"Love at First Sighting" is a solid sophomore offering by Mallory Marlowe. It lacks the charm and charisma of her first novel but it's still a fun, light read with good characters and a sound (albeit farily predictible) plot.

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

Review: Mallory Marlowe, knocks it out of the park again. I have never watched the X=Files (I know I need and want to) and I still adore these books. Her first book Love and Other Conspiracies is also very good, you don't have to read that one to read this one but I would highly recommend. Marlowe does a wonderful job of writing relatable, quirky characters and romance that's believable and not cringey in my opinion. Her characters and story arcs are always memorable and filled with moments of joy as well as tough life circumstances. Recently, it's been difficult for me to connect with romance books but this is a trusted author of mine. I really enjoyed the mystery aspects, the extraterrestrial elements and non of that was overshadowed by the romance. If you want a laugh out of loud, fun, romance adventure with some mystery, you don't want to skip this one.

Mallory, you’ve done it again! Another fun, layered, exciting romance that truly was the “girl sees ufo and falls in love with her man in black” I never knew I needed. Babe, thank you for your service.

Many thanks to Berkley for the digital review copy via NetGalley. Now, let's get to the review!

Love at First Sighting Synopsis

El is an influencer, and UFO sightings definitely are not part of her brand. But when she stumbles on something unexpected, going live feels like it might be her only chance to share some last words with the world. Only, it turns out there's a whole organization whose job is to cover up things like what she broadcast to her massive Instagram following. Enter Carter, the agent assigned to her case, who just so happens to have some questions of his own about what El saw.

Love at First Sighting Review

This book has a premise that is, if you'll forgive me, out there. But Marlowe has a way of making you believe in it, simply stating the slightly alternate reality as fact and moving on. For that reason, it's easy to step right into the Men in Black style action adventure without a second thought.

I love El as a protagonist. She redefines what it means to be an influencer, proving that just because someone has great hair and a big following, they aren't necessarily shallow or stupid. It was fun watching her take the world by surprise with her smarts and her knack for using her skills to her advantage.

This book is dual POV, which you know I struggle with. But in this instance, I could see how it was necessary, especially early on when El and Carter were not remotely on the same page. At times, having two perspectives got confusing during action scenes, as we sometimes traded perspectives in tense moments. But overall, it works well for the story.

One complaint I have is a common one with romance these days. Some of the spice took away from the plot. Once our characters broke the ice between them, it felt like it was a race to make sure there were X number of spicy scenes before the story's climax. That slowed down the plot in a way that felt a bit odd for a story with so much of a mystery to it. Yes, I was rooting for El and Carter, but I also wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery and see the action resolve for the actual plot.

The resolution of the mystery didn't feel that satisfying, either. I wanted a bit more payoff from the big final moment, and I didn't feel we quite got it. Even so, it was fun reading a romance that wove so much action into the story. You don't get a car chase and gun fight in your everyday rom-com, but you will get it here.

Overall, I really liked the main characters and the writing in this one. The humor was great, and I liked having a bit of a mystery to carry us through. I did wish the pacing was a bit better at points, and I would've liked a little more payoff from the ending. Even so, Love at First Sighting was a ton of fun, and definitely a great read with a unique pair of protagonists I'll be thinking about for a good long while.

Love at First Sighting is out now, so you can experience the adventure for yourself if it sounds like your kind of book.

I wasn’t really sure how I wanted to rate this. I was expecting another weird and whimsical with a touch of real like the last one. But this one was just so serious and it put me off a bit. Idk how to really explain it, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t bad, just eh I guess.

This was good. But I did have some issues lol The main thing was the expectations. So the first one had them going to look for things and there was a spectic, but they still had someone who believed and that made it fun. This one had no such thing. There was one instance of aliens at the very beginning and that was it. And they stretched that one instance all the way from the beginning to the end. I was so annoyed lol I wanted it to be at least a little bit about the aliens. And he was the “Men in Black,” so I didn’t understand how in the world we got to him shhhing her about a file and then that was the only thing that happened. It was a major let down.

The romance itself was cute. I thought the way they helped each other was so sweet. That’s one of my favorite things to see in a book. I love when they support each other. And it could be the smallest thing. I just love for them to feel seen. This romance also was cute because of the way he was helping her find herself. Being an influencer is a full time job now, and I was so sad in the beginning to see that she wasn’t doing anything because she wanted to, but because she was just trying to get paid. I don’t wish that on anyone. If you’re going to promote something, do so because you believe in it. But he gave her the space and time to be herself and see that just what she wanted was ok. And normally having to find a man or partner to do that would make me mad. But this was also a lifestyle influencer who admitted she lived for the validation of others.

