The trigger warnings in this book did not bother me and I found Nell and Charlie to be intriguing characters with their own complications. However, this book moved too slow for me and I could not get into. Just ok for me. Still recommended for other readers though. Liked the cover too.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hannah SUnderland and Avon books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/1/21

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
At First Sight is full of drama. This is a slow burn romance but yet not a romance. There really wasn't any romantic elements between the two main characters. They were "in love" with each other and the story goes into depth detail as to how their tale plays out. This was not a winner for me and I doubt I'd read it again.

This book definitely isn’t your typical romance, but that is something that I actually liked about it. There is a lot of character growth and development throughout the book. This book deals with some tough subjects (see the Trigger warning), but I believe the author did it in such a tasteful way.

There is definitely more of a focus on the friendship of Charlie and Nell and their own healing than there is romance in this book. But I thought that worked for this one. I was really rooting for both Charlie and Nell in this book, I loved both of these characters.

My only downside to this one was that it wasn’t really grabbing my attention as much as a I would have hoped, especially in the beginning of the book. Once I got about halfway through, I had a harder time putting it down.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two strangers meet by chance but they never exchange numbers or surnames. However they end up connecting again, cause one of them needs help from the other person.

It was a quirky love story that deals with loss and grief through one of the main characters. There were parts that were funny and other ones that were emotional. I enjoyed the writing style and felt a connection with both of the main characters. It was thought-provoking read about falling in love and dealing with some heavy real stuff.

What I didn't like and why I only gave it 3⭐ it's because first I didn't find the love story between the main characters strong and explosive enough. And second, cause at moments it felt that all the situations in which the characters coincidentally were running into each other felt too unrealistic.

Overall it was an interesting enough read for me to binge it in a day. It has its imperfections but it's a good enough romance read.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At First Sight dives into some pretty deep and dark topics. It does take a while to do so but it is definitely eye opening to see what the characters go through throughout this book. In it, you will meet Nell and Charlie. Both seem to be barely moving in their lives.. at least until they met each other.

I'm not going to say that their romance was easy because it honestly wasn't. These two go through a lot of ups and downs. Whether it's romantically tied to them or just tied to their lives in general. Again, it was really eye opening to see what they went through and how they handled it.

I honestly wasn't expecting so much drama in this book but I wasn't really surprised either. Ya know? From previous reviews on this book, I could see that people weren't happy due to not getting trigger warnings. Me? I'm okay with it all because it was an experience I wanted. Each and every character had some healing to do and it was just really cool to see it happening. Especially when you see certain characters at their lowest point. I just hoped that each and every one of them found happiness in something or someone.

They deserved it. Truly.

In the end, I am a little intrigued by what the answer was.. but I would be okay with any kind of adventure.

An incredible story of navigating depression, grief, loss, love, friendship. I loved how this was not your conventional love story - real-life ones never are.

Although the main storyline was very sensitive, this was told in such a thoughtful and delicate way.

As someone who writes about mental illness in my own books, I can't recommend this novel enough. Yes, this could be triggering, especially for people who are struggling with depression and the loss of a loved one, but there's a warning at the beginning of the book (which I greatly appreciated).

What I loved so much about this book was that it isn't just a typical romance. There's a deeper level to the characters and what they're experiencing emotionally. Like the summary says, this book definitely has similar elements to The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, and I appreciated the emotional journey we got to go on. This is my favorite type of romance novel, and I'll definitely be following Sunderland's career going forward.

The premise of this book was so intriguing, and the story truly delivered. Chances and fate fuel this story, but in a way that is idyllic rather than unrealistic. It was heartwarming and a joy to read.

When you take a look at the cover of this book, you think that it’s going to be a really sweet romcom. That’s what I thought when I started reading it. But it’s so much more than that. At First Sight is such a heartwarming story. I loved that it touched on real life topics and real life scenarios that people find themselves in or feeling. It made it that much better for me when I felt like I could relate to what they were both going through. All in all, I loved it and will definitely be recommending this to everyone.

This was a cute story. I was happy how their ending turned out. The characters were great. Their story was an unusual one but ended up great.

I enjoyed this heartwarming book. Well written and emotional read but life enhancing.

Nell meets Charlie - an unemployed widower - at her local cafe. He blamed himself for his wife’s death two years before and has yet to come to terms with life without her. Nell counsels those who struggle with life - she falls in love with Charlie and tries to support him with his grieving process. But the time is not right for their relationship. Both have to evaluate what they want from life and see whether it includes each other in the longer term.

One I will be recommending.

This was one of those books I couldn't put down right up until the very end . Nell works for a mental health helpline and enjoys helping people in trouble. Nell's love life is not running smoothly and she's having problems in breaking away from her ex.
One day when she is in the coffee shop on her lunch break she finds the only empty seat left and starts chatting to the man across from her. She has a natural rapport with Charlie and is instantly attracted to him. She fails to pluck up courage to ask him for his phone number and when she returns to the coffee shop he has already left.
This story is about grief, loss and starting again. It's about wanting to leave this life because you can see no way to be happy in it. It's also about fate and the strange coincidences that happen in life.
Nell is a kind, considerate person and I worried about her attraction to someone who was a long way from having the same feelings as she did. I could understand why she liked Charlie so much but I wasn't sure how it would all end .
I loved Ned who was always there for Nell and always will be. The ending was very poignant and I admit I did shed a tear. I would love to read a sequel.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book received in exchange for an honest review.

In At First Sight, the main character, Nell has two chance encounters with a stranger, Charlie. Both are struggling in different ways, but become fast friends. The both start to fall for each other, but have things that they both need to deal with.

My only warning to the reader is that this story deals with depression, suicide, and death of a loved one.

I did enjoy this love story. I found it particularly difficult to put down. Yes, there are situations that are "too perfect", ex. they just happen to run into each other one too many times. But, for me, that is to be expected with any romantic book or movie. It's all about coincidences.

At First Sight told a wonderful story about overcoming difficulty and falling in love. Without revealing too much, I loved the entire progression and how the author wrapped up the story.

At First Sight is a gorgeous love story, full of chance encounters, opening up to strangers, and the desire to just take that leap and go for it.

Charlie and Nell make for an unlikely pair; she is confident and talkative, he is brooding and introverted. Yet despite that, sparks fly right from the very start and it's clear that these two are made for each other - but of course, things are never that simple!

As the story progresses, Nell finds out more and more about Charlie, his life and his past. It becomes apparent that he desperately needs help, and Nell is determined to do her best for this attractive Irishman who suddenly appeared in her life.

Packed with love and loss, grief and heartache, this is a story which embraces the difficult feelings many of us try to push aside. It's okay to be lonely, to feel scared and uncertain, and sometimes, reaching out and asking for help is the best thing we can do. At First Sight tackles mental health and the stigma around it, as well as coming to terms with losing those you care about more than anything. For all its sweet romance, this is a story that gives an important message.

It's all too easy to find yourself hoping for a happily ever after, but you will have to read it yourself to find out where Nell and Charlie's story takes them. The writing is compelling, the story real and honest, and this unlikely couple are sure to find a place in every reader's heart.

At First Sight is a beautifully written, unconventional love story about picking up the pieces and learning how to put them back together again.

I loved this!
Very unexpected considering that from the book cover i was expecting a cute romance but this book was so much more! I should have known considering that I was reading a piece of writing by Sunderland who had also surprised me earlier this year when I read her debut novel Very Nearly Normal.

First of, I would like to adress that I highly appreciated teh inclusion of content warning as this book deals with grief, loss, depression and suicide. I think more publishing houses should consider doing this as readers have clearly a need for it. That being said, I was sad to see some low ratings for At First Sight with the reason being that the readers where not prepared to read about these difficult subjects Sunderland writes about despite it being included in the very copy we received, AND receiving an extra email by the publisher about it after we got approved for this eArc.

Anyway, moving on to the story itself. I loved the characters and their development as well as Sunderland's ability to write about the above concepts in such a thoughtful, respectful and sensitive way. Incredible spot on and I wish more authors had the ability to do so when they decide to delve into such important issues. I also love her attention to detail on small everyday things we all do (well at least pre-Corona times). I selected the following quotes as examples:

'It looked as though I'd interrupted a deep thought which was lingering like fog on a wet autumn morning.'

'The messy bun sliding down the right side of my head like an icecream slipping from its cone on a hot day.'

'..and she wrapped herself up in these shawls and scarves like bandages, as she was trying to hold herself together with them.'

And of course, I am a sucker for Doctor Who references casually slipped in the conversation!!!

'Because I always found the Ood the sexiest of all Doctor Who creatures.'

And the inclusion of Irish characters was a definite PLUS as I love their dialect and, for me, made the conversations more lively.

I think I will be thinking about this book a lot and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is comfortable reading about such topics in such a down to earth way. I enjoyed every single one of the characters and I could really see this book being adapted for a movie. I think it is made for it and the screenwriters would have very little work to do to adjust it. I felt like watching a movie and it was awesome, tears and everything you know?

With her second piece of work that is At First SIght, Sunderland is definitely an auto-buy author for me. She needs much more attention than she has gotten so far and i hope for more people to discover her too!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for providing me with an eArc of At First Sight in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILERS ahead, proceed with caution!

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1. I want to know more about Charlie's uncle, Carrick, and Orlagh, the love of his life!!! A spin off maybe??
2. The twist about the bumber sticker made me cry so much!
3. Would also be great to have a sequel about Charlie and Nell in New Zealand!
4. I will never look at cold tea the same way again...

At First Sight by Hannah Sunderland an extraordinary five-star read. This will be one of those that will divide the audience, some will love it like me and feel it’s the best story they will read this year and some will hate it, and that’s as the author has taken on such an emotive subject, as it deals with suicide and mental health but wow they did it so well, I lost my farther to suicide and used to work on a charity helpline that wasn’t for suicide but had a couple of calls through of people on the edge and its such a fine line, you always wonder what could I have said different, what did they do once they hung up? Nell and Charlie have a moment and sometimes that is all you need, but as Charlie lost his wife, he is a lost man, how can he ever get over that loss, the suddenness of the death is what is most difficult to get over, how a moment can change your life in so many ways. So many moments to change the path we take. Sometimes its timing and sometimes its fate, if you are looking for thought provoking, challenging yet thoroughly enjoyable reading then you need this story in your life. I enjoyed this author’s debut novel, but this one has cemented my need to read more, I will be keeping a stalkery eye on for what we will get next.

On starting reading this book it very quickly becomes apparent that this is something a bit more than your average romance. The tone and setting is the same, but the writing ins sharper, wittier, smarter. The opening scene in the coffee shop could have been a cringe fest, but here it is nicely handled.
Our heroine, Nell, with her disastrous previous relationships and going nowhere life is nevertheless joyful and warm-hearted. She meets the mysterious Charlie when she inadvertently throws her sandwich at him in the coffee shop, they connect, but the moment passes and Nell leaves without any hope of seeing him again. In a few hours there lives will collide again, only for Charlie to leave without explanation. Nell should give up on him, but she doesn't, and when fate brings them together once again she will need a very good explanation.
The first thing to say about the plot is that it goes to a lot of dark places, and very few romantic places. I started reading this hoping for a well written, witty, but ultimately light romance. It is neither light nor particularly romantic. I got a bit weepy in parts, towards the end it did become just a bit too joyless for me, but it is dealing with some big issues, so I suppose it had to go there eventually. I guess I would categorise this as 'relationships' rather than 'romance'.
(on a side issue- I didn't like the way Charlie's Irish accent was written semi-phoneticly, all yer's, and missing g's off every ing, as if English people perfectly pronounce every letter as written (the irony))

This book was different to what I had expected, but notin a bad way. It is a love story with a difference.Quite slow moving but that works well in this case. Nell is a counsellor working at a telephone helpline charity. She is a bubbly personality most of the time, but has issues with her ex , Joel. She meets Charlie in a cafe and gradually they become friends though there are complications on the way.
At times sad, at times funny , the emtions in this book are well portrayed. As a reader, you understand what the characters are feeling and why. I don't know whether I would be able to come up with some of the solutions that Nell comes up with at different times in the book . You know that it is right, but when in that position you do not always follow the sensible course of action (emotions can get in the way) .
A thought provoking and intellegent story. I will look outfor more from this author .
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review .

This book deals with very heavy issues. With suicide and mental health coming to light relatively early, I knew this book was not going to be like the other romances I've read.
Truth be told, these kinds of things don't really bothers me in a book, but this book was not for me. I was about 35% in and a bit bored. I'm sorry. I did finish because of curiosity of how said issues were handled.
Nell and Charlie were not a realistic couple, imo. Their dialogue was flat and their growth and chemistry were dry.
The flow of the plot was also on the slower side with not enough happening to keep me interested.
The concept was great, but how it got delivered just missed the mark.

** Thank you for the email with the trigger warning though, I appreciated that**
Also, thank you NetGalley and Publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

*trigger warning for suicide and loss of spouse*

At First Sight was a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of how much chance encounters can affect everyday life. The main character, Nell, meets a man in a cafe and after a whirlwind of events finds herself not only helping him heal from the loss of his wife, but falling in love and learning important lessons about life, which ultimately leads to a journey of self discovery. Nell and Charlie were such likable characters that you couldn’t help but root for them throughout the book. While there were themes of suicide, depression and loss, there were also themes of love, forgiveness and hope. The author did a great job of highlighting all of these themes and also showcased how every action in life can lead to extraordinary things. I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to read this book because it was such a beautiful read and I have a feeling that this book will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book, even to those who think they might struggle through it, because this is a book of healing that I believe could help people going through similar issues. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.