This was so much more than I thought it would be. Based on the editors blurb I was anticipating mostly light meet cute, rom com HEA with a cute nice story in between. It was that and so much more. Nell is a kind, compassionate person who is all about helping others. While at the local cafe grabbing lunch she finds the only seat available is at the dreaded communal table. When handsome Charlie asks if he can sit next to her she is truly flummoxed and has mostly lost the ability to form full coherent sentence! After they finish he leaves and she spends hours mentally berating herself for not trying to make a further connection with him. Surprisingly the next day she picks up the phone at work, where she is a mental health counselor and finds Charlie on the other end of the line. And so begins their journey to helping a friend, love. life, laughter, discovery. While their story line is beautifully written what I found must compelling was how the author treated such difficult and often verboten subjects with such grace, kindness and respect. Weaving in themes such as depression, loss, suicide, mental illness in general is handled in a cursory manner and glossed over and tied up with a bow in a few short pages. I found this is wonderfully emotional read and though did need quite a few tissues it was worth every single one of them. I am so glad I read this book and look forward to what this author has to offer up next.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I will start by saying I really enjoyed this love story.
If you are looking for a happy rom-com, then this is not the book for you. This book is for people who want to hear about second chances at love.
For Nell, meeting Charlie is a chance at real love, after breaking up with her previous boyfriend. And for Charlie, meeting Nell is a chance at confronting his grief, and maybe find a way to "go on".

This was a really touching story to read, sad given the matters at hand, but ultimately full of hope for better tomorrows.
I liked that the dialogue felt more real than some other stories you can read, with characters you care about.

The only reason this is not a 5-star review is that I found that there were maybe too many coincidences or too much of a "it's a small world" feel to my liking, but it's just my personal opinion, and it doesn't really take anything away from the story.

Otherwise, I highly recommend this book, but be aware that there are some difficult topics being discussed, such as suicide ideation, and death.

It's so hard for me to write a review of this book. When I requested this story, I thought it was a ´love at first sight' kind of love story. But even though is about love, I wouldn´t say is a romantic one. I’m mostly a sunshine kind of reader and I don’t enjoy sad stories that make my heart bleed. This is one of them.
Nelly is such a beautiful character. She is strong, and sweet, and fragile, and when she meets Charlie and all his emotional baggage, she doesn´t even hesitated to try to save him from himself.
I’m really grateful with the publisher for sending me an email explaining the difficult mental issues that are addressed in this book. But even if I knew it was going to be a different experience, this story made me really, really sad.
It’s beautifully written and that´s why is getting a 4 start review. I choose to finished this book because the author engages you, compels you to see inside the characters and yourself and deal with difficult themes like death and guilt.
If you are looking for a romantic love story, this book is not for you. But if you enjoy meaningful stories with heart break romances and emotional roller coasters, you are going to LOVE it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so excited to be given an ARC of Hannah Sunderland's second book after being such a fan of her first. I went in to At First Sight with great expectations and Sunderland did not disappoint.

This is a quirky but tender love story with characters that you will root for and hold your breath. I found that I wanted to see Nel and Charlie both get their happily-ever-after. This book was much deeper than I was expecting from just reading the blurb.

Sunderland handles the topics of depression, grief and loss in such a way that the reader will feel that Sunderland has experienced it first hand. As a reader that has experienced sudden loss and depression, I felt that Sunderland gave a very accurate and heartfelt description.

At First Sight is a book that does not shy away from broaching some hard topics. Mental health should be discussed more and more without shame or critisicm.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts & opinions are my own

A meet cute in a local cafe where Nell ends up accidentally throwing her sandwich at Charlie, leading to a chain of events that blossoms into a beautiful story. Nell is a counselor for a nonprofit mental health counselor call center, and Charlie is a mysterious and very attractive stranger. The magnetism between Nell and Charlie was breathtakingly beautiful. At First Sight is so much more than a story of friendship and love, but a testament to the truth of forgiving yourself and giving yourself a second chance at life. I laughed, smiled, cried and lived through these pages and the power of grief. This will definitely be a book that sticks with me, and one that I recommend to others who need a powerful story with an important message.

