A contemporary romance about dating after divorce in the modern world.
Annie Morgan, a romantic at heart, is holding out for the singular idea of love at first sight. Making a deal with her best friend, Annie reluctantly agrees to go on exactly five online dates out of seventy-six potential suitors.
Based on past relationships, Shane Nicholls is convinced that all women are trouble. He avoids drama at all costs, but somehow it seems to find him around every corner.
Can Annie and Shane break through all the obstacles, twists and turns of the dating world and find themselves in one another’s arms or will stubborn pride tear them apart? Annie and Shane find that love at first sight really can happen if you truly believe.
Excerpt
Johnny’s was packed. Standing on line to place her order, Annie took in her surroundings. Just as the owner, Johnny, was coming over to take her order, something caught Annie’s eye. The guy near the window, he seemed familiar somehow. Where had she seen him before? He was eating dinner with a pretty brunette. He lifted his head to look at Annie as their eyes locked. On no! It was the guy from the mall, the one she bumped into. She quickly spun around, knocking right into the waitress who was carrying a tray of soft drinks.
Soda soaked her shirt and dripped onto the floor. The waitress was clearly annoyed and appeared like she would have loved to tell Annie off. Instead she rolled her eyes and ran to get a towel. If Annie thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Every eye in the place was on her, including the guy from the mall. Helpless to do anything else, she grabbed some napkins and bent down to sop up some of the mess.
“It seems you have a knack for causing a scene everywhere you go.” It was his voice. The voice that filled her head with inappropriate thoughts, with longing. What was she thinking? Did she dare look up? His gaze was a magnet, forcing her to meet his eyes.
His eyes were a warmer brown than she had remembered, drawing her in.
“I...uh...”
“I’m joking. Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed the napkins from her hand. The heat between them jolted her back. She moved quickly, surprised he could evoke such a reaction from her. Nobody had ever made her feel so exposed before. What was going on here? Annie felt foolish.
“I’m Shane. Shane Nicholls.” He extended his hand to her. They must have appeared to be quite the sight, bending over to clean up the mess while shaking hands.
“Annie.” Annie remembered her new rules of safety in the dating world. One of them was she would not reveal her last name or any other personal information until she was sure the guy wasn’t a stalker or anything.
“Annie. It suits you, I like it.” Annie had almost forgot about the woman waiting for Shane at the table near the window. She glanced over and took in a tight-lipped woman. It hit Annie that this woman was not the same stunning woman from the mall. Hmm, she had met his type before. This guy had “player” written all over him. She quickly brushed herself off and excused herself.
“Hey, Annie. Wait.” He reached for her hand. Annie forgot all about placing her order and made a beeline for the door. She didn’t look back. Well, Annie figured, it looked like it would be Chinese food tonight.
Professional Reviews
Clean Romance
Annie has recently divorced and is now looking for love again. Her best friend, Sam, gets her to agree to go out with five guys from the online dating site that she recently joined. I was amazed at how her dates turned out. Are there really guys out there like that? There were some very humorous situations, that's for sure. I love the way Annie gets so emotional about Shane and assumes that she knows all about his type, yet upon self-examination, realizes that maybe he sees her in a similar way. Annie is a very no-nonsense girl and I love how she handles some of those awkward dates and situations.
Shane hasn't ever recovered from the broken heart he suffered from years ago, yet he finds himself going on one bad date to the next, with drama and crazies at every turn. Shane has been burned, yet he tortures himself with the dating scene, just in case he can find that special someone. He comes across as tough, but he's got a heart of gold--he's an amazing teacher and not everyone can do that. I love the part when he takes his dog, Tiny, in to be checked out for fleas.
Shane and Annie meet in such a sweet way but their insecurities and assumptions lead to misunderstandings and obstacles that may prove to be too great to overcome. With a story built upon misconceptions, I wasn't sure how things would work out, but they did. I loved it!
but this one was recommended to me
I don't usually read romance novels, but this one was recommended to me. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the crazy situations both Annie and Shane find themselves in. I've had friends try the whole online-dating scene, and reading this novel reminded me of some of their stories they've shared with me. It has a sweet ending, and I really enjoyed it.
Reviewed by Lorena Sanqui for Readers' Favorite
Annie is a romantic at heart and even though she signed up for online dating at the coaxing of her best friend, she’s still holding out for love at first sight. When she slams into Shane in the mall, she can’t help but think that he might be the one she’s been waiting for. Too bad he’s with a different woman every time she sees him. Shane can’t stop thinking about Annie ever since she bumped into him, despite his idea that all women are trouble. Annie and Shane both have problems when it comes to trust, courtesy of their past relationships, so how will these two see past their issues to a love that might be it for them in At First Sight by Mya O'Malley?
At First Sight by Mya O'Malley is a short, sweet and romantic novel. It told a story of heartbreak, getting up, getting over it and finding new love. It wasn't the most original plot, but the characters and situation were different so it was still a unique and pleasant read. The characters were both strong personalities but it showed how love can mellow them. Annie and Shane were both understandably afraid to be in a relationship, given how their exes treated them, but in the end they both grew and learned to overcome their fears and issues for an ending that I really liked. The story flowed smoothly and slowly. The scenes were described well and the dialogues were realistic and believable. The story ended nicely and satisfyingly.
The Matchmaker:
Angela Calminetti, mother of five, New Age practitioner and gifted psychic and telepath, is proud of her family ties and does everything she can to make sure that all of her younger siblings are as happy in love and marriage
