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Love at First Site
Ella’s life is about to be hit by a wrecking ball… On the surface, Ella has it all. A great job, a penthouse apartment and the perfect boyfriend, Lee. There's just one their relationship has to be kept secret due to their employer's strict rule about not dating colleagues. When Lee quits to join a competitor, Ella discovers they haven't been as discreet as they thought and she finds herself out of a job. Stuck in an apartment she can't afford with a man she's beginning to suspect loves himself much more than her, Ella's life quickly unravels. A job offer could be her ticket to a new start, but it's miles away on a construction site, an industry she knows nothing about. Can Ella prove everyone wrong and make a go of her new career? And will guidance from foreman Noah help her build a new, even better life for herself? Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranald, Catherine Walsh, and Mhairi MacFarlane. What readers are saying about Phoebe 'A perfect love story' ★★★★★ 'Humorous, light and romantic!' ★★★★★ 'I absolutely loved it. Heart-warming, just perfect!' ★★★★★ 'I loved every minute reading this book, light hearted and fun, finished in a day!' ★★★★★ 'I smiled so much' ★★★★★ 'What a wonderful book' ★★★★★ 'Fantastic' ★★★★★
264 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2023
666 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Phoebe MacLeod
30 books413 followersPhoebe MacLeod is married and lives just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. She has two grown-up sons at university, and a disobedient dog. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing the piano and walking the dog. She’s also keen on vintage and classic cars and can often be seen behind the wheel of her own classic - a 1928 Ford Model A.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
August 28, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and it came to me at the right time. I was after a read that wasn’t too complex and was a nice one to dip in and out of: MacLeod gets this balance just right. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that my only criticism was that I wanted the book to be longer!
Ella’s move from Leeds to Ashford is not one necessarily of choice. Her employment situation dramatically changes when her secret work boyfriend switches jobs to work with a competitor and she is implicated in some dodgy dealings. Despite protesting her innocence, Ella is forced to find a new job and doesn’t think twice about ditching her boyfriend either, realising he wasn’t as great as he made out to be.
However, Ella’s new job is on a building site, something she has little knowledge or experience of. I loved MacLeod’s portrayal of this working environment and particularly enjoyed seeing John’s character – I think he could have done with more page time! Being a Project Manager for a building site seems littered with delays and disasters and I enjoyed seeing Ella turn her hands to this massive task, getting not only the construction back on track, but winning over the builders as well.
There is romance in the story but I don’t think it dominated. Instead, I was far more interested in the working aspect of the plot and especially enjoyed watching how Ella dealt with the suspicious delays to resources being delivered. I think it is here that the writer could have developed the novel further as I wanted to watch the strong protagonist clash with unyielding personalities in the construction business, seeing her succeed even more in her new role.
I liked this book because it felt original and was entertaining. I enjoyed the balance between the building site and the theme of romance, not thinking it was too gushy or dense with building jargon. The characters were all likeable and I even was entertained by the less innocent characters. A great holiday read.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ella’s move from Leeds to Ashford is not one necessarily of choice. Her employment situation dramatically changes when her secret work boyfriend switches jobs to work with a competitor and she is implicated in some dodgy dealings. Despite protesting her innocence, Ella is forced to find a new job and doesn’t think twice about ditching her boyfriend either, realising he wasn’t as great as he made out to be.
However, Ella’s new job is on a building site, something she has little knowledge or experience of. I loved MacLeod’s portrayal of this working environment and particularly enjoyed seeing John’s character – I think he could have done with more page time! Being a Project Manager for a building site seems littered with delays and disasters and I enjoyed seeing Ella turn her hands to this massive task, getting not only the construction back on track, but winning over the builders as well.
There is romance in the story but I don’t think it dominated. Instead, I was far more interested in the working aspect of the plot and especially enjoyed watching how Ella dealt with the suspicious delays to resources being delivered. I think it is here that the writer could have developed the novel further as I wanted to watch the strong protagonist clash with unyielding personalities in the construction business, seeing her succeed even more in her new role.
I liked this book because it felt original and was entertaining. I enjoyed the balance between the building site and the theme of romance, not thinking it was too gushy or dense with building jargon. The characters were all likeable and I even was entertained by the less innocent characters. A great holiday read.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2023
I'm not sure if I actually liked this book or not. I think I enjoyed it to an extent, but I do have a lot of issues with it.
If this was just a contemporary fiction, I think I would have liked it so much more. I loved Ella as a main character. She was strong and confident in her self-worth. I loved that her career was as a Project Manager and I was way more interested in learning about that than I had expected. I also loved her dynamic with the employees at the building site, particularly with Noah when they were just coworkers/friends, amd with John and his nicknames for everyone. And I was so happy that she realized how big of a walking red flag Lee was and didn't go groveling back to him.
My biggest issue is that it's marketed as a romance, but that seemed to be such a miniscule part of the plot that it was almost nonexistent. We don't even meet Noah, the love interest, until halfway through the book and it took until almost 75% of the way through before we got any sort of romance and it wasn't even that much at that. The entire romance seemed to move in fast forward, and all of a sudden they are saying they love each other and I have no idea how we got there because barely anything had happened between them. I almost wish Ella and Noah stayed friends because their chemistry was so much better. There was so much else going on in the plot that the romance seemed unnecessary.
My other issue is the pacing of the book. For me, I felt like we spent entirely too long with Lee and the Orchestra/Harmony drama. I know it was important backstory for Ella, but thinking back, it felt like I read two different stories. I wish that whole conflict was cut in half and we got more time seeing Ella and Noah build their relationship (pun fully intended). I came away knowing more about Lee than Noah, which is annoying when Noah is the main love interest and he had so much potential.
I also didn't super enjoy the undercurrent of tension that ran through the entire thing. Between Lee, the Orchestra/Harmony drama, Ella losing her job, Ella feeling out of her league on the building site, and the Deborah drama, I felt like the whole book was way more stressful than it needed to be. I would have preferred more romance and less tension, but that may be a personal preference.
Overall, I think this was a good read for what it ended up being. But it was disappointing as a romance, which is what I was expecting. It was a super quick read though and I'm not mad that I read it, I just wasn't blown away.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
If this was just a contemporary fiction, I think I would have liked it so much more. I loved Ella as a main character. She was strong and confident in her self-worth. I loved that her career was as a Project Manager and I was way more interested in learning about that than I had expected. I also loved her dynamic with the employees at the building site, particularly with Noah when they were just coworkers/friends, amd with John and his nicknames for everyone. And I was so happy that she realized how big of a walking red flag Lee was and didn't go groveling back to him.
My biggest issue is that it's marketed as a romance, but that seemed to be such a miniscule part of the plot that it was almost nonexistent. We don't even meet Noah, the love interest, until halfway through the book and it took until almost 75% of the way through before we got any sort of romance and it wasn't even that much at that. The entire romance seemed to move in fast forward, and all of a sudden they are saying they love each other and I have no idea how we got there because barely anything had happened between them. I almost wish Ella and Noah stayed friends because their chemistry was so much better. There was so much else going on in the plot that the romance seemed unnecessary.
My other issue is the pacing of the book. For me, I felt like we spent entirely too long with Lee and the Orchestra/Harmony drama. I know it was important backstory for Ella, but thinking back, it felt like I read two different stories. I wish that whole conflict was cut in half and we got more time seeing Ella and Noah build their relationship (pun fully intended). I came away knowing more about Lee than Noah, which is annoying when Noah is the main love interest and he had so much potential.
I also didn't super enjoy the undercurrent of tension that ran through the entire thing. Between Lee, the Orchestra/Harmony drama, Ella losing her job, Ella feeling out of her league on the building site, and the Deborah drama, I felt like the whole book was way more stressful than it needed to be. I would have preferred more romance and less tension, but that may be a personal preference.
