Sparks fly in Kate Clayborn's tender Love at First when an ER doctor inherits his estranged uncle's apartment and upsets the life of his new neighbor. When they hear that he's planning to rent the apartment to short-term tenants, Nora leads the close-knit group of building residents in a campaign to make Will love the old Chicago building as much as they do. But while they work at cross-purposes, Nora and Will discover they have much more in common than an apartment building.
Both were raised by distant parents but ended up with different approaches to life. Will gives generously of himself at work, but doesn't allow anyone beneath his charming doctor veneer. Meanwhile, Nora is fiercely protective of the neighbors she loves and the small community they've cultivated over decades. She fears change and clings to the relationship she had with her grandmother. Will, however, is resistant to depending on other people and attachment of any kind, making them a seemingly unsuitable match.
Clayborn (Love Lettering) employs her signature combination of past emotional wounds and tender blossoms of hope to gradually twine her two protagonists together, allowing them to--temporarily--live in denial even as they fall deeply in love. Her beautiful prose is full of a softness and depth that lingers--passages beg to be reread and savored--while moments of humor and gently smoldering passion lift what might otherwise be a slow and overly sentimental read. Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry, Love at First feels like a long, warm hug upon returning home. --Suzanne Krohn, editor, Love in Panels