Review to be posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com

A Chance Meeting at a Cafe. Two Lives Become Intertwined.

When Nell meets Charlie at a Cafe, she immediately feels sparks, as does he. Little does she know the moment they meet, the universe has something greater in store for these two.

Charlie has been troubled for quite some time. In need of help, he finds it.

Reading friends' reviews, I was looking forward to “At First Sight” - unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. I felt as though the characters lacked any real substance and thought the author tried too hard throughout to make the book compelling and heartfelt. In addition, for the most part, I found this book to be extremely depressing. I did however like the character of Ned (Nell’s roommate) and laughed out loud at the predicament he found himself in at the tail end of the book. Way to go Ned!
2.5 Stars

A buddy read with Kaceey that left us both disappointed.

Thank you to Avon Books UK, NetGalley, and Hannah Sunderland for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

Rating 4

I read the synopsis for this book and I was so excited to get my hands on a copy! I have family members who deal with mental health problems so I was interested in how the author would deal with that in their book. I liked the writing style and I really enjoyed the main character. She was full of personality and I loved that she was quirky. She has a hard job but the reader can tell she truly loves what she does which is why she is able to help so many people. She learns from her mistakes especially the one about not getting that guy's number. I really enjoyed the love interest too. We can feel his pain and how much he struggles on a day to day. I loved that they kept accidentally running into each other because that brings the charm of a romance book. I didn't care that it wouldn't happen in real life because for these characters thats what I wanted for them. Overall, this book will make you laugh, cry, and will make you want to give a family member who is struggling a hug. I definitely recommend this book.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This book was not your typical romance, but it was sensitive, complex, emotive and a complete roller coaster.
Nell meets Charlie in a café and proceeds to spill her lunch all over him, she regrets leaving without getting his phone number after feeling an instant connection, but fate brings them back together when he calls her while she is working at a mental health helpline.
Nell is still having an on-off romance with her ex-Joel and has not quite managed to break it off entirely when Charlie comes into her life and makes her completely reassess what is important to her, but things are never that simple and Charlie has a long way to go before he can be in a relationship.

Thank you for approving this early copy for me!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this writing and the story as a whole, the characters in this book was excellently written. I loved the way that both characters met one another. The book as a whole was impressive and I would high;y recommend this book to anyone who has a slight interest in it

📚 BOOK REVIEW TIME 📚⁣
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At First Sight - Hannah Sunderland ⁣
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💖 OF ALL THE MONEY THAT E'ER I HAD⁣
I SPENT IT IN GOOD COMPANY⁣
AND OF ALL THE HARM THAT E'ER I'VE DONE⁣
ALAS IT WAS TO NONE BUT ME⁣
AND ALL I'VE DONE FOR WANT OF WIT⁣
TO MEMORY NOW I CAN'T RECALL⁣
SO FILL TO ME THE PARTING GLASS⁣
GOODNIGHT AND JOY BE WITH YOU ALL 💖⁣
⁣
😭😭😭😭😭⁣
YEP that is me right now over this song and this book!!!⁣
I want to say a mahoosive thank you to @netgalley and @avon_books for approving me to read Hannah's amazing second novel. It is now at the number 1 spot for me with her debut "Very Nearly Normal" ⁣
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• Charlie, our main man, is IRISH (that accent, that charm, the cheeky look 🤤)⁣
• We all need a Nell in our life, she is just lovely and has perfected filling silences with verbal diarrhoea⁣
• I had as many wetting myself laughing moments as I did needing a whole toilet roll to wipe my snotty nose and puffy eyes 😭⁣
• Mental Health is at the forefront throughout and makes you realise how important it is to talk about how you are feeling. Very relatable.⁣
• It is set in Birmingham, where I now live (it's also where Hannah is from and she only lives 15 minutes from me. I'm not a stalker I promise 😂) ⁣
• Family drama at its finest. Nell's mum is just amazing!!⁣
• There are so many shocking moments that I didn't see coming that broke my heart, made me gasp at the pure amazement of it and had me howling with laughter 😱⁣
⁣
The relationship between Nell and Charlie is beautiful. ⁣
I definitely have another book boyfriend and book bestie.⁣
Also I may have a crush on Charlie's uncle Carrick 🙈.⁣
⁣
I went on an emotional rollercoaster with this one and I already want to re-read it!!⁣
I have 100% decided that Hannah is now my favourite author, and I can not wait for another wonderful book from her. ⁣
⁣
This is getting a humongous ⁣
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 from me and I urge you to buy it when available from the 1st of April. While you're waiting, why not go read Hannah's debut "Very Nearly Normal" 👌

I tried. I started this book over a month ago and I just had to set it aside because it's so dreadfully boring. I can't imagine/feel the chemistry -- though, the author tells the reader our heroine feels the sexual tension -- and that's a bad sign when it doesn't translate for me across the page. I gave it 11 chapters.. I think that's plenty of chances and it didn't work for me.