The action in this one was fun af tho. I liked it more than I care to admit lolol It was so basic and it was so weird. And yes I knew who it was. I didn’t want it to be them, but when it was I wasn’t surprised. But I didn’t like how she “saved the day.” Like really if you’re in a situation like that and you start giving me discount codes? I’m going to shoot anyways lol It was cringey, but it was still ok for me.

This was fun, but I still wanted to see some more aliens. I thought this series was about the sci fi weird stuff and the people that believed. But this one just didn’t fill that void for me. I think it was fun, but I wanted a tiny bit more.

Real Rating 3.5

What a perfect blend of adventure , humor and spice! Love at First Sighting was so great , I loved Love and other conspiracies so picking this up was a no brainer for me !

If you like
Alien abductions
Romantic suspense
Dual pov
Men in black cinnamon roll mmc

Love at first sighting is for you

It pains me that I didn’t love this book! I really loved this authors debut and was highly anticipating their follow up release but I struggled to read this one. I don’t mind an unlikeable main character I tend to find them more realistic and interesting but El was so superficial I couldn’t care less about her. The whole influencer bit rubbed me the wrong way. it was goofy the way her roommate wanted her take down the video in the beginning because it hurt their brand… that made zero sense. I wish I connected to this one unfortunately I didn’t. I’ll have to try her next book and hope it works for me!

I absolutely loved this! The whole men-in-black.. I mean P-I-S, which you say by the letter, not altogether. thing stalking.. I mean diligently tracking down this influencer who had a close encounter while out filming for a brand deal. This was so much fun. Carter was adorable from the tip of his trilby hat to his suspenders, down to his convers shoes. I just wanted to wrap him in a big ol' hug. El is finding herself, and I loved how Carter accepted her and saw her for who she was, not who she portrayed online. And while El might seem like an unlikely match-up for him, they were perfect for each other.
I loved the characters, I loved the plot, which was so. much. fun. Well, the parts that didn't take me on an emotional rollercoaster, along with Carter. I was entertained from beginning to end. And I can't wait to read Mallory Marlowe's next book!

This was the first book I've read by this author and I wasnt entirely sure what to expect. At the start, I felt like it was going to be a light, silly romance with a UFO sighting/mystery. But it actually turned into a higher stakes, adventure romance. That caught me off guard, and I ended up really enjoying the turn that the story took!

When influencer El spots a UFO and shares about it on a live feed, it catches the attention of Man In Black Carter. Not only is it his job to debunk UFO sightings, but what El saw bears a shocking resemblance to the thing he saw at 10 years old, right before his dad died. The two of them connect and decide to dig into the mystery about what they both saw.

El seemed a bit silly at first, but as the book went on, I really liked her. She stepped out of her perfect influencer image, stood up for herself and grew as a person. Carter also showed a lot of growth as he faced his past and acknowledged some truths that were difficult to face. Their romance was a calm one, not filled with banter or fireworks, but an affection and connection that grew over time. I thought they were sweet and really brought out the best in each other.

I enjoyed the authors writing style and felt like the story moved at a good pace. The adventure and mystery was built up well, and the ending had me flipping pages fast! If you like mystery and adventure romances with a dash of alien/ufo sightings (told in dual POV, my favorite!) you should check this one out!

Love At First Sighting was absolutely adorable romcom about an influencer who see what she thinks is a UFO and posts about it. Only to catch the attention of a real Men In Black kind of guy. When I say that I cackled while reading this book…. So quirky, so smart, so much dry wit. Mixed in with pop culture references, jabs at social media, nods to life in LA (including an Erewhon shoutout!) and a mystery about possible aliens, government conspiracies and a death. Oh, and an adorable romance. All the feels. All so cute and heartwarming.

“We might not be the strongest at solving mysteries or taking down bad guys, but I don’t think we’re going to be bad at loving each other.”

Mallory Marlowe really took everything I loved about her debut and upped it by 10000. Not only was the romance spot on, but the added mmc pov, the action and adventure and government conspiracy?!? ART.

She has definitely become an auto buy for me in the contemporary romance world.

