what I’m reading: love at first by kate clayborn.

Will Sterling first caught a glimpse of Nora Clarke standing on the balcony outside his estranged uncle’s apartment building. Sixteen years later, after his uncle dies and he inherits the apartment, Will returns with plans to renovate and rent it out. He is reunited with Nora who is now living in her grandmother’s apartment. Nora is wary of this stranger who wants to upend the cherished community she lives in. But the two also have a connection.

I really liked a previous book by this author, Love Lettering, so I thought I would like this one as well. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. I think one of the problems was that I didn’t connect with or relate to any of the characters.

I liked the book and the story but unfortunately, I didn’t buy the chemistry between Will and Nora.  I feel like all we know about Will is that he is a doctor and is obsessed with Nora’s hair. All we know about Nora is that she is obsessed with Will’s glasses. I have no clue why these two like each other. I also didn’t understand the fuss the other residents in the building had about Will renting out his apartment. I am not a homeowner so I guess I don’t understand what was so horrible about that. I actually found the neighbors to be kind of annoying the way that they were such busy-bodies and into Will’s business and trying to sabotage his efforts.

The book gets better in the second half. I think it’s because it focuses less on the neighbors and more on Will and Nora, their relationship, and themselves. I felt this book wasn’t so much a romance as it is about self-discovery and healing from grief. I liked the way that Nora’s storyline played out regarding her grandmother’s apartment.

The person I did want to see more of was Will’s boss, Gerald. At first, I didn’t know what to think of him but then he turned out to be so encouraging and I loved the way their friendship progressed. Plus, Gerald’s antics with his ex-wife were hilarious. I thought these characters were more entertaining and had more interesting storylines than the neighbors and I would definitely read a story about them.

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Will’s and Nora’s romance, this book is an easy and very sweet read.

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