3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this eARC!

I adored this book! It was lighthearted and so cute, but it wasn’t anything special. It is a quick, easy romantic read and I would definitely recommend it!

We follow El, our FMC, an influencer. She is struggling with her current life and how to just be instead of being someone she’s not. I really enjoyed El! I thought she was funny and witty, and the little influencer moments were great. Then we have our man in black!!!!! Carter, ugh, he needs a hug. I thought he was hilarious and I enjoyed his side comments about being a Gen Z while working with older generations because real.

They both meet after El sees a mysterious drone and posts it on social media. Honestly, I was sure how I would feel about aliens in a romance book, but I actually think it needed more aliens? That probably makes no sense. Idk I think it would’ve been funnier if there were more aliens.

Anyways, enough about aliens. I thought this book was good! Just nothing that really stood out to me, but I enjoyed the author’s writing and will definitely look into her other works in the future!

5 bright stars with flashing lights and a strange shaped body ⭐️👽🛸

Mallory writes my favorite brand of romance. Sharp, witty, nerdy, unapologetically millennial in the BEST way. Her debut, Love and Other Conspiracies, was one of my favorites of 2024, and Love at First Sighting achieves the same feat.

There’s an influencer, a Man in Black (I’ll never forgive her for making me thirst over a blond MMC in suspenders & a trilby hat. Alas, here we are), a sequined magician ex named Alaka-Sam, aliens, mystery, action and adventure. This book was simply FUN. It was goofy, had me giggling, swooning. If anything was mishandled, it could’ve felt gimmicky and over-the-top, but this was handled beautifully. An unconventional plot hit romance conventions and it felt so incredibly fresh.

I’m so excited to continue supporting Mallory with her work and to say I’m thrilled for Entities to Lovers would be an understatement.

Love at First Sighting features El and Carter, an unlikely duo who come together after an alleged UFO sighting. Carter works for a secret government division, investigating reports of UFOs, and El had a breakdown on a livestream after witnessing such an occurrence. Once united, the pair have another mystery on their hands to solve, and maybe some feelings start to grow between them.

I enjoyed the banter and the relationship between El and Carter once they started getting into the rhythm of the story. However, I did struggle figuring out where the chemistry was coming from, as the characters never really opened up about themselves in what they wanted for the future outside of the premise of the novel. That being said, I really did enjoy the plot and where the story ended up - my only real "complaint" is I wanted more alien sightings.

did you grow up like me watching x-files or having men in black on repeat? because if so, this book is absolutely for you.

psh, this book is great for all romance lovers.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHTING is a very original and cute story with the perfect pacing. The mystery throughout the story was *just* mystery enough to keep me engaged but not feeling frustrated that I couldn’t figure it out 🤣

Just like Mallory's previous book, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHTING is sweet, silly and hilarious. Be sure to add Mallory Marlowe to your auto buy list NOW!

The cherries on top?

✨ no third act breakup
✨ a bit of mystery
✨ ufo tracking

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Mallory Marlowe’s new book after reading ‘Love and Other Conspiracies’ last year. It was one of the most unique rom-coms I’ve ever read, so I knew I’d be in for a real treat with her new one too!

‘Love at First Sighting’ follows an influencer who is out taking photographs in the mountains when a mysterious light comes down from the sky. Thinking it’s a UFO and that she’s in danger, she does the first thing she can think of: She livestreams the entire thing online.

When she arrives home safely, her million followers don’t believe a minute of her video and, instead, believe she’s in the midst of a mental breakdown. The government, however, believes otherwise: They send in an agent to keep her quiet about what she saw in the sky that night — which leads to an out-of-this-world adventure and an unexpected romance with a Man in Black.

You have to go into this book not taking a bit of it seriously. The writing style resembles a similar tone to author Ally Carter, so if you enjoy her books, this book will be a perfect pick for you!

On that note, this read so much differently to me than Mallory Marlowe’s first book ‘Love and Other Conspiracies.’ This new book can definitely be read as a standalone, but there are lots of references to her first book that are briefly brought back in this that were really fun to see.

All in all, this was a fun adventure, and while the first book in the series is still my favorite, I can’t wait to see what the author dreams up for her third book in the series, ‘Entities to Lovers.’

CONTENT WARNING: Losing a parent (in the past tense) is discussed throughout this rom-com. There are also scenes depicting gun violence.