Received this book for free from Berkley Romance. I LOVED Mallory's first book and would recommend it 100 times over. This one didn't quite hit the mark for me although there was a lot to love. I honestly found it so cute to read a romance that had strangers to lovers and it felt very accurate to their age group without veering into too many pop culture references or ways of speaking. HUGE plus and again so many romance-y feelings when they each get excited to go over to the other's place and those first to second to third date kind of steps. It's impressive to me to maintain that on top of the bit of romantic suspense side plot.

I think what was missing for me was needing that side plot to go a bit harder. The FMC unveils a major government conspiracy and I just felt like the implications of her going through that were a little overlooked?? Like I needed some kind of extra effort into the suspension of disbelief because maybe I'm just behind the collective consciousness about the government and aliens but I would've been shocked to find out some of the things that she does.

That being said, the backstory and information the MMC uncovers was dramatic and outlandish but it worked in the way it was delivered. I also really appreciated how accurate it felt for how he was having lost both parents, gone to therapy throughout the years, feels emotional about losing his dad, etc. It never felt like a way to be there in place of character development he really felt like a real person.

So all in all I enjoyed and would recommend, just was hoping for god tier like book one I couldn't help it.

Love at First Sighting
By: Mallory Marlowe

Thank you to @berkleyromance for free book and @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook. #berkleypartner #berkley All opinions are my own.

“There’s no way anyone’s going to believe that a man in a suit and a fedora is following me around. That’s almost more ridiculous than a UFO.”

When El, a professional influencer, accidentally captures footage of an unidentified flying object and posts about it on her social media page she not only gets the attention of her followers but also that of Agent Carter Brody. This charming “man in black” is absolutely floored when he sees El’s video because it bears a striking resemblance to what he, himself, saw years ago just before his Dad was killed. Together the two attempt to sort out just what might be going on, alien or otherwise.

I absolutely loved Marlowe’s first book (Love and Other Conspiracies) so the bar was set pretty high for this one and overall I enjoyed it. It’s a very fun story, full of mystery, romance with an intriguing extraterrestrial backdrop. I loved Carter and all his quirky sweetness. The chemistry between him and El was top notch. I wasn’t as immediately taken with this one as I was with her first (which was probably more of a mood thing for me, honestly) but I would definitely still recommend reading it and if you haven’t read Love and Other Conspiracies yet then you should for sure check that one out too! The stories are not in any way connected so you can read them in any order!

Audio Notes: The audio is well done and narrators Elizabeth Lamont and Iggy Toma did a wonderful job.

Read if you like:
✩ Romantic suspense
✩ Found Family
✩ Adorable MMC
✩ Dual POV
✩ Extraterestrial sightings

I thought Mallory Marlowe’s debut last year, 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴, was great, so I couldn’t wait to start this one! And it did not disappoint. I love the quirky characters and vibes she creates. This story is filled with a lot of laughs, some mystery and adventure, lovable underdogs, and a sweet romance. And aliens and a secret government agency of course! I am excited to see what this author comes up with next.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 ⇣
💛Rom-Com
💛Cinnamon Roll MMC
💛Opposites Attract
💛Aliens - UFO Tracking
💛Influencer x Secret Agent
💛No Third Act Breakup
💛Dual POV
💛Spice

Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy!

Thank you, MalloryMarloweWrites and @BerkleyPub for the free advanced copy. #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #BerkleyBookstagram

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 351
Genre: Romcom
Release Date: August 12, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

When social media influencer El Martin gets chased by what appears to be a UFO, no one believes her except for an actual Man in Black. Agent Carter Brody’s job is to discredit any alien sightings, but what El saw looked too much like the thing he saw that lead to his father’s death many years ago. So, Carter and El team up to figure out exactly what it is.

While I was looking forward to a sci-fi romcom, this turned out to be mostly just romcom. But it was a good premise with a very exciting ending and really excellent romcom vibes overall.

This is such a fun read! El is an LA influencer looking for the perfect spot to show off her yoga pants when she is chased by an alien spaceship. She’s scared witless and is sure of what she saw, but her friends and clients think she’s lost her mind.
El is doubting herself when Agent Carter Brody shows up, looking like a character from Men in Black. When he hears her story, he’s convinced that she saw the same thing he did years before, just before his father was killed in an accident.
There’s a mystery to be solved, but the best thing about this book is El and Carter’s love story. They’re both dealing with unresolved issues, and discover that they can trust each other implicitly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was a huge fan of Marlowe's debut, LOVE AND OTHER CONSPIRACIES, and gave it five stars, so I was really looking forward to her sophomore novel! I love that she writes unique concepts into her novels - her first book involved cryptids and conspiracies, this one had aliens, and her upcoming book features ghosts!

