REVIEW: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (CUPID, TEXAS #1) by LORI WILDE

Series: Cupid, Texas #1
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: 5/28/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Source: Received from publisher for review

From the author of the Twilight, Texas books comes the first in a dazzling new Cupid, Texas series. Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, where every wish for love comes true...

Natalie McCleary couldn't believe her eyes-a lean-muscled, darkly tanned, nearly-naked man stood in her path…and then it hit her: love. Everyone always told her it'd hit like a thunderbolt, and she never believed them. But now she knew: practical, sensible Natalie was head over heels in love-with a stranger.

But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn't about to be a stranger for long. He'd ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he'd made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse at Natalie-soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting-changed his life forever.
But how can he offer her is love, when he can't even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

When I received an offer to review Love at First Sight, I was all over it. I almost always enjoy books from this publisher, and the story sounded great, and I liked the cover, despite not being a huge lover of cowboys (sorry). But, the cover doesn't even remotely reflect the story, except for the Texas part. And sadly, there were no chaps in this story. That was something I was excited about!

 

Back on to the story. Love at First Sight is set in Cupid, Texas, a town with a long romantic history that reminded me a lot of the movie "Letters for Juliet". Natalie and Dade were nice characters who I enjoyed. Natalie is the town's center, a young woman who has spent her entire life taking care of her sister and family. I liked that the author didn't write her as the typical heroine: gorgeous beyond belief, but doesn't know it. Natalie has a slight physical disability, her leg, and has self-esteem issues because of it. She's pretty, but not this overwhelming beauty that intimidates. She does however, throw Dade Vega for a loop. Dade is in town to find his friend, but takes much more interest in the woman he can't get out of his mind. I liked that he's interested, but doesn't push himself on Natalie. Dade is kind, funny, and charming when it comes to her, a first for him. I loved how he approaches Natalie, knowing that she needs slow and gentle. Their intimate scenes were loving and sweet. 

 

There is an insta-love angle in Love at First Sight, which is pretty much a given with that title. I don't generally don't mind that if the author makes me believe it. Given the legend surrounding the town, it did make sense, and made the story feel a bit magical. The who issue of Dade's search for his missing friend was a good reason to bring him to town, but seemed to get pushed to the wayside every time Dade got turned on by Juliet, which was basically every time they were together. The story had moments in which it seemed to just veer off track a bit, and took to long to get back on track.

 

I'm always a fan of true love stories, with great characters. Overall, I liked Love at First Sight, not as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a sweet, enjoyable story. .

 

 

Favorite Quote:

  "Hate to break it to you, darlin', but you weren't anywhere near third base," he said, sounding utterly pleased.
  "I'm glad."
  "Me too."
  "But you and me..."
  "Yes," she whispered.
  "We're gonna hit a home run."  ~eARC, 70%
 

 

Purchase Love at First Sight at:

  

 

 

 

About the author:

Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.

She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.

Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill, her red heeler/Australian shepherd dog, Cinnamon, and four ducks, Quacker, Big Guy, Affleck, and Sheepidy.

 

Connect with Lori at:

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