Cover Image: At First Sight

At First Sight

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Member Reviews

4.5 stars

This was a beautiful story about loss and love and fate.. Nell and Charlie have a chance meeting at a coffee shop and from there both their lives are irrevocably changed. This book is very emotional, dealing with grief and suicidal thoughts. There are also some funny and engaging parts. Most of all, there's hope. With love even the darkest tunnel has a light at the end.

My only tiny critique is that as an American, some of the language is "foreign". George Bernard Shaw once said that "England and America are two countries separated by a common language." Throw in an Irishman and his family, and it is even more so. Nonetheless, it did not stop me from devouring the story.

I absolutely adored Kenna and Siobhan. You'll have to read the book to find out who they are. Makes me glad to have Irish blood running through my veins. Also, I wish Covid were over so I could go back to Ireland some day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Now to stop crying and get some work done this weekend!

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Thank you to @netgalley for my advanced copy
What a beautiful story! @flounderinghanauthor you are brilliant. I was so pleased when I was invited to read this one, I really enjoyed Hannah's previous book "very nearly normal " and this didn't let me down. Not ashamed to say I cried a fair few times haha.
Nell and Charlie's story is beautiful. Be prepared for a range of emotions.
This is out in the shops 1st of April. Grab yourself a copy!!

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At First Sight follows the story of Nell and Charlie who meet by chance in a café and shows their unconventional journey towards love and growth. It was a beautifully poignant and emotional read for me. It really highlighted that love stories can be messy, complicated, enigmatic. The story handles difficult topics such as loss, suicide and grief with care and sensitivity; I really appreciated the realistic mental heath representation (anxiety and depression) and the struggles that were shown both characters endured in all aspects which is so rarely seen in Romance/Women's Fiction. I really liked all the side characters in the story and thought they really helped to support the story. During the beginning, the pace was bit slow but once I got into the book I read it quickly.

Thank you to the author, Hannah Sunderland and publisher, Avon Books for the e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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At First Sight was a very slow moving story, which is unusual for me with a romance. It was not the story I expected after reading the description.

The two MCs Charlie and Nell meet but never exchange info. They end up connecting again as one of them needs help. Charlie has a dark past and Nell works for a crisis hotline (I sometimes wondered if this was best career choice for her but I digress). When Charlie calls, Nell goes against policy to meet with him as they had connected once before and their story takes off. Trigger warning for audiences: suicide and themes of grief and loss.

This was overall a heavy read, and I only gave it three stars because I thought it was slow, and I wasn’t as invested in the story or characters as I expected to be.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Two strangers. Two chance meetings. One extraordinary love story…
Nell and Charlie feel a spark when they meet by chance in a cafe. But they don’t trade numbers, or surnames, so there’s no way they’ll meet again.

But the next day, Nell’s phone rings at work. Somehow, impossibly, Charlie is on the other end. And he needs her help.

Nell is about to save a life, fall in love … and risk everything for a perfect stranger.

I'll be honest I found this a slow starter. However once I got into it I couldn't wait to finish it. The story is so sympathetically written to the subjects, it had me in tears at many points. I appreciated the email that was sent to warn of the difficult subjects this book covers as I would not have expected that had I only looked at the cover.

Sometimes in the book I found myself wondering if Nell was in the right job as she also seems to be quite an emotional soul - however this worked well for the book. By far and away my favorite character was Ned - we all need a Ned in our life!

I have already recommended this book to others.

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At First Sight, from its name, cover and description suggested this would be a lighthearted rom-com, where grief played a huge role. However, this was more a novel about grief, with a sprinkle of lighthearted moments, but otherwise provides a hard-hitting look at potential suicide and the loss of loved ones.

Nell, a telephone operator for a mental health charity, is compassionate and enjoys talking and helping others. On her lunch break one day she meets Charlie, a charming Irishman who sits cradling a cup of tea in a local coffee shop. Nell, a social butterfly, strikes up a conversation with him but despite their instant connection and obvious attraction they go their separate ways, that is until Nell takes a call one night and Charlie is the caller.

This is a tender and heart-wrenchingly sad unique love story. It's unlike anything else I've read recently, and there were moments where I could feel the sadness lodged in my throat. The protagonists both have some healing to do, and it's not simply a 'romance fixes mental health issue' story which I was thankful for. There is a vulnerability to the pair's interactions, and whilst I didn't particularly warm to either of them I was invested in how their story might end. Together they overcome a lot of adversity and hardships, but there are also some side-arcs which I didn't think particularly added much to the story - I'm looking at you housemate Ned having a relationship with Nell's mother. Whilst its premise is unconventional and wasn't what I was initially intending to read, it was a difficult and messily real look at love.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the review copy

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Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I found the first half of the book I got into pretty fast. The mystery of Charlie and his background had me reading more and I liked the chemistry between him and Nell. As I kept reading, however, I found that I didn’t really like them together (and I found their relationship unhealthy.) I appreciated Charlie’s vulnerability but found that they didn’t work together. I liked Nell as a character (although some of her decisions frustrated me at times). I loved how Ned was continually there for Nell and like a father figure to her.

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Oh my word how does she do it?? This is the second book I’ve read by Hannah Sunderland and I’m sure my heart is still reeling.

I love this story about Nell and Charlie. Their initial chemistry draws you in straight away, and as the story unfolds the book becomes impossible to put down.

