirky moments, this is your book. Potential love interests “meet cute” at Whole Foods but then go their separate ways. However, in a twist of fate, they connect again, but an obstacle (a. big one) is thrown in their way. Hence, the story moves to the ups and downs of how they got together.

This was a book that had its moments that captured my attention. I wasn’t as invested in some of the subplots but that did not keep me from enjoying this book. Jessie, the main female character, was likable. Her connection to Cal was not at all forced. This novel distracted me from some heartening real world issues and for that, I appreciate it.

Four out of five stars (for three and a half stars).

Thanks to Net Galley, the author and publisher for a chance to read this novel.

I love a good London love story. This one too me a little bit to get into. At first it was a little too unbelievable and I just couldn’t get into the characters but as the story went along it picked up for me and I enjoyed seeing what was going to happen.

This book had an interesting concept as the FMC supposedly meets the MMC in a supermarket & they have this amazing love at first sight connection. They part ways without getting each others information & the next time she sees him he is bringing flowers to her boss.

She attempts to fight her connection with him as a friend also makes his interest in her known. I struggled because the guy she likes gave me the ick the majority of the time & I couldn’t tell if that was the goal while the friend was so nice & understanding throughout all of the FMC’s up & down feelings.

Once I felt like the pieces of the plot started to fall in a way that made sense, the book was over & I felt like there was not enough payoff for going through so much trying to get there. I also had to skim a lot of side plot elements towards the end because I could not for the life of me be invested in them.

For me, this was another one of those ~good in theory~ plots that just wasn’t executed as well as I hoped.

During the first ten percent or so of this book, I kept wondering to myself okay, this is a sweet little meet cute BUT what diabolical twist is Laura going to throw at us?

And luckily she threw quite a few! I was halfway through before I came up for air. Laura has done it again with a fun sweet romcom that’s not just A to Z, but a roller coaster along the way. I continue to adore her writing style and am a fan for life.

3.5/5 stars
Imagine meeting the man of your dreams and spontaneously spending the entire afternoon together while thinking "how is this real life?!" before he is whisked off in an emergency with no way of contacting him. Then, right as you have accepted that your paths will never cross again, he pops up in the most unexpected of ways...as your boss' boyfriend.

This book was superbly British. And while I loved reading a story that made me feel like I was walking the cobblestone streets of London, I grew more and more frustrated with our FMC, Jessie, and her communication skills as the story processed. And a LOT happened throughout the book, which is great to show character and side character growth. But for me, it started to read like riding a rollercoaster, growing irritated at the lengths that Jessie was able to allow those around her to treat her so poorly. I'm glad she came to her senses as the end before opportunities truly passed her by!

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and Laura Jane Williams for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.