Overall, I think this was a good read for what it ended up being. But it was disappointing as a romance, which is what I was expecting. It was a super quick read though and I'm not mad that I read it, I just wasn't blown away.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2023
Love at First Site is a gentle British romantic comedy written by Phoebe MacLeod. I enjoy her books because she writes strong female characters who don’t let adversity get them down. The heroines eventually find better men than the ones who screwed them over.
32-year-old Ella Mackenzie is a rising star at Orchestra, a software developer in Leeds, England. She has worked there for five years in project management and is due a promotion when they win a contract with NHS. She supplies the data to a colleague, Lee, for the proposal presentation. When it’s announced that a competitor, harmony, has won the NHS contract, Ella learns that Lee, her secret boyfriend of three years, has abandoned Orchestra for a new job at Harmony. When HR investigates Lee, they discover Ella and Lee’s relationship and fire Ella because she violated their no-fraternization policy.
Ella is suspicious that Lee sabotaged Orchestra’s bid proposal, and she secretly records him confessing his actions. She temporarily stays with her parents while she re-groups and applies for a job as a Construction Project Manager out of desperation. When she moves to Ashford, a town in southern England, she informs Lee that their relationship is over, and he is responsible for their rent that is due. Meanwhile Ella’s sister, Ava, borrowed her phone and emailed Ella’s secret recording to Orchestra’s HR Department in an effort to clear Ella’s name.
When Ella arrives in Ashford, she is dismayed to learn that her company-provided housing is referred to by her colleagues as “the caravan of shit” because it’s in such horrible condition. Ella enlists the help of the attractive site foremen, Noah, to help her remove the nasty mattress and pick up a new one. She tackles cleaning the caravan and her new office, impressing Noah. She quickly figures out that her new manager, Deborah, is a construction clone of The Devil Wears Prada. Ella was set up for failure, but she is determined to fix the problems plaguing the construction site and quickly earns the respect of the all-male crew. Noah really takes Ella under his wing and invites her over to his fixer-upper house every weekend, under the guise of helping her overcome her fear of ladders.
Noah is the perfect male hero and makes Ella realize what a jerk that Lee truly was. However Ella is very gun-shy about having a romantic relationship with a co-worker. She has to decide if Noah is worth taking a chance on, and if she wants to stay in southern England away from her family.
Love at First Site is an enjoyable business-focused romantic comedy. The romance is mostly closed-door, ie there aren’t many graphic details. There is some mild cursing, mainly from frustration and what you would expect to hear on a construction site. A lot of British idioms are used in the story, but I was able to understand the intent. The crew foreman, John, adds a lot of humor to the story with his nicknames and stories, especially the romantic advice using vindaloo. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
32-year-old Ella Mackenzie is a rising star at Orchestra, a software developer in Leeds, England. She has worked there for five years in project management and is due a promotion when they win a contract with NHS. She supplies the data to a colleague, Lee, for the proposal presentation. When it’s announced that a competitor, harmony, has won the NHS contract, Ella learns that Lee, her secret boyfriend of three years, has abandoned Orchestra for a new job at Harmony. When HR investigates Lee, they discover Ella and Lee’s relationship and fire Ella because she violated their no-fraternization policy.
Ella is suspicious that Lee sabotaged Orchestra’s bid proposal, and she secretly records him confessing his actions. She temporarily stays with her parents while she re-groups and applies for a job as a Construction Project Manager out of desperation. When she moves to Ashford, a town in southern England, she informs Lee that their relationship is over, and he is responsible for their rent that is due. Meanwhile Ella’s sister, Ava, borrowed her phone and emailed Ella’s secret recording to Orchestra’s HR Department in an effort to clear Ella’s name.
When Ella arrives in Ashford, she is dismayed to learn that her company-provided housing is referred to by her colleagues as “the caravan of shit” because it’s in such horrible condition. Ella enlists the help of the attractive site foremen, Noah, to help her remove the nasty mattress and pick up a new one. She tackles cleaning the caravan and her new office, impressing Noah. She quickly figures out that her new manager, Deborah, is a construction clone of The Devil Wears Prada. Ella was set up for failure, but she is determined to fix the problems plaguing the construction site and quickly earns the respect of the all-male crew. Noah really takes Ella under his wing and invites her over to his fixer-upper house every weekend, under the guise of helping her overcome her fear of ladders.
Noah is the perfect male hero and makes Ella realize what a jerk that Lee truly was. However Ella is very gun-shy about having a romantic relationship with a co-worker. She has to decide if Noah is worth taking a chance on, and if she wants to stay in southern England away from her family.
Love at First Site is an enjoyable business-focused romantic comedy. The romance is mostly closed-door, ie there aren’t many graphic details. There is some mild cursing, mainly from frustration and what you would expect to hear on a construction site. A lot of British idioms are used in the story, but I was able to understand the intent. The crew foreman, John, adds a lot of humor to the story with his nicknames and stories, especially the romantic advice using vindaloo. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 10, 2023
*2.5/5*
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*possible spoilers idk?*
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. Well, I do. I didn't really like it.
I thought the blurb was interesting, and the plot seemed good, so I had a couple of expectations. however, I was not expecting anything that actually happened.
-by 40%, the main characters hadn't even met yet.
-by 75%, we're already at the third act conflict.
-by 85%, they're saying I love you but then breaking up?
-by 90%, everything is resolved.
-the romance felt like more of a subplot, even though I don't actually know what the actual plot was. The romance didn't feel big enough to be the main plot, but neither did that "mystery" or whatever that was.
-i don't really know anything about the mmc Noah. He was just there. and then they were in love? idk.
the few things I did like:
-i really did like the fmc Ella. She was confident and knew what she wanted and fought for it.
-i liked the project manager aspect of it all, it was way more interesting than I thought It would be.
-i loved the dynamic between all the workers at the construction site. Especially Ted. he was my fave.
The pacing of the book was extremely odd. it also went by so fast. I read the entire thing in maybe 4 hours maximum. If you don't mind a super fast-paced book and a bunch of random characters just being there, then I guess you can read this book?
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*possible spoilers idk?*
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. Well, I do. I didn't really like it.
I thought the blurb was interesting, and the plot seemed good, so I had a couple of expectations. however, I was not expecting anything that actually happened.
-by 40%, the main characters hadn't even met yet.
-by 75%, we're already at the third act conflict.
-by 85%, they're saying I love you but then breaking up?
-by 90%, everything is resolved.
-the romance felt like more of a subplot, even though I don't actually know what the actual plot was. The romance didn't feel big enough to be the main plot, but neither did that "mystery" or whatever that was.
-i don't really know anything about the mmc Noah. He was just there. and then they were in love? idk.
the few things I did like:
-i really did like the fmc Ella. She was confident and knew what she wanted and fought for it.
-i liked the project manager aspect of it all, it was way more interesting than I thought It would be.
-i loved the dynamic between all the workers at the construction site. Especially Ted. he was my fave.
The pacing of the book was extremely odd. it also went by so fast. I read the entire thing in maybe 4 hours maximum. If you don't mind a super fast-paced book and a bunch of random characters just being there, then I guess you can read this book?
July 30, 2023
Ella and Noah were such fun characters to read. The challenges Ella set herself were amazing! I loved how even though she was working amongst men she made a point to get the respect she deserved and ended up building amazing friendships in doing so!
Noah was also great and I have a lot of respect for him, he treated Ella as an equal and gave her a chance in an environment she wasn’t familiar with and helped build her confidence up so much.
Noah was also great and I have a lot of respect for him, he treated Ella as an equal and gave her a chance in an environment she wasn’t familiar with and helped build her confidence up so much.
