I keep thinking I’ve read my favorite Kate Clayborn book...and then another new one comes out to replace that title! Love at First was a delight. From the wonderful cast of characters (I want to live in that apartment building), to the hotness of Dr. Will Sterling, to the entire soulmates/destiny setup...I was hooked. I loved it all!

Wow. This was just the softest sweetest book. I absolutely loved it.

It definitely had my booknip in it though too. We had some caretaking and a stoic hero who is resisting being a total cinnamon roll. I really am glad I read it and can't wait to see what else Kate writes.

Bonus is it's set in Chicago which I always love!

Love at First is a story told from dual points of view from Will Sterling and Nora Clarke. Will's parents had some hard times so his mom went to his uncle asking for help. His uncle wouldn't do anything for them. While visiting the uncle, Will heard Nora's voice and had instant feelings for her. He couldn't see at the time, because he needed glasses so he went on her soft voice.

Now 16 years later Will is handed his uncle's apartment because he passed away. Will has to have it for a year before he can sell it. Nora lives in the building. Will decides that he's going to rent it out. Nora and the rest of the apartment building have issues with it so they do all kids of things to sabotage him doing it. They all cared for his uncle, but don't know how his family treated him.

As the book goes on, they start to have feelings for each other. Will this chance meeting be a perfect second chance for them, or will it end up ruining things.

Love Lettering was one of my favorite romances of 2020, and I was thrilled to read more from Clayborn. The books were different in terms of plot, but the same emotional impact was present. Even though this a loose "frenemies" trope, Nora was too caring to dislike anyone for long. I adored her immensely, and her to capacity to love was amazing. My heart ached for Will and his journey to overcome his painful past was difficult. All the tenants were a lively group, and I admire how in a large city there was a sense of family and belonging. Family can definitely be those you choose, and not just blood. The sprinkles of humor were a perfect balance to the intense moments. I am even more of a fan of Clayborn and cannot wait for what is next.


Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for my complimentary review copy.

Love at First by Kate Clayborn is a sweet romance, I enjoyed reading. I read Ms. Clayborn's previous book Love Lettering and loved it, so I gave this book a try. Ms. Clayborn books are always unique, for example Will hears the girl of his dreams speak, and sixteen years later he still remembers her voice. I recommend this book, and I will be reading more books by this author. If you enjoy unique romances read Kate Clayborn.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

These kind of cute romantic comedies are exactly what I've been after lately. I really liked Kate Clayborn's previous book, Love Lettering, so I was very eager to dive into this one. Unfortunately for me, it didn't seem to live up to my expectations set from the last book, but I seem to be an unpopular opinion here.

Sixteen years ago, at age 16, Will's life turned upside down when he found out about an uncle he didn't know he had, and secrets his parents had been keeping from him. Will also fell in love with a girl he just laid eyes on, standing on the balcony of a neighbouring apartment to his uncle's. Now, years later, Will has inherited his uncles apartment and notices a very familiar voice and face a few apartments over on her balcony. Fate? Does that happen? What happens when they both want totally different things?

This book was cute. I will absolutely give it that, the book is cute and the premise is... interesting but it was a nice read. Both of the characters are deeply riddled with emotional baggage and issues, but I couldn't connect with either of them as they were both very standoffish and stubborn. The book felt very slow and truly felt like nothing really happened at all, like I was just reading a newspaper article about an apartment neighbours dispute with a little fluff in between. I wanted to love it, but it missed the mark for me. I wanted a lot more from it and it took me a lot longer than expected to make my way through it. However - I think a lot of romantic comedy lovers might enjoy it.

I received this book in exchange of a honest review.

Love at First by Kate Clayborn is a lovely novel about a small apartment house in Chicago that has long since become condos and the inhabitant of the six condos therein. The youngest and most aggressive of the inhabitants was Nora Clarke who had inherited from her grandmother (Nonna) after coming and spending summers there for most of her life. It was her home; her grandmother the person she loved the most. She had sworn not to allow it to change, just as her grandmother had so long ago. Donny Pasternak had just died; thereby opening up the can of worms Nora was dealing with presently. Also there were married couples Mr. and Mrs. Salas, Marion and Emily, Benny, and Jonah who was 90 and lived on the third floor. They were a family and she would not allow Dr. Will Sterling, Donny's nephew, to change everything. That was easier said than done.

