When Nell meets Charlie at a coffee shop, they feel a spark but walk away from one another. Then he calls the mental health helpline where she works - she recognizes his voice- and, against the rules, they meet. Charlie's grief is evident and deep but the reasons for it come out slowly as he works through his pain to build a future different from what he had planned. Nell might strike you as naive at first but then her big heart pulls you in. This is not the light happy story you might be looking for but it's a good one that's worthy of your reading time. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

This is a different kind of love story and I absolutely adored it! Nell and Charlie meet in the most usual way, at first. Over coffee, at a busy cafe, Nell chats Charlie up and then they part...no numbers or sir names exchanged. Nell thinks she's blown her chance at meeting someone new....And then they meet again, in the most unconventional way...Charlie calls Nell at work...not knowing she works there.

This was such a lovely read, full of emotion but with some lighter moments of humour and romance thrown in. I love books with quirky characters (maybe because I am one myself?) and this helped offset the painful experience that Charlie is going through, which makes for a great balance of the serious and the light-hearted.

Bottom Line:
A wonderful emotive read that I completed in a single sitting...I dare you not to cry.

"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 could tell instantly that I liked this writers style and approach to story telling. I thought this book would be a lighthearted rom com but it was so much deeper than that. This book beautifully described first loves, second chances, second loves, and fate while also delving into issues like grief, spousal loss, and suicide. This book is unlike anything Ive ever read, especially for a love story. When I finished the book I literally uttered the word 'wow'. It was truly a heart breakingly beautiful story about love. I couldn't put it down.

At First Sight is so much more than the usual light-hearted love story. It is tender and moving and I enjoyed the whole premise of the story enormously. It is incredibly well written and heartbreakingly beautiful and as the story evolves it is impossible to put down. The unexpected twists and turns the storyline presented us with definitely kept me on my toes. At First Sight is a wonderfully executed book with an amazing cast of characters and has much more depth to it than I was first anticipating. The Author’s Note at the beginning of the book indicates the story deals with loss, grief, depression and suicide, however these are sensitively portrayed by the author and depicted in such a thoughtful way that it doesn’t feel overwhelming or upsetting.

The characters are well developed and described in excellent detail, with just enough background history to give them depth and personality. Nell is a delightful character, she is kind, funny and incredibly caring and her inner dialogue is both humorous and entertaining and I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. Charlie is a dark brooding Irishman and although somewhat volatile, due to his past issues impacting on his current state of mind, he comes across as gentle, sensitive and caring and with a sense of fun. I also adored Ned, the father figure, and Carrick with his quirky dress sense and his indisputable bond with Charlie.

Although from the moment they meet there is undeniably a spark between Charlie and Nell, their love story is a slow build up and this unhurried pace and exploration of their relationship is entirely necessary because of the specific issues Charlie is dealing with, requiring time to come to terms with his emotions. It was refreshing to see a gentle romance with deeper thoughts and feelings explored without the need for a surfeit of explicit ‘bedroom’ scenes.

A beautifully written and thought-provoking book and although some serious issues are addressed it is counter-balanced with more light-hearted and humorous elements. The story is wonderfully crafted and I enjoyed it immensely from start to finish and with the ending perfectly encapsulated everything – I adored the ending. I will definitely be reaching more more of this author’s work in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for an early review copy via Netgalley.

AT FIRST SIGHT – HANNAH SUNDERLAND
PUBLISHED BY AVON BOOKS UK
PUB DATE – 1ST APRIL
TRIGGER WARNING – GRIEF, LOSS, SUICIDE
RATING 4⭐
PLOT –
Nell and Charlie meet by chance in a café and feel a connection. They talk but do not exchange numbers. But next day Nell gets a call at work and it's Charlie and he needs her help!
Nell works at a helpline centre for mental illness and it is upto her to help Charlie deal with the loss of his wife and his thoughts about suicide. But in the bargain Nell falls for Charlie. But will Charlie overcome his grief?? Will he able to love Nell back??
My thoughts – This isn’t a conventional lovestory. But the author has done a good job dealing with these strong issues discussing them as a person goes through them and tries to come out of it with success.
This book tackles all the real life issues and a lot of people out there aren’t getting the help they need!!
Via a helpline centre this book shows that one phone call can help one in the road to recovery a great deal!!
Sometimes it’s easy to talk to a stranger as compared to your family and friends as there are no judgements there!
The Irsih dialogue which occurs throughout the book at some point became a little too much for me other than that it was a good read!
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this arc in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

This is a heart-warming story with two truly beautiful characters in Nell & Charlie. It was beautifully written. I will certainly be on the look out for more of Hannah Sunderland’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Nooks UK for kindly gifting me this ARC.