January 18, 2024
This is by far the most boring book I have read in recent times. The MCs meet after 43% of the book has been read - how is that normal.
The book has nothing going on for me
- no emotions - no passion - no build up NOTHING.
Honestly I’m a little shocked at the high rating.
Or was I expecting too much ?
Major bummer for me.
The book has nothing going on for me
- no emotions - no passion - no build up NOTHING.
Honestly I’m a little shocked at the high rating.
Or was I expecting too much ?
Major bummer for me.
January 16, 2024
Mijn eerste audioboek ooit en gewoon iets random aangeklikt op Spotify om te zien of ik de attentiespan had voor een audioboek. Aangenaam verrast wel, zowel door het concept van audioboek als door het verhaal. 't Is een romance, maar de nadruk ligt daar toch niet op. Het focust meer op het carriereaspect en terug uw plaatsje in de wereld vinden na een belangrijke gebeurtenis in uw leven. Aanrader als je iets lichthearted wil lezen/luisteren!
July 30, 2023
Cover: It’s cute!
Oh wow, this story is giving me war flashbacks, haha. In my 2xpast life, I worked as a project manager in a male-dominated field, too, and many things sound, uh, familiar? Like, that’s my house and Love at First Site just landed a hit in the backyard. Ouch.
However, as much as I don’t miss those times, I found myself engrossed in Ella’s life right from the start. She’s stuck with a boyfriend who is a real piece of work, she’s having problems at work, and yet she takes it all in stride. As if nothing shakes her up, not really—when I hear about strong female characters, Ella is the first that comes to mind.
The secondary characters fit the story and do a great job in supporting the plot. As much as I despise Lee, he’s the one behind Ella’s growth arc, after all. A special mention goes to John: ‘Eric is called Paul, I think, and Derek is Richard. It might be the other way around’. ASDFDGJKGH, for many, many reasons.
I have nothing but good things to say about the technical aspects. The grammar is correct, the story flows without a hitch, and the prose is pleasant to read. I found myself cackling when sarcasm flew over people’s (read: Lee) head, like, is he for real?
The answer is yes.
Maybe I would have liked Love at First Site even better if Ella didn’t appear so naïve here and there; staying with Lee and not figuring out sooner Deborah’s endgame are two details that left me a little baffled. Still, it’s a delightful book and it deserves all the praises.
4.5 stars on GR.
[Want more? Check out Bookshelves & Teacups]
Oh wow, this story is giving me war flashbacks, haha. In my 2xpast life, I worked as a project manager in a male-dominated field, too, and many things sound, uh, familiar? Like, that’s my house and Love at First Site just landed a hit in the backyard. Ouch.
However, as much as I don’t miss those times, I found myself engrossed in Ella’s life right from the start. She’s stuck with a boyfriend who is a real piece of work, she’s having problems at work, and yet she takes it all in stride. As if nothing shakes her up, not really—when I hear about strong female characters, Ella is the first that comes to mind.
The secondary characters fit the story and do a great job in supporting the plot. As much as I despise Lee, he’s the one behind Ella’s growth arc, after all. A special mention goes to John: ‘Eric is called Paul, I think, and Derek is Richard. It might be the other way around’. ASDFDGJKGH, for many, many reasons.
I have nothing but good things to say about the technical aspects. The grammar is correct, the story flows without a hitch, and the prose is pleasant to read. I found myself cackling when sarcasm flew over people’s (read: Lee) head, like, is he for real?
The answer is yes.
Maybe I would have liked Love at First Site even better if Ella didn’t appear so naïve here and there; staying with Lee and not figuring out sooner Deborah’s endgame are two details that left me a little baffled. Still, it’s a delightful book and it deserves all the praises.
4.5 stars on GR.
[Want more? Check out Bookshelves & Teacups]
July 1, 2023
A cute, fun, light hearted read with a strong, smart FMC. Funnily enough, this story weirdly hit close to home - if you bid for contracts, work with project managers and in construction - which I do/am!
'She puts the husky voice back on. 'Come and see my scaffolding. There is a really long pole I'd like to show you''.
Synopsis
Working as a Project Manager, Ella loves her job and her boyfriend. But when a big deal comes crashing down, and her boyfriend hands in his resignation to move to their rival company on the same day, Ella can't help but think he had some involvement in their failure.
It's then that Ella starts seeing his true colours and the narcissist he is. Accepting a job down south as a Construction Project Manager, Ella wishes for a start fresh. It's here she meets ruggedly handsome Noah, who is one of the construction workers.
As Ella navigates her new role as a construction Project Manager and her romance with Noah, something doesn't sit quite right with the orders.. and her new boss.
Thoughts
I started reading this and I thought 'this is strange' with how similar it is to the role I'm in! It's definitely a niche concept to write a story about construction and Project Managers, but I really enjoyed it.
The romance with Noah and Ella was adorable, and i was routing for them from the start.. especially after her ex boyfriend!
Really light hearted, fast paced and an enjoyable read.
'I can't believe I ever told him that I didn't belong here, because the truth is that I don't belong anywhere else'.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy. This review is voluntary.
'She puts the husky voice back on. 'Come and see my scaffolding. There is a really long pole I'd like to show you''.
Synopsis
Working as a Project Manager, Ella loves her job and her boyfriend. But when a big deal comes crashing down, and her boyfriend hands in his resignation to move to their rival company on the same day, Ella can't help but think he had some involvement in their failure.
It's then that Ella starts seeing his true colours and the narcissist he is. Accepting a job down south as a Construction Project Manager, Ella wishes for a start fresh. It's here she meets ruggedly handsome Noah, who is one of the construction workers.
As Ella navigates her new role as a construction Project Manager and her romance with Noah, something doesn't sit quite right with the orders.. and her new boss.
Thoughts
I started reading this and I thought 'this is strange' with how similar it is to the role I'm in! It's definitely a niche concept to write a story about construction and Project Managers, but I really enjoyed it.
The romance with Noah and Ella was adorable, and i was routing for them from the start.. especially after her ex boyfriend!
Really light hearted, fast paced and an enjoyable read.
'I can't believe I ever told him that I didn't belong here, because the truth is that I don't belong anywhere else'.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy. This review is voluntary.
December 19, 2023
An entertaining workplace romance that sees a newly fired and newly dumped woman starting over in a new career as construction site foreman where she uncovers corruption by her superior and falls for the site foreman at the same time. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Portia McIntosh.
Steam level: kissing only
Steam level: kissing only
October 23, 2023
Sehr cute, mochte die Charaktere und es war nicht so schlimm vorhersehbar wie es hätte sein können
Also nen easy read :)
Leider kein smut aber war auch ohne gut !
Also nen easy read :)
Leider kein smut aber war auch ohne gut !
January 27, 2025
A good palette cleaner after rebecca yarros had her way with me. The romance felt kind secondary to the FMCs stuff, especially since it takes almost half the book to even meet the MMC
December 31, 2025
4.25🌟 Really enjoyed this one! Quick, easy read with a cute storyline. Loved the characters
July 25, 2023
I’ll admit I’m not always the world’s biggest fan of books set in the workplace – I’ve been retired for quite a few years now, and it’s not somewhere I generally feel particularly comfortable. But this one – well, it couldn’t have been more perfect, because a large chunk of my working life was spent as a project manager. And I could really identify with Ella’s sense of pride and achievement as she put the finishing touches to her project plan, with its dependencies perfectly defined and the costs pinned down to the nearest penny. Things only go badly wrong when she hands it over to her partner Lee – a relationship they’ve kept hidden from their employers – and it turns out that he has an agenda all of his own. When he loses a lucrative contract, she becomes implicated in his actions – first suspended, then selected for redundancy when a series of cuts is implemented (and her relationship with Lee has rather reached the end of the road too).
