Member Reviews

I feel like this book was more about Daisy's personal growth than it was about romance-- which is totally fine! Her relationship with Teddy, for a majority of the book, felt as if it was just as involved as it was with Ellis (who, by the way, I wish was more of an innocent crush than what he ended up being). The last part of the book was where the romance with Teddy came out, but just a bit. There was a 'one tent' situation when he joined her family LARPing but that whole weekend was probably the most happy and "together" that we see them.

Lack of romance aside, I really do love that Daisy was able to grow more confident in herself. "Daisy, you've always assigned your strength to a fictional you, Lady A. You give this fantasy all of the credit when really, it's just you; it's always been you." I was going to rate this book 2 stars from a romance perspective but I think it deserves a solid 3 stars for the detailed writing and to give some credit to Daisy's character growth.

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't sure what to think of this book at first. I got a little lost in the renaissance, role-play speak. BUT, after the first few chapters, I was routing for Daisy to find her way in a world that often overwhelmed her. Daisy is shy and often chooses to avoid to the world beyond her home, family, and LARPing (role play fun). She creates an alternate heroine in Alenthaea who gives her courage during her renaissance role play with her family. Daisy draws on Alenthaea's courage when she lands a job at the Tower of London and moves away from home. In London, Daisy gets stuck with Teddy, a member of the royal family who doesn't want to be working at the kids camp at the Tower of London. An enemies to lovers story, both Daisy and Teddy push each other to be the person they actually want to be. Daisy realizes she does have the courage to face the world as herself. I was routing for them, and I think the author did a great job of helping each of them grow. A unique look at life inside the Tower of London, I enjoyed the setting and the minor characters who added charm to the story.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fun, entertaining read. Daisy and Teddy are interesting, relatable, complex, intriguing, entertaining, fun characters. I loved the growth of both characters throughout the course of the story – especially Daisy. Their romance is fun to read with all it’s twists and turns. I love the family aspect of this story and the role it plays. The secondary characters – especially Daisy’s family and Bobble – add to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

It's probably fair to say that Daisy loves for LARPing...infact, her character is who gives her strength in the day to day. Then one day, her dad gets her a job at knight school and Daisy learns some real life lessons.

I read this as I enjoyed Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson; it took me longer to get into this and I did, eventually. LARPing plays a substantial role in the story and this didn't directly appeal to me, although I would say I've learned a lot! The characters are likeable, the storyline has enough whimsy to be a bit of an escape read and I enjoyed the historical titbits about the tower of London that are interwoven within it. I didn't enjoy it as much as her first novel, but it was an enjoyable read as I like the way Clawson writes.

Was this review helpful?

Love at First Knight is a cute, lighthearted & nerdy book. The colorful descriptions made the book a little slower and on occasion, made it challenging to follow. However, the colorful descriptions did allow for depth in Daisy’s character and Daisy’s character only.

The way that Daisy's anxiety is portrayed in detail, allows the reader to fully empathise with her and relate to the anxieties Daisy lives with on a day to day basis.

By showcasing the beauty of one’s authentic self, along with the importance of family & found family, I enjoyed seeing Daisy come out of her shell. She was still Daisy but with more confidence.

The romance between Daisy and Teddy was very quick and choppy and very surface level. Being that this is supposed to be a romance novel, I would have liked more romance aspects in it.

Overall, I liked the premise, the idea of the romance between Daisy and Teddy. However, the colorful descriptions of everything else but the love between Daisy and Teddy, took away from what this book could have been.

Thank you Netgalley and Megan Clawson for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 ⭐️

a magical semi royal LARPing book

Daisy loves to fall into the fantasy world and act as Lady A. When she gets a job offer to teach at knight school she goes for it. Only to meet Teddy who makes her job and life more difficult.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Love at First Knight' by Megan Clawson.

I really enjoyed Clawson's writing style and the fact she involved LARPing (I've never done it personally but I've always had a hidden love for it) and I absolutely adored this. The reason I cannot give it higher than a 3 even though I loved the plot and the writing is purely because I didn't care for the characters in any capacity. That's my problem but it did hurt the rating of this book for me.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really fluffy lighthearted read that reminded me a lot of early 2000s romcoms. I didn’t love the part of the book at the actual knight school and thought there could have been more tension and build up happening with the romance but, I did enjoy the parts of the book outside of the school. I always enjoy something that is unashamedly nerdy!

Was this review helpful?