Really enjoyed this book! When El, social media influencer extraordinaire captures something otherworldly on a routine photo shoot, of course it’s going to capture the attention of the infamous men in black. Unfortunately, it’s not the high tech agency portrayed in the movies. It’s severely underfunded, and stuck in the past- right down to the trilby hats. However, Agent Carter is stunned to see the very same anomaly he witnessed with his father days before a terrible accident that killed his dad and severely injured him. He lobbies his boss ( his father’s former partner who raised Carter after his dad died) to follow up on this whole El situation in hopes he’ll finally get some answers.
Mulder & Scully these two are not. As she successfully manages to duck him at every turn- he finally comes clean about what he really wants, her help in finding answers about what they both saw and how it might have been responsible for his dad’s death. They embark on this covert mission together and find more questions as they grow closer. Just a really enjoyable read!

This book didn’t do it for me, unfortunately. I loved the adventure and mystery vibe—give me a romance with a subplot any day! But maybe influencer storylines just aren’t my thing, but even aside from that, El’s character arc felt a bit thin, especially with moments like her mom reaching out for money and then completely disappearing from the plot, and her personality didn’t quite have the depth or backbone I was hoping for. Carter was okay, but he came across as very young and inexperienced, and neither of them really hooked me emotionally. The romance itself felt super rushed.

Thank you Berkley for the advanced copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own!

Mallory Marlowe has outdone herself!! I didn’t know she could write a couple more perfect than Hallie and Hayden, but Carter and El have taken that top spot!

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. Carter is the most perfect and precious golden retriever MMC. Him and his suspenders and trilby hat deserve all of the good in the world. And El!!! Just a gal in the influencer world trying to find her true self.

I did not expect this book to make me cry as much as it did. What Carter went through with losing his dad was so tough. I’m so glad him and El found each other people the complement each other perfectly.

The little nods to the first book were so fun! I think I gasped each time I caught one 🤣

This was charming and cute, though I don't think I liked it quite as much as the first book from Marlowe. Still, definitely a fun summer read.

At any given moment you can find me trying to convince people that aliens are real. When I saw this had a UFO theme, I jumped at the chance to read this.

Fans of the first book in this series will be pleased to know that this definitely holds a candle to the first. Romance readers everywhere can also rejoice at the fact that there's no 3rd act breakup! Yes, it is a bit insta-lovey, but the title is LITERALLY Love at First Sighting...Fans of the X-Files, this will breathe some new life into you. If you love following conspiracy theories or coverups, I think you'll really enjoy this one.

I was thoroughly entertained with this book from beginning to end. The action and the mystery had me flipping through the pages quickly. As an alien super fan, I do wish there were more aliens, but that's okay because I liked the story (and the desk scene...) enough that I wasn't a big issue for me.

This was a fun romcom. A TRUE romcom. From the very beginning I was chuckling. Just that whole scene where El thought the aliens were going to abduct her "in her leggings" was so funny. I mean truly, who has the time to run AND film their possible abduction. Good thing she had that water bottle. I'd say this story gives major Gen-Z vibes, I mean it literally had its own version of the hype house with influencers. So, it was cool to see that El was actually a quite layered character, not just the stereotypical influencer that she portrays online. Of course, I loved Carter as well, who doesn't love a man who's emotionally stable, wears a suit, and will drop everything for his girl when she calls saying a man is following her?

Could the pacing have been a bit better? Yes. I personally really liked the dialogue. I am Gen Z, so it really resonated with me, if anything it made me connect with and like the story more. I've not seen many books with modern lingo like this, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Mallory Marlowe's second book, "Love at First Sighting" was just as fun as her first book, "Love and Other Conspiracies", which I randomly picked up one date night from Barnes & Noble. I love romance novels with a little magic thrown into the mix, which makes Marlowe's books perfect for me. Her men are the most lovable golden retrievers and her women are smart and bold.

In "Love at First Sighting" we have two characters that get mixed up together after a chance encounter with an alien ship. El Martin is a smart, self-assured social media mogul who almost gets run down by a mysterious spacecraft one night while out getting shots for her instagram. Carter Brody is the sweet, even-keeled "Man in Black" assigned to her case. The circumstances surrounding El's encounter are especially interesting to Carter as his father, also an MIB, died after a similar encounter years in the past. The two combine forces to try to find out why the spacecraft exists and what it wants from them. Hijinx ensue and the two opposites end up being just what the other one needs while also uncovering the truth.

While not relatable or maybe even realistic (do aliens exist?), this book was still a fun read and the pursuit of answers kept me engaged in the plot. Between this book's focus on alien life and Marlowe's first book featuring cryptids, I'm excited to read more from her creative mind!

