What a cozy, quirky read! An LA influencer encounters a UFO and the Man in Black they send to deal with her is attractive. I absolutely love books like this and want to read more silly, out-of-the-norm stories like this one. Where can I find more?

Definitely will be reading Mallory Marlowe’s previous publication next to see what else this author has up her sleeve. Already looking forward to her upcoming one!

I loved the Men in Black movies when I was younger, so getting a MIB flavored romance?! It was amazing! This was such a sweet romance with great comedic moments and even a bit of a mystery going on. I really felt every emotion while I read this book, from laughing at the quirky characters, to crying and feeling their pain and frustrations while they try to crack their case. This was super well written and had me captive from chapter 1. Even if getting chased by possible UFOs is scary I would totally be down, if it led me to a super hot secret agent!

This was such a cute and fun read! I really enjoyed the romance, the mystery, the action, just all of it! These characters were written perfectly and I loved the whole Men in Black vibe. I definitely recommend this book!

Mallory Marlowe was my favorite debut author of 2024. Her first book “Love and Other Conspiracies” was amazing and I knew she would be an author to watch. So when I heard she had another book coming out in 2025 that was perfect for fans of Romcoms meets Men in Black. I immediately had grabby hands. So thank you to arc publishing gods because NetGalley & Berkley Publishing came through. I have never been so excited to receive an arc copy for a book. And let me tell you Mallory’s second book, “Love at First Sighting” did not disappoint.

Ariel & Carters story kicked off with a bang and I ended up being unable to put the book down until I finished it at 1am. PS I have zero regrets this book was worth the lack of sleep. I loved both characters individually and I loved them even more as a couple. Watching them find and heal each other through this action pack adventure felt like watching a movie. And I wish I could rewind and reread it all again.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. Please check this book out when it releases August 2025! On a personal level I’m so excited for my trophy copy to arrive for my bookshelf later this summer.

Arc review: 4.75 ⭐️
Binged this in a day while home sick from work.
Deep (fictional) dive into both influencer culture AND government conspiracies, which is a combo that just *worked*.
Hot-floppy-haired-blond-Gen-Z-man-in-black +
Shit-I-think-I-just-saw-a-ufo-influencer-babe = a real deep, meaningful connection and some fun hijinks to boot.
🛸 💜 👽

Mallory Marlowe’s *Love at First Sighting* is a delightfully quirky rom-com that blends swoon-worthy romance with a dash of extraterrestrial intrigue. Los Angeles influencer El Martin has crafted the perfect aesthetic life, but what she truly craves is something real—until an unexpected UFO sighting and a mysterious Man in Black throw her world into chaos. Enter Agent Carter Brody, a reluctant investigator with a personal tie to her case, whose skepticism is no match for El’s confidence and charm. As they dive deeper into the mystery, sparks fly, making it impossible to ignore their undeniable chemistry. Marlowe masterfully balances witty banter, heart-tugging romance, and an engaging sci-fi twist, creating a love story that’s both out of this world and deeply grounded in emotion. Perfect for fans of paranormal rom-coms and opposites-attract dynamics, *Love at First Sighting* is an irresistibly fun and heartfelt read that proves love—like the truth—is out there.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Super cute, blonde Man-in-Black falls HARD for influencer after a close encounter? Sign me up!

Mallory Marlowe is an instant read author for me, so when I was able to grab her second book, I RAN. The premise was cute, the tone was somehow lighthearted and funny but with a deeper, more meaningful backstory, and the MCs were totally relatable. An all around fun time.

First, I am an elder millennial who grew up on The X-Files. (Quick thanks to Mulder and Scully for the bi-awakening.) This one had me at "the Men-in-Black", UFOs, and aliens. Easy yes.

Second, I have a major soft spot for blonde MMCs (they get no love!) and Carter fit the bill. Emotionally stable (especially considering his trauma - sheesh!), boyish good looks, all around good guy, and two words: hat and suspenders. (Swoon.) Throw in a "good girl" here and there plus his hard fall for the FMC, and you'd love him too.

Third, mad love for the always under-estimated FMC. As "just another pretty girl", it was fun to see El consistently prove everyone wrong about her. She was tenacious, brave, and took no one's sh*t. I loved how she immediately leaned in to giving Carter the love he really needed, unconditionally, and they made a great pair.