This is my second Hannah Sunderland book. I enjoy her unique writing style. She isn't afraid to delve into painful and difficult topics and then she somehow gracefully spins them into a story that ends up lifting you up.

I really connected with the characters in this book. They were likable and real. It was hard to see them stumbling through the heartache but it felt realistic. There were a few somewhat "mystical" aspects to the story which felt a little like magical realism. I enjoy that and find it enriches a story, but I also realize it might not be another reader's "cup of tea." In addition, there are some trigger topics as death and potential suicide are both prevalent throughout the story. Even so, I found this to be a beautifully written story about life, friends and love.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I received a copy for a honest review

A touching story about love, friendship, support and mourning.
Nell is a wonderful character. Her amusing thoughts are a good balance with her calm and understanding personality. Although she is a little lost in life too, she is willing to help Charlie.
I loved to follow Charlie's overcoming process. He made me understand that it is not always easy to overcome the death of the loved one just as appearances deceive a lot about what really happens inside the person.

DNF @ 25%

This was just too much. I'm all about books centered on mental health, but I couldn't deal with the insta-love and "savior" vibe it had going on.

I received an ARC of this book via Avon Books (Harper Collins U.K.) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: This book contains loss, grief and mention of suicide

Description

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.

My Thoughts

At First Sight was another one of those cases where I judged the book based on the cover. I thought it’d be a beautiful, fluffy love story but – as I read on – I realised there was more to it than that.

I haven’t read Sunderland’s previous novel, Very Nearly Normal, so I had no idea that I should be expecting a love story with a twist..though that’s what I got.

At First Sight follows Nell, whose job is offering over-the-phone help and guidance at a counselling hotline. Though she helps people for a living, and is pretty good at doing it, Nell has her own problems: her mother is distant, she has her own anxieties around flying and she just can’t shake her ex-boyfriend, Joel. Yet, when she meets Charlie – a handsome Irish stranger at a coffee shop – she feels something. Something she hasn’t felt in a while, a feeling she can’t shake.

Though the desire to talk to everyone and anyone isn’t relatable for me, Nell felt familiar. I couldn’t help but relate to her inability to eat without making a mess and there were moments in the book when I found myself chuckling, though I did find the initial meet-cute a little cringey.

I wrongly assumed this would be a sweet romance, as the cover and branding suggest this will be the case. This story had a lot more substance than expected, as it delves into grief, loss, anxiety and all kinds of mental health issues. Sunderland writes about this honestly, sensitively and with heart and humour. I really appreciated the fact that Sunderland addressed how grief, mental illness and “recovery” from these stages is not a straight line, there are good days and there are bad days.

As holidays feel a long way away, I was grateful for Sunderland’s ability to move the narrative from Birmingham to Ireland (and beyond), as I think we can all agree escapism is much needed.

My only problem with this one was the ending. It wasn’t a bad ending, of course, but I wished it wasn’t so open. Saying that, this could mean Sunderland might revisit these characters and this story and I, for one, wouldn’t mind if she did.

I finished At First Sight recently and wow, there definitely was a love story in this book but not the kind I expected. It was a refreshing read, not following the conventional romance plot lines with the author addressing the mental health issues in a sensitive manner.

If you consider this book, please note the trigger warnings of family death and suicide.

I wanted to like this book, I really did! But I think a few things were against me in the reading of this one. I didn't finish it, and even as I picked it up it was slow going to where I did get to. I will say it's an easy read. Some books you pick up and the writing is just off putting but that's not the case with this one. The writing pulls you in, but I think for me it was that the last book I read about someone working for a health care line, the book was a thriller where the person working the phone was convincing the people to commit suicide, dark right? That tainted this lovelier phone worker for the read.