The sophomore novel from Hannah Sunderland is every bit as good as the first. At First Sight is a beautiful story of friendship and finding light in the darkness. When mental health hotline counselor, Nell, accidentally drops her lunch on Charlie in a crowded cafe, little does she know that the chance run-in changes Charlie's life forever. As their lives more deeply connect, their deeply loving friendship shines, as Charlie claws his way out of a dark depression. It is a pleasure to read about empathetic and emotionally vulnerable characters who selflessly support the people they love. I also appreciate the kindness and sensitivity with which the author tackles mental health issues. It is a book that will stick with me for a long while.

Advanced copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: depression, suicidal thoughts, grief

I just really really liked At First Sight. It was such a wonderfully sweet, emotional and touching romance. I liked out two main characters and a majority of the side characters as well. I was rooting for them and for them to be able to live their best lives. Also, the processing of grief in this book felt very real and I personally something haven't read in a romance before.

I also LOVED the growth of the characters. At the start of the book they felt very stunted in where they were in their lives (that includes the side characters as well) but as the story goes along you can see them learning from their pasts and growing as individuals.

If you are a romance fan I will say, there is no steamy scenes in the book but for the story that Sunderland is telling it doesn't feel like we're missing anything by not having that in it. All in all this was a really lovely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon UK for the eARC of At First Sight in exchange for an honest review.

This really got to me emotionally in the way only a good book can. Really engaged with the characters and the storyline. Would recommend.

I was not expecting this book to go the way it did but that is by no means a bad thing! I anticipated that the love interest would have a secret but I didn’t think it would be what it was.

I appreciate how Sunderland wrote a romance that included themes of grief and mental illness as it is something I have never read before in this genre. I felt the development of Nell and Charlie’s relationship was pretty authentic which made them more believable as characters. The links and relationships between the main and side characters were well connected as well. I liked how we were also given some POV chapters from Charlie as his perspective was valuable to completing the story.

Personally, it was a bit jarring for me reading the dialogue when it came to Charlie’s speech as Sunderland aimed to emphasise his Irish accent on the page but I found it a bit annoying.

Overall a pleasant read that did well to address some heavy topics of conversation.

A chance meeting between strangers in a a cafe has Nell and Charlie enjoying each others company. Walking away they don't think that they will see each other again after not sharing numbers etc. However, Charlie's is struggling after the death of his wife and calls a suicide helpline - which Nell works for. The story follows their friendship journey as Nell attempts to help Charlie cope with hoow is life is now and show him that there is still a life worth living.

I've just spent about four days with Nell. Nell is kind, caring, funny and clumsy. Nell has met the love of her life, except, he is in love with someone else, and she has an ex partner that she can't quite shake off. A love story wrapped up in mental health, loss, grief, and bereavement..
A funny tragic tale, full.of warm, likeable characters. A story about the vulnerabilities that we all possess, and how we cope with them.. Read this book for the sad, warm, feel good factor.

This is a story of growth. And grief. This book is deep and made me think throughout it all!
I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the writing and how the themes are explored and without any sugar coating. This was a good read! It wasn't what I was expecting at all!

When I requested this story wasn't the trigger warnings on it, I saw the cover and I thought "what a cute cover"
I thought was those cheesy romances that I love to read. But no.

This story is so deep and full of feelings that I was sobbing most of the part the book.

Do not get me wrong there is romance but not in the cheesy way. Is really slow burn and I love how Nell and Charlie relationship grew.

In "at first sight" we deal with grief and loss, with loneliness and toxic relationships, with friendship and kindness and second chances.

If I start thinking about it of this story again I will start crying so bad again.

If you are going to read it, have a big box of kleenex next to you.

