For some reason every time I start thinking about this book and what I want to say about it I start crying again.
So that’s new.
But it was beautiful, ya know? Love at First is a story about love and loss, change and inevitability, about family, and even fate, and all of these elements are woven together so beautifully by Kate Clayborn that each time I think about this book and these characters and my favorite little moments and passages, I tear up again. This book felt like a big warm hug, and my heart was just so happy while reading this story. It might have even hiccuped a little bit (new favorite phrase, courtesy of this Ms. Clayborn). I’ve been comparing books I read lately to Taylor Swift songs, and I think “Cornelia Street” is a near perfect match. Desperately hopeful, with a stutter step that proves just how important to you someone else can be.
I highlighted so much of this book. After reading Love Lettering, I knew I loved Clayborn’s prose and style of writing, but it was just reemphasized on every page of Love at First. Each sentence lyrical and captivating, with heart squeezing passages that suck you right in and hold you hostage until the end. It’s incredibly hard to pick up one of her books and not want to wrap yourself up in the language scrawled across each page. I know I would if I could. Moments I loved, moments I hated, moments that slapped me right across the face and said “See? So many other people feel like this, too!” all eloquently laid out for readers to soak up.
"But it was easier to want things than it was to do them, sometimes."
Ain’t that the truth?
Our characters, Will and Nora, were a unique pairing, opposites forces interacting in their own best interests and making decisions based on their own personal histories and upbringings. Will coming from a place of hurt and avoidance, and Nora from a place of familial love and well-intentioned, but somewhat misplaced, loyalty, embark on a “feud” of sorts, that evolves as they get to know one another, and each other’s motivations, as the weeks go on. Little moments of sabotage slowly morph into ways to see one another and chances for them to think about one another without actually admitting it. While this condo complex battle is a good portion of Will and Nora’s story, it’s only the beginning. And as much as I loved every minute of them battling their wits and trying to outmaneuver one another, the relationship they started to build once the feud was put to bed was what I really loved. These two people, with such different ideas and understandings of love and relationships, trying to figure things out together (and alone!) was magical, and frustrating, and watching Will and Nora grow and figure out how to communicate without showing their full hand, was a well orchestrated dance by Clayborn, leaving us as the reader both internally screaming (or in my case very vocally screaming) and swooning.
In addition to Will and Nora, Clayborn gave us an entire cast of characters you wanted to adopt as your own family. Each resident in Nora’s condo building was a TREASURE and you got to know them as well as you got to know Will and Norah. They are indispensable and the story would absolutely not be the same without them. Even Will’s boss, Gerald, and Norah’s long distance BFF Dee, were crucial, and well written, and brought the biggest smile to my face on numerous occasions. Every cast member had a specific part to play, and I am so happy I got to meet each and every one of them.
If I could, I’d like to move in with Marian Goodnight, please. She has the kind of demeanor and steely reserve I need yelling at me in my life when I fall apart.
"Love can’t always be a sure thing from the start"
Anyway … all that to say this book was magical and wonderful and I didn’t want it to end but then it did, so I went back and reread every highlighted passage and felt a little bit better, but then I ran out of passages so I’ll have to go back again, and I want everyone else to read this, too, and fall in love with Will, and Norah, and Jonah, and Benny, and Emily, and every other cast, crew, and animal in this story.
I loved it. I hope you do too.
{Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for my review copy!}
So that’s new.
But it was beautiful, ya know? Love at First is a story about love and loss, change and inevitability, about family, and even fate, and all of these elements are woven together so beautifully by Kate Clayborn that each time I think about this book and these characters and my favorite little moments and passages, I tear up again. This book felt like a big warm hug, and my heart was just so happy while reading this story. It might have even hiccuped a little bit (new favorite phrase, courtesy of this Ms. Clayborn). I’ve been comparing books I read lately to Taylor Swift songs, and I think “Cornelia Street” is a near perfect match. Desperately hopeful, with a stutter step that proves just how important to you someone else can be.
I highlighted so much of this book. After reading Love Lettering, I knew I loved Clayborn’s prose and style of writing, but it was just reemphasized on every page of Love at First. Each sentence lyrical and captivating, with heart squeezing passages that suck you right in and hold you hostage until the end. It’s incredibly hard to pick up one of her books and not want to wrap yourself up in the language scrawled across each page. I know I would if I could. Moments I loved, moments I hated, moments that slapped me right across the face and said “See? So many other people feel like this, too!” all eloquently laid out for readers to soak up.
"But it was easier to want things than it was to do them, sometimes."
Ain’t that the truth?
Our characters, Will and Nora, were a unique pairing, opposites forces interacting in their own best interests and making decisions based on their own personal histories and upbringings. Will coming from a place of hurt and avoidance, and Nora from a place of familial love and well-intentioned, but somewhat misplaced, loyalty, embark on a “feud” of sorts, that evolves as they get to know one another, and each other’s motivations, as the weeks go on. Little moments of sabotage slowly morph into ways to see one another and chances for them to think about one another without actually admitting it. While this condo complex battle is a good portion of Will and Nora’s story, it’s only the beginning. And as much as I loved every minute of them battling their wits and trying to outmaneuver one another, the relationship they started to build once the feud was put to bed was what I really loved. These two people, with such different ideas and understandings of love and relationships, trying to figure things out together (and alone!) was magical, and frustrating, and watching Will and Nora grow and figure out how to communicate without showing their full hand, was a well orchestrated dance by Clayborn, leaving us as the reader both internally screaming (or in my case very vocally screaming) and swooning.
In addition to Will and Nora, Clayborn gave us an entire cast of characters you wanted to adopt as your own family. Each resident in Nora’s condo building was a TREASURE and you got to know them as well as you got to know Will and Norah. They are indispensable and the story would absolutely not be the same without them. Even Will’s boss, Gerald, and Norah’s long distance BFF Dee, were crucial, and well written, and brought the biggest smile to my face on numerous occasions. Every cast member had a specific part to play, and I am so happy I got to meet each and every one of them.
If I could, I’d like to move in with Marian Goodnight, please. She has the kind of demeanor and steely reserve I need yelling at me in my life when I fall apart.
"Love can’t always be a sure thing from the start"
Anyway … all that to say this book was magical and wonderful and I didn’t want it to end but then it did, so I went back and reread every highlighted passage and felt a little bit better, but then I ran out of passages so I’ll have to go back again, and I want everyone else to read this, too, and fall in love with Will, and Norah, and Jonah, and Benny, and Emily, and every other cast, crew, and animal in this story.
I loved it. I hope you do too.
{Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for my review copy!}