Love at First was a lovely, slow-moving romance with all the people involved making many changes and moving forward. Things change and, the fact was, they were all happy about it. They just hadn't realized it

Just last week I read Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn and fell in love with Meg and Reid and I was hoping to feel the same about Love at First. I enjoyed Nora and Will's story but I also think the side characters added so much more. I especially liked Gerald's quirkiness and how he changed and grew in his relationship with Sally. It was a little slow-going at first but the ending totally redeemed Love at First for me. I was in tears and loved the conclusion! Kate Clayborn is definitely on my to-be-read list!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Love At First
By Kate Clayborn

I absolutely enjoyed Kate Clayborn's previous novel, Love Lettering - it was amazing, tender and just gripped me throughout the story. I still remember to this day that CH 11 made me tear up from the beautiful moments, the dialogue and the gorgeous New York landmarks.

Love at Fist was no different. It really established Clayborn as a master of our hearts and emotions, where in she is able to control and reel, release and tighten our heart in just the most precise of moments. This was an absolute heart melting story for me, where you fall in love just hearing someone's laughter and voice, and only to rediscover that many years later. These are what love stories and dreams are made of and I am here for it. With a little banter, some misunderstanding, this was another winner for me. Will and Nora's story is bound to be one of my favorite love story couples.

Y'all, give me every single enemies-to-lovers that you can. Kelly Clayborn didn't disappoint in this sweet yet frustrating love story. Do I want to rip into Will most of the time? Yes. But Nora does it for me.

I love this quirky love story.

I struggled with this one but I’m not exactly sure why.
The characters were likeable enough,
Will had this quiet, tortured swooniness about him. Nora was sweet and loyal and nostalgic and they had great chemistry. It’s a second chance, adversaries to lovers scenario and the build up was good, thorough and steady, but I was bored. It had all the pieces of something I’d like but I just didn’t.
I liked love lettering but this one was a bit lacklustre for me.

I absolutely adored this book and I love Kate Clayborn. Love at First is a lovely piece of storytelling and world building featuring people being good to each other and learning how to be better and more compassionate humans. I listened to an interview with Kate where she discussed the Romeo and Juliet homages in the book, and it was fun to look for them.

Will and Nora are lovely flawed but understandably human characters. Will has avoided attachments of any kind after a traumatic experience as a young adult and Nora is clinging to tradition and the past as she still grieves her grandmother. This book could have become antics-filled as Nora tries to sabotage Will's attempt to turn his inherited condo in her grandmother's building into an Airbnb, but in a refreshing twist the two actually recognize that they are starting to like each other and call a ceasefire. The plot continues on with more interesting and complex conflict that is masterfully handled.

This was a life-affirming read and I can't wait to read it again. Just like Love Lettering, I fell into the world and the story and wanted to live there.

This was a gorgeous love story between Will, who practically fell in love with Nora’s voice when he was a teenager, but before he could meet her in person, his world view was shattered by being rejected by his uncle and his parents, a year or two later, seventeen year old Will is on his own.

16 years later, Will is a successful doctor, who keeps himself to himself, and values control and order in his life, when he inherits his uncle’s apartment, it just is a burden to him, when he decides to rent it out, he comes up against Nora, and the residents attempt to gently sabotage his plans.

What Kate Clayborn did so beautifully was write about her damaged, lovely, grief stricken and delightful characters with an enormous amount of tenderness, it was a slow burn. Bittersweet romance, as slowly, and surely Kate uncovered the insecurities, sense of loss, and grief both characters were dealing with, and as they learnt to let go of their coping mechanisms and open up to each other, and learn to love each other, and their memories differently. They both go on a huge emotional journey, accompanied by a cast of superb secondary characters, all the neighbours in the apartment block, and Gerald and his ex wife plus kittens are just perfect <chef kiss> and give heart, humour and uplifting moments to beautifully balance the bittersweet notes struck by Will and Nora’s back stories. I also loved all the Romeo and Juliet moments.

