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First Comes Love #1-3
First Comes Love: Omnibus Edition Books 1-3
A second chance at first love...
An office romance...
A fake boyfriend for the holidays...
An office romance...
A fake boyfriend for the holidays...
590 pages, ebook
Published April 27, 2019
66 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Camilla Isley
54 books2,928 followers
Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.
She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you're a vampire, of course.
Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She's a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn't want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 14, 2020
First Comes Love by Camilla Isley includes three of her first books: Love Connection, I Have Never and A Christmas Date. Each of the stories can be read independently from one another but they do have a few crossovers. You can even find the books published separately if you choose.
Love Connection, the first story, was my favorite. Gemma is sitting in an airport with two tickets to two different destinations. One is for the wedding of her best friend; the other is to stop the wedding of her first real love. She ponders the outcome of each and then decides – but is it the right choice? Love Connection actually allows you, the reader, to see the outcome each way and to follow Gemma’s path of self-discovery. It it a thoughtful, well written and humorous story of love, choices and consequences.
The latter two, I Have Never and A Christmas Date, are both fairly typical ROMCOMs. They will make you laugh out loud, I promise you will, and perhaps even cry a little. Camilla Isley writes poignant love stories that are sure to touch each of you, especially on this day of love. This is my first venture into her writing and I will be sure to watch for her future releases.
Love Connection, the first story, was my favorite. Gemma is sitting in an airport with two tickets to two different destinations. One is for the wedding of her best friend; the other is to stop the wedding of her first real love. She ponders the outcome of each and then decides – but is it the right choice? Love Connection actually allows you, the reader, to see the outcome each way and to follow Gemma’s path of self-discovery. It it a thoughtful, well written and humorous story of love, choices and consequences.
The latter two, I Have Never and A Christmas Date, are both fairly typical ROMCOMs. They will make you laugh out loud, I promise you will, and perhaps even cry a little. Camilla Isley writes poignant love stories that are sure to touch each of you, especially on this day of love. This is my first venture into her writing and I will be sure to watch for her future releases.
April 25, 2023
An amazing box set of three adorable sweet romances…
My favorite was I Have Never, but I truly love everything this author writes.
My favorite was I Have Never, but I truly love everything this author writes.
January 6, 2020
I really love the storys in this book. It's funny, speedy en with lots of love
Love Connection
This is a great “what if” love story and I love it.
Gemma lives in Londen and is travelling to America. Sitting at the airport with two plane tickets she has to make a choice between destinations. Choice one is to LA to be a bridesmaid on her best friend’s wedding, or skipping that one and travel to Chicago and crash the wedding of the love of her life, and tell him she loves him.
She makes a decision… But what if she made the other decision? Is real love strong enough to find its way?
This novel is great, because it’s tells the stories of Gemma after both choices. One chapter is the story of Gemma after choice one, the next chapter is the story of Gemma after choice two (and so on). It’s brilliant, and the similarities between the different parts are fun to discover.
I have never
A great lovely and funny story. I love the characters, I love the humor.
Blair is working hard to get the position of Junior fashion editor. But when the time is ready and the job is vacant, it’s forfilled by someone else, and Blair gets fired. The same day her boyfriend is breaking up instead of asking her to get married. Blair is furious and starts a scene, one of the things on her list of 29 things ‘never tot do’ she is breaking. It’s the start of a brand new lifestyle and skipping the list it’s the best Blair ever could do. With a new job and and hot boss there is trouble, but also lots of fun.
I have never is an original story and it works out great.
A Christmas Date
I Love this story, even it’s a little predictable and not very original, the characters are great. Nikki hates christmas. Spending time with her family is no fun. All they want to know is when she's setteling with a man. When sister Julia wil get married with Paul and takes him home for christmas, Nikkie decides to rent a guy as a boyfriend.
