Member Reviews

Ahh, this swooning, swashbuckling, super sweet book had me giggling and kicking my feet 😆! Love At First Knight is an enemies-to-lovers romance following Daisy, who goes to work in the Tower of London for the summer and comes face to face with a royal rogue, Theodore Fairfax. They initially hate each other, but forced proximity and their scathing back & forth banter soon has them battling against their true feelings. I loved how this book incorporated medieval times in a contemporary setting, and I really enjoyed the family dynamics and how anxiety was represented in the book. Daisy was a really likeable character because of her honest narrative and witty comebacks, and Teddy was just your typical misunderstood bad boy with a heart of royal gold 🤴💋 it was fun, easy to read, engaging and witty; a pretty great combination for your next summer read!

Was this review helpful?

The reason why I was captivated by this book was its theme. I thought this would be a romance between a girl and a royal guard, which was something different from what I'm used to reading. Funnily, it seems Megan Clawson already has one about it, so I might check it out.
Now, what did I think? I feel this book fluctuated a lot. It was boring at the start, then it got interesting and then it was boring again. Something in the book made me confused - I spent all my time thinking about whether this book was historical or made in the present. From the way of writing, it seemed to be in the present. But the happenings, games, etc, seemed to have happened in the past instead.
I don't think I even understood what she was doing most of the time, and the whole thing about Lady A was odd to me. Again, it took me a while to understand it was more like an alter-ego of her.
I liked her and Teddy, the way they bickered was exciting. I just think it wasn't enough for us to understand them, or for them to fall in love. I hoped for more feelings.
It was an enjoyable reading tho, which I appreciate :)

Was this review helpful?

First off, I absolutely loved the title and the cover for Love at First Knight. I otherwise went in blindly and was so pleasantly surprised at how well done Daisy was written. There is so much heart in her development and in her storyline. It was so relatable that she is absolute force on the battlefield, but gets anxiety in the Tube station. She reluctantly takes a job at the famed Tower of London for a children’s Knighthood camp. It is out of her comfort zone and has her trying to find her footing. Meanwhile, Teddy is a Viscount with a chip on his shoulder. As a disgraced distant relative of the royal family, he is begrudgingly helping with the Tower of London's summer programme, and there's nowhere he'd like to be less. As these two cross swords, they start to discover they both need a little rescuing. This sassy banter, slow burn, enemies to lover romcom was a delightful read from the first page to the last.

Was this review helpful?

Another great story by Megan Clawson. I really felt part of this story, all the characters came to life and it was an entertaining storyline.. A very clever conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

I am 40% through this book and I cannot force myself to keep reading. I LOVED the premises of this book, I read a nerdy romance earlier this year and wanted more of that, but this is dragging. I love and relate to Daisy, I also am struggling to find my path in the world and deal with social anxiety, I love all the characters we've met and am sure I would've loved the ending, but this writing is so slow. While I am only 40% through this book, I am on chapter 17, and these are long chapters. I might finish the book in the future, but right now I cannot do it.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a lovely geeky and unique story, and I absolutely adored it. It was cute and fun, and had a blast reading this book. Daisy and Teddy had me rooting for them, and I'm so glad they got their happy ending.

Daisy's anxieties and challenges with her insecurities were sensitively, respectively and well written.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this story and loved Daisy’s journey. Daisy’s family are really uplifting characters and it was heartwarming to read the scenes with them as well as Bobble.

Was this review helpful?

📚👑 Reasons I absolutely adore LOVE AND FIRST KNIGHT:

• Royal Romance 👑
• Nerd Life 🤓
• Living History 🏰
• Anxiety Rep 😬
• Loathe to Love 💔➡️❤️
• Supportive Family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• Closed Door Romance 🚪💕
• Swoonworthy Slow Burn 🔥💖

Couldn't put it down! Finished the book in a single sitting. I want to be best friends with Daisy and offer my sword in service to Lady Alenthaea. 🗡️ As Daisy & her "Lady A" persona merge, it's no wonder Viscount Teddy couldn't help but fall in love. 💘

Daisy's character development is heartwarming. From a LARP battlefield warrior to battling anxiety in everyday life, her journey feels so real. 🛡️ Her struggles with anxiety while facing big challenges like moving and new jobs are both admirable and relatable. 🏰

Viscount Teddy is swoonworthy with his signature lean & whisper. His journey from a Runaway Royal to finding individual purpose is captivating. 🤴 Keep an eye on his prickly defensiveness in the beginning; there's more beneath the surface. 💪

The romance between Daisy & Teddy is beautifully paced, filled with barbed words & subtle flirting during their loathe-to-love phase. 💬😍 It's a slow burn that allows for their individual growth, gradually shedding the armor around their hearts. 🛡️❤️

Highly recommend LOVE AT FIRST KNIGHT! This book helped heal my own nerdy anxious heart. It's a read to cherish forever. 📖💖

Was this review helpful?