Summarizing I am just BROKEN

Nell meets Charlie at a crowded coffee shop one afternoon and regrets never asking for his number. Until one day when she get's a call at her job where she works as a crisis hotline attendant, a certain Irish accent remind's her of Charlie and it turns out to be him. She ask's him out which is probably against the rules and that starts this long journey of will they wont they and Nell's long journey of helping Charlie heal from his trauma. There are a cast of secondary characters, Charlies wacky uncle, Nell's distant mom, her wacky roommate Ned, and her ex boyfriend who wants to get back together.

I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't get into this book. It was supposed to be a love story, but I felt like it was just a story of a woman trying to fix all this man's problems and the man not emotionally available to be with her and using her niceness anyways.

Nell Coleman has a job she loves working phone lines for a mental health charity. One afternoon at a local cafe the only open seat is at a communal table across from a quiet, handsome Irishman. After heading back to work Nell regrets not having the bravery to ask for his number, fortunately for both of them, life has plans for the pair.

At First Sight is not the light-hearted rom-com I was expecting, I would classify it as womens' fiction more than anything. Yes, there is a love story (a few actually) but at its core, it's about loss, grief, healing, and learning to move on. Charlie and Nell are complex, well-written characters each learning to work through their own trauma and issues. The portrayal of mental health is well, and I feel, respectfully done, the acknowledgment that grief is never linear, and having more than one male character seeking out mental health help, are all pieces that I love.

Despite the sometimes heavy plot, it's really hopeful and has moments of levity. A different reviewer called it "unconventionally beautiful" and I think that's a perfect description. It's definitely a rollercoaster of emotions and could be a trigger for anyone who's dealt with the loss of a spouse (or anyone really) or suicide. I do recommend it, but tread carefully, it is heavy.

Rating edit: 2.5 stars.

'It’s wasn’t anyone’s fault. It just happened.’

At First Sight is a love story but not essentially a romance, if it makes sense. It's about mental health, dealing with loss and grief, letting go.

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I really liked 'Very Nearly Normal', the author's debut book. It started really well. The way Nell and Charlie met, it's kind of similar to NVN, but it was interesting. I was really enjoying their conversation.

I liked Ned's character, but to be very honest, I could not feel any connection with Nell or Charlie (the main protagonists). After 10th-11th chapter, it starts to get dull, like the author has nothing much to say. Certain scenes are interesting, poignant even but at several points, I felt the story was meandering.

The writing is good but not as engaging as it was in Very Nearly Normal.

Overall, it turned out to be an okayish read.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy. I requested this book because the cover looked like a cute romance, chick lit book. I was very wrong. This book is about suicide, breaking down, building yourself back up, facing fears, finding love and so much more. I don’t think I would have read it had I known the heavy topics of the story. The author truly understands the pain and suffering, that comes through in her writing.

Thank you NetGalley, author Hannah Sunderland, and Avon for giving me a free Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
Trigger warnings: Death of a loved one, talk of suicide attempts/ detailed suicide attempt scene.
When I started this book, I expected an adorable meet cute romance, but this book was not what I expected! It was a delightful surprise! This book follows two complete strangers who in meeting will change their lives forever. Nell was a very realistic character! I appreciated how down to earth she was. She had her own flaws and past baggage *cough Joel*, but was working hard to break out of such an unhealthy cycle. Charlie was such a heartbroken man over the death of his wife. I loved his family and friends. They were so supportive and only wanted to help Charlie. The author did a wonderful job of portraying the real struggles people go through during the grief process. Nell and Charlie had a great relationship development. I was a little hesitant for them to start something due to that fact she was the council Charlie talked to when he called the Suicide help line, but then it was not really an issue because she was not his therapist. The writing and pacing were well done. The author was not afraid to let the characters grow and carry the scene. Both of the main characters went through a lot of growth throughout this book before they got their HEA. That ending was so so good!! Overall, I highly recommend this beautiful story of loss and the growth of a new love. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

At First Sight is a romance novel with a difference as the book tackles very sensitive topics.

Nell and Charlie meet by chance at a local café and immediately there is a connection between them. I loved the friendship between them and there was a great cast of characters; Carrick was my favourite! Though there were some sad parts, there's plenty of funny moments throughout the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a review.