3.5 rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads

Thank you Simon Teen for sending me a free copy of this book & providing me with an ARC on NetGalley!

I’m not usually the biggest fan of paranormal books, but after loving F.T. Luken’s previous book Spellbound, I knew I had to read this one, and I’m so glad I did! It was really fun and not at all like most other paranormal novels I’ve read in the past. This was a mix of many different genres. Obviously the fantasy because of the different species and powers, there was a good romance subplot, but there was also a mystery they needed to solve before a murder would occur. I couldn’t put this book down, I just kept wanting to read it and find out what happened in Cam’s vision.

This book was really fun. I always love found family and ensemble casts. I just wish that all of the characters had more pagetime individually. I could easily remember who was who and usually I struggle with that when there are so many characters. However, since all of them were very different, as they were all clearly described to be different species (is that the right word?), it was really easy for me.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books, NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Cam is a human who only wants to fly under the radar in a school filled with kids with paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch Al and his crush, Mateo, a werewolf. When Cam gets an unexpected psychic glimpse of the future, seeing a murdered girl from the point of view of the killer, he knows immediately two things. That he goes to school with a future killer and his life is about to change forever. Not longer a simply human, but a rare clairvoyant, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time and he doesn't like it. While the city supernatural factions court him and his new gift, Cam has to work with old and new friend to find this killer or the next victim could be him.

Love at second sight is the brilliant, funny and amazing new story from F.T. Lukens and I loved everything. Set into a world with supernatural creatures, from witches to werewolves to clairvoyant, the main character himself, the story is funny and compelling and a brilliant queer thriller, with a smart and witty main character. Cam finds himself with powers and at the center of attention, while struggling to understand who to trust, who is the potential killer and how to save the situation and I loved every single moment.

F.T. Lukens's YA fantasy Love at Second Sight is a mystery that is as soapy as it is thrilling. Queer witches, werewolves, sprites, and other fantastical beings stumble through awkward teen foibles, interrupted by monsters both real and metaphorical.

Cam Reynolds, a "honey blond"-haired 15-year-old, lives in a town where "witches, werewolves, faeries, sprites, and a whole host of supernatural entities" shop at the same grocery stores and attend the same schools as non-paranormal humans. His bestie, Al, has "beautiful brown skin," a "comforting and cozy" cottagecore witchy vibe, and a raven familiar named Lenore; his hunky crush, Latino Mateo, is a werewolf. But Cam is "only human"--he thinks. During a dustup on the first day of school, his latent gifts as a clairvoyant manifest: he sees the brutal murder of a young woman he doesn't recognize. Traumatized, Cam is unsure of this newfound power and what he's meant to do with it. And, since seers are rare, different factions of mystical beings all want a piece of him. Cam, with the help of Al, Mateo, and a new crew of friends, decides to find the killer, save the girl, and stop the future he has seen from becoming reality.

Lukens (Otherworldly) is no stranger to the world of the young, exceptional, and angsty. Lukens's mastery of the adolescent hero's journey is on full display here: though the whodunnit may be the endgame, it's Cam's arc of empowerment through the relationships he solidifies with his friends that fuel the book. A surprisingly substantive treat about surviving in a monstrous world.

Thank you, Simon Audio, for the ARC, both the audio and physical copy! I loved the mix of normal humans and supernatural beings all attending high school together. There’s so much humor in this story, and I couldn’t get enough.

Cal, a human, has a vision, which was like, wait, what?! I was hooked from the start, wanting to see what happens and whether the vision comes true. He sees a vision of a girl’s murder before it happens and tries to stop it. Along with his best friend, who has powers of her own, we get a sweet romance mixed with twists and turns of a thrilling mystery.

Such a fun read! Really enjoyed this one. Thank you Simon Teen for the eARC via Netgalley and the finished copy!

Characters 4.5/5: Absolutely loved the main characters in this one. Cam and Al's friendship is so sweet and I really felt their growing pains as well as their love for each other. The ragtag team of friends is also so good and I just ended up falling in love with all the characters. FYI the romance is definitely a back seat in this one to the friendship, so please don't go in expecting a lot of romance! There are definitely some super cute moments though.

**Spoiler (I'll try to be vague here): With the big reveal a certain character in the cottage, I was kind of expecting them to play more of a role in the book, and it was a bit disappointing that they only showed up at the end. They're a pretty important character plot wise/development wise so I just thought there would be more?

A pretty fast paced book, which I appreciated as someone currently going through a bit of a slump, but I definitely wish the last few chapters had more in them. It all wrapped up very quickly!

Overall a fun read! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun YA paranormal mystery.

CW for blood, bullying, murder/attempted murder, parental abuse

This book had me in a full chokehold from chapter one—like, F.T. Lukens really said “murder vision + queer chaos + found family + flirty werewolf crush” and I devoured it. Cam is the most relatable disaster human I’ve ever read—anxious, sarcastic, and just trying to survive high school (plus, you know, a psychic murder premonition). The supernatural world is so fun but also surprisingly dark, and the way it balances humor, heart, and high-stakes danger?? Perfection. And don’t even get me started on Mateo—every time he and Cam interacted, I squealed. If you love queer paranormal fantasy with vibes like Carry On meets Veronica Mars, this book will absolutely live in your head rent-free.