There are several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming that quite literally had me gobsmacked 😶 and poor Hannah had to put up with me messaging her constantly as I read each new shock factor. As did my lovely friend who introduced me to this fabulous author.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give anything away, but this book is heartbreakingly beautiful and I lost count of how many times I ugly cried while reading it. I can’t stop thinking about it and I’m devastated that it’s finished. The ending was absolutely incredible and I was left tingling with goosebumps from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

At First Sight is pure perfection and I cannot wait for everyone to read it when it is published in April. Hannah is an absolutely amazing author and I can firmly say she’s now one of my favourites.


⚠️Trigger warnings ⚠️
This book deals with thoughts of suicide, grief, loss and depression and is dealt with in a truly respectful manner, which is a credit to Hannah’s writing.

Thank you for approving me to read this bloody BRILLIANT BOOK!!! It deserves all the stars because it is that good 😌

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After reading and absolutely loving Very Nearly Normal, I had high hopes for this one and was so excited to read it. Sadly this book was a miss for me. Whilst the writing was good, I found myself getting bored with the pace of the story and lack of connection between and with the main characters. I also appreciate the trigger warnings and usually I can read them without issue, but reading this was quite depressing, especially without much of any light, fun, romance moments that I was hoping would happen along the way. Thanks so much for allowing me to read and review this ARC, I will definitely been keen to give this author another go after loving her first book!

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A lovely read a book of chance of falling in love .Emotional moving great characters.The perfect book to sink into leave your world and join their lives.Believe in the joy of serendipity,#netgalley#avonboojsuk

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A very moving story. The characters were well developed and showed realistic responses to such sad situations. Anyone having just suffered loss should not read this yet. But after time it may help to read this to help with grief.

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The beginning of the story was very captivating. However as it continued, Charlie was difficult to like or feel empathy for until you got further into the story. Nell starts off as very gullible and I found myself rolling my eyes. It’s the 21st century, I wanted her to stand up for herself. Although I finished the book, I found myself skimming to speed it along. Interesting story, timely topics, characters relatable but difficult to “like.”

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This book wasn’t what I expected it to be. From the cover art, from the description, from the author note describing it as a “quirky love story,” I was expecting rom-com. I was not expecting so much drama and sadness.

The story dragged for me initially, but by the last half of the book I was hooked. And in tears. Lots and lots of tears.

I like where Nell’s character ended. I can’t say I liked how she started. It was a story of growth. And grief. With maybe a few too many side plots thrown in. I could have done without the bulk of Joel’s storyline for sure.

If I could give it 2 1/2 stars I would. But since the latter part was what I liked more I guess I’ll give it 3.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I found this really interesting. I thought the characters were really well drawn. They seemed very real on the page.
Nell and Charlie meet by chance and fall for each other but there are complications. I won't give it away but I thought it was written in a lovely, thoughtful way.

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This story is about love, loss and beginning again. Sometimes you have to work through your past before you can hope for any kind of a future.
Charlie is in a coffee shop and has a chance meeting with Nell. Charlie’s life has been spiraling out of control, and meeting Nell gives him hope. Nell is counselor at a mental health hotline, and when Charlie calls her and she recognizes his voice and they agree to meet up to continue talking.

Will Charlie and Nell have a chance at a relationship? What is Charlie’s story? Can you be just a friend to someone you are falling in love with?

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

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There is an instant connection when Nell and Charlie meet by chance one day. However they don’t exchange details so there is no hope in ever meeting again… But when Nell answers her work phone, at the the suicide helpline, the following day, Charlie is on the other end.

A emotional read, but well worth the tears.

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Actual rating: 4.5/5

! TW/ Mention of the death of a loved one, suicide, mental health, depression, grief

Nell and Charlie meet in a café and immediately feel something between them. Nell is a worker in a mental health line and Charlie has a difficult story.
First, I loved the mental health theme in the book as well as grief and depression, topics we don't find often in books.
As well as that, I really enjoyed the slow romance between the two characters and all of the stories behind it.
Furthermore, I liked the powerful story of Charlie and how real it feels. I also fancied the originality of the story and it truly touched me.
Last but not least, I can't wait to see what Hannah Sunderland writes next!

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I just loved this book - it was wonderful and joyous, despite the subject matter.
It was a one sitting read, and I spent a great day in the company of Charlie & Nell, I own a Magnus cat too so maybe that swayed me....!

I thought it was well written, rounded and thoughtful - definitely my first 5 star of the year and an absolute recommendation.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

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I feel as though this is such an important read for everyone. Sunderland took difficult topics like suicide and mental health and turned it into an unforgettable story filled with a lot of valuable perspectives about life. Nell and Charlie find each other when they need it most, and each of them learn a valuable lesson from the other about how to move on and do the hard things in life. While Nell initially takes the grief counselor role at the start she quickly learns she also has struggles she may not be facing, and while she copes with them differently than the plagued Charlie, they are still important things to face. I believe this is such a valuable story about grief and settling in life that anyone could take something away from- definitely a must read!

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I do like a book which doesn’t run down the path of girl finds boy, girl drops everything for boy. I applaud the parts where mental health is talked about and people think about their lives rather than throwing themselves at each other. I did mark it down a mark as I did find the situation with the ex a little difficult to believe near the end of the book, but that was forgiven just for the scene with the mother and the housemate alone! It was very funny.

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