i knew i had to request an arc of this bc i LOVED mallory’s first book, love and other conspiracies, and looks like SHE DID IT AGAIN!!!! this is everything you could want in a book! fun, sweet, intriguing, & heartwarming 🫶🏻

short synopsis, the author literally describes this book as “a girl that saw a UFO & fell in love with her hot man in black” aka el martin, social media influencer, sees a UFO & posts it online. of course they send a hot man in black after her, but it’s not all it seems because agent carter brody has also seen the same UFO…. years ago when tragedy striked his life.

ariel martin is so freakin CUTE. she’s so sweet & the way she loves carter is the way i want to be loved. she never gives up on him & is so loyal to him. the character development is 10/10. carter aka hot agent is TO DIE FOR. he is so kind & compassionate it made me swoon. i’m embarrassed bc i was smiling at my phone (as one does when reading this book) & got caught and called out. this book is also filled with some action so you never get bored. i loved everything about this & can’t recommend it enough.

thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review via netgalley. all opinions are my own <3

Ok, this book was a mixed bag for me - I liked aspects, but also really struggled with some others.

I really liked the adventure and mystery aspect of this story! Romances that aren’t just romances really appeal to me and I had a blast digging into the mystery alongside El and Carter. I thought it was a great sub-plot and it was executed well by Marlowe. I also enjoyed the way El and Carter sort of healed some loneliness in each other. I liked how they were really there for each other. It was beautiful to witness two people who had to do so much alone come together and support one another and truly be present.

What I mainly struggled with was how romance progressed, unfortunately. El and Carter moved too fast for me, beginning with essentially insta-lust. I would have liked more build-up to the attraction. Additionally, this was more open door than her first - it has three open door scenes I skipped, with some explicit language throughout. Unfortunately, I found it to be beyond my comfort level. I think it will work for some people, it just didn’t work for me.

Also, I think I learned influencer FMCs are just not for me. 😬 I liked where El’s journey with social media and “her brand” ended up, but I had a really hard time connecting with her for the majority of the book - insert many eyerolls.

Thank you, Berkley Romance, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review it early.

⭐4.25
Social media influencer El goes live and records a strange light following her. No one seems to believe her, until the video comes across Secret Agent Carter's desk. He's seen that light years ago. Determined to find his own answers he tracks down El to question her. As the two of them work together to solve the mystery, their feelings evolve into something out of this world.

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself laughing out loud at the banter and situations the characters found themselves in. Unidentified flying objects, humorous romance with believable characters, chefs kiss. I love the whole premise of the book. I found myself not really liking the character 'El' at first, she does grow and come out of her perfectly sculpted self within the book. Carter seemed like such a sweet character but really held up as things got more serious. There was a lot of early and frequent bodily attraction that made it feel borderline instalove. Overall, it was just a fun book. I genuinely enjoyed the whole thing, and was rooting for the shenanigans along the way. There are 2+ detailed spice scenes. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read and review honestly

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book! I really loved Mallory Marlowe's debut novel and this one hit all of the same fun notes. The storyline is obviously different, but I feel like she does a great job marrying the nerdy topics (aliens, bigfoot etc.) and romance! Her romances are the only ones that I have read like that and goodness they are just do dang fun! This story follow El, a lifestyle influencer, who sees a UFO while out hiking to take pictures for content. This sets her on the same path as a literal "man in black" named Carter who starts following her for intel. When both Carter and El realize there are secrets to discover inside his government agency, they team up to discover the truth. It is very silly, but the emotions behind the characters and how they relate to each other are very real. All of the time they spend together helps them to form a bond that turns into something more. Both characters are flawed for different reasons, but are just incredibly likeable. This book was an absolute joy and brought a smile to my face the entire time. What is more fun than aliens, government secrets and little romance. Five stars from me! I can't wait for other people to fall in love with El and Carter!

Yet another wonderful romance for the lovers of the odd and otherworldly.

Mallory Marlowe knows the internet and it's absurdity so it's hilarious to read El's perspective.

I love the shift from the first entry in this series, Marlowe veers hard into the existence of aliens and I am so glad for it.

While I enjoyed Love and Other Conspiracies, it's narrative was driven more by the personal relationships of the protagonist rather than the cryptids they hunt for. Here is a romance that has one of the funniest setups while also being refreshingly serious.

This was a delightful romcom with definite X files vibes! I absolutely loved the contrast between Carter, the real life Man in Black hunting down alien sightings and conspiracies, and El, the influencer who deeply wants to feel something real and witnesses a possible UFO while she's live on social media. Carter was such a cinnamon roll, and I couldn’t get enough of his little trilby hat. Overall, this was a great read and a perfect follow-up to Love and Other Conspiracies. We can't wait to see what Mallory Marlowe writes next!

I was SO excited for this book. Mallory Marlowe's last book gave me millennial X-Files vibes and this one definitely perfected the vibe. It was fun without being cheesy. The pacing seemed a little slow for the first half of the book, but it picks up. Overall the banter was good, the characters were relatable and likable, and it's just another book that makes me excited to see what the author does next.

To say I’m obsessed is an understatement. Mallory is now an auto read author for me. I was completely taken by Love and Other Conspiracies and she’s done it again with Love at First Sighting.

Not only does Mallory deliver fun characters- both strong in their own ways but also looking to have the courage to be who they truly want to be but the plot is always packed full of mischief, mysteries, high stakes and amazing spice.

An absolute out of this world read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I just could not get into this which was a complete bummer because it has so much to love about it! I mean, a mainstream romance about an influencer that accidentally films a UFO sighting? Fantastic.

Except it wasn't, for me. I try to just have a good time with modern romcoms but sometimes I just can't handle the writing, and this was one of those times. Not for me, but hopefully it's for you!

A phenomenal follow-up to Love and Other Conspiracies, and another banger from Mallory Marlowe! This sequel focused on a very different part of the LA spooky scene with an online influencer and a secret government agent, raising the stakes well out of the realm of online shows and conspiracy podcasts. There are car chases, online and IRL stalking (sanctioned and unsanctioned), government cover-ups, and even a Hollywood hills UFO. The way Marlowe went about exploring the different worlds of online celebrity drama and small government sector mundanity was so well balanced and had me feeling sorry for both El and Carter in very distinct yet similar ways. The main characters this time around were a riot of snark, trauma, and capability; I loved how adept El was in navigating the world of online fame and connection to her every advantage, and Carter's surprise proficiency at a job he always thought he was merely squeaking by in. Their immediate (and reluctant) attraction to each other made for great tension and character work and melded into a comfortable fact of their lives just as everything they were investigating took a running leap into dangerous territory. And yet again, Marlowe has earned my utmost respect for not adding a third act breakup to keep tensions high when she had much better ways to do that already. All-in-all a great sophomore novel from a new favorite author of mine!

I enjoyed Mallory's first book but I must say this second work is literally art. its perfect to me. carter and el are the sweetest angels and i am so in love with their love. the plot was heart wrenching at times but it was also really fun. I just really loved this. one of my favorite books of the year already.

I love Love and Other Conspiracies , so I was so excited when I saw that Mallory Marlowe was releasing a new book. El is an influencer who kinds she was attacked by a UFO, Carter is a Men in Black agent. I don't wanna give anything away but their is mystery, there is love, there is character growth. I absolutely loved these characters. 10/10 recommend.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was my first Mallory Marlowe and I'm obsessed. Any weird conspiracy thing is right up my alley so a romance centered around a UFO sighting, let's go! I took my time with this one because I just didn't want it to be over, I wanted to be best friends with Carter and have El give me a makeover (I don't even know if she'd do that but I know she'd be great at it). Even Leonard would be fun to meet. I loved the character growth for both Carter and El and how well they balanced each other out. This was hilarious and wonderful to read, and it made me want a grilled cheese desperately.

I'm so glad I snagged an early copy from NetGalley so I can tell everyone to go read this one!

