I absolutely loved this book—it hooked me right from the start and didn’t let go! Jessie’s story is one of those romantic rollercoasters that feels so real, you’ll be rooting for her the whole way. It all begins with a chance encounter in Whole Foods (yes, over chicken!) when a fire alarm throws her into the arms of Cal, this effortlessly charming guy. Their chemistry is instant, and their whirlwind day together is straight out of a dream. But just like that, fate steps in, and they’re torn apart before they can even swap numbers. My heart ached for Jessie—how do you lose someone who feels like the one after just one perfect day?

But then—plot twist!—weeks later, Cal shows up at her doorstep… with roses. Except they’re not for her. Ouch!

What I loved most about this book was Jessie’s growth. At first, she’s stuck in this cycle of bad bosses and family drama, and you just want to hug her. But watching her come into her own, realizing her worth, and chasing what she really wants? So satisfying. And without spoiling anything, the ending had me cheering—it was just the perfect payoff.

Laura Jane Williams writes romance with so much heart and humor. The dialogue is sharp, the emotions feel genuine, and even though the premise seems like a classic meet-cute, the story takes turns I didn’t expect. It’s not just about love at first sight—it’s about self-discovery, second chances, and the messy, complicated ways life (and love) can surprise you.

It’s that addictive. If you’re into romances that balance swoony moments with real emotional depth, this is your next read. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC! 10/10 would recommend.

(Also, side note: Henry, the sweet little boy Jessie cares for? ADORABLE. That dynamic alone melted my heart.)

Jessie is caught up in a whirlwind romance when she meets Cal during a fire drill at the supermarket, the only problem is she doesn't get his number. When Cal reappears in her life dating someone else, she's caught in a painful situation.

More than a meet-cute, this book is an exploration of Jessie's struggles with her work, family, and love life and her path to recognising her own worth. As the main character she's a mixture of relatable and frustrating but I enjoyed watching her grow. Despite the depth at the heart of the story, the characters were entertaining and I found myself smiling along.

A great new romance from Laura Jane Williams.

After a chance meeting with a stranger turns into the best date of her life, Jessie is at a bit of a loss how to move forward. They didn't exchange details, but she can't let go of the whirlwind of romance.

Imagine her surprise when he pops up a few days later - dating her boss! Eeek!

A slightly predictable, but enjoyable romance, which is overshadowed by Jessie's relationship with the child she nannies - Henry is the most adorable child, and their interactions are the joy of this book! Moving from funny, to serious, to curious - perfectly mimicking life with a young child - their conversations are delightful and perfectly showcase Jessie's caring and intuitive personality. She clearly saves her intuition for the children though, as it contrasts so well with her absolute cluelessness in her romantic life.
A whole host of wonderful side characters appear - from her bossy best friend, to the casanova butcher, her difficult boss and the family drama of her dad's new fiancee. An easy read and an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

Love at First Sight is a fun romantic story from Laura Jane Williams. It would make a good holiday read, it's light and easy to follow with interesting characters.

Jessie meets Cal unexpectedly one afternoon, she doesn't necessarily believe in love at first sight but why else is she experiencing all of the classic butterflies and stolen glances. Unfortunately she doesn't get Cal's number but determined to give love a chance she sets out to find him again. What she doesn't bargain for though is that Cal will re-enter her life, but carrying flowers for someone else.

I enjoyed the side relationships of this book more than the main one to be honest. The banter with her friend, her turmoil with her dad and the fun chatter with the little boy she's a nanny for added real substance to the story. I'm not sure I enjoyed waiting to find out if Cal as the main love interest would end up being her choice or a bad egg.

Given the premise, I fully expected to love this book. However, I took me a while to connect with the female main character as I could not understand many of her decisions.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the story and I absolutely loved Leo.

I love a cheesy romance, so was excited to delve into this. However I really struggled with the constant miscommunication in the plot, and I found Jessie's perspective lacked the emotional maturity I was hoping for.

4.5 stars rounded up!
I really like Laura Jane Williams- she has a fabulous newsletter called How to Build a Life, and she’s really honest and shares great tips from her and her friends on just being happy and healthy and managing the bonkers world as a woman. This new book really felt like an extension of that to me - I could see similarities between the main character, Jessie, and Laura, and it made it feel very authentic.

I saw on Laura’s Instagram that this story was inspired by the film The Wedding Planner, and what might happen if you met someone that knocked you off your feet only to find he’s already with someone you know.

This is the situation Jessie finds herself in. Meanwhile, she’s navigating all the other hurdles in her life - loving her job as full time nanny to Henry, but also having a dream of setting up her own unique childcare business; wanting to get her relationship with her dad back to how it used to be; and trying to figure out whether or not to trust the smooth-talking Leo.

This was such a heartwarming story. I loved how Jessie spoke to little Henry - and genuinely have come away with some new ways of talking to my daughter about feelings - it really got me reflecting! And I loved that Ali wasn’t shamed for having a full-time nanny and a lot of money, as often happens in books! She felt like a realistic portrayal of a busy mum with an unconventional job. She might be quite a flawed person, but she still loves her son and spending time with him.

A lovely, uplifting story!

Another great read from Laura Jane Williams!

Jessie is a career nanny working for a very well known actress: her career is where she thinks she wants it but her personal life is lacking romantically, until a chance encounter changes everything ... Literally, everything.

