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REVIEW: Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams


She’s found the one. He’s just not the one for her.

Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant. Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate. The only thing is, they’re not for her…

"Okay, fine, I'm reading into everything. If I could press these moments like flowers to keep forever, I would. I feel it in my bones: what is happening is important, and I will want to remember it all."

Laura Jane Williams clearly puts some kind of secret ingredient because I just EAT UP everything she writes. Fun, indulgent, sweet romances with a familiar romcom vibe but excellent writing, relatable characters and so many feelings.

Love at First Sight is another unbearably cute, cosy romance with plenty of mishaps and glorious chaos. Jessie captures so much of the average, burned out modern woman that I couldn’t help but love he and coupled with an easy, friendly first person narration style it felt like a conversation and the words just flew by. I laughed with her as she daydreamed about the gorgeous man at the grocery store, groaned when life was painfully complicated and felt that moment she realised she’d made a tragic romance novel mistake and started falling for the guy she can’t have. But of course, it’s a story — so there will be romance - and it is so damn sweet, silly and delightfully messy.

And of course, another excellent edition to halls of book boyfriends. A tad problematic of course as we wade through the obstacles but the perfect mixture of strong and sensitive, supporting Jess to be the person she wants to be in a way that just made me smile stupidly. Our love interests, and supporting cast were stunning - beautiful friendships, complicated families and so much growth from the characters that I loved to watch unfold.

The pacing was perfect, the romantic story just one part of a story about Jessie figuring out who and what she wants from life - giving it a slow burn feel but without the drag.

If you’re looking to escape into a modern day, feel-good happy ever after that will really surprise you and get swept off your feet for a few hours — you’ll fall in love at first sight with this.

Another one-sitting read from the queen of meet-cutes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • LAFS is available now with Random House UK/Cornerstone. I was gifted a reviewers copy of this title.
  • This title includes content that may be upsetting such as flashing/sexual harassment, cheating and discussions around suicide (non-mc) 
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