El is an influencer in Los Angeles who ends up getting lowkey chased by something that looks like a little UFO. She goes live on Instagram and her followers are baffled by her change in content direction. Of course her video catches the eye of Carter, local PIS agent (think Men in Black lol), and he has to track her down to make sure she doesn't speak to anyone about what she saw. He has to wear a goofy outfit, including a fedora-like hat, so it was a little hard to picture him and think he was attractive! lol

I liked the adventure that these two went on and the fact that there wasn't a big breakup moment and miscommunication at any point. They had an external mystery to solve involving Carter's late father and the PIS agency. It was a fun romp with some deeper elements for sure.

While I enjoyed the romance and chemistry more in the first book, the actual plot and meat of the story was a bit more interesting in this book! I'm really excited to see the ride Marlowe's third book takes us on. I read this during my move and the reading slump was hitting me so it took a little while to read, but I got going for the final 40%, I couldn't put it down.

If you're in the mood for a light, fun romance with a supernatural twist, this book might be just what you're looking for. It's a cute romcom read that doesn’t take itself too seriously—perfect for when you want something entertaining without too much emotional weight.

While I didn’t love it, I definitely enjoyed the story. There's a bit of mystery woven into the early chapters, which adds a nice hook before the slow-burn romance starts to build. The chemistry takes its time, but the payoff is satisfying.

What makes this book stand out is its quirky, slightly offbeat tone. If you’re a fan of the Men in Black movies, you’ll probably vibe with the blend of humor, secret organizations, and otherworldly shenanigans. It has that same kind of energy—sci-fi meets romantic comedy, with a sprinkle of absurdity.

Overall, it's not deep or dramatic, but it is an enjoyable and refreshing read—great for fans of genre mashups and unconventional love stories.

This was one of my most anticipated summer romcoms and it far exceeded my expectations!

El is a social media influencer with a huge following who livestreams herself having an encounter with a UFO. While El’s followers are annoyed because she’s posting “offbrand” content, she catches the attention of Agent Carter Brody, who is a Man in Black and who had an encounter with a similar UFO when he was a child right before his dad, also a Man in Black, was killed. Carter hasn’t been able to look into his dad’s death, but now that he has been assigned to El’s case, this is his chance. After an awkward initial encounter, once El hears Carter’s story, she decides to work with him to get some answers.

Oh, how I loved these two characters! They’re both just so quirky and adorable on the surface, with the most hilarious banter between them, but they also both just have so much going on beneath the surface. Carter’s backstory just broke my heart, and I really wanted him to get the answers he was looking for since this has obviously haunted him for most of his life. I also loved that he saw El as so much more than just the aesthetic of her social media page. He helped El to better see herself and to want more for herself than just followers, algorithms, and social media clout. They were just such an amazing team in every way.

I just loved everything about this book. I was fully invested in the romance, the personal journeys of the characters, and in the UFO mystery, and ended up binging the book in a couple of sittings.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the complimentary copy of this!

This book is out now!

Leading up to reading this one I did the audio for Marlowe’s first book Love & Other Conspiracies and absolutely ate it up! So I was looking forward to her next book.

This book is a complete stand alone and not connected with the first one at all. And unlike the first this one is told from dual perspective with dual narration. But like the first one this one is fun, flirty, and all the camp!

El (short for Ariel) is an influencer who is certain she saw some sort of alien life form and broadcasted it to her followers. This snagged the attention of Agent Carter who similarly saw the same type of life form when he was a child. He knew he had to talked to her about what she saw and confirm if they were the same.

He was instantly attracted to El but she took a little more time before she saw him more than just an Agent. And just like in the first one he is nerdy but in the sexiest way. I love how they worked together to solve what was it that they saw on their respective run ins with the aliens. And Carter uncovers a secret his dad’s best friend who is like a second dad to him has been hiding all these years.

This book gives you swoon, spice and action! This one had more cat and mouse chase action. It was not too over the top and felt appropriate for what was happening in the story. If you enjoyed her first book, I think you would enjoy this one!