I was so excited about this one but unfortunately, it just wasn't a good fit for me. Very early into the novel, I realized that I just wasn't into either Charlie or Nell, so it made it difficult to care about the plot. I love that it covers such sensitive topics as grief, loss, and suicide - and covers them respectfully and realistically - but when you don't like the characters it's impossible to enjoy the book. Based on online reviews, I am in the minority, so try it for yourself.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

To me this is trite and twee so many people with mental health problems and all comes good in the end. Real life is not as convenient as this is.

Nell works for a group similar to the samaritans, she take s a call from a man she has previously met in a coffee shop - this is a "hard call" in disguise but instead of talking on the phone she identifies herself and arranges to meet in person - just would not happen!!!!!!

This book was just unbelievable event after unbelievable event but it is Ok because everything comes good in the end. The author just assumes the reader is brainless if she thinks this is believable

wow what a beautiful story from first page to last so enjoyable it made you smile and sad and even laugh at one story line part but also you could shed a tear many times throughout but it finished on a high very good a brill read would highly recommend

Phew! What an emotional read, it’s a little exhausting but also very gripping. It covers love, grief, death, depression, suicide through the pages as you follow Charlie and Neils stories.

Absolutely loved this novel.. Sunderland brings a warmth to her characters that makes you feel as if you know them well and you really feel what they are going through. Nell works at a Mental Health line and is a self-confessed messy eater who relies on the company of her ex boyfriend when she is feeling lonely. On her lunch break one day she befriends Charlie who is trying to deal with his own issues. The story follows the relationship between Nell and Charlie and you get to love them as well as the characters of Carrick and Ned who play major parts in the story. This one made me laugh and made me a bit emotional at times, really loved it and recommend it to anyone!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

At First Sight by Hannah Sunderland is the first book I have read from this author.

Nell and Charlie meet in a coffee shop. Sparks fly between chatty Nell and sexy Irish Charlie. Then he disappears.

Nell and Charlie meet again when he calls Helping Hands, the mental health care counselling line she works for.

This is a love story but not the one you’re expecting. This is not a fluffy romance. The story deals with grief, loss and suicide in a thoughtful, well written manner.

Can Nell give Charlie a second chance when even he doesn’t think he’s worth it? An emotional, engaging four star read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

If you can't handle an emotional rollercoaster, this book is not for you.

This book deals with a lot, not just the "standard" in the romance genre. You see the characters move through moments surrounding death, depression, suicide, and a tremendous amount of grief.

Nell and Charlie have to work, but their butts for their chance. Sparks are everything but turning them into a lasting fire.... that's what counts. This book delivers a warm, but exhausting love story ---one that you'll be thinking about for months.

A really hard-hitting story on a topic that Hannah Sunderland has done a wonderful job tackling. Fantastic characters and a great story

DNF 41%

I was expecting this to be more of a romcom then a drama. I appreciate that issues such as grief and depression are focused on here, but the storyline had other parts thrown in that took away from it and I didn’t like that. Charlie’s character really frustrated me as he always ditched Nell after getting her hopes high in expecting their relationship to progress - I understand his grief and why he kept doing it but he did it one too many times for my liking and I just couldn’t bear seeing Nell go through that over and over.

I really wished I felt connected to the characters. I was 11% into the book yet I was already dreading to finish it. Then I skipped ahead to the end but didn't like that either. So I had to stop. I decided not to force myself finishing a book anymore. And I was actually excited to read this book after reading the synopsis.

I really enjoyed Hannah’s first book, Very Nearly Normal, so had high hopes for At First Sight - and it didn’t disappoint.

Touching, witty and true to life, I really loved Nell and Charlie’s budding friendship-cum-romance; it was full of both companionship and heat as they got to know each other, and dealt with the barriers in their way. I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, and they especially came into their own on the trip to Ireland - I don’t want to give away any spoilers so won’t go into any more detail!

The author has handled the very difficult subjects of bereavement, mental health and suicide in a sensitive and deft way that doesn’t shy away from these challenging topics. While being rawly honest about how tough life can be, this book isn’t as dark as it could be, and I was left feeling hopeful when I finished it.

The importance of living life fully and taking joy in the people we love and the world around us was a lovely thread which wound it’s way through the story, and I look forward to reading it again soon.

With thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

At First Sight is a powerful, charming and emotional story that has some surprises along the way. Mental helpline worker Nell meets Charlie in a cafe during a break from work. They have an instant connection and she regrets not giving him her number. Fate steps in and they begin an unexpected friendship. It's clear there are strong feelings developing but something is holding Charlie back. Nell, at a crossroads herself, has to be brave to step out on her own. Hannah Sunderland weaves a story that will leave you inspired to take second chances.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Do you believe in fate? Well an unexpected meet in a coffee shop for Nell and Charlie leads to a friendship like no other. She was in a long term relationship but keeps revisiting it, especially when feeling like sex. Whereas Charlie is alone, lost and at a crossroads in his life, with no idea which way to go. But fate for them both has its own ideas. A wonderful book into how just having an ear to talk to when your down is the most important thing in the world.

A great book, goes deeper than most with some heavy topics. It's a beautiful story and I absolutely loved the characters. You'll cry, you'll smile and you'll love every page