No spoilers, but they have the cutest HEA.

📚Trope(s): He Falls First/Insta-Love, Blonde Hero, Trauma/Scars, Found Family
What you get: 🕵🏼📸🛸👽
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 4/5
🌶️Spice: 3/5
(I kept waiting for Carter to be the "hand necklace" type of guy... talk about missed opportunity!)

4.5*

Mallory Marlowe has figured out the perfect balance between having a goofy and fun rom-com romp of a story while having deeper themes/plot lines and packing in quite a bit of genuine emotion.

Carter & El had me so damn invested in their romance, but also in them individually. El is an influencer who has somewhat fallen out of love with it all, but just keeps on pushing through... until she has a scary encounter with what she believes is a spaceship - which she shares live on her stories - and it kind of blows up her life.

Enter Carter, the truly adorable himbo cinnamon roll Man-In-Black, who for reasons of his own requests to be assigned to El's case. He is the definition of a simp, and his internal monologue any time he's thinking about El is pure gold. A truly and deliciously pathetic (non-derogatory) man!! I'm low-key obsessed with this blond man, with his tender heart and his damn suspenders.

From their first encounter (lol see what I did there) which is absolutely hilarious, they have such great banter, and as the story progresses what grows between them is genuinely such a sweet and heartfelt connection. This is packed with some wholesome moments that had be shedding a few tears. It also had some tension-filled will they won't they moments, and some great spice!

Oh and, there is one scene in particular that had me absolutely CACKLING. Without giving anything away, all I'll say is "Could I interest you in a new printer?".. Truly, hilarious scene!

I definitely plan to reread via audio!!

I loved this authors first book and I somehow loved this more? Truly one of the best heroes I’ve read in a long long time. It was so nice to see a book where the hero is so emotionally mature and not afraid to cry and mourn and be sad and want love.

Also aliens!!

The characters (El and Carter) make this book perfect! They have amazing banter and are so sexy. I would explain this as a fun x-files type adventure romance and a must read to any romance reader who needs a unique plot and to feel a little emotional trauma with their love stories

Mallory Marlowe has done it again! I fell in love with her contemporary-paranormal debut Love and Other Conspiracies and could not wait to read more!

Love at First Sighting is a bingeable romcom between two very loveable characters with Mallory Marlowe’s signature pop culture references, relatable characters, and laugh out loud passages that will make people ask you what you are reading. Men in Black x Famous Influencer who sees UFO is the meet-cute you didn’t know you needed to read.

You will love this book if you enjoy cinnamon-roll MCs, wickedly smart FMCs, cute texts with emojis, pretending to be Harriet the Spy, and happily ever afters with no third-act breakups.

I love a good adventure romcom and this is no exception.

How cute is this? An influencer has a close encounter with a UFO and a “man in black” hunts her down - but then they end up teaming up to figure out a conspiracy?!

Not quite as perfect as Love and Other Conspiracies but still a good time.

What’s to love…
- X-files but make in sexy (and modern)
- influencer FMC + secret government employee MMC
- Blonde MMC (what can I say i’m a sucker for a blonde man)
- tension
- a side of trauma
- mystery and adventure!
- He’s down bad
- dual POV
- self-discovery

What’s not to love…
- personally this leaned a little too heavy into the physical attraction and felt a bit insta-love as a result

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Mallory Marlowe has a knack for making the weird and strange both approachable and a ton of fun. I absolutely love her work and I am already looking forward to see what she comes up with next.

📖 Book Review 📖 It only took her debut novel for Mallory Marlowe to become an auto-read author and I was not going to miss this Love at First Sighting!! What happens when an influencer collides with the extraterrestrial world? El earns her living selling things but has no real passion or drive igniting her life. On brand or not, El spots strange wreckage while filming for some new yoga pants and her world changes. Carter is one handsome Man in Black with emotionally high stakes in investigating the truth that must be out there and when he gets assigned to El’s case…well, we know how this goes. Throughout the delightful, light hearted nature of this beautiful novel is woven powerful words of healing and the chance for love in the most unexpected places. While we may not have a definitive answer on the truth of aliens, what is certain is that Mallory Marlowe knocked Love at First Sighting into another universe!