"love at first knight" is an enemies to lovers romance about daisy, a proud nerd from a LARPing family, and teddy, the infuriating viscount whose only mission in life seems to be to torment her. they work together at a knight school at the tower of london, but from the first minute they meet, they can't seem to stop riling each other up. at first glance, this just seems like a fun romance read, and while it is both fun and romantic, it's also a story about dealing with anxiety, stepping out of your bubble, and finding community in a group of kindred spirits. i found this book to be so incredibly heartwarming and i loved all the characters, but i especially loved daisy and how she managed to come out of her shell and stop hiding behind her LARPing alter ego. the romance between her and teddy was a wonderful slow burn, and the only reason i didn't rate this book four stars is that i found the pacing in their relationship (and in the book in general) to be a little off. it felt like they went from hating each other to having feelings for each other in the blink of an eye. along with that, daisy's flirtation with ellis ended very abruptly and without much resolution and i would've liked to see that loose end tied up. overall, i still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who likes nerdy romances with a side of history!

Was this review helpful?

4 stars

This was a really cute book about being who you are and finding people who will love you for you. As a fellow anxious girly, I really connected with Daisy and her struggle to break free of her comfort zone. I loved that her family supported her while also pushing her to try new things. I also thought it was really cute that her whole family did LARP together. Teddy is the misunderstand grumpy mmc and even though he initially comes off as abrasive and rude you can tell that he cares about Daisy,
I enjoyed the connection between these characters and thought the setting/plot of the school and the battle were really fun.

Read if you like:
-Slow burn
-Forbidden romance
-LARP
-Fighting as a form of flirting
-Found family/quirky side characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC!!

Was this review helpful?

a fun, sort of quirky read, and it was really enjoyable and unique from other books ive read. the banter was SO GOOD and the plot was fast-paced, although a little slow in the beginning and i had to really focus in order to fully immerse myself. overall a fun + witty read and would recommend!

Was this review helpful?

Reasons I absolutely adore LOVE AND FIRST KNIGHT:

• Royal Romance
• Nerd Life
• Living History
• Anxiety Rep
• Loathe to Love
• Supportive Family
• Closed Door Romance
• Swoonworthy Slow Burn

I finished the book in a single sitting. Couldn't put it down. I want to be best friends with Daisy and offer my sword in service to Lady Alenthaea. And as Daisy & her "Lady A" persona merge, it's no wonder Viscount Teddy couldn't help but fall in love.

There is so much heart in Daisy's character development. You meet her as an absolute force with a foam sword on the LARP battlefield, yet she also gets nauseous at the thought of crowds at the Tube station. Her story is so real for the anxiety she fights daily while digging deep for the strength to tackle big scary things - moving, new job, strangers, and running from Royal Guards. She is so admirable when she takes risks, and so very relatable when she wants to stay under the covers all day.

Viscount Teddy. You sense him before you see him. He is a swoonworthy presence with a signature lean & whisper that absolutely hit it's mark every time he used it. I will always be susceptible to a Runaway Royal wanting individual purpose rather than commonwealth usefulness. Keep your eye on Teddy's prickly defensiveness in the beginning. He has a lot of pressure on those very sturdy shoulders.

The developing romance is so beautifully paced. The period of Daisy & Teddy loathing each other is a jousting tournament of barbed words & subtle flirting. I laughed and gasped at every scene. It's also a slow burn with plenty of time for them to grow as individual characters. Loved to see the gradual release of the armor they hold around their hearts.

Highly recommend LOVE AT FIRST KNIGHT. This helped heal my own nerdy anxious heart. I'll cherish this read forever.

Thank you NetGalley and AvonBooksUK for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for allowing me to read this ARC.

Having absolutely loved Falling Hard for the Royal Guard, I was VERY excited to see this new book from Megan Clawson.

Daisy Hastings is a LARP fanatic, who resides in a rural village in Lincolnshire. She lives at home with her parents, her twin brother Samwise, and their younger sister Marigold. One day, Sam tells Daisy about a job opening at a Knight School which will be held in the Tower of London. Daisy's dad secretly applies to the job on her behalf, and she is accepted. Daisy moves to London, and finds herself living with the eccentric and adorable, Bobble. At Knight School, Daisy meets Theodore Fairfax, a viscount, and a member of the royal family. Somehow, Daisy's usually anxious demeanour is altered whenever she is near 'Teddy'. Sparks fly, and their relationship moves through hostility, to friendship, to maybe something more.

As with Falling Hard for the Royal Guard, Clawson triumphs in cultivating a nostalgia for the olden days. Love at First Knight IS a modern day romance, but the Live Action Role Play, with Daisy's alter ego Lady Alenthaea, provides a surrealist return to historic tales of knights, romance, battles, and magic.