It's a great story to read. No weaning about doubts, no constantly repeating about those doubts, but a strong women who dare to make choices en act strongly. The story is modern and speedy. It’s nice to meet characters from a previous story again. So is Nikki the roommate of Blair and is she playing a part in this book again. With handsome man, a nice dog, al lot of cats and a great setting around christmas with family and some trouble between sisters is A Christmas date a lovely romantic story for all times.
Love Connection
This is a great “what if” love story and I love it.
Gemma lives in Londen and is travelling to America. Sitting at the airport with two plane tickets she has to make a choice between destinations. Choice one is to LA to be a bridesmaid on her best friend’s wedding, or skipping that one and travel to Chicago and crash the wedding of the love of her life, and tell him she loves him.
She makes a decision… But what if she made the other decision? Is real love strong enough to find its way?
This novel is great, because it’s tells the stories of Gemma after both choices. One chapter is the story of Gemma after choice one, the next chapter is the story of Gemma after choice two (and so on). It’s brilliant, and the similarities between the different parts are fun to discover.
I have never
A great lovely and funny story. I love the characters, I love the humor.
Blair is working hard to get the position of Junior fashion editor. But when the time is ready and the job is vacant, it’s forfilled by someone else, and Blair gets fired. The same day her boyfriend is breaking up instead of asking her to get married. Blair is furious and starts a scene, one of the things on her list of 29 things ‘never tot do’ she is breaking. It’s the start of a brand new lifestyle and skipping the list it’s the best Blair ever could do. With a new job and and hot boss there is trouble, but also lots of fun.
I have never is an original story and it works out great.
A Christmas Date
I Love this story, even it’s a little predictable and not very original, the characters are great. Nikki hates christmas. Spending time with her family is no fun. All they want to know is when she's setteling with a man. When sister Julia wil get married with Paul and takes him home for christmas, Nikkie decides to rent a guy as a boyfriend.
It's a great story to read. No weaning about doubts, no constantly repeating about those doubts, but a strong women who dare to make choices en act strongly. The story is modern and speedy. It’s nice to meet characters from a previous story again. So is Nikki the roommate of Blair and is she playing a part in this book again. With handsome man, a nice dog, al lot of cats and a great setting around christmas with family and some trouble between sisters is A Christmas date a lovely romantic story for all times.
October 15, 2019
Rare and wonderfully told novel, two points of view but from the same character. When finding a life turning decision, this book lets you explore both paths. So different and entertaining. I am excited to read more from this author.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
October 22, 2019
2 stars (Spoilers near end of review, don’t worry I’ll warn you)
Thanks to Netgalley for granting me an ARC of First Comes Love in exchange for an honest review.
I really had high hopes for this book. I was coming off a light & fun, but still smart, romance (The Bookish Life of Nina Hill) and thought I’ll give another romance a go. In fairness, I should tell you this is a DNF. I’ve finally given up on p. 213, which is more than I give most books, but seeing as this was an ARC I gave it a little more time. I started into the second story which seemed promising but then smart goal-driven girl is quickly reduced to “ooh hot guy might be my boss, how will I ever handle this?“
First let me say that there were some great qualities to the plot concept in story one, told in alternating timelines of the same characters, and good parts here and there throughout the first story surrounding Gemma and Jake. If you’re going to read it you’re going to need to employ a serious suspension of disbelief, which I’m okay with. However, there are a lot of “coincidences” that have to happen for things to “fall” into place that go so far beyond suspension of disbelief and fall trap to a story that hasn’t been well developed. Secondly if you’re thinking of picking this up you better want to read something cloyingly sweet, almost sickeningly so. Barf.
It’s the shallow character development that really lost it for me. First, you have Gemma a lawyer with big goals & dreams who walked away from her first love, Jake, who is a doctor with big goals & dreams of his own. In order to go after her career dreams that she’s had forever, Gemma moves across the Atlantic to be a hard goal-driven lawyer and breaks up with Jake so he can be free to pursue his own big dreams and goals. Then she refuses to answer his letters and calls/texts. How about having a conversation with each other and talking it through before going nuclear?