Lives up to the expectation of the first book. I really enjoyed this story and you can see her knowledge on the subject shining through. Enjoyable read

Was this review helpful?

this was a bit of a hit and miss for me because i’m just unsure how i feel lol i’ll definitely have to reread it! i liked the cute banter and i did feel like it was written well, but about 25% in i did find that i was starting to get a bit bored tbh

Was this review helpful?

I was excited to see that Megan Clawson had a new book out, given how much I enjoyed her debut novel And I totally enjoyed this new book too.

However and this is purely me, even though I'm very geeky and I'm aware of LARPing, I've never had any desire to do any, nor live in the sort of fantasy world that Daisy seems to live in a lot of the time. The action scenes for the LARPing were definitely interesting and full of action which I enjoyed, but for me there was a bit too much in the lead up of Daisy writing new stories for her LARPing group, and a lot of olde world type speech.

Basically a tad too much history and fantasy elements in for me to give it a full five stars, but that is purely my taste! The rest of the book though, the actual story, the concept of a Knight school, and seeing Daisy develop as a character and a person in front of my eyes, was a joy to read.

And Teddy, oh I loved him, even when he was causing trouble. There are soe very funny scenes involving him, during their time at Knight school.

I also loved Bobble, Daisy's new flatmate, she's hilarious and a complete fresh of breath air. Just a fun character, and a true friend in the making.

Above all it's a story about people finding out where they belong in life, and discovering your true self.

I really hope there will be a third book that features The Tower of London as even a part setting, as these have such a great feel to them.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

From the author that brough us 'Falling Hard for the Royal Guard' Meghan Clawson's second royal rom com is funny, adventurous, swoon worthy and utterly unique.
'Hating him, disliking him, tolerating him, liking him, loving him, is the greatest adventure I never meant to have'

Daisy Hastings is happy in her own little world, living at home, working in her dads shop and family LARPing sessions where she rules as her alter ego Lady. A, but when her dad applies for a job on her behalf and she gets accepted to the Tower of London knight school she must push outside her comfort zone to live her Dream. The only problem with living out her dream is she must over come her anxiety, move to London, teach lots of little knights and babysit a rebellious Viscount who brings trouble with him wherever he goes.

This book includes
- Enemies to lovers
- Royal romance
- Slow burn
- one bed trope
- Anxiety representation
- Found family

I truly enjoyed this book not only was the slow burn romance wonderfully written with sassy banter and hilarious scenes but the story was truly unique. The use of all things Geek was so different to any other book and was done in such an inclusive way, the LARPing scenes gave amazing fantasy feels and almost felt like two books in one.

This book was a really easy read but it also covered topics such as social anxiety, making friends, feeling like you don't fit in the world and high expectations. The character development for the main characters was done really well and and made me feel connected to the characters.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves all things nerd, fantasy aspects, romance and a truly fun modern adventure. I look forward to reading more from this author

Thank you Netgalley and Megan Clawson for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

This book was so good! I loved the nerdy references and making nerdy things have mainstream appeal.

Its also got aome realistic depicitons of mental health and dealing with that while wanting more, more social interaction, more romance. Its all valid and important.

The tomance was precious and worked really well for me. Its sweet and touching.

Id give this to teens looking to jump out of YA and into adult spaces. Theres nothing incredibly smutty here, instead leaning toward tension and satisfaction at the resolve. With this book in oarticular it helps the readers emotions stay more grounded!

A lovely book.

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so I want to do this book Justice because I love it so much.

This is really cute enemies to lover style romance but it’s a lot more than that.

Daisy is a huge introvert (also neurodivergent coded which is not explicit but has several hints throughout the story), she struggles to leave the safety of her house, finds socialising exhausting and overwhelming. So instead she escapes with live action role playing, where as Lady Alenthae she can have the courage to be brave and even take charge of her comrades in battle. But suddenly she finds herself with a job in London teaching children at the Tower of London’s knight school. But she isn’t the only one at night school, viscount Theodore Fairfax has been forced to do this job to placate his royal family. But where Daisy is doing everything to keep it together and make a good impression on her trial period, Theodore wants nothing more than to make trouble….

I adored this book so much. I loved the nerd culture of DND and Lord of the Rings. Every character I adored, from the eccentric Bobble, to Richard the elderly wizard and most of all Daisy’s kind hearted family.

