An unconventional love story about coping with loss and learning a simple act of kindness can save a life. This book was shocking and an unpredictable roller coaster of emotions... to say the least!

I liked the book's outlook on mental illness. It shows examples of different people who suffer for various reasons. It assured that seeking help is a sign of strength and sometimes all we need is a little encouragement.
Nell works for the Healthy Minds helpline. She’s a classic over thinker, very talkative, funny, and very relatable! Nell meets Charlie one day in her usual coffee shop and makes conversation in her typical way. Little does she know, it’s exactly what he needed. Charlie is suffering from a loss, Nell is the new friend he needs to help him through.

This novel was FULL of symbolism. The little things Charlie did ,like buying tea and letting it go cold, were simple acts he did in efforts to keep alive the memory of the lost loved one. This novel gave glimpses into nontraditional loves. Different relationships were highlighted throughout the book and each were unique. My favorite part of the book was the great message it presented; one interaction can change a person's life. There were all these incredible connections that were revealed in the end. Acts of kindness and the actions of others can strongly affect a person's life. It may just bring happiness in the moment or it could mean more; a reminder that life is worth living. I enjoyed that the end had Charlie’s POV. Most of the story was told from Nell’s POV, but it was great to see what Charlie was thinking after he started to heal.
The ending wasn't exactly the perfect happy ever after. It leaves you with the question of the state of Nell and Charlie's relationship. It allows the reader to decide their fate or perhaps there’s more of their story to come.

This was a beautiful story of an unconventional romance where two people have that instant connection but their lives are going in totally different directions. It's a slow burn that covers so many emotional peaks while also having some truly laugh out loud moments. Nell works at a counseling hotline and Charlie is still nursing a broken heart and overwhelming grief after losing his wife two years earlier. The author did a great job of creating the conflicting emotions and that ever present tug of war with love, loss, guilt, and grief.

Told in the 1st person pov from Nell's perspective for 90% of the book we learn all about their meet-cute and her side of the relationship, This leaves the reader largely in the dark about the grief and pain that Charlie is holding onto until the last 10% where he has finally turned a corner and we get to see some of his voice on the page. I thought this was a very creative writing technique and overall felt the book had excellent pacing and structure.

Although there is a romance blooming which is a central thread of the story, I'd say this is less a romance and more a women's fiction about personal growth and moving forward to make positive changes in one's own life.

The author did an excellent job of championing mental health advocacy and normalized the idea of reaching out and getting help. She freely allowed her male characters to show their emotions in the form of tears, fear, anxiety, and loss.

I loved this book and could not put it down (sorry husband). This story follows Nell who meets Charlie in a coffee shop after dropping her sandwich on him. Although there is an instant spark she is too scared to ask for his number but the next day she answers the phone at her place of work and it’s Charlie on the end of the line and he needs her help. This book covers grief, suicide, love and a whole host of topics whilst ultimately being the beautiful story of a very chance meeting and sometimes the stars align to literally drop the person you need most into your lap at the right time. This book will break your heart a million times but it’s a breathtaking read.

Definitely not your conventional love story, At First Sight deals with loss, grieve and with how friendship and counseling can help to overcome the pain and find a way to happiness again.
A beautiful story, written in a sensitive way, by a very talented writer, that left me with the desire to read her debut novel (which I have already downloaded).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At First Sight is a romance with a difference. It explores, and deals well with, some deeper topics such as mental health, grief, loss and suicide. It was an emotional, poignant and at times a laugh out loud funny read. Nell and Charlie's story was beautifully written, kept me reading well past my bedtime and stayed with me after the final page.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Sutherland and her publisher for an arc of this book.

Nell works at a call center for people who are struggling with life. Sometimes the people who call in are suicidal. One day on her lunch break she meets Charlie at her favorite coffee shop. His Irish accent and blue eyes catch her attention, but she does not take the opportunity to get his number. A few days later, she gets a call at work . . . from Charlie. This book takes some very interesting twists and turns and kept me turning the pages. Despite Nell's experience with grief and distress on the job, it is a whole lot harder to deal with up close and in a long term situation. The timing for her and Charlie just doesn't seem right. Can they both move past what is in their past to have a future together? Maybe they are both better off if they don't? While the path to mental health is highly regarded and modelled, there is one avenue that is discounted quite severely and that is the church. No offense to Hannah Sunderland, but in my experience, the gospel holds a hope like no other. When I read novels like this set in the U.K., I remember how much the U.K. Blessing video has lifted me up in the past year. If you like this one, you should try 'Float Plan' by Trish Dollar. Other authors to try would be Beth O'Leary and Josie Silver.

Thank you to Avon Books and Net Galley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Nell and Charlie are both stuck. They meet in an unusual way and their friendship begins to grow from the onset. This book is a romance, but it is also so much more. We walk beside these characters and grow to love them page by page.

I loved this book for so many reasons. It highlights mental health and taking care of oneself through difficult times. You'll love the journey the characters go on and be so glad you got to see it all unfold.

Truthfully, the writing wasn't for me. I thought the plot itself was interesting but other than that, it didn't strike me anything that exciting.

I had so many emotions whilst reading this book. Hannah Sunderland is one hell of a storyteller. It was the little pieces of information throughout the book that made my heart break, Charlie and the cold tea being an example. It must be hard to write a book that's mainly focused on mental health, grief and suicide. It was very tactfully done and wonderfully wrtten. The last paragraph of this book I'd so beautifully poignant and I loved Nell and Ned's friendship. A wonderful, insightful, thought provoking read.