Clawson continually changes the game for romance, first with the quasi-period romance of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard, and now with Love at First Knight, fantastically reminiscent of medieval tales of love and glory.

Was this review helpful?

I have always wanted to LARP but never have (haha) so I was so excited to get some insight into it! The relationship between our two main characters felt a little mean and too enemies to lovers, but their job was so cool! Also-the cover was so cute!

Was this review helpful?

Love at First Knight wasn't quite it for me. This book is heavily centered around LARPing and the main females alter ego which I've never experienced or had much interest in. That being said, that doesn't mean this book can't be interesting to those who enjoy that.

As a reader in her mid-twenties, the writing was too immature for me to feel engaged. Overall, it wasn't for me but it's a quick easy read and with the right reader, it'll surely hit.

Was this review helpful?

Love at First Knight follows Daisy who gets a summer job at the Tower of London helping right their knight school. Theodore "Teddy" Fairfax is a distant relative of the royal family. He is helping with the Tower of London's summer programme as well. Teddy unlike Daisy does not want to be there. Soon Teddy makes Daisy's job even harder and almost gets Daisy fired. So she declares war on Teddy. But soon both realize that they both might need a little rescuing. Maybe they are meant to be more than co-workers. They might just meant to fall in love. 

I am a huge fan of Megan Clawson. I read Falling Hard for the Royal Guard twice ( which if you have not read that book please do. It is so cute!) and waiting for her to write another book. I freaked out when the publisher reached out to me asking if I wanted an advance copy of this book. I LOVED this one. I love how throughout the book Daisy challenged her self and stepped out of her comfort zone. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Teddy and Daisy. It felt very natural. Honestly I can't really find anything wrong with this book. It was just cute. Megan Clawson is becoming one of my go to romance authors. I highly suggest all of her books. 
Thank you so much Avon books, Megan Clawson, and Netgalley for an ARC of this one.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a good read! I was immediately sucked into the story and could not get enough of the characters. I went on a full emotional journey with these characters and I really enjoyed it. The book was easy to read and kept a good pace where I was never bored. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Was this review helpful?

"Love at First Knight" is a heartwarming and unique love story that revolves around outcasts finding their place in society. The main character, Daisy, is a lover of mystical and fantasy elements, part of a family of LARPers who create their own world through costumes. When she steps out of her comfort zone, she meets Teddy, a Viscount with whom she initially clashes but later discovers a deeper connection.

The book is skillfully executes its plot, characters, with amazing witty banter, appealing to readers like me who enjoy LARPing and D&D. The enemies-to-lovers trope gives off "Pride and Prejudice" vibes, adding to the charm of the story. Daisy's character development from a reserved introvert to a strong and self-assured woman is a highlight, showcasing her journey of self-discovery and growth.

Daisy's experiences in London, her challenges, and her interactions with a certain royal character add depth to the narrative. The friendship between Daisy and Bobble is heartwarming, emphasizing the importance of acceptance and understanding. The book's ending is wholesome and emotionally resonant, evoking a range of feelings in me. Overall, "Love at First Knight" is a delightful read that combines romance, self-discovery, and friendship in a captivating way.

Thanks to Netgalley abd the publisher for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

So cute! I love how the story is easy to follow and has a lot of tropes. Was super cute and an easy read. Would recommend!

Was this review helpful?

Love at First Knight is an adorable, geeky, warm cup of tea in a book. Daisy is a woman who never felt like she fit into the world when she was born to stand out. In the ‘real world’ Daisy lives at home with her parents, works for her dad, and has never left home. In the ‘fantasy world’ Daisy is Lady Alanthea, an elven leader who will stop at nothing to overcome the hardships in her life and retake her throne. She lives somewhat comfortably in this role until her twin brother finds her the perfect job and her father sends in her CV. And so, despite having never left home, not even for uni, Daisy packs her bags and heads for London for the summer.

Watching Daisy step out of her comfort zone makes you root for her. She doesn’t immediately succeed, but she immediately makes an impact. She’s a part of a Knight School, essentially summer camp at the Tower of London, aka the coolest summer job ever. She goes out of her way to make new friends, to give the kids the best experience she can, and to help her new coworker Teddy fit in. Oh, did we mention Teddy is a Viscount?

It’s a classic enemies to lovers story with a bit of a twist. Rather than enter Teddy’s royal world, he enters hers. Anyone who has ever felt they don’t fit in, or felt that they were too ‘nerdy’ will love this book. And on top of the romance there’s positive representation of mental health, a strong family dynamic, and a little bit of bloody British history making a full, well rounded story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?