#27 [2021/CBR13] Love at First by Kate Clayborn

I can count on my friend for good book recommendations, so when she told me that she'd really enjoyed Love at First (2021) by Kate Clayborn, I did not hesitate. We both read many different kinds of books, but we often pass along our romance recommendations. I had high hopes for this book.

This book takes place in Chicago. Dr. Will Sterling has just inherited a unit from his estranged uncle in a six-unit building filled with very eccentric, close-knit owners. Conditions of the will prohibit Will from selling the property for one year. But with only bad memories from that location, he's happy to short-term lease it for the time being. This is not okay with the other owners, and Nora takes the lead in organizing opposition to his cause. Nora spent her childhood summers with her grandmother at that building. With her grandmother's recent death, Nora wants to honor her grandmother and protect the building from any significant changes.

What complicates this dynamic is that Will and Nora have an immediate connection and chemistry. In fact, Will remembers Nora from when he spotted her on her grandmother's balcony as a teenager. The two very slowly get closer and start to trust each other. But Nora is still afraid of change and worries what the neighbors will think if she is found consorting with the enemy. For Will's part, he is afraid of feeling anything that might prove him to be rash or selfish. 

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the whole, it is well written and the characters are likable. My problem is that it felt a little slow. Initially the romance almost felt like some kind of a mystical thing. Will fell in love with Nora from a glimpse on a balcony many years before. And then Nora felt something special when they barely said anything to each other. They touched hands and it was a huge deal. Then Will admitted he was an orphan, and it was a huge deal. Then Will freaks out when Nora has allergies. I liked that he cares about her and helped her, but he's an emergency room doctor. Why is he freaking out? It didn't fit his character. They were both having strong emotional reactions that did not feel justified. I felt like I was reading and reading and nothing was happening.

I did think that the end of the book tied everything up nicely. Eventually we learn why our heroes have the hang ups they do, and everyone comes together. It finally felt romantic at the end. I'm sure there was a reason why my friend recommended this book to me, and it's not often that we disagree, but I had a hard time getting into this one.