I’m just getting into the adventure romcom genre and this was one was a good time! Obviously I loved The X-Files vibes and our MMC was absolutely adorable. So well done. As for the romance, it was a bit insta-love for me. Loved the mid-level stakes adventure though, so overall an absolute win.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Love at First Sighting has the most delicious premise, I was hoping that reading would deliver on that and it most certainly did. The book was fun but surprisingly emotional as well as Secret Agent Carter lives a lonely life that he has to revisit the origins of - the death of his father - while investigating similar events that transpired just before his death. The similar events are a sighting of a UFO but this time by gorgeous El, who is an influencer living a hollow life up until her partnership with Carter. Fun (with plenty of adventure), emotional, and romantic, this book literally has it all (including some UFO intrigue if you were a fan of the X Files). It seems like everyone needs a bit of an escape, and finding it within the pages of this book will be the perfect one, especially if you’d like a bit of change to typical romances, but not so much you’re completely disbelieving.

El and Carter’s dynamic is electric, crackling with humor, mystery, and slow-burn tension that keeps you hooked. Their push and pull is as compelling as the extraterrestrial mystery they’re unraveling, making every moment pulse with possibility. Fresh, clever, and just the right amount of absurd, it proves that love, like UFOs, tends to appear when you least expect it.

Ariel "El" is a successful social media influencer in Los Angeles. Taking selfies for a social media campaign for athletic wear, she fears someone is following her. She live streams a video and when she turns around, it's not someone but something following her, an unidentified flying object flashing colored lights. Her video goes viral and people think she's either crazy or trying to gain attention. Carter works for the Private Intelligence Sector, verifying UFO videos, most of which are fake. When he sees El's video, he sees the same UFO he saw when he was 10 just days before his dad died. Tracking El down to learn more about the UFO, they end up working together to discover the real purpose of the UFO. Could it have anything to do with Carter's dad's death? The more time they spend together, El and Carter start developing feelings for each other and find themselves caught in a dangerous mystery. El's influencer friends are ditzy and annoying and make her rethink her life goals. Carter's life is lonely, full of work and not much else. If you like the X Files mixed with romance, this would be a fun mystery to read. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️

You guys. Love at First Sighting is literally everything. Mallory Marlowe gave us a rom-com with UFOs, government secrets, and a Man in Black who is equal parts nerdy, considerate, and hot? Yeah, I’m obsessed. The fact that anyone was able to make me think about Spike from Buffy is an automatic yes 🤭

El as a main character was so perfect to me. Not only is she THAT girl, but her journey was so nice and fun to read. And then there’s Carter, who shows up all serious about his job, but immediately starts short-circuiting around her (love that for him). Their chemistry? Off the charts. The slow-ish burn? Painfully good. The sci-fi twist? Lowkey unhinged in the best way. And the spice??? 🥵 THE DESK???? MALLORY. How am I supposed to move on with my life after this????

One thing I specifically loved about their relationship was the fact that there was no miscommunication, no third act breakup, and no lying…yet I STILL felt it was a perfectly well-rounded and dynamic relationship on its own. I love that when they decided to get together they just fully went for it. It was so refreshing to read and made it that much more of a five star read. 💜

This book is like if The X-Files and a rom-com had a love child raised by TikTok conspiracy theories. If you love banter, mystery, and the kind of romance that makes you kick your feet, you need this on your TBR.

Thank you Mallory and NetGalley for the arc. 🫶🏼 👽 🛸

This was cute, but I wanted so much more! The premise is really fun but it took me awhile to warm up to El and Carter together, especially with how fast their relationship and feelings grew. I also didn’t care much for any of the side plot lines with Marcus or El’s influencer friends. El and Carter did grow on me by the end, though and I enjoyed where they both ended up!

An action packed romcom with aliens and a conspiracy song me up!

This story was so much fun and so unexpected. Not having yet read the first book I dove into this one with no expectations and ended up having the best time. This story between a female influencer and a male in a black suit (very men in black vibes) team up to try to figure out a conspiracy seeming to try to ignore their own growing connection. I love how fun and fast paced this was. I didn’t want to put it down in fear of missing what could happen next. I think both characters were written so well and I found myself laughing along with most of the book.

I will say I was a little thrown by a blonde MMC (lol) but I ended up loving him the most of all. A down bad man who is included in the high jinx along side the FMC, following her path. When falling for each other just becomes inevitable.

I love this authors way of completely transporting you into this story and keeping a hold of you until the very last page. Wishing there was at least 50 more pages between these two.