Kate Clayborn has the amazing gift of being able to converse with her readers To convey the emotions of her characters so beautifully that the reader can't help but feel like they're friends, just waiting around the corner for us.to pick up where we left off and continue on the journey.

This is the second book I've read by her, it's just as warm, engaging and well written as the first. This is how contemporary romance should be written. It doesn't trip the light fantastic so much as it lets the reader feel the glow between the Hero and Heroine.. With us there as friends.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First is a cute enemies to lovers romcom that also has a little more depth and character growth. I loved the banter between main characters Nora and Will, as well as the closeness and community of the cast of secondary characters in this novel. This novel had me laughing and even tearing up at a few moments. It was steamier than I prefer with a few open door scenes, but overall I really enjoyed this one! I'm looking forward to reading more from Kate Clayborn! Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this e-ARC!

Nora Clarke is still dealing with the grief of her grandmother's passing when tragedy strikes her close-knit building and another tenant passes. Donny didn't have any family that they knew of until his nephew Will shows up. Will Sterling has only one memory of Donny and his apartment, and it's not a good one. It's been 16 years and he hasn't forgotten that day or the girl on the balcony above him. Needing to figure out what to do with his unfortunate inheritance, an old apartment across town that he's stuck with for the next year, Will decides to renovate and turn it into a short-term rental. Nora is inexplicably drawn to the quiet handsome doctor while being completely appalled by his idea. When Will realizes that Nora's the same girl from the balcony all those years ago he can't believe his luck.

Love at First is about so much more than just Will and Nora falling in love. It's about dealing with the past, learning to let go and move on, and chosen family sometimes being the best family. It's beautiful and tragic, lonely and hopeful and so charming. I adored watching Will's relationship with the entire building shift and evolve, and Nora finally accepting that it's okay to move on and not live in the relics her grandmother left. There is great banter and wonderfully quirky side characters, a good pace, and amazing tension between Will and Nora. I highly highly recommend Love at First.

I loved the premise of Love At First (and absolutely loved Kate Clayborn's Love Lettering!), but I really struggled with this one. It moved way too slowly for me. I'd be reading for what felt like a long time, but I had barely progressed. Nora and Will didn't do much for me either. So overall, it's fine. There's nothing wrong with the book, but it didn't pull me in the way Love Lettering did, which makes me sad.

The blurb and reviews I read about this book made me excited to start it. I liked the beginning of the story, found it interesting and was curious to see how the story would unfold, but I quickly got bored and couldn’t connect with the characters and their relationship at all and skimmed the second half

What a cute book! It's a sweet cute love story that holds your attention. Even though it was predictable it was an enjoyable read. Thank you Kensington Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

2.5 stars

This book wasn't really for me, sorry. I loved the synopsis and I loved the idea of this book, however, it just didn't work for me. Luckily I am in the minority.

I liked the start of the book, it created an element of mystery and a sweet love story was about to unfold.

That being said, as the book progressed I kind of found myself skimming paragraphs as I wanted to plot to "get there faster". I found there were too many descriptions and thoughts that, in my opinion, didn't really impact the storyline.

I liked the interferences between the tenants in the apartment complex, they were funny and loveable. Were some of the interferences reasonable? Not really, but they were funny. Nora has her own struggles and I will admit at the start I couldn't really understand why she was making such a big deal about certain things, however as the storyline went on, the reality became very clear.

I have a love-hate relationship with Will and Nora, I didn't love their characters, yet I didn't hate them. If I'm completely honest with myself, I didn't really get their relationship.

I loved the secondary characters and the little family relationship they had going. I wouldn't mind living there myself, haha.

Overall this book wasn't really for me, however (thankfully) I am in the small minority.

Thank you the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
I don't often give 5 stars for books, but I think this one had everything in it, so I couldn't fault it. Maybe I was reading it at the perfect time, when I needed a sweet and thought provoking romance filled with a wonderful cast.
I really enjoyed Love Lettering, but somehow this story eclipses it. Maybe the connections the main characters had with others helped to enhance the themes of family, love and life.
Will and Nora themselves are special on their own, and Kate's writing is so effortless to read, this novel just gives you the 'warm fuzzies' after you've finished.

This book was so sweet!

The first half was definitely a lot stronger in my opinion. You kind of have to suspend disbelief in order to truly enjoy this story, though. I mean, how probable is it to fall in love with someone you first met (and not even properly, you just heard their voice) when you were 17? I get that it was a hard time in Will's life so maybe it could be explained that way, but either way I enjoyed this book

As for the second half, it was okay. Not as strong, but still enjoyable. The characters, though? Amazing. Especially the side characters and their relationships.

Another favorite from Kate Clayborn. Love at First is a sweet read about Will Sterling, who after inheriting his estranged Uncle’s apartment, moves in, to find the girl on the balcony he fell in love with at first sight - and never spoke to- when he was a teenager. The last time he visited his uncle.

Will, an ER doctor, of the gentle hero type (quite Clayborn’s specialty of late), sets on a quest to fix-up the apartment and turn it into a short term rental unit, but Nora, our heroine, the girl on the balcony, and a cast of hilarious, lovable neighbors try to stop him. It’s a pleasure to watch his love story with Nora unfold,

I had high expectations after Love Lettering. Clayborn has this almost quiet, soft writing style that just kind of sneaks up on you with tenderness, but is also so funny in spots. I felt that a lot in Love Lettering, and a lot again here. There is such loneliness in her characters and then when they find each other and they also find a sense of belonging in each other and in their community that is just so very satisfying.

DNG @ 15%. Not for me, so much unnecessary writing and flourishing all over. I was skimming from the beginning, I realized I could read two sentences on the page and still get what was happening.

This was my first Kate Clayborn book, and it definitely will not be my last. Bickering neighbors, surprise reunions, and nostalgia abound in this adorable romance. Nora and Will's wonderful chemistry and the cast of hilarious, quirky side characters had me hooked right from the start. A sweet, slow-burn frenemies to lovers, this one featured some of my favorite tropes. I think Gerry was probably my favorite character. He was hysterical and I just loved his character's development from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more of Kate's stuff.

Thank you so much for providing me with an e-arc, Kensington Books.

There are certain things you can count on in a Kate Clayborn book: her lovers will start off at cross purposes, the rapport and banter will be engaging, the pining and self reflection will plug right into your feelings, and the characters will (mostly) act like adults. Love at First has all of this. It’s a comfortable, enjoyable read. There is no shame in enjoying this book.

It lacks the emotional urgency and tension of the Chance of a Lifetime series. I still think about those books. I think Luck of the Draw is one of the best contemporary romances of this century, maybe ever. While Love Lettering didn’t wow me as much as Luck of the Draw, I still had a visceral experience while reading it that I just didn’t have here. It’s fine, it’s not a “modern romance masterpiece” but it doesn’t dissuade me from picking up more Kate Clayborn books. For one thing, Kate Clayborn writes beautifully. I had forgotten that I bookmarked this passage:

He carried on, something about his friend Sally’s advice, and also a sale at the hardware store, and the returns policy if Nora didn’t need anything new when it came to the shower curtain situation, and as he talked Nora realized, with a delighted sense of relief, that he had been waiting. Maybe as much as she had been.
Suddenly that shower curtain rod looked like the best thing she’d ever seen.”

My time with Will and Nora was pleasant, but I had already forgotten a lot of the details a day after I finished. Indeed, the characters I think about first are Gerald and Sally. There was a lot I appreciated about the way Nora and Will went about their conflict. Nora’s version of diabolical was pretty great. I appreciated some of the lessons that Clayborn has Nora and Will learn – that we can grow beyond the way we were taught to love. Spoiler complaint: I have mixed feelings about the way Will falls in love with Nora in the prologue and then she becomes the only woman he will ever love. End spoiler. Of course, reading is subjective and you might love a book that doesn’t grab me.

I was given an advance reader copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I. Loved. This. Book. I loved the progression of Will and Nora's relationship, I loved Nora's neighbors/found family, I loved Will becoming reluctant best friends with his awkward boss. I might even love this more than Love Lettering, which is hard to do! Kate Clayborn has written a lovely, heartwarming romance that's also so much more and it was just the balm I needed to start the new year.

Review below will appear at Shelf Awareness around publication date.

Sparks fly in Kate Clayborn's romantic Love at First, when an ER doctor inherits his estranged uncle's apartment and upsets the life of his new neighbor. When they hear that he's planning to rent the apartment to short-term tenants, Nora leads the close-knit group of building residents in a campaign to make him love the old Chicago building as much as they do. But as they work at cross-purposes, Nora and Will discover they have much more in common than an apartment building.
Both of them were raised by distant parents, but ended up with different approaches to life. Will gives generously of himself at work, but doesn't allow anyone beneath his charming doctor veneer, while Nora is fiercely protective of the neighbors she loves and the small community they've cultivated over decades. She fears change and clings to the relationship she had with her grandmother. Will, however, is resistant to depending on other people and attachment of any kind, making them a seemingly unsuitable match.
Clayborn employs her signature combination of past emotional wounds and tender blossoms of hope to gradually twine her two protagonists together, allowing them to--temporarily--live in denial even as they fall deeply in love. Her beautiful prose is full of a softness and depth that lingers--passages beg to be reread and savored--while moments of humor and gently smoldering passion lift what might otherwise be a slow and overly sentimental read. Love at First feels like a long, warm hug upon returning home.

Discover: Kate Clayborn's Love at First pairs neighbors with opposite approaches to attachment--and apartments--in a deeply emotional contemporary romance perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

I smiled, I laughed, I cried! I loved Love Lettering last year, but I thought Love at First offers more realistic characters and a story line. The idea of seeing someone from a distance at 16 and falling in love sounds far-fetched, but Clayborn successfully made it romantic and believable. Nora and Will are both likable, flawed, human beings who learn important lessons about love while falling in love with each other. If I loved Love Lettering, then I adored Love at First.

I love everything Kate Clayborn writes, and Love at First is no exception! The story follows Will and Nora, two people with a lot from their past and an instant connection. The book also includes a whole cast of characters in the form of Nora's neighbors. I enjoyed the way they care for each other like family - that feels unique and unusual today. And of course, the romance was delightful! A must read!

This was my first book by Kate Clayborn and which I ended up did liking. I was hesitant in the beginning, but this book turned out to be unexpected and different from what I had imagined. It was definitely cute and a light read, but also at the same time, it felt plain. The plot and the type of the characters did not feel fresh or anything new, it did feel like I have read something like this before. At times, I found the romance to be lacking something such as chemistry, don't get me wrong yes, there were cute moments between the characters, however, the entire relationship was not at all-consuming my thoughts as I usually prefer. Though I would say that as a first-time reader, overall it was not a bad book, just not all that either.

I adore the way this author writes her stories. I read Love Lettering last year and loved it, thought it was a beautiful story, but I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this one as much. I wondered if the magic and beauty of the first story were all about the lettering and that plotline and how amazing that was. I haven't read anything else by this author so I was curious to see if I would enjoy this story as much as I had that. And I did. Oh, the way she writes just makes me happy. Makes me feel all the feels and want to never stop reading. I picked up this book to read, but I only had a few minutes so I thought I will just start the first chapter and then come back to it later. Well, that didn't work out. I started it and right from the first sentences I was hooked. I rearranged my entire day so I could read this as I never wanted to stop. Oh, I loved this story.

Will and Nora were so great together. Yes, they have different ideas about what should happen in their now shared building, Nora holds onto the past with all her might while Will wants to get rid of it asap, but they were so cute. I loved their back and forth, their feud, the way they were with each other. If you enjoyed Love Lettering you will probably enjoy this story as well. The writing just wraps me up in the warm fuzzies and even when it was really heavy, when you learn all the things that are going on, it was still comforting. It made me feel so much for these characters and I never wanted to leave them.

Kate Clayborn has a new take on love at first sight in her newest charming romantic comedy, Love at First. Will is a no-nonsense doctor. Orphaned since he was eighteen, and on his own long before that, he is highly independent. When his estranged uncle leaves him his apartment in his Will, under specific stipulations, Will is intrigued. Nora has just lost two people she loved and adored with her very big heart. Not a fan of abrupt change, she is worried about who will take over Donny’s apartment. A man she has never met before comes in and is trying to shake things up--practically her worst nightmare. What Will and Nora don’t realize however, is that they each have lessons to learn from each other, and a shared piece of their history that will make their story even more beautiful.
This story is perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary’s The Switch! Honestly, the best way to describe this book is beautiful and breathtaking. Nora and Will are such a good pair. Not in an insane chemistry way but in a kindred spirits way. Even though they are opposites in so many ways they are still able to find their way together. I am normally not a huge fan of love at first sight or the fated lovers trope, but it is really well executed here. This is the first novel of Kate Clayborn that I have read, but I will definitely be checking out more of her titles soon!