The other was that it took too long to get to Charlie and his story, by the time that you get to hear what's coming you're somewhat annoyed with Nell for being self absorbed and getting overly committed into someone she hardly knows and for all she knows has a hard time going with his family from the little he has told her. That and the ex bit make her not super likeable I will say, I would have happily sat there and read more about Ned and his life, but I didn't love Nell and that I think made this one hard to continue with. Also, I think it's just giving off Me before You vibes that I'm not sure I really need right now.

At first sight
By Hannah Sunderland
Pub date April 1 2021
This is a lovely read you enjoy however it deal with grief anxiety and depression. I loved the writing style beautiful written the characters are amazing in this book. So many twist and turn in this book and a lovely love story you enjoy. I loved all characters in this book

I approached this with trepidation given all the various ‘trigger warnings’ which were appreciated but unnecessarily prepared me for a really tough read, which is wasn’t at all. Nell and Charlie are incredibly relatable and realistic and the road to a happy ending isn’t linear and predictable, but eminently sensible and ‘true to life’. This is a lovely story, and the little links between Nell and Charlie are lovely to uncover.

I really need to start reading synopsis properly & not just picking books from the cover/title.
I expected an easy, cute, lovey dovey romance. And this book is not that.

What this book is, is a beautifully crafted story of love, loss and a reminder that people can’t deal with everything by themselves in the ‘right way’. Charlie is an instantly lovable character, struggling with a big loss and Nell is the perfect counter point to him. The supporting characters in this book are fantastic too.

I wish we’d seen a little more of Charlie’s parents because I wasn’t keen on them as characters and I’d like to have seen more resolution there but that’s the only thing stopping me from making this book a 5* read.

Simply put, this book is beautiful. It deals with tough topics but it does so brilliantly. I loved Hannah’s writing & I’m going to be checking out her first book as soon as I can too

“...there’s no confetti cannons or marching bands when the most important people unwittingly stroll into your life.”

Brought together simply by a chance meeting in a cafe, Nell and Charlie ultimately find themselves irrevocably intertwined in each others respective stories. A tale of loss and grief, At First Sight is a story about the importance of timing and second chances.

I just want to start this review by saying that the reason I felt inclined to pick up this book was because of the book’s description stating that At First Sight was perfect for fans of Love Rosie by Cecilia Ahern. Love Rosie is one of my all time favorite romances, so I felt like this book was guaranteed to be a must read for me. Flash forward to me actually reading At First Sight - I’ve never felt so mislead by a book’s description. Yes, both books center on the issue of timing being everything when it comes to life, but At First Sight reminded me much more of All the Bright Places and vaguely of the 2006 film, Catch and Release. When I picked up At First Sight, I felt like I knew what I was getting myself into, only to discover that I was utterly wrong.

At First Sight is being marketed as an epic, serendipitous romance, but I felt like it was much more of a drama with a bit of a love story thrown in. This book is dominated by very heavy material, dealing with lots of difficult topics - depression, loss of loved ones, grief, and suicide. There’s a lot of triggering content throughout the book, so readers should just be very aware of this going in.

Overall, I thought that the content surrounding mental health was done well. I appreciated all the vulnerability the characters showed, as well as the way the process of grieving was depicted. This aside, I felt like At First Sight simply wasn’t the story that I had been expecting it to be. The pacing was slow, some sections felt too drawn out, the book lacked the romance that was promised in the description, and it had an ending that felt lacking to me. I was invested in the story and liked it enough to finish reading it, but this wasn’t a favorite book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC!

A love story with a twist, about finding love in unexpected places and the journey to overcome what is holding your back and allowing yourself a second chance. I loved the start of the book and the concept and was immediately drawn in. Unfortunately my enthusiasm began to wane and I struggled to warm to Anna, finding her actions unrealistic and unprofessional. A great concept which I can see many people absolutely loving but unfortunately for me the balance wasn't quite right.

