Review: Love at First Sight by Lori Wilde

Title: Love at First Sight by Lori Wilde
Cupid, Texas Series Book One
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length:
Book Rating:

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In the first in a dazzling new series, Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, Texas, where every wish for love comes true . . .

“When it hits, you just know . . .”

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

But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn’t about to be a stranger for long. He’d ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he’d made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse of Natalie—soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting—changed his life forever.

But how can he offer her his love, when he can’t even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

The Review:

In Love at First Sight, the first novel in Lori Wilde’s Cupid, Texas series, generations of the Greenwood women fall in love at first sight. Heroine Natalie McCleary has yet to experience this amazing phenomenon. That is until she catches a glimpse of Dade Vega. Are her feelings love? Or good old-fashioned lust?

After a plane crash that killed her parents and left her with permanent limp, Natalie has helped raise her younger, Zoey, with the help of her extended family. Natalie takes her responsibilities seriously, and she always makes safe decisions. She has a successful business and she helps answer the Dear Cupid letters written by people seeking romantic advice.

Dade’s search for his close friend and foster brother, Red Daggett, brings him to Natalie’s bed & breakfast. Dade is drawn to Natalie but his abusive childhood has left him cynical when it comes to trust and love. Growing more and more concerned about Red’s disappearance, Dade eventually confides to Natalie the reason behind his stay in Cupid and she eagerly assists him in his investigation.

The relationship between Dade and Natalie is more realistic than I anticipated. Both characters questioned whether what they were feeling for one another was in fact love and not lust. They also took the time to get to know one another before acting on their intense passion. The sexual tension builds to a fever pitch and their resulting love scenes are quite sensual.

The overall story is well-written but it is a little slow paced at times. The characters are quite eclectic and well-developed but there are so many introduced that it was hard to keep track of everyone. The mystery aspect of the storyline is very well done and even though I had a good idea of who the villain might be, Ms. Wilde does throw in a few unexpected surprises.

A sweet romance with a charming cast of characters, Love at First Sight is a delightful and light-hearted romance that old and new fans of Lori Wilde are sure to enjoy.