Today I’m sharing my book recommendation for Liwen Y. Ho’s latest romcom CCR release, Love at Second Sight. I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in Liwen’s The Fab Forties series.
Here’s the Book Description for Love at Second Sight:
Wooing an introvert requires patience, silence, and a comfy pair of sweatpants.
Cassie
As a single mom and an introvert, I’m used to spending Friday nights on the couch in my sweats. Trust me, my alone time is necessary for everyone’s well-being. So the last thing I expect is