<b>CONTENT WARNING</b>: death of a spouse, mental health issues, attempted suicide

I was a bit skeptical when I saw comments like "not your usual romance", but they're true.

This book, unlike many books, explores the feelings of loss, grief and mental health issues. It isn't your typical rainbows and roses romance and I felt a heartache almost throughout the whole book.

To be completely honest, I'm not even sure that the romance is the first category I would put this book in. Love for sure, but.... Ugh, it's kinda complicated.

I am not even sure if I liked the ending or not, for more than one reason. It didn't seem to share the mood with the rest of the book. So even though I wanted for a happy ending, I didn't.

I <i>did</i> root for the characters, I wanted to hug them and be there for them, but sometimes I also wanted to slap them and yell in their faces. That is caring now, right?!

I liked the side characters too.
I might even have teared up for a side character's story at one point.

The book was mostly filled with sad life stories, but there was hope, just around the corner the whole time.

There was one episode that I found a little bit pathetic and that I thought was just too much, but overall, I enjoyed the book and I'm glad that it explores complicated emotions and relationships.

I absolutely adored this book. It deals with some difficult subject matter - grief, depression and suicide but does so very skilfully.

Nell and Charlie meet by chance in a cafe and start talking together, they do not exchange numbers or arrange to meet again. The next day Charlie contacts Nell coincidentally through her work for a mental health charity helpline. The story develops from there.

I was drawn in to the story from the first few pages and became immersed in it. The characters are well developed. I particularly liked Carrick and his flamboyant personality. I was eager to find out how the story would end.

Despite the difficult subject matter there are some funny moments which stops the storyline becoming too heavy.

I enjoyed this book so much that by the time I had read half I decided to buy the author’s first book so I could read more from her.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book does deal with the subject of suicide and depression, and although the subjects are covered with great care and obvious research this may be a trigger for some readers.

I said it with the Hannah Sunderland's first book and I will say it again, this was so beautifully written! She just knows how to pull you in and make sure you are attached to every character you meet! She dealt with the subject of suicide and mental health with so much care and I really loved the story!

I also love how much personality Hannah gives to the cats she puts into her books, even if they are a minor character.

I flew through this, just as I did with Hannah's first book and I can't wait to read more from her in the future!

I would highly recommend this book but take care if the senstive subjects covered are something that would trigger you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

At First Sight may seem deceptively fluffy, but it is mixed with resounding themes such as grief and loss to make a more meaningful read.

Going into this read, I expected another fluffy contemporary with no real substance. This was a welcome surprise! At First Sight is made a deeper read by way of heart-wrenching scenes that deal with immensely powerful topics such as loss, grief, and suicide.

In At First Sight, we follow Nell who works as a telephone operator for a mental health hotline. One day during her lunch break, she meets that attractive Irishman Charlie and sparks fly. They have a great time, but Nell suffers from the common problem of not having enough nerve to ask for a number and they go their separate ways. Some time later, she gets a potentially disastrous call at work and recognizes the Irish brogue to be Charlie's. Nell and Charlie navigate the seas of heartbreak and grief together, which wouldn't be easy in the first place and isn't helped by the way they start to fall in love.

As I've said, At First Sight tackles heavy topics such as grief, loss, and suicidal thoughts. But through all of that, it manages to still be a love story. It is a story about dark things, but it's also a book about unconditional love and hope even in the darkest times. Don't worry--the dark themes do nothing to tamper the humor, love, and fluff still found within the pages.

For most of the read, I assumed I would rate it 3.5 stars. That's a decent rating. A good rating, really. But then the last 20% of the book kicked me in the gut and I knew I had to raise it at least half a star. Hannah Sunderland really knows how to deliver an ending!

All in all, I really enjoyed this. I read tons of contemporary stories with no real substance, so I loved that this could manage dark themes while still being a feel-good book.