Loved this so much.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own

Love at First by Kate Clayborn is an enjoyable enemies to lovers romance.

The book centres around Will and Nora. Will inherits an apartment in Nora's building. She loves this building and loves everything it represents to her and her memories of her grandmother. Will, on the other hand, has extremely negative emotions related to the apartment he has inherited.

I liked how Will and Nora slowly get to learn more about each other and develop as individuals - together.
They have great supporting characters in the book, and we learn enough about them all to feel part of the "family" I began to feel like I knew some of Nora's neighbours.

This would be a great book for someone that loves character-driven books that are slow burn.

Thanks to Kensington Books for allowing me to read an ARC.

I had such high expectations going into this book because it’s Kate Clayborn—I had yet to read a book of hers I didn’t love. And after reading LOVE AT FIRST, I can continue to say the same. Kate has this amazing ability of capturing the small moments, of perfectly describing all those breathes, and touches, and exclamations that make moments powerful. I love how she includes all those little thoughts and asides we have when talking to people or making decisions—it makes her characters so human and so real.

It would have been so easy for Nora and Will to have been caricatures. In the hands of another writer, Nora would have been a cliche of a fanciful, naive woman and Will the cliche of a smirking commitment-phobe. But in LOVE AT FIRST, they jump off the page. I understood every one of their actions & reactions, and when they hurt, I hurt too. I loved all the side-characters, and what the book says about family—found family and also the families we are born into.

This book is so incredibly romantic. It’s a romance AND a love story, and by that I mean it’s about all the kinds of love—friendships, found family, familial, and of course, romantic. The way Nora and Will are instantly attracted to each other did not feel like insta-lust, but like a knowing & curiosity all in one.

This book made me cry, and had one of the best I love you scenes I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for something that will squeeze your heart, make you feel, and leave with a massive smile on your face, pick up LOVE AT FIRST.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.**

When he was sixteen, Will went with his mother to Chicago to visit an uncle he never knew he had. While outside on his uncle’s balcony he hears a girl one or two floors up speaking to someone. Her voice captures his imagination and he thinks of her all the time over the years following. Sixteen years later he inherits his uncle’s condo and meets that same girl, now a young woman whom he has an instant connection. The problem is that he wants to use the condo as a long term rental and Nora and the other occupants of the building are against it. Love at First is an atypical enemies to lovers tale with a great cast of side characters and two main characters who will tug at your heart.

As I was reading Love at First and getting used to the pace I was having flashbacks to the movies Sleepless in Seattle and While You Were Sleeping. Both of those are favorite romance movies of mine. Love At First has a similar pace and humor. Softly sweet and a little magical. Will and Nora (perhaps named after Nora Ephron?) despite being on opposite sides of the rental argument have that instant connection that adds an electricity to their interactions. Literally and metaphysically. When they touch hands for the first time they felt that connection and despite not seeing each other much at first their only thoughts are of each other. This is definitely a woman’s love story and plays into all of our romantic hopes and dreams. Well, mine anyway. Instant love, connection, physical attraction, and a gentleness and thoughtfulness that screams I love you. Magical.

Let’s talk about Will and Nora. Although I loved them for each other they were not perfect people. Who wants to read about perfect people who meet and fall in love? Most people reading these novels aren’t perfect and the main characters faults allow us to dream that this too may happen to us. Despite different circumstances growing up, Will and Nora have similar feelings of abandonment, but Nora had her Nonna and the residents of this Condo complex she is so attached to, Will only had himself. As they explore their relationship there is such a gentleness to how they interact, it really gives a magical feel to what they discover about themselves and each other.

I can’t end this review without a brief note about the cast of characters that live in the condo complex. They are funny, friendly, grouchy, and complex. I loved how despite their differences they were a family that looked out for and loved each other. What a fabulous place to live, despite the weird smells and flocked wall paper.

You may have guessed that I really enjoyed Love at First. It’s hard not to appreciate the authors ability to remove cynicism and reality from the reader’s mind and replace those things with a story that draws them in and holds them in the strong arms of a soft and sweet romance. I reveled in that vacation from realism and can’t wait for this author to write her next novel so I can put those rose colored glasses back on.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Dear Kate Clayborn,

Oh what a delight this book was. I think I was expecting a book a little more serious, a little more like Love Lettering which I enjoyed in a different way. But as it happened, Love at First has a different tone, a more… light-hearted charm. There’s plenty of snappy banter from not just the main characters but the wider cast too. It somehow softened the underlying themes of hurt and rejection that the various characters had experienced from others in their lives in one way or another so that when those bits were revealed they packed more of a punch. I would be feeling upbeat and smiling and then bam! the vulnerable underbelly would come along and there would be swooping feeling in my stomach as I experienced a sudden change in emotion. I’m not going to say I was lulled into a false sense of security because I don’t feel there was anything false or deceptive about the book or its themes. No, it wasn’t that. It was much better than that.

The story starts when 15-year-old Will Sterling is waiting outside a small apartment building in Chicago for his mother to conduct some kind of mysterious business with one of the tenants there (as it turns out, it is an uncle he had not met before). While he’s waiting he hears a girl laughing and something changes in his heart parts. However, just as he’s about to gather his courage to speak to her, he overhears something his mother says instead and this changes everything. It’s a while until we find out what Will overheard. That was very sneaky of you. Of course, I had to keep reading because I wanted to know.

The girl, was Eleanora (Nora) Clarke, aged 13 at the time, who was staying for the summer with her Nonna, as she did most summers of her life.

16 years later, Will has inherited an apartment in that very same building. And Nora now lives there, in her Nonna’s apartment which she herself has inherited. Will and Nora however have very different feelings about the building. For Nora it represents stability and family and history and love. She is reluctant for anything to change in the building and is fiercely protective of the other tenants, mostly older people who have lived there for years and years. Will’s feelings are very different. But under the terms of Uncle Donny’s will, he has to hold onto it for at least a year.

Once Nora understands that Will is not inclined to move in and and become a part of the unchanging landscape; that he plans to make big changes indeed, she becomes inclined to dislike him. It’s difficult to do but she gives it the college try.

She decided that he was, in fact, smirking, a smirk to match his stance, and also a smirk that went obnoxiously nicely with his still very attractive face: wind-machine hair, thick and deep brown to complement dark eyebrows and lashes that would probably cost her at least a hundred and fifty bucks at Sephora, because there was no justice for women in this world.

Will is a doctor and keeps very much to himself generally. He does not have many friends and is a bit stuck one what to do with the apartment. However a suggestion from a colleague (a more senior doctor at the hospital – more on him later) starts him on the path of looking into using the apartment as a short-term rental a la Airbnb. Naturally, the other tenants are horrified and more than a little anxious about the prospect of not only a stranger in their building but a series of strangers. Nora makes it her mission in life to dissuade Will from this course and over the time he is fixing up the apartment ready for his first tenant, Nora coordinates a series of events, hijinks and nefarious plans designed to persuade him to her side. Will is wise to her shenanigans and things do not go as planned, largely because Will is actually pretty charming and very good with people. He’s hard to dislike.

For his part, Will still remembers that first nearly-meeting 16 years earlier and everything he’s learned about Nora since returning to the building has only made his heart parts sit up and take notice even more. He’s not going to do anything about it though. No sirree.

She took a step inside, and he and his heart had a firm, silent communication about its recent behavior.

Needless to say, both Nora and Will are very bad at their respective missions.

It’s the best kind of rivals to lovers because neither of them is really wrong and there is no meanness. This meant I didn’t have to take sides or grapple with any angry feelings, which has happened before when I felt that one character in an “enemies to lovers” or “rivals to lovers” trope had gone too far. Even though Nora calls it their “feud” she and Will are never really enemies.