I highlighted so much in the book whether it was because it made me laugh or I just adored the way it was written. There was so many funny moments and ahhh so good! I would say I wish I had more, the epilogue comes along and I just wanted to have more before and after. The book could have been longer and I don’t say that often and that is not a bad thing either. I wanted more of Daisy, Theodore, Bobble and Daisy’s family!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars - This was a cute romance. It took a while to get interesting. It didn’t really start to pick up and get more fun until the love interest was introduced. The first part of the story was a bit depressing. Daisy seemed to have some serious issues that would have been best dealt with by a therapist, but they somehow just seem to resolve on their own, I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and thought all the side characters were a lot of fun. Although I have no interest in LARPing, the amount of it included wasn’t overdone. It doesn’t detract from the romance. The big LARPing competition further in the book was actually a really good mix of romance and action. I don’t know that the ending was very realistic, but it was pretty satisfying. One kind of disturbing part that was never resolved was the main characters’ mother’s comment about her looks. She was getting comments about her looks from multiple angles and some (sort of ) made sense- nasty tabloid articles, jealous co-workers, etc., but her mother’s comment obviously bothered her and was just glazed over. Overall, I enjoyed this story and would read more by this author in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 STARS ✨✨ Thank you to Avon publishing and Netgalley for the ability to read this beautiful novel by Megan Clawson!! I completely ate this book up… finished it in one day.
Daisy Hastings is totally a new favourite characters! She is for the girlies who not only struggle with social anxiety and being a wall flower…. But also if you are a “late bloomer” you can completely identify with her struggles in some parts of this book. Teddy is such a sweet book boyfriend and a perfect match for Daisy. Their scenes were so sweet and charming. This book has closed door scenes with no very little spice but their first kiss was magical!! 🥹🥹 It gives you all the feels. I can’t wait to see what Megan Clawson has next.

Was this review helpful?

Having loved Falling Hard for the Royal Guard I was so excited to read this, and it did not disappoint! I would like to say thank you to NetGalley & Avon books for giving me an ARC of this to read.
Love at First Knight follows Daisy Hastings and Theodore Fairfax. Daisy is living at home with her family and working in her Dad’s shop, too crippled by anxiety to be able to leave, she loves LARPing with her family and her local villagers. Theodore is a Vicount, the black sheep of the royal family, making constant tabloid headlines and scandal. When Daisy’s Dad process an application for her to teach at the Knight school held in the Tower of London, both their paths change forever.
This was everything I wanted from a royal Rom-Com based around a Knight School. I have never had an interest in LARPing until reading this, and it sounds like so much fun that my inner geek feels she made me to look into it further, there were so many references within this book that made my inner geek happy.
I always enjoy a good ensemble within a book and this one held up to that, extremely well. Daisy’s family is one that makes you wishing you could join, I loved their dynamics and relationships and how much love and support their family showed each other, they were also really funny. The same goes for Daisy’s friends that she makes along the way, with a special nod to Bobble, who is my personal favourite, there were many elements of my best friend I saw in her (although with a lot less fur 🤣).
I love that the authors intimate knowledge of the Tower of London and London itself really shines through in her books, it really makes them relatable and easy to visualise what the characters are going through.
I really loved this book, after reading a Rom-Com I want to be left feeling warm and fuzzy and that is exactly what this book did for me. So easy to read and just fall in love with everyone.
I really hope Megan writes more books moving forward as I will be reading them all, and with a very large smile on my face.

Was this review helpful?

I thought this was well crafted, with unique characters and although it took me a little bit to get into it, it was a great read! One to add to your list.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and swoony—I was hooked from the start! I loved the characters and thought their relationship progression was really well done. I can’t wait for this to come out!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Love at First Knight is the second book written by Megan Clawson, and is just as captivating as Falling Hard for the Royal Guard! Rich with romance, humour, history, and realistic struggles, Love at First Knight is a romcom you need to read!

Daisy Hastings is a certified badass. And Teddy Fairfax looks like he could kill you, but is a cinnamon roll. Their rivalry is enthralling, where you end up repeating 'just one more chapter' to yourself just to see what happens next. Daisy's summer job at the Knight School, set within the grounds of the Tower of London, offers intriguing historical information (which I will definitely be doing further research into!). Daisy's family, and extended family, are lovely. I would happily go LARPing with them!

I appreciated the anxiety representation. Clawson effectively captured the essence of anxiety, which, therefore, created a relatable character! And we all love relatable characters.

This romance is also fast-paced, I read about 70% in *practically* one sitting! But, whenever I wasn't reading, I couldn't stop thinking about this book!

Megan Clawson has an incredible ability to write cute and humorous rom-coms! Cannot wait to read her future books!

Was this review helpful?