I really loved the setup here - El Martin, image-focused influencer seems to have a close encounter with a UFO while taking pictures for the 'gram, and she livestreams the whole thing. Her followers think she's having a breakdown, but the covert government agency the Private Intelligence Sector (NOT pronounced PIS per the running joke throughout the book) takes notice, takes the video down, and sends a hot young man in black, Agent Carter Brody, to suss out what she knows. Carter has his own stuff to work through, specifically related to the death of his father soon after seeing something very similar to what El encountered, and the generally squirrely behavior of his "uncle"/former guardian after his father's death/current boss. I was a bit "meh" on the way the mystery turned out, but I still enjoyed the ride - El and Carter are compelling (if sometimes frustrating) characters and the whole "men in black" setup was something different. Lots of adventure, a good bit of mystery, and a romance along the way.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC of Love at First Sighting!

This was my first book of Mallory Marlowe's and it was really enjoyable! I really liked both El and Carter, and while their relationship was a little on the insta-love side (which is normally something I dislike), the time they spent together helped support their connection. I thought both El and Carter were clever and funny. The mystery plot was also well done and and action of the final confrontation was great.

I will definitely be going back to read Mallory's first book!

Stop- how cute is this book? A mix of romance and mystery this slow-burn will keep you guessing. Love at First Sighting follows La influencer El Martin, and Agent Carter Brody, who is assigned to keep El quiet after she posts about seeing a UFO. However, There are too many similarities to the experience El had and what happened to Carter's dad. Together they team up to find out the truth. I honestly loved this book! Perfect balance of romance without too much spice and and a healthy dose of mystery. I love the relationship build between El and Carter and character growth from both of them. Would recommend!

Thank you Berkley for this ARC!

I! Am! Screaming! This book was so freaking good! It was funny, emotional, and so steamy. El is a huge influencer who swears she saw a UFO and posts about her encounter, and her life goes haywire. No one believes her and they think she’s gone off the deep end. Everyone, that is, except Agent Carter, who works for a secret government agency called PIS, which specializes in scrubbing videos of aliens and UFOs (because obviously they’re not real, right?)

This is like a hot, modern day Men in Black type rom com, as El and Carter team up to uncover secrets about Carter’s past, hidden truths, and buried case files. And, at the end of it all, love. I am obsessed with Mallory's books and cannot wait for the next one!

I really liked Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe, so I was excited for another from her with Love at First Sighting. Influencer El’s life has been picture perfect—that is until a hike leads her to capturing an unidentified flying something that she posts to her page. Agent Carter Brody is on the case—the image she posts seems to be something he saw before his own family tragedy. And the deeper these two get into this mystery, the more their chemistry can’t be denied. This does fall a little heavy on the insta love angle, but still I loved these two and their love story. They are SO adorable and endearing. El is an influencer ready to find a more authentic brand, and I loved how Carter fell for all the parts of her, messy and all. They’re kind and heartwarming together, and the mystery was a good build. Carter and El are such a good team and they both bring so much to the table. The story is funny and romantic and just a lot of fun.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I got Mallory Marlowe’s first book, Love and Other Conspiracies, in a subscription box and almost passed it along to a friend without reading it. I’m so glad I gave it a chance! I was genuinely disappointed when I finished it because I hadn’t realized it was her debut and was already craving more. Love at First Sighting was just as delightful. I absolutely adored Carter and loved watching his relationship with El unfold, despite their wildly different lifestyles and personalities. I’ve also come to really appreciate the quirky sci-fi twist Mallory weaves into her stories; it’s a refreshing change of pace in a world filled with beach reads and small-town romances (though no shade to those either).

Love at First Sighting is a delightful blend of romance and mystery that’s perfect for fans of The X-Files and all things paranormal.

El is an influencer who spots a UFO-looking object in the sky and livestreams it to her followers. Soon, a Man in Black is tracking her down to demand she remove her post — but instead they team up to investigate.

This is a fun ride full of witty banter (there are so many laugh-out-loud lines!), kind of Scooby Doo-esque mystery shenanigans, and heat. Trust me, you’ll have a great time. You’ll also rethink your stance on blond heroes if you’re one of those people who doesn’t like them for some reason. And you’ll never think of fedoras as cringe again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful blend of romance, mystery, and adventure, Love at First Sighting is an irresistibly fun read. Marlowe crafts engaging characters and a plot that keeps you turning pages. The romantic spark between Carter and El and suspenseful twists are perfectly balanced throughout. A charming, fast-paced story that will leave readers thoroughly entertained. Highly recommended for fans of heartfelt romance with lots of intrigue!

I love anything with an X-Files vibe, and this was really cute in addition to having a fun mystery. Carter and his hat steal the book, and although I was prepared to hate El (she's an influencer, sorry!), she grew on me. Their romance was sweet and grounded - the perfect contrast to everything going on around them.