The other tenants in the building, Mr and Mrs Salas, Marian and Emily Goodnight, Benny and the extremely (delightfully!) grumpy Jonas are all major players in the story; Will slowly builds his own relationships and connections with them, Nora having had them already for most of her life. They’re more than bit players, each having an important role in Will’s and Nora’s lives, both separately and together.

Eventually, Will’s actions in fixing up Uncle Donny’s apartment (he added a towel rail!) inspire Nora to make some small changes to Nonna’s apartment too. Not too many, mind. But maybe just a few things in the bathroom? And Will’s so good at fixing things up, it’s only natural she’d ask for his help, right? Clever Nora.

Well, when you put two people who have amazing chemistry in a room with each other for very long, it’s inevitable that romance will bloom and sexytimes will happen. And it very does.

Seconds later Will came to the doorway, tucking his hands into his pockets and leaning against the frame. Will excelled in doorways, frankly. Excellent standing, leaning, kissing, touching. A+ in all those subjects, and now he was adding a fourth: looking.

I don’t want to spoil the mystery of the first chapter so I can’t say too much about just why Will is scared of who he’d become if he allowed himself to have a relationship with Nora but that is one of the key conflicts in the story. It’s not a conflict I’ve read before. With what we learn about Will as the book unfolds, it makes entire sense he’d feel that way.

The book is filled with wonderful lines which capture feelings and moments so perfectly. There’s a fairy-tale quality to it in some ways, a heightened sense of some kind of magic awaiting. (Perhaps I’m influenced here by the cover which reminds me of the TV series Bewitched for some reason.)

The story is largely confined to the apartment building and the apartment owners but there is one particular character I cannot fail to mention. As much as I loved Nora and Will (especially Will – but I am a hero-centric reader after all) there was another who snuck in under my guard and now I have a low-key crush.

Dr. Gerald Abraham is the senior doctor I mentioned earlier. His ex-wife, Sally, has various short-term rental apartments and Gerald puts Will in touch with her for advice about how to rent out his unit. Somehow, Will reluctantly finds himself giving dating advice to Gerald who, it is clear, would like to win back Sally’s affections. Gerald is stuffy and proper and not very emotive and OMG I came to love him. He tries so hard!! My feelings for Gerald were completely unexpected and that made it all the better.

“Yes, but this brings us to the second problem, which is that Sally has always felt I am too devoted to routines.”
Will cocked his head, nodding. He guessed that explained the white coat. The constant talk of protocol. The thing was, Gerald Abraham was a good doctor. What he lacked in bedside manner he absolutely made up for in precision, in the kind of careful, repetitive follow-through that meant he hardly ever missed a thing.
“Sally, as I am sure you have observed, prefers more spontaneity.” He looked sideways at Will. “And so in asking her to dinner again, what have I done?”

Gerald has some of the best lines in the book and in the latter third or so he caused me to laugh out loud in absolute delight many times. I would like to start a petition to get you to write a short story from Gerald’s point of view. (DA Readers, please read this book and join me! #MoreGerald)

There are some sad sections and bittersweet sections, laugh out loud moments, plenty of sexy and sizzle and so much charm in Love at First. There’s poetry and robots and baking. And then there’s Gerald. *swoon*

Grade: A

Regards,
Kaetrin

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Kensington Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Love Lettering–the first book that I read of Kate Clayborn’s–took my heart and never gave it back. It was the kind of quirky, deep and magical read that’s just my brand of poison. So, as soon as I saw Kate’s tweet revealing the blurb and cover for her next book, I was immediately hooked at the mere idea of it.

Every book has it’s own melody and I was looking for something like Love Lettering again. Perhaps that’s why it took me a little bit longer to find the Love at First‘s rhythm. If Love Lettering was a violin, it’s notes sharp and clear through the quiet night air, Love at First is the soft notes of a flute from a distance on a windy day that you need to follow with curiosity.