The back and forth first-person point of view of the same scenes was hard to follow at times. The flow of scenes stretching throughout the day was difficult to keep my interest.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is being marketed as a lighthearted rom-com (I did appreciate the TW though), but it's more a novel about grief, with some lighthearted moments. I liked the way the author wrote about mental health, and the message behind the story. However, I found the couple at the center of the story very unrealistic - I didn't find the "love at first sight" aspect credible, and the chemistry was almost completely lacking. It seemed more a case of her trying to fix all his problems (plus huge red flags for me in terms of complete lack of professional boundaries) and him not being emotionally available. There were quite a few secondary characters, some endearing and some annoying. The flow of the story was slow and I found my motivation to keep reading flagging.

Nell thought she was having a typical day when she entered her usual lunch spot, Cool Beans. What she didn't know is that she would meet Charlie, drop her sandwich on him, unknowingly save his life, and alter hers forever.

When I first picked up this book, I was expecting the typical rom-com style story. What I was not expecting was a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching love story that would also take a deep dive into mental health, depression and the grieving process. Hannah Sunderland did a beautiful job writing this story, making the reader fall head over heels in love with both Nell and Charlie, and root for them both the entire way through.

This is one of those books that I'll be thinking about for a long time and wishing I could check-in on the characters. Thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Sunderland and Avon Books UK for the eArc in exchange for my honest review. I'm looking forward to seeing what Sunderland puts out next!

At First Sight by Hannah Sunderland was a decent wee love story with a difference. A few wee supernatural leanings and some good mental health insights. I think the composition of the book could be smartened up grammatically but it was an enjoyable read with likeable, credible characters Three and a half stars

At First Sight by Hannah Sunderland. Pub Date 1 Apr 2021
**TRIGGER WARNING: Loss, grief and mention of suicide**
Two strangers. Two chance meetings. One extraordinary love story…
Nell meets Charlie, he is in love with someone else, and she is having trouble shaking off the ex.
Nell works as a counsellor at a helpline centre for people suffering from mental health issues.
She meets quiet, handsome Irishman Charlie by chance in her local cafe when circumstances force them to share a table; Nell clumsily drops her food over him, and their conservation begins. Little do either of them know that this encounter will change their lives forever.
The secondary characters, Charlie's uncle, Nell's mother, Ned, and Nell's ex-boyfriend, give the story added depth and credence.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and how expertly she describes love, second chances and destiny while also sensitively incorporating issues such as grief, depression, emotional breakdown, bereavement and suicide.
I want to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and author Hannah Sunderland for a pre-publication copy to review.

This book is an absolute triumph!!! I got a bit scared to read it with all the warnings about suicide but I shouldn’t have been.

At first sight is both heartbreakingly tender and laugh out loud funny! It strikes the perfect balance between the two, allowing room for all emotions.

I loved Nell and Charlie, two wonderful people brought together by fate.

I also loved Nell’s mother and Ned. So many wonderful characters in one book.

I cannot praise this book highly enough!! Read it, read it, read it!!

“𝗔 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲”

In a busy cafè, Nell has no other option but to ask a stranger if the seat next to him is available. Her verbal diarrhoea sparks up conversation and the two connect, but they must face their own personal problems before they can take their friendship to the next level and commit to each other and allow themselves to fully fall in love.

This wasn’t the cheesy romance I was expecting, it was an emotional read at times, a different love story which tackles real life problems.

⚠️ Mental health, loss, grief, suicide ⚠️

“At First Sight” follows Nell and Charlie who meet in a café and despite feeling a spark, do not trade numbers of surnames, leaving it all to chance. However, the day later whilst at work as a counsellor, Nell answers a call to find that it is Charlie and he needs help.
This is a book that will put a different spin on the typical romance, examining the dark past of Charlie, and his struggles to find some measure of happiness. He is definitely wounded, and Charlie might be the person to lead him through his struggles. Despite confronting topics of suicide and loss, which are all handle with the upmost sensitivity, there are moments of light, with secondary characters such as Charlie’s uncle, adding to the story.
An interesting story that will leave you thinking long after the last page.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The warning at the start of the book filled me with trepidation but it was not needed. Not what you expect from a book about grief and depression. The support from a mental health helpline and the resulting relationships that evolve. I became invested in the story and all the characters. Not a book to make you laugh but not one that will make you cry but you want to hug the characters.

A romantic book which incorporates the real life struggles we face as humans on a daily basis. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it super quickly, which tells me how much I liked the pot and the characters.
It tells the story of Nell, a mental health worker and Charlie a recently unemployed prosthetic makeup artist, who has been struggling with life through years of grief. This factor brings them both together and this is how their journey begins. The story takes them from Birmingham to Ireland where the story is extended to additional characters, who you will love.
A pre-warning, this book involves many discussions on mental health issues and suicide. If this is a tough subject for you to read about, it might not be the best book for you.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend. It was romantic, funny, sad, heartwarming, challenging and emotional.

At First Sight by Hannah Sunderland is a story about love, loss, grief, finding happiness and believing in fate. This was a really cute story about a woman who meets a man in a cafe and they build a relationship through a few chance encounters. He is going through some deep personal issues and she is learning who she is in a lot of ways. Their story is sweet and interesting because it really brings a lot of questions about serendipity up and makes you wonder if some things are just meant to be. I thought the writing was solid and the story was cute even though it was fairly predictable. Trigger warnings for depression and suicide in this one.