Licking her wounds while staying with her family near Harrogate, she finds that project management jobs are thin on the ground in her home town of Leeds – but her sister Ava (she’s a great minor character – who makes some particularly timely and astute interventions too!) pushes her to apply for a project management job in Kent, working for a construction company building a new estate. Transferable skills, right? And Ava’s husband teaches her some of the terms she’ll come across, help her fit in a bit. But when she arrives, she discovers why the job fell into her lap so easily – it turns out there’s a bit of a scam going on, and one she’s unlikely to spot – as well as facing the everyday sexism of the builders who don’t feel a building site is somewhere “a bird” should be. But with the support and friendship of site manager Noah, the mutual respect starts to build – and she learns a whole new skill set helping him do up a house at the weekends, while their friendship begins to build into something rather more.
I really took Ella to my heart – her determination to do the right thing despite the personal consequences, the edge of steel she developed dealing with the complications of management and suppliers. And I loved the way she won over the workforce on the building site – her fiercest opponent John (who heads up the chippies) turning into a total teddy bear. The romance might come late in the story, with the initial focus on Ella’s need to decide her future path, but I must say it was everything I wanted it to be – Noah’s just the loveliest man (especially when compared to Lee…), and I really wanted them to get their happy ending. There’s plenty of humour, and the whole story is beautifully written and really hooked me in – and there are plenty of nicely-handled emotional moments too.
I really enjoyed this one – something a little different, and I’ll look forward to reading more from this talented author. A definite recommendation from me!
Licking her wounds while staying with her family near Harrogate, she finds that project management jobs are thin on the ground in her home town of Leeds – but her sister Ava (she’s a great minor character – who makes some particularly timely and astute interventions too!) pushes her to apply for a project management job in Kent, working for a construction company building a new estate. Transferable skills, right? And Ava’s husband teaches her some of the terms she’ll come across, help her fit in a bit. But when she arrives, she discovers why the job fell into her lap so easily – it turns out there’s a bit of a scam going on, and one she’s unlikely to spot – as well as facing the everyday sexism of the builders who don’t feel a building site is somewhere “a bird” should be. But with the support and friendship of site manager Noah, the mutual respect starts to build – and she learns a whole new skill set helping him do up a house at the weekends, while their friendship begins to build into something rather more.
I really took Ella to my heart – her determination to do the right thing despite the personal consequences, the edge of steel she developed dealing with the complications of management and suppliers. And I loved the way she won over the workforce on the building site – her fiercest opponent John (who heads up the chippies) turning into a total teddy bear. The romance might come late in the story, with the initial focus on Ella’s need to decide her future path, but I must say it was everything I wanted it to be – Noah’s just the loveliest man (especially when compared to Lee…), and I really wanted them to get their happy ending. There’s plenty of humour, and the whole story is beautifully written and really hooked me in – and there are plenty of nicely-handled emotional moments too.
I really enjoyed this one – something a little different, and I’ll look forward to reading more from this talented author. A definite recommendation from me!
July 9, 2023
Unfortunately, I didn’t really love this book. There were definitely things that I enjoyed about the book, but for a romance novel, the relationship took a back seat to the rest of the plot. The book had a lot going on and because of that everything seemed a bit rushed or condensed, which I think was part of the reason I didn’t feel that invested in Noah and Ella’s story. I also found myself a little too stressed when reading this novel because of everything Ella was juggling, between her shitty ex, work drama, and battling unemployment, this girl couldn’t catch a break.
My rating: 2 stars
I’d like to thank Pheobe MacLeod and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this ARC.
**Spoiler warning**
Things I liked:
I liked Ella as a character. I thought she was a strong independent woman, even if she at times was a touch too stubborn.
Pheobe MacLeod also did a great job describing visuals throughout the book which really helped me picture the story as I was reading along.
Things I disliked:
One of the main things I disliked about this book was the fact we don’t get to meet Noah’s character until halfway through the book. By then there wasn’t a lot of time to really develop his character and I didn’t find myself that interested in their relationship because it wasn’t really developed. Honestly, I wouldn’t consider this book a romance novel. It was more of a fiction book about Ella’s life that had romance as a subplot. There was so much going on in the book from her ex scamming their company to the queen bitch embezzling from her new job. There also was so much backstory leading up to Ella meeting Noah that this book sort of had two phases each with full plot arcs and it forced everything to be a bit too condensed for my liking.
Overall I think it wasn’t my cup of tea, but I enjoyed the overall concept.
My rating: 2 stars
I’d like to thank Pheobe MacLeod and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this ARC.
**Spoiler warning**
Things I liked:
I liked Ella as a character. I thought she was a strong independent woman, even if she at times was a touch too stubborn.
Pheobe MacLeod also did a great job describing visuals throughout the book which really helped me picture the story as I was reading along.
Things I disliked:
One of the main things I disliked about this book was the fact we don’t get to meet Noah’s character until halfway through the book. By then there wasn’t a lot of time to really develop his character and I didn’t find myself that interested in their relationship because it wasn’t really developed. Honestly, I wouldn’t consider this book a romance novel. It was more of a fiction book about Ella’s life that had romance as a subplot. There was so much going on in the book from her ex scamming their company to the queen bitch embezzling from her new job. There also was so much backstory leading up to Ella meeting Noah that this book sort of had two phases each with full plot arcs and it forced everything to be a bit too condensed for my liking.
Overall I think it wasn’t my cup of tea, but I enjoyed the overall concept.
June 28, 2023
I got an email from Boldwork Books saying that Phoebe MacLeod had a new book on NetGalley and asked if I was interested in her reading her next book. So I would like to thank NetGalley and Boldwork Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of Love at First Site in return for a review.
Play-by-play thoughts 👇🏻
I have a bad feeling about Lee.. for some reason I'm getting 13 going on 30 vibes where he is going to take this work and go to Harmony with it. 🫣
I'm not sure I love how she all of a sudden is talking to the reader "You may be wondering why Lee and I have to keep our relationship a secret." Also, this is our first time learning Lee is the boyfriend. I don't think it would have sounded weird if it just said "Lee and I have to keep our relationship a secret" and then explained why..
I feel like hiding a relationship would be so much work.
Lee seems like a controlling asshat. I'm getting 🚩🚩 vibes when she is getting dressed and putting makeup on after getting out of the shower.. the only time someone goes through all the trouble to redo all the things after a shower is if their significant other makes a point to desire it.. when you're at home for the night you should be comfortable after a shower.
Ahh! Lee is a liar! I knew he was no good. I wonder if the NHS people wanted to work with Lee regardless of where he worked, or if he had been in cahoots with Harmony before the pitch.
Poor Ella.. freaking Lee pulled her through it all too. That explains why he didn't want her to look over the pitch one last time the night before.
Holy hell. If he couldn't tell how properly pissed she was by that conversation he is either really dumb or he just has such high esteem for himself he doesn't think he anger will last.. honestly it could be both.
If she doesn't break up with Lee soon I'm going to freak. Let him sulk because you don't want to have sex, he has been a freaking dick!
I've never heard of the term redundant in terms of cutting people from work.
Oh snap, they fired Jonathan too!?
OMG! He lost that sale on purpose?! Ugh!
Oooh, she better be recording him talk about how he botched his sale on purpose!
Yasss!!
Wow, how did she not see the 🚩🚩 when he didn't want her name on the lease also?
Does Ava send the recording in? Oh I would love it if she did. Ava is my type of person. No beating around the bush, upfront..
Haha! Yes! She emailed the recording!
If it weren't for watching Bluey I never would have known what dob meant and I would have had to look it up when she said "dobs Lee in"
Oof. I would have accepted it just because it was in Kent and he had the attitude of not wanting to be a weekend boyfriend.
Good for her for leaving him!
Oh I'm nervous for her and what the living situation will be like..
Oh no. She took this job and she's going to end up losing money with the way Noah is describing it.
What the fuck! Lee is an absolute ass and I want to punch him in his face for the way he talks to Ella.
I know she ends up with Noah, but I hope it doesn't take long for her to realize it. I typically like a slow burn, but homegirl got shit on in her last relationship, she needs a better man ASAP.
Michael?
Oh this John is going to be a thorn in Ella's side until she does something to impress him. He's going to be one of her biggest fans by the end of the book I'm guessing.
Deborah is doing something shady with this building site, that's why she will only work with that particular supplier and why Christopher's daughter isn't a fan of her.
I had to Google repointing. I thought it was a possible type-o that was supposed to say repainting.
Scaffolding sounds like a euphemism 😂
I don't think I've ever been attracted to a man who could construct a house from the studs before, but hot damn is it a turn on reading Noah describe the work he's doing in the house. 😂
I'm so glad that Ava thought the same thing about the scaffolding
Awe, "John" admires Ella! I knew he was going to warm up to her. Also, I love that he gave himself a nickname..
Okay, maybe John is his real name and Ted is the nickname..
This day that Noah planned definitely screams date to me.
Noooo!! That kiss was spectacular. Why did she have to come up her senses?
Oh gross. If someone talked to me like Lee talked to Ella during sex I'd never have sex with them again.
Lee never drove her to work even though work knew they were flatmates?? Ass.
She is way overthinking the whole meeting his family thing. I met my husbands family only a few weeks of us knowing each other, before we were even boyfriend/girlfriend.
Look at Ella and Noah making moves. It's going to piss Deborah off, but I like it!
😳 Oh Deborah! What does she have cooked up with Williamsons that she NEEDS to be working with them?
😭😭 Her reaction to him asking her to move in. The fact that he isn't asking her for rent like she expected.
Her blaming this situation on it being an office romance is bullshit because none of it has to do with them working together.
Yess!! Christopher! I'm wondering if either a) the workers on the project went on a strike or b) Noah reached out to Christopher because of her being fired.
Oof awkward Christopher wants to meet at Lee's families pub.
Lee told his family Ella wasn't taking the break up well?? Meaning they think he broke up with her?? Of course he did. Narcissistic ass.
Lee works at the pub now?? What happened to his awesome wonderful job at Harmony? Oh that's golden.
Ooh. The recording lost him his job I bet.
I don't understand why she dislikes Christopher so much when he wasn't the rude one she dealt with during her employment.
Deborah was stealing the bonuses!! 😮
Yesss!! I guessed they went on a strike!
Ahhh!! Yes!!
Does she move in with Noah or back into the caravan? When Abby comes to stay is she going to stay in the caravan? Does Christopher know how bad the caravan was?
I love that the last chapter answered 2/3 of my questions. Ella moved in with Noah and Abby stayed with John and Roberta.
I love that Ella and Noah are keeping the house they worked on together.
Overall opinion:
Okay, so here's what I think, I think that Phoebe did a phenomenal job. Lee was a dick from the beginning and I didn't understand why Ella was with him, but isn't that what makes it realistic? My last relationship was with someone many people didn't understand why I was with. Ella taking a job where she was unsure of and trying hard to stick to her "no office romance" was enjoyable. 5/5 would recommend.
Play-by-play thoughts 👇🏻
I have a bad feeling about Lee.. for some reason I'm getting 13 going on 30 vibes where he is going to take this work and go to Harmony with it. 🫣
I'm not sure I love how she all of a sudden is talking to the reader "You may be wondering why Lee and I have to keep our relationship a secret." Also, this is our first time learning Lee is the boyfriend. I don't think it would have sounded weird if it just said "Lee and I have to keep our relationship a secret" and then explained why..
I feel like hiding a relationship would be so much work.
Lee seems like a controlling asshat. I'm getting 🚩🚩 vibes when she is getting dressed and putting makeup on after getting out of the shower.. the only time someone goes through all the trouble to redo all the things after a shower is if their significant other makes a point to desire it.. when you're at home for the night you should be comfortable after a shower.
Ahh! Lee is a liar! I knew he was no good. I wonder if the NHS people wanted to work with Lee regardless of where he worked, or if he had been in cahoots with Harmony before the pitch.
Poor Ella.. freaking Lee pulled her through it all too. That explains why he didn't want her to look over the pitch one last time the night before.
Holy hell. If he couldn't tell how properly pissed she was by that conversation he is either really dumb or he just has such high esteem for himself he doesn't think he anger will last.. honestly it could be both.
If she doesn't break up with Lee soon I'm going to freak. Let him sulk because you don't want to have sex, he has been a freaking dick!
I've never heard of the term redundant in terms of cutting people from work.
Oh snap, they fired Jonathan too!?
OMG! He lost that sale on purpose?! Ugh!
Oooh, she better be recording him talk about how he botched his sale on purpose!
Yasss!!
Wow, how did she not see the 🚩🚩 when he didn't want her name on the lease also?
Does Ava send the recording in? Oh I would love it if she did. Ava is my type of person. No beating around the bush, upfront..
Haha! Yes! She emailed the recording!
If it weren't for watching Bluey I never would have known what dob meant and I would have had to look it up when she said "dobs Lee in"
Oof. I would have accepted it just because it was in Kent and he had the attitude of not wanting to be a weekend boyfriend.
Good for her for leaving him!
Oh I'm nervous for her and what the living situation will be like..
Oh no. She took this job and she's going to end up losing money with the way Noah is describing it.
What the fuck! Lee is an absolute ass and I want to punch him in his face for the way he talks to Ella.
I know she ends up with Noah, but I hope it doesn't take long for her to realize it. I typically like a slow burn, but homegirl got shit on in her last relationship, she needs a better man ASAP.
Michael?
Oh this John is going to be a thorn in Ella's side until she does something to impress him. He's going to be one of her biggest fans by the end of the book I'm guessing.
Deborah is doing something shady with this building site, that's why she will only work with that particular supplier and why Christopher's daughter isn't a fan of her.
I had to Google repointing. I thought it was a possible type-o that was supposed to say repainting.
Scaffolding sounds like a euphemism 😂
I don't think I've ever been attracted to a man who could construct a house from the studs before, but hot damn is it a turn on reading Noah describe the work he's doing in the house. 😂
I'm so glad that Ava thought the same thing about the scaffolding
Awe, "John" admires Ella! I knew he was going to warm up to her. Also, I love that he gave himself a nickname..
Okay, maybe John is his real name and Ted is the nickname..
This day that Noah planned definitely screams date to me.
Noooo!! That kiss was spectacular. Why did she have to come up her senses?
Oh gross. If someone talked to me like Lee talked to Ella during sex I'd never have sex with them again.
Lee never drove her to work even though work knew they were flatmates?? Ass.
She is way overthinking the whole meeting his family thing. I met my husbands family only a few weeks of us knowing each other, before we were even boyfriend/girlfriend.
Look at Ella and Noah making moves. It's going to piss Deborah off, but I like it!
😳 Oh Deborah! What does she have cooked up with Williamsons that she NEEDS to be working with them?
😭😭 Her reaction to him asking her to move in. The fact that he isn't asking her for rent like she expected.
Her blaming this situation on it being an office romance is bullshit because none of it has to do with them working together.
Yess!! Christopher! I'm wondering if either a) the workers on the project went on a strike or b) Noah reached out to Christopher because of her being fired.
Oof awkward Christopher wants to meet at Lee's families pub.
Lee told his family Ella wasn't taking the break up well?? Meaning they think he broke up with her?? Of course he did. Narcissistic ass.
Lee works at the pub now?? What happened to his awesome wonderful job at Harmony? Oh that's golden.
Ooh. The recording lost him his job I bet.
I don't understand why she dislikes Christopher so much when he wasn't the rude one she dealt with during her employment.
Deborah was stealing the bonuses!! 😮
Yesss!! I guessed they went on a strike!
Ahhh!! Yes!!
Does she move in with Noah or back into the caravan? When Abby comes to stay is she going to stay in the caravan? Does Christopher know how bad the caravan was?
I love that the last chapter answered 2/3 of my questions. Ella moved in with Noah and Abby stayed with John and Roberta.
I love that Ella and Noah are keeping the house they worked on together.
Overall opinion:
Okay, so here's what I think, I think that Phoebe did a phenomenal job. Lee was a dick from the beginning and I didn't understand why Ella was with him, but isn't that what makes it realistic? My last relationship was with someone many people didn't understand why I was with. Ella taking a job where she was unsure of and trying hard to stick to her "no office romance" was enjoyable. 5/5 would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
So apparently this book is supposed to be a romance novel... but we don't even meet the love interest until almost halfway through the book and then the romance takes even longer to even occur.
The FMC is so well written, she is confident and knows what she wants in life. However, the MMC is just sort of... just... there???? I honestly can't remember anything about him he is THAT unmemorable.
It's a well written book but wasn't enough to save me from being bored and confused.
The FMC is so well written, she is confident and knows what she wants in life. However, the MMC is just sort of... just... there???? I honestly can't remember anything about him he is THAT unmemorable.
It's a well written book but wasn't enough to save me from being bored and confused.
June 30, 2024
….snoozefest.
September 13, 2023
This was a very quick fast paced read centered around Ella, a project manager, and a whole slew of professional woes (and tons of shady ish happening around her) - definitely a women's fiction novel but I don't know that I would categorize this as a romance. I will say however, for everything that's been dumped on Ella, she wasn't even close to being insufferable. She rolled with it and was extremely realistic and that was quite frankly very refreshing!
We spend the first half (yes half) on her relationship with her coworker Lee, they'd been together for years but with a clause forbidding work place romances, they had to keep it under wraps until he pulls some corporate espionage type b.s. and she's made redundant because of it. Realizing that he has his best interest at heart rather than theirs she takes a job in another area in construction, an industry she knows nothing about.
Now the blurb made it seem like Noah would have a bigger part to play in this story, and I was definitely here for that part of the plot. But we don't even meet him til halfway through the book! It spends another 25% of them just being friends before finally one kiss at like 75/80% and, truly I think the book would have worked better with them just as friends. We don't really see any chemistry and if I hadn't have known better I would have expected the second half to be focused on her reconciling with Lee (which thankfully she did not, he was an ass!!) Overall Noah and Ella's friendship was very intentional and i loved that aspect. After her previous foray into a workplace romance she was guarded but the two had the best of coworkers in their corners to get them on track with the third act break/reconciliation. But the second half was sooooo rushed (plus the addition of another workplace sabatoge plot!) with how everything is buttoned up I wanted more of the romance aspect. All in all a cute one sitting read and we all know I love an English countryside setting 😊
Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!
We spend the first half (yes half) on her relationship with her coworker Lee, they'd been together for years but with a clause forbidding work place romances, they had to keep it under wraps until he pulls some corporate espionage type b.s. and she's made redundant because of it. Realizing that he has his best interest at heart rather than theirs she takes a job in another area in construction, an industry she knows nothing about.
Now the blurb made it seem like Noah would have a bigger part to play in this story, and I was definitely here for that part of the plot. But we don't even meet him til halfway through the book! It spends another 25% of them just being friends before finally one kiss at like 75/80% and, truly I think the book would have worked better with them just as friends. We don't really see any chemistry and if I hadn't have known better I would have expected the second half to be focused on her reconciling with Lee (which thankfully she did not, he was an ass!!) Overall Noah and Ella's friendship was very intentional and i loved that aspect. After her previous foray into a workplace romance she was guarded but the two had the best of coworkers in their corners to get them on track with the third act break/reconciliation. But the second half was sooooo rushed (plus the addition of another workplace sabatoge plot!) with how everything is buttoned up I wanted more of the romance aspect. All in all a cute one sitting read and we all know I love an English countryside setting 😊
Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!
June 21, 2023
Love at First Site by Phoebe MacLeod is a low stakes story about a woman learning what she's worth.
Ella thrives on organisation making her the perfect project manager. However she and colleague Lee have been breaking the company's no relationships rule and have been a live-in couple for the past five years. This ruse implodes when Lee sabotages an important contract bid and jumps ship to a rival firm, leaving Ella without a job and her relationship in tatters.
With no choice but to accept a job in Kent as a project manager for a construction company, she battles low level sexism, toxic boss and the 'caravan of shit', all while fighting an attraction to site foreman Noah. Ella has the scorch marks from being involved with a colleague and doesn't want to be back where she started if it all goes pear shaped.
Ella is clever, organised and resourceful. She has to earn the respect of the men who don't like 'birds' on construction sites. Noah is the antithesis of selfish, narcissistic Lee. He's supportive, helps her learn the industry and treats her with respect.
Phoebe MacLeod writes another engaging story that hits the spot when you just want to escape the world for a while and not feel like you've been put through the wringer.
However, I think the emotional beats didn't quite land as hard as I believe had the potential to do so. There was conflict set up, but it resolved itself quickly. The plot involving Ella's rebellion to spite the toxic boss is quashed quickly and the wider mystery was solved off book. A real shame as that plot had potential to be part of Ella's character growth arc (plus showing more comradery with her sexist colleagues), but instead it landed flat.
Overall this is a solid, fun book with engaging characters you can breeze right through. Add this to your holiday TBR pile.
Thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the ARC.
Ella thrives on organisation making her the perfect project manager. However she and colleague Lee have been breaking the company's no relationships rule and have been a live-in couple for the past five years. This ruse implodes when Lee sabotages an important contract bid and jumps ship to a rival firm, leaving Ella without a job and her relationship in tatters.
With no choice but to accept a job in Kent as a project manager for a construction company, she battles low level sexism, toxic boss and the 'caravan of shit', all while fighting an attraction to site foreman Noah. Ella has the scorch marks from being involved with a colleague and doesn't want to be back where she started if it all goes pear shaped.
Ella is clever, organised and resourceful. She has to earn the respect of the men who don't like 'birds' on construction sites. Noah is the antithesis of selfish, narcissistic Lee. He's supportive, helps her learn the industry and treats her with respect.
Phoebe MacLeod writes another engaging story that hits the spot when you just want to escape the world for a while and not feel like you've been put through the wringer.
However, I think the emotional beats didn't quite land as hard as I believe had the potential to do so. There was conflict set up, but it resolved itself quickly. The plot involving Ella's rebellion to spite the toxic boss is quashed quickly and the wider mystery was solved off book. A real shame as that plot had potential to be part of Ella's character growth arc (plus showing more comradery with her sexist colleagues), but instead it landed flat.
Overall this is a solid, fun book with engaging characters you can breeze right through. Add this to your holiday TBR pile.
Thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the ARC.
October 10, 2023
Love at First Site is a nice easy romance to fall in love with.
This book is perfect for those romance readers who love to read a workplace romance but are looking for something different. What really drew me to this book was that it takes place on a construction site, which is the field of work I am in. It was the first time I could connect with what the main characters did professionally, and I loved it. I laughed at all the construction site shenanigans. The overall story is cute, funny, and romantic, which is everything I love in my romance books. I enjoyed the unique and fresh story Phoebe created for her readers. It just made reading this book so much more delightful.
I found myself quickly rooting for Ella as she struggled to show her co-workers that she belonged on the construction site. It is not always easy to be the only woman on a construction site, something I can relate to. But I love my job and colleagues, no matter how rough around the edges they can be. I think that is why I connect with Ella’s professional journey so much because I could relate to what she was going through. I adored Noah, he was such a swoontastic hero, and I just love how he supported and treated Ella. All the secondary characters are fabulous and help give the story depth and keep the plot moving. Once again, the different workplace setting breathed new life into that typical workplace trope, making Ella and Noah’s relationship much more enjoyable to watch as it unfolded.
Click on the link to read more of our reviews on our blog: https://romancebythebook.com/book-rev...
This book is perfect for those romance readers who love to read a workplace romance but are looking for something different. What really drew me to this book was that it takes place on a construction site, which is the field of work I am in. It was the first time I could connect with what the main characters did professionally, and I loved it. I laughed at all the construction site shenanigans. The overall story is cute, funny, and romantic, which is everything I love in my romance books. I enjoyed the unique and fresh story Phoebe created for her readers. It just made reading this book so much more delightful.
I found myself quickly rooting for Ella as she struggled to show her co-workers that she belonged on the construction site. It is not always easy to be the only woman on a construction site, something I can relate to. But I love my job and colleagues, no matter how rough around the edges they can be. I think that is why I connect with Ella’s professional journey so much because I could relate to what she was going through. I adored Noah, he was such a swoontastic hero, and I just love how he supported and treated Ella. All the secondary characters are fabulous and help give the story depth and keep the plot moving. Once again, the different workplace setting breathed new life into that typical workplace trope, making Ella and Noah’s relationship much more enjoyable to watch as it unfolded.
Click on the link to read more of our reviews on our blog: https://romancebythebook.com/book-rev...
July 20, 2024
Ella has a job she loves and is in a secret relationship with her colleague Lee. But her whole life falls apart one Monday morning when her boss tells her that Lee has been involved with shady dealings with another company. Now she is out of work and out of love, attempting to create a new start for herself...
Love at First Site is a light-hearted romantic comedy about rising from the ashes.
Ella knows she isn't supposed to date a colleague but she and Lee couldnt resist each other. Now her whole world has crumbled as she loses her job after his dodgy actions and she sees his selfish ways at last. She heads off for a fresh start, pushing away from her comfort zone. I liked her bravery and spark which shine through once she stops being naively trusting of Lee.
Ella's fresh start doesn't go smoothly which provides plenty of gentle humour. She meets Noah whose thoughtful behaviour shows her how awful Lee really was. Obviously Ella is wary about having any romantic notions after her last disaster but I was rooting for her to get together with Noah who was soooo lovely.
The book is written in the first person so we get to know Ella really well and explore her emotions, choices and actions. I wanted to scream and shout at her at the beginning for being so trusting and always putting her own needs second. She is a nice person so I wanted her to find happiness. Her fresh start is fraught with difficulties and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was invested in her success as the plot developed.
Love at First Site is a warm and enjoyable book about new beginnings.
Love at First Site is a light-hearted romantic comedy about rising from the ashes.
Ella knows she isn't supposed to date a colleague but she and Lee couldnt resist each other. Now her whole world has crumbled as she loses her job after his dodgy actions and she sees his selfish ways at last. She heads off for a fresh start, pushing away from her comfort zone. I liked her bravery and spark which shine through once she stops being naively trusting of Lee.
Ella's fresh start doesn't go smoothly which provides plenty of gentle humour. She meets Noah whose thoughtful behaviour shows her how awful Lee really was. Obviously Ella is wary about having any romantic notions after her last disaster but I was rooting for her to get together with Noah who was soooo lovely.
The book is written in the first person so we get to know Ella really well and explore her emotions, choices and actions. I wanted to scream and shout at her at the beginning for being so trusting and always putting her own needs second. She is a nice person so I wanted her to find happiness. Her fresh start is fraught with difficulties and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was invested in her success as the plot developed.
Love at First Site is a warm and enjoyable book about new beginnings.
June 23, 2023
Wow, talk about someone's life being taken out by the selfish actions of another in one single move. That's exactly what happens to Ella. Though I was just waiting for the axe to drop I have to admit that I didn't exactly expect it to happen the way it did. So massive kudos for swinging it that way, unexpected, harsh and eye-opening.
When Ella's world implodes and she has to roll with it, understandably she's more than a little shell-shocked, but I admired her for not only standing her ground, but for doing what she should have done right from the beginning. Lee was just a jerk and all the way through the book I wanted him to get what was coming to him.
I enjoyed the story, loved the relationships that Ella built in her new life (though I am confused, is he Noah or Michael?) and liked that it wasn't based in a world I am familiar with. Sure, everyone has walked by a building site a time or two (when I was growing up my school was right next to a building site that was active the entire 7 years I was at the school - comprehensive and sixth form), but I loved how Ella proved herself capable and eventually won the respect of the men who were initially cautious around her.
The love story was almost secondary to Ella's growth and building of self-awareness (both things that she struggled with). I liked that she learned to let go, and adjusted so well to her life.
Overall, not what I was expecting, and I liked it because of that.
When Ella's world implodes and she has to roll with it, understandably she's more than a little shell-shocked, but I admired her for not only standing her ground, but for doing what she should have done right from the beginning. Lee was just a jerk and all the way through the book I wanted him to get what was coming to him.
I enjoyed the story, loved the relationships that Ella built in her new life (though I am confused, is he Noah or Michael?) and liked that it wasn't based in a world I am familiar with. Sure, everyone has walked by a building site a time or two (when I was growing up my school was right next to a building site that was active the entire 7 years I was at the school - comprehensive and sixth form), but I loved how Ella proved herself capable and eventually won the respect of the men who were initially cautious around her.
The love story was almost secondary to Ella's growth and building of self-awareness (both things that she struggled with). I liked that she learned to let go, and adjusted so well to her life.
Overall, not what I was expecting, and I liked it because of that.
September 5, 2023
Ella goes from having it all to being forced to leave Leeds and move to Ashford for a new job. She was doing great at her prior company and even due for a promotion. She also had a boyfriend, who was a colleague and she had to secretly date due to her company's strict policy of not dating co-workers. Her promotion hinges on winning a big contract, but then it goes to their competitor. Ella's boyfriend, Lee, quits his job and goes to work for the competitor, and the timing is pretty suspicious. When Lee is suspected of sabotaging the presentation and is investigated, HR learns of her relationship with him and is fired and is implicated in his actions. Ella temporarily moves back home and applies for a project management job for a construction site. Not necessarily her area of expertise, but she'll take what she can get at this point. She's got a lot to learn, as well as face prejudice about women being on the site, but the site manager, Noah, provides her with much support and encouragement, really taking her under his wing. The friendship that initially develops between them begins to blossom into something more.
This was a very cute, light-hearted, and entertaining story with strong, likable characters and it was easy to get completely engrossed in the story. An enjoyable story which I am glad to have had the opportunity to read!
I received a complimentary copy from Boldwood Books and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
This was a very cute, light-hearted, and entertaining story with strong, likable characters and it was easy to get completely engrossed in the story. An enjoyable story which I am glad to have had the opportunity to read!
I received a complimentary copy from Boldwood Books and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
June 26, 2023
First thought: Its a very cute story, but very niche in my opinion. If you love books set in England and the world of construction this one is 100% you!
Ella is a project manger who made a bad choice in guys. Her ex cost her the job she loved, the place she called home and 5 years of her life. Now having to start over she finds herself in a new city and working on a construction site as a project manger. Things are definitely not going to plan for her!