Cam Reynolds is tired. Tired of feeling like the weird kid, tired of everyone always looking at him. A new high school may be exactly what he needs to start sophomore year off with a fresh start, alongside his best friend, blossoming witch Al, and the werewolf he's bee.n crushing on for ages, Mateo. Now is the time to start anew, to embrace a New Cam.

Except Cam has no idea how different things are about to become. After a fight at school reveals he is clairvoyant, his first vision—a gruesome murder of an unknown girl from the perspective of the killer—shifts everything. With the help of a perky freshman and a group of new paranormal friends, Cam must unravel his vision and prevent the horrific event before it’s too late. As tensions rise and friendships become complicated, Cam realizes he’s running out of time—with a target on his back, the next blood spilled could be his own.

This was a fun and cute YA queer paranormal romance thriller situation that was just the right level for that early high-school crowd dipping their toes into this genre. It's a perfect starter book, with fun characters and some really engaging twists and turns. The first 3/4ths of the story set up a lot of the characters and mystery, with a lot of the action occurring in the last 1/4th. I wanted more romance, more depth of the relationships between these friends-they are such a fun eclectic bunch and I would love to have gotten to know them a little better.

All in all, if you're looking for a fun mystery-thriller with some paranormal characters and some cute queer teen romance, this will 100% fit the bill.

{Thank you to F. T. Lukens, SimonTeen, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review-I am so sorry this is so late in coming!}

This was such a neat YA paranormal read! I loved all of the characters so much. The storyline with the magic and the mystery was genuinely so much fun! Cam is a wonderful main character. He was awkward and just trying to get through high school. I loved the cute romance with Mateo but it’s more of a subplot. Mateo is sweet though. Al was the bestest best friend and I loved Lenore too! All the other friends were great. It was a lot of fun with everyone coming to age while learning how to master their new magical powers. They were all different but they had each other’s back. The mystery was really interesting to try to unravel as well. I honestly liked this book a lot more than I even thought I would!
This is YA but there is some mild violence and cussing. If you enjoy YA then def check this out! This would be a great fall/halloween ish read 😍💜

Love at Second Sight by @ftlukens was such a dang fun read. I read it in two days. It combines mystery with supernatural powers and a very sub plot of a romance. It was intense but also fun and light. Our main character is a human surrounded by non-humans and is starting at a new school. He has a lot of pressure from his parents to make other human friends. On his first day he has a vision of someone being murdered and our story kicks into high gear.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Regular high school was tough enough for me. Add in a new power and all the responsibilities to use it wisely to try and save a mysterious girl from being murdered, all while just entering 10th grade in a new school district and unsure about the status of his friendship with long time pal Al, and I really feel for Cam. This is cute story with lots of feels, figuring out friends, dealing with parents who have closed minds when dealing with the paranormal and finally connecting with a crush and I loved it all. I did like how it focused more on friendships than just a love connection because friends are what Cam needed most in this time of the chaos of his new powers and standing in the paranormal world as he was no longer plain human. I was certainly rooting for him and his new friends as they worked to save the girl, though there was plenty of other drama.

Cam was a certified and accurate clairvoyant so everyone wanted a piece of him, from other students to the covens, packs and guilds in the area, gifting him with presents and making in harder for him to see if people liked him for him or just his powers. The story dealt with that well and I got warm fuzzies when he found how how stalwart his friends were, no matter the situation (and it does have some dark moments when that is sorely needed!). It was a sweet story though and I highly recommend it! Plus it goes by fast and you can get through most of it in one sitting because it will hook you from the very first page!

5/5, 10/10, 100% I don’t know how I could rate it better. This book competes with In Deeper Waters for my favorite FT Lukens book and that’s hard to do. I loved all of the characters (even Al whom I had a hard time with in the beginning). The dynamics between characters were fun. I want more. I could read so many sequels about this bestie gang. Can Gemma get her yatzee, what other powers was alluded to for Cam at the end, will Reese end up with Kaci which is what I hope. More more more!

This was a pretty interesting story. I enjoyed how the paranormal was out in the open in this story instead of some hidden thing that the main characters have to be discreet about. It was fun to see a bunch of teenagers struggling with their powers. Mateo and Cam together were great I really loved their dynamic. I think my favorite character was Reece though. He had some of the funniest lines and I love that his Sprite power was unconventional. I didn't really enjoy the plot about Cam's parents trying to remove his clairvoyant ability. It felt like a thinly veiled gay conversion scene. Maybe the author intended that but I didn't enjoy it. I was also confused why a spell might need werewolf's blood but, oh well. Overall I did like this story a lot!

Love at Second Sight is a sweet, heartfelt romance that explores the beauty of unexpected connections and new beginnings. F.T. Lukens crafts a tender story filled with warmth, humor, and moments that will make your heart skip a beat.