It's an easy read; the setting had enough normality to be relatable with enough bits of glamour)how the other half live to be a little bit escapist. It's funny, moving and very enjoyable.
There's a great couple of twists and turns, whilst still having a really satisfying ending.
If you like William's other books, you'll enjoy this!

I was delighted to receive an ARC of Love at First Sight by Laura Williams. I thoroughly enjoyed all her previous works. Yet this may be my new favourite. It had me gripped from the start and I couldn't put it down. The characters in this novel are well-developed, and the relationship between Jessie and Henry, the boy she cares for, will make your heart melt. "Love at first sight" is highly enjoyable and a easily engaging romantic read.

Wow I just couldn’t put this book down.
Jessie thinks she has met the love of her life while buying chicken in Whole Foods. Cal seems so perfect until things take an unfortunate turn and fate intervenes
I loved Jessie as a character and I really felt for her as I don’t think she was treated well by her boss or her father. However I loved how the story progressed she grew as a character and realised her dreams and worth. Without saying any spoilers the ending was just perfect and I actually cheered.
A brilliant read which I would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, Laura Jane Williams and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This book had some moments where I just had to put my phone down 📱➡️🙅‍♀️. And for me, that’s a good👍🏾 thing. It wasn’t a mind-blowing🧠💥, scream-into-the-void🗣️ type of book, but it was sweet🍡, and I had a good time with it.

First of all, Leo. 🥹💖 I really liked him. He’s just so sweet🍡🍨🍰, and I found myself rooting🪵 for him the whole time. With Jessie's dad—like, I wanted a little more depth there. How did he “gather himself” exactly? 👀 I needed more!

I’ll be real, for most of the book, I was sitting at a solid ⭐⭐. It wasn’t bad, just not one of my faves💙. But THEN. The ending. THE ENDING. 🥹💫 It wrapped up exactly how I wanted it to, and that bumped👊🏽 it up for me. It was just so CUTE🐇. And if there’s ever a book two, I NEED more of Stray Kids🚸 (not the band🎸, lmao, though that’d be fun too / not that I listen to Kpop). I can't believe what Cal did.

Also, the title? Brilliant. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s such a nice contrast to the actual story. 👀🔥

Final thoughts: this book is actually making me more interested in YA books with kids👶🏻 (obviously not part of the romance) in them. But yeah, a nice, light read with some really sweet moments. 🫶

Thank Netgalley for the ARC 😘🍡💗

Laura Jane Williams has done it again! From the blurb alone, I was hooked, and as soon as I started reading, I knew I was in for a treat.

Jessie and Cal’s meet-cute is everything—fun, flirty, and packed with chemistry in such a short amount of time that I couldn’t wait to see where it would go. But this book isn’t just about romance—it’s filled with heart. Jessie’s relationships with the other characters, like her best friend India, her boss, and the absolutely adorable little Henry, were just as compelling.

I also loved that the story wasn’t solely focused on Jessie’s crush on Cal. Her emotional moments with her dad added so much depth, making it more than just a rom-com. And let’s talk about Leo—funny, cheeky, and an absolute sweetheart. He was the perfect addition to the drama!

Another hit from Laura Jane Williams—big fan of her writing! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy

I found this book to be an enjoyable quick read.

I was a bit worried it would be very predictable with the "Love at First Sight" trope, but I wasn't entirely sure what the eventual outcome would be until the end! The characters were entertaining and a nice mixture of likeable and irritating!

Literally can't remember the last time I was so OBSESSED with a book omg I couldn't put it down! Love, love, looooved it!

I was delighted to receive an ARC of Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams. I really enjoyed her debut novel ‘One Stop’ and am loving her newsletters on Substack. In general, I really dislike any premise based on love at first sight so really did not enjoy the opening scene where Jessie meets her perfect man, Cal, during a fire alarm at Whole Foods. I should have known that this novel would be so much more than that and is really about Jessie deciding what she wants from life and how she goes about getting that whilst dealing with the usual life complications of family relationships, work and managing her love life. There are some great characters in this and the relationship between Jessie and Henry, the little boy she cares for, is a joy to read. This is a very enjoyable, easy romantic read.

‘Love at First Sight’ is Laura Jane Williams at her best. Written in her classic beautiful, yet easy to read way, filled with characters you can’t help but get attached to and a sprinkling of ‘I feel motivated to be my best self’ after reading.

A chance meeting in Whole Foods during a fire alarm sees Jessie spend the perfect afternoon with Cal, but it’s sadly cut short and Jessie is left without any way of contacting Cal.

Conscious it might be insta-love, but also when you know, you know, (right?!) Jessie spends time trying to track him down - only to be reunited in the least convenient way.

Whilst this totally a wonderful rom com, it is also so much more. As a big follower of LJW for years, I can see so much for her love of children and childcare poured into the pages of this book. Nannying Henry and her relationship with him is my favourite of the whole novel.

I also very much enjoyed seeing Jessie explore her other relationships, the one with her family and also with her friends. Everyone needs friends like India.

Also - this might be a SPOILER - but I feel like this book was a slight love letter to Dave the Laugh and I am so here for it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.

I love LJW and her writing style! I was skeptical about this new novel as I really didn’t like her last one but I wasn’t disappointed.

She makes the concept of love at first sight seem natural and possible. There were twists I wasn’t expecting and I frankly couldn’t put it down!

I very much enjoyed this one! It took me sometime to get into it at first, but once I got rolling I really enjoyed it! I was so curious to see how things would work out after their incredibly unexpected meet cute and was excited to see what would happen.