Love at First is an even paced read. Even a trope that’s a little similar to enemies to lovers, Kate Clayborn does with a lot of gentleness. The characters are all well developed, each with their own personality, role and life. That being said, I did sometimes feel that though every secondary character clearly had a role and personality, we don’t get to see enough of some of them for it to establish itself in our minds. However the author being clear about these personalities does help us not feeling lost even if we don’t wholly feel in touch with them. We see a dual POV that really shines light on both the protagonists’ journey, stops and the people that influence their decisions and thoughts. The dual POVs was definitely written well, though there were still times I hadn’t realised who’s thoughts I was reading until I was half a page or one page into the chapter. This was perhaps because it was in third perspective and didn’t have a mention of the POV shift. It wasn’t too troubling as it can be in some books, but I did have to reread from the beginning of the chapter whenever I came to realize I’d presumed the wrong perspective.

A very special mention to two secondary characters that have a very interesting effect on the main plot unravelling and I enjoyed watching the parallels that Kate drew.

The plot is rather simple. Which is what makes it complex, which is always an enjoyable trait in books. There wasn’t a lot of visible growth in terms of what the protagonists were struggling until a very poignant moment from a very unexpected character occurs. This moment certainly elevated my rating for sure.

Four stars! A soft, enjoyable read that I would recommend for a rainy day. Happy reading! Be safe! ❤️

I enjoyed the newest book by Kate Clayborn. It was sweet and I loved the whole cast of characters. I enjoyed the growth of the characters moving past each of their personal struggles. However this wasn’t my favorite work of hers. It seemed a bit too drawn out, and while her writing has progressed, I’m not sure it’s moved in a direction I really enjoy. That’s a personal preference, not a reflection of her writing per se. This just didn’t stand out for me the way her other books have, but I still enjoyed it. Recommend to people who enjoy a more stereotypical contemporary verging on chick-lit style of romance.

2.5 stars

You’ve NO idea how much it pains me to two-star a Kate Clayborn book.

Nora Clark is mourning the loss of her beloved grandmother whose apartment she inherited several months ago. Along with the five other units in the building, the residents have all become a close-knit family, and now they are collectively reeling from the death of another apartment owner.

Then they find out the owner’s nephew, Will Sterling, has plans for the apartment that will upset their community-minded way of life. So Nora, the de facto leader of the building, sets off on a mission - with help from all the charming and quirky residents - to dissuade Will from his intentions. And of course things don’t go according to plan. But in the process, Nora learns change isn’t necessarily bad and Will finds the family connections he's been missing his whole life.

There was a lot to like in this story. Both Nora and Will are complex and compelling characters, the plentiful side characters are amusing and add levity to an otherwise heavy story, and hands down this book has THE BEST heartwarming grovel scene. As always, Kate Clayborn’s writing is SUPERB. My rating doesn’t really reflect how much I did like about this book.

But...as with Love Lettering, Love at First had a slow start...only it never picked up any speed or momentum. Both Nora and Will are awkward in a sweet, subtle way - the author didn’t go to great lengths to show or point out how awkward they were (which goes in the plus column on my page). Their initial interactions harken back to an old-time courting with stolen glances and uncertain exchanges. And yet...all the coy behavior - on both their parts - made the story drag. Also, too many details about the past were hinted about and strung out, only to be revealed slowly, which generally makes me cranky.

I really, really wanted to like this one. Kate Clayborn does a fantastic job with character development and world building, and her writing has a poetic quality that makes for enjoyable reading. But I want to read stories that pull me in and hold my attention, just as Ms. Clayborn’s Chance of a Lifetime series did (all three of those books are fantastic, one of which is the fake romance trope I usually stay away from but ended up being my favorite - so you could say I have very high expectations for this author on the basis of how good her first three books are). I loved how charming Love at First’s characters were, and loved how sweet the story was, but it doesn’t usually take me six nights to read a book.

I SO wanted to love this one...but sadly I didn’t. 😩

* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review