F.T. Lukens does it again in this type of storyline, it had that writing style that I wanted and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters felt like real people and thought the overall storyline worked with the paranormal element that I was expecting. It was so well written and thought the overall story and characters worked wonders. I can't wait to read more from F.T. Lukens.

I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of this book. I enjoyed Cams journey as he became his own person. I just felt we didn’t get the full angsty teenager that is going through it. I also, felt this was slightly rushed with conclusions, instead of developing the full picture. I also felt like we didnt get a full story or idea of his parents or their thought process. Also, the brother disappearing then appearing wasn’t fleshed out enough.

I’m a big fan of paranormal romances! I find them so fun and always devour them. This didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the plot, characters, romance, and the writing.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book and the characters had their own little found family with each other that I loved!

The only criticism I really have is that sometimes Cam felt a bit underwhelming as a main character and I wanted to shake him a little, but I didn’t mind it too much. Made him a bit more relatable at the end of the day.

If you’re someone like me who loves paranormal romances then I would definitely recommend giving this story a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last.
Love At Second Sight is a fun high school paranormal romance.

I went into this book with no expectations and no clue what it was about. I got a fun mystery being solved by a found family, all while still being heart wrenching.

I loved all of the characters, the relationships just felt so real and relatable.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, if you’re looking for something light I recommend this.

F.T. Lukens has done it again. Urban Fantasy and YA is not a cocktail that's for everyone, including myself. Especially when it's a YA romance. And yet they create this brilliant and vivacious community of people around the protagonists and it all just ends up being the perfect paranormal hug. While this one does have a romance in it, it's not the main focus AT ALL. Normie wallflower Cam just wants to have a normal year of high school with his best friend, with a side of mooning at his werewolf crush, all the while grappling with the loss of a beloved sibling to estrangement, and the increased coven responsibilities of his witch bff. Until he is thrust into the paranormal spotlight with a violent emergence of his own clairvoyant powers. Suddenly he is having to play lore catch-up and ALL the attention of every paranormal faction in town. While his relationship with his best friend goes through growing pains, and his parents come out as cartoonish bigots, he suddenly has more friends than ever (almost a full paranormal bingo), including the shy werewolf crush. There's tension between the factions but Cam's squad are focused on helping him acclimate to his new reality and solving the mystery of his first vision of a gruesome future. It's honestly such a fun and perfectly wholesome story of queer adolescence and found family, that you don't mind that the romance is playing a distant second fiddle to the story of a friend group. The climax is almost predictable and the adults are either cartoonish or largely absentee, but those are nitpicks, because this is really about the journey of coming into your own powerful identity, being thrust into a much larger and sometimes brutal world, and learning to trust in the safety and kindness of your chosen family.

This book presented a serious and somewhat frightening look at the cost of becoming who you really are. Cam discovers he has a gift and has to navigate the repercussions of what he can do and what others want from him as a result. This book feels darker than FT Lukens' other YA novels. I loved the found family that gather around to protect Cam, and the elders who give him wise advice. I will recommend this and all of Lukens' books to readers of YA LGBTQIA fantasy.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

(4.75 Stars)

Listen, in this household, we love F.T. Lukens. Their work is incredible and they’re always able to somehow walk the line between ridiculousness and being sincerely heartfelt. This book is no exception. It’s all the best parts of their writing that any F.T. Lukens fan has come to expect. It’s fun, it’s zany, there’s a strangely endearing and mismatched group of weirdos at the center, and it’s also asking big questions about how we navigate discovering new parts of ourselves.

I read this all in one sitting. I loved it that much. It was *so* entertaining. I loved the mystery at the core of the story and this ragtag crew trying to work together to figure it out. But also going from having no power to having an incredibly rare power is a major shift for Cam, and it’s interesting to see how that impacts the way he sees himself. And I think his clairvoyant powers are a really great metaphor not only for how we approach the inevitability of the future as it continuously rushes towards us but also how important it is to understand context. Especially in this age of disinformation, especially with upcoming generations ho are going to struggle with media literacy or any kind of literacy in a way that no other generation has before, that is such an important theme to explore.

Cam can only see a glimpse of the future when they have a vision, and it’s from a very specific first-person perspective. They can’t see everything. They just see a piece. And we see time and time again throughout the story how having just a little information can be a lot dangerous, especially when we’re using limited information to make big decisions. Context matters, and as the friend group in this story are trying to investigate who this killer might be, what they’re really trying to do is figure out what context they’re missing so that they can find the right approach when this moment inevitably comes to pass.

That’s another thematic overtone I really appreciate in this story, how it shows that we may not be able to change or stop the future from happening, but we can prepare ourselves for it as best we can and find people who will anchor us as we walk through those moments and those changes. Again, I think those are invaluable things to think about, especially for teens reading this story. And I love how F.T. Lukens is able to explore those ideas within this funny, entertaining, endearing package of genre tropey-ness and goodness.

My two minor notes are that sometimes there’s so much going on that important plot points seem to be forgotten, which can make some things feel underdeveloped when they come back around. And I also wanted a tad bit more from the cute romance between Cam and his werewolf crush. But this was still absolutely wonderful, and I gave it 4.75 stars.