Meet Noah a handsome construction site manger who is now Ella’s new working mate. He is a good guy with no baggage who spends his spare time flipping houses. He instantly takes her under his wing and helps her learn the ropes.
This novel is told in only from Ella’s perspective I think it would have been awesome to have the dual and get inside Noah’s head as well. This book has a lot of construction talk in it and I felt I had to learn a new vocabulary at times to keep up. Also this book is based in England which I love. But a heads up there are a lot of new words and slang and you may need to use google a few times.
Overall this book is well written it has fun humor, great character development and is a quick read. For me it was little lacking in the romance it’s very G rated with a slow burn that’s wrapped very quickly!
Ella is a project manger who made a bad choice in guys. Her ex cost her the job she loved, the place she called home and 5 years of her life. Now having to start over she finds herself in a new city and working on a construction site as a project manger. Things are definitely not going to plan for her!
Meet Noah a handsome construction site manger who is now Ella’s new working mate. He is a good guy with no baggage who spends his spare time flipping houses. He instantly takes her under his wing and helps her learn the ropes.
This novel is told in only from Ella’s perspective I think it would have been awesome to have the dual and get inside Noah’s head as well. This book has a lot of construction talk in it and I felt I had to learn a new vocabulary at times to keep up. Also this book is based in England which I love. But a heads up there are a lot of new words and slang and you may need to use google a few times.
Overall this book is well written it has fun humor, great character development and is a quick read. For me it was little lacking in the romance it’s very G rated with a slow burn that’s wrapped very quickly!
July 13, 2023
Tricky to rate and to explain…
A different sort of a romance that focuses on the journey of the fmc rather than the romance. Ella is stuck in a bad relationship which costs her the job she loves. She goes to work at a building site and meets Noah who helps her navigate this new job.
There are some things I loved about this book and some things I didn’t enjoy.
I loved Ella and how she tackles everything that happens to her with bravery and class.
I loved the side characters and their banter with the leads.
Loved learning about project management from different perspectives.
This is the first romance I read where you get to see the relationship break down in such detail. Usually when you are reading you get the very end or just hear about what happened. In this book the first half is about Ella’s failing relationship with Lee. We don’t see any romantic interaction till 3/4 way through the book!
I really would have liked to see the relationship between Ella and Noah develop in more detail.
It was still a compelling read as long as you don’t put too much weight on the romance.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A different sort of a romance that focuses on the journey of the fmc rather than the romance. Ella is stuck in a bad relationship which costs her the job she loves. She goes to work at a building site and meets Noah who helps her navigate this new job.
There are some things I loved about this book and some things I didn’t enjoy.
I loved Ella and how she tackles everything that happens to her with bravery and class.
I loved the side characters and their banter with the leads.
Loved learning about project management from different perspectives.
This is the first romance I read where you get to see the relationship break down in such detail. Usually when you are reading you get the very end or just hear about what happened. In this book the first half is about Ella’s failing relationship with Lee. We don’t see any romantic interaction till 3/4 way through the book!
I really would have liked to see the relationship between Ella and Noah develop in more detail.
It was still a compelling read as long as you don’t put too much weight on the romance.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 25, 2023
As long as you reckon this isn't a romance per se (it's more chick-lit with a small serving of romance sprinkled in), then get on for the ride and enjoy this one. Loved how easy it was to fall into the prose and just read along - didn't feel like a slog at all. There's also a lot happening with Ella, and again, as long as you remember it's not a romance, then all the exposure to the intricacies of her life and especially the time with Lee don't feel like too much and we need to get on with it. It really builds the whole tale, and we see a lot of Ella in there in a way it wouldn't have been possible if the author had glossed over all that.
Loved to Ella coming into her own, especially on the building site (John turned out entirely adorable - never thought I'd say that when I met him), and then the whole subplot with Deborah had me hooked and I was dying to know what was going on there (the resolution to that one felt a little blipped over, but I can accept it had to happen that way).
Overall, an easy and enjoyable read perfect for time at the beach, the pool, or cozied up at home with a hot drink and a blanket
Loved to Ella coming into her own, especially on the building site (John turned out entirely adorable - never thought I'd say that when I met him), and then the whole subplot with Deborah had me hooked and I was dying to know what was going on there (the resolution to that one felt a little blipped over, but I can accept it had to happen that way).
Overall, an easy and enjoyable read perfect for time at the beach, the pool, or cozied up at home with a hot drink and a blanket
June 21, 2023
I absolutely loved this book!! It also is a reasonable size so great if you are looking for a quick read to get you out of a reading slump, firstly I want to say I couldn’t stand Lee!
It was great to see Ella recover from her situation at Orchestra and omg Noah…. He’s a lovely gentleman that helps Ella settle into her new job and learn the ropes (couldn’t get over how sweet he was).
The plot of the book is very good, the fact that Ella is working on a building site which even now is not seen as socially acceptable for woman and I think it was portrayed perfectly. It’s so nice to see how she wins the men over and proves her worth. The blossoming of Ella’s and Noah’s romance had me wanting to find out what the next chapter holds.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It was great to see Ella recover from her situation at Orchestra and omg Noah…. He’s a lovely gentleman that helps Ella settle into her new job and learn the ropes (couldn’t get over how sweet he was).
The plot of the book is very good, the fact that Ella is working on a building site which even now is not seen as socially acceptable for woman and I think it was portrayed perfectly. It’s so nice to see how she wins the men over and proves her worth. The blossoming of Ella’s and Noah’s romance had me wanting to find out what the next chapter holds.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2023
Love Phoebe MacLeod stories, this one is no exception.
Ella, a project manager, lost her job because of her secret bf and the no fraternization policy. She eventually found a job at a construction site. She has to fight back the male put downs and resolve delays in receiving supplies to ensure the ability to achieve milestones on time.
She has a boss from hell, who is running a scam and the reason she hired Ella was because she has no back ground in construction. She was also assigned the Caravan of hell because of how dirty it is inside and outside. Against all these hurtles, she was able to carve out a way to survive and fall in love.
an amazing read.
Ella, a project manager, lost her job because of her secret bf and the no fraternization policy. She eventually found a job at a construction site. She has to fight back the male put downs and resolve delays in receiving supplies to ensure the ability to achieve milestones on time.
She has a boss from hell, who is running a scam and the reason she hired Ella was because she has no back ground in construction. She was also assigned the Caravan of hell because of how dirty it is inside and outside. Against all these hurtles, she was able to carve out a way to survive and fall in love.
an amazing read.
January 7, 2024
Enjoyable and engaging read
Ella is successful at her job as project manager and living with her boyfriend of the same company, which is a huge taboo at the company.
All of this comes unravelled when her boyfriend lee does the dirty on her in their professional role. Leaving Ella without a job and disillusioned with their relationship. Ella goes on a job hunt and finds someone willing to employ her and she gets an offer in a area od business she doesnt know in a new part of the country.
The meeting between Noah and Ella was sweet and it was good to see Ella getting on well in a male orientated world.
For my liking there could be a bit more steam but overall it was an easy read and wasn't overly sweet and saccharine. The characters were well developed and the plot line was well thought out.
An enjoyable read.
Ella is successful at her job as project manager and living with her boyfriend of the same company, which is a huge taboo at the company.
All of this comes unravelled when her boyfriend lee does the dirty on her in their professional role. Leaving Ella without a job and disillusioned with their relationship. Ella goes on a job hunt and finds someone willing to employ her and she gets an offer in a area od business she doesnt know in a new part of the country.
The meeting between Noah and Ella was sweet and it was good to see Ella getting on well in a male orientated world.
For my liking there could be a bit more steam but overall it was an easy read and wasn't overly sweet and saccharine. The characters were well developed and the plot line was well thought out.
An enjoyable read.
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