But then Gemma’s always whining about losing Jake, her one true love. The one scene that made the most sense to me was right before Gemma’s upcoming wedding to Richard and she’s whining to her best friend, pining over having left Jake who then subsequently married another woman (who btw, also ends up being Gemma’s opposing counsel...righhhhht). Another customer in the coffee shop who overhears Gemma’s conversation is disgusted and tells Gemma straight up “seriously?!!! You’re marrying this great guy, who by your own account adores you, is kind and loving, along with being a powerhouse lawyer at his firm, does good things for people, is wealthy, stupid-handsome)...like, any girl would love to have and yet here you are pining over the love that once was?” Clearly Gemma has issues with being able to have an adult conversation about what’s not working in her relationships. No matter the romantic in us, it just gets taken too far and I’m screaming for this be over with, get a hammer and nail this coffin shut already!!
The story needed more depth (work in other details about life not just Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake....every dayyyyyy), better character development and slightly more reality...or clock it as full on fantasy romance and call it a day.
These things all said, I will say I have immense respect for authors who create stories and write hundreds of thousands of words and put themselves out there to be judged by the likes of me, who couldn’t create a complex well-written story if her life depended on it. Kudos to Isley for that! She has a knack for creating dialogue and vernacular that speaks to a millennial audience. I may give another one of her books a try to see if the character development and story complexity issues were only in this book.
Cover Illustration: 3.5 stars it is a bit swoon worthy.
SPOILER ALERT:
Storyline 1
Girl leaves boy and moves across the Atlantic.
Girl changes her mind and it’s too late because boy is marrying someone else.
Girl breaks up wedding.
Girl and boy live happily ever after.
Storyline 2
Girl leaves boy and moves across the Atlantic.
Girl ponders about boy.
Girl meets great guy.
Great guy proposes and girl accepts but has lots of signs it’s not right for her and she needs to face her past & get closure or let it go.
Boy breaks up the wedding.
Girl and boy live happily every after.
Thanks to Netgalley for granting me an ARC of First Comes Love in exchange for an honest review.
I really had high hopes for this book. I was coming off a light & fun, but still smart, romance (The Bookish Life of Nina Hill) and thought I’ll give another romance a go. In fairness, I should tell you this is a DNF. I’ve finally given up on p. 213, which is more than I give most books, but seeing as this was an ARC I gave it a little more time. I started into the second story which seemed promising but then smart goal-driven girl is quickly reduced to “ooh hot guy might be my boss, how will I ever handle this?“
First let me say that there were some great qualities to the plot concept in story one, told in alternating timelines of the same characters, and good parts here and there throughout the first story surrounding Gemma and Jake. If you’re going to read it you’re going to need to employ a serious suspension of disbelief, which I’m okay with. However, there are a lot of “coincidences” that have to happen for things to “fall” into place that go so far beyond suspension of disbelief and fall trap to a story that hasn’t been well developed. Secondly if you’re thinking of picking this up you better want to read something cloyingly sweet, almost sickeningly so. Barf.
It’s the shallow character development that really lost it for me. First, you have Gemma a lawyer with big goals & dreams who walked away from her first love, Jake, who is a doctor with big goals & dreams of his own. In order to go after her career dreams that she’s had forever, Gemma moves across the Atlantic to be a hard goal-driven lawyer and breaks up with Jake so he can be free to pursue his own big dreams and goals. Then she refuses to answer his letters and calls/texts. How about having a conversation with each other and talking it through before going nuclear?
But then Gemma’s always whining about losing Jake, her one true love. The one scene that made the most sense to me was right before Gemma’s upcoming wedding to Richard and she’s whining to her best friend, pining over having left Jake who then subsequently married another woman (who btw, also ends up being Gemma’s opposing counsel...righhhhht). Another customer in the coffee shop who overhears Gemma’s conversation is disgusted and tells Gemma straight up “seriously?!!! You’re marrying this great guy, who by your own account adores you, is kind and loving, along with being a powerhouse lawyer at his firm, does good things for people, is wealthy, stupid-handsome)...like, any girl would love to have and yet here you are pining over the love that once was?” Clearly Gemma has issues with being able to have an adult conversation about what’s not working in her relationships. No matter the romantic in us, it just gets taken too far and I’m screaming for this be over with, get a hammer and nail this coffin shut already!!
The story needed more depth (work in other details about life not just Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake....every dayyyyyy), better character development and slightly more reality...or clock it as full on fantasy romance and call it a day.
These things all said, I will say I have immense respect for authors who create stories and write hundreds of thousands of words and put themselves out there to be judged by the likes of me, who couldn’t create a complex well-written story if her life depended on it. Kudos to Isley for that! She has a knack for creating dialogue and vernacular that speaks to a millennial audience. I may give another one of her books a try to see if the character development and story complexity issues were only in this book.
Cover Illustration: 3.5 stars it is a bit swoon worthy.
SPOILER ALERT:
Storyline 1
Girl leaves boy and moves across the Atlantic.
Girl changes her mind and it’s too late because boy is marrying someone else.
Girl breaks up wedding.
Girl and boy live happily ever after.
Storyline 2
Girl leaves boy and moves across the Atlantic.
Girl ponders about boy.
Girl meets great guy.
Great guy proposes and girl accepts but has lots of signs it’s not right for her and she needs to face her past & get closure or let it go.
Boy breaks up the wedding.
Girl and boy live happily every after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2020
This is a bind-up of the first three books in the First Comes Love series by Camilla Isley.
1. Love Connection: 3 stars
Gemma has to decide whether to crash her ex-boyfriend's wedding or be maid of honour at her best friend's wedding. In one timeline she goes to one wedding, in the other timeline she goes to the other wedding. We follow along with both timelines and see Gemma deal with the consequences of her decisions.
Basically, it's Sliding Doors but without the death (spoiler for that movie, I suppose?). I wish I could call this an original concept, but if it's been done in a Gwyneth Paltrow movie, can anyone really call it original? It was a quick read, with no real surprises, and a happy ever after that you can see coming from a mile away.
2. I Have Never: 3 stars
Blair loses her job and the same day finds out her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her. She realises that the rules she has been following all her life haven't brought her a perfect life, so she decides to break all the rules one by one. After waking up in a handsome stranger's apartment, she's offered a job by the man, Richard. Blair then has to decide whether breaking another rule, Never Mix Business and Pleasure, is a risk worth taking.
I liked this story more than the first story in the bind-up, but it didn't wow me. The plot was entirely too predictable, I felt no emotional connection with any of the characters, and at one point the love interest has sex with the main character's nemesis. Just like the first story, it's great if you're looking to kill some time and you don't feel like reading anything challenging.
3. A Christmas Date: 4 stars
Nikki hates Christmas, especially this year: her little sister just got engaged to the guy Nikki has been in love with for years. The idea of being stuck in her childhood home with her sister and her fiancé, and further cementing her reputation as the family spinster leads Nikki to a drastic solution: hire an actor to play her boyfriend. But after picking the perfect guy, Nikki realises keeping business and pleasure separate isn't as easy as she had planned.
I have a soft spot for Christmas romances and I'm a fan of the fake dating trope, so it's no surprise that I liked this story more than the other two in the bind-up. But I also thought this story was better written and the characters were more rounded out than in the first two stories. The chemistry between Nikki and Diego was clear from the start, and despite having the far-fetched fake dating as the starting point, their relationship was very believable. I was a bit annoyed at how long it took them to clear the air after the final relationship hurdle of the book, but all in all it was a sweet story and a very quick read.
(I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
1. Love Connection: 3 stars
Gemma has to decide whether to crash her ex-boyfriend's wedding or be maid of honour at her best friend's wedding. In one timeline she goes to one wedding, in the other timeline she goes to the other wedding. We follow along with both timelines and see Gemma deal with the consequences of her decisions.
Basically, it's Sliding Doors but without the death (spoiler for that movie, I suppose?). I wish I could call this an original concept, but if it's been done in a Gwyneth Paltrow movie, can anyone really call it original? It was a quick read, with no real surprises, and a happy ever after that you can see coming from a mile away.
2. I Have Never: 3 stars
Blair loses her job and the same day finds out her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her. She realises that the rules she has been following all her life haven't brought her a perfect life, so she decides to break all the rules one by one. After waking up in a handsome stranger's apartment, she's offered a job by the man, Richard. Blair then has to decide whether breaking another rule, Never Mix Business and Pleasure, is a risk worth taking.
I liked this story more than the first story in the bind-up, but it didn't wow me. The plot was entirely too predictable, I felt no emotional connection with any of the characters, and at one point the love interest has sex with the main character's nemesis. Just like the first story, it's great if you're looking to kill some time and you don't feel like reading anything challenging.
3. A Christmas Date: 4 stars
Nikki hates Christmas, especially this year: her little sister just got engaged to the guy Nikki has been in love with for years. The idea of being stuck in her childhood home with her sister and her fiancé, and further cementing her reputation as the family spinster leads Nikki to a drastic solution: hire an actor to play her boyfriend. But after picking the perfect guy, Nikki realises keeping business and pleasure separate isn't as easy as she had planned.
I have a soft spot for Christmas romances and I'm a fan of the fake dating trope, so it's no surprise that I liked this story more than the other two in the bind-up. But I also thought this story was better written and the characters were more rounded out than in the first two stories. The chemistry between Nikki and Diego was clear from the start, and despite having the far-fetched fake dating as the starting point, their relationship was very believable. I was a bit annoyed at how long it took them to clear the air after the final relationship hurdle of the book, but all in all it was a sweet story and a very quick read.
(I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
January 14, 2020
This is a great set of the first three books in Camilla Isley’s First Comes Love series. It’s all standalones, with some repeat characters. I also read the second book awhile ago and am just going back to book 1 and 3 and I’m not lost at all.
Love Connection is the first book and is kind of a sliding doors or what if scenario. Gemma is at the airport debating which flight she’s going to take: to her best friend’s wedding or to her ex boyfriend’s wedding who she’s still in love with. There’s alternating chapters on each choice. I will say it was a little confusing to figure out which alternate reality we were in. But, overall, a really fun, different book.
I Never is a quick, cute read about Blair, who starts to check off items on her I Never list with some hilarious results. So many laugh out loud moments here.
A Christmas Date is about Nikki needing a fake relationship during the holiday season. It’s like a cute, Hallmark Christmas movie. Really liked Diego too!
All the books were well written, filled with interesting characters, and a creative storyline. I enjoyed all and look forward to the next in the series.
* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Love Connection is the first book and is kind of a sliding doors or what if scenario. Gemma is at the airport debating which flight she’s going to take: to her best friend’s wedding or to her ex boyfriend’s wedding who she’s still in love with. There’s alternating chapters on each choice. I will say it was a little confusing to figure out which alternate reality we were in. But, overall, a really fun, different book.
I Never is a quick, cute read about Blair, who starts to check off items on her I Never list with some hilarious results. So many laugh out loud moments here.
A Christmas Date is about Nikki needing a fake relationship during the holiday season. It’s like a cute, Hallmark Christmas movie. Really liked Diego too!
All the books were well written, filled with interesting characters, and a creative storyline. I enjoyed all and look forward to the next in the series.
* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 21, 2019
In this collection there are three standalone books.
I will review the first one that I have read, Love connection.
This book is developed in an very intresting way, we get to see how the story proceed in two different times, those are based on the choices that the heroine does in the beginning of the book. It is a very clever way to show how every choice we make can lead in to different path in out lives.
The heroine wasn't my favourite, she is sometimes behaving very immature. She is a successful lawyer but some ofher actions doesn't show how she is an adult with responsibilities.
The secondary characters were very intrresing as well, it was intriguing to see how they were acting in the same way in both timelines.
* I received an arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will review the first one that I have read, Love connection.
This book is developed in an very intresting way, we get to see how the story proceed in two different times, those are based on the choices that the heroine does in the beginning of the book. It is a very clever way to show how every choice we make can lead in to different path in out lives.
The heroine wasn't my favourite, she is sometimes behaving very immature. She is a successful lawyer but some ofher actions doesn't show how she is an adult with responsibilities.
The secondary characters were very intrresing as well, it was intriguing to see how they were acting in the same way in both timelines.
* I received an arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2019
I loved it!
This was a put romcom bookfest The three books are all standalone but they link with a character or two and so when reading as a triple short story compilation it feels more like one book in three parts.
I did find the first story a bit harder to get into but it was more the style, I found it was a bit jumpy from one to another.
All the books reminded me of a film romcom or chick flick so the stories aren’t exactly new and original but there’s only so many ways to tell a lighthearted love story
This was a put romcom bookfest The three books are all standalone but they link with a character or two and so when reading as a triple short story compilation it feels more like one book in three parts.
I did find the first story a bit harder to get into but it was more the style, I found it was a bit jumpy from one to another.
All the books reminded me of a film romcom or chick flick so the stories aren’t exactly new and original but there’s only so many ways to tell a lighthearted love story
November 24, 2019
A second chance at first love...
An office romance...
A fake boyfriend for the holidays…
Each of these stories gave unique twist on a traditional romance novel. The stories themselves were decent enough. I recommend for someone that is looking for something sweet and different.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
An office romance...
A fake boyfriend for the holidays…
Each of these stories gave unique twist on a traditional romance novel. The stories themselves were decent enough. I recommend for someone that is looking for something sweet and different.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
December 11, 2019
Essa coleção me deixou numa ressaquinha literária... :(
Comecei a ler super empolgada, depois fui perdendo a vontade e me arrastei no final. Quando cheguei no terceiro livro só queria mesmo era terminar logo pra não abandonar... Uma pena, pois parecia muito interessante.
Comecei a ler super empolgada, depois fui perdendo a vontade e me arrastei no final. Quando cheguei no terceiro livro só queria mesmo era terminar logo pra não abandonar... Uma pena, pois parecia muito interessante.
November 30, 2019
Loved it! Some of my favorite genres put together. I’ll be looking for more by this author for sure!
December 30, 2019
Best series ever...
March 28, 2020
Book 1: 2 stars
Book 2: 4 stars
Book 3: 4 stars
Book 2: 4 stars
Book 3: 4 stars
July 15, 2020
New to this author
Sweet, engaging, and fun!
Great summer read. This was the first book I have read from the author but I'm a follower now!
Sweet, engaging, and fun!
Great summer read. This was the first book I have read from the author but I'm a follower now!
November 2, 2019
So in good reads this is classed as book #38 but I’m calling it as 38, 39 and 40!!! I was kindly approved to read this book from Netgalley, and loved every minute of it!!! It’s a box set of three stand alone books in one set (hence me counting it as 3!!!) it starts with an story that reminded me of the old choose your own adventure books. The second book followed a character from the first book and the third followed one from the second book. I loved how they all intertwined one to the next. I’m a sucker for a romantic story and all three ticked at the boxes!!! So if your a soppy romantic like myself I’d definitely recommend you read at least one if not all of these!!!!!
November 4, 2019
A captivating, wonderful collection of romance stories. The characters have intriguing connections and attraction. The well-written books kept my attention throughout, enjoyed reading. I have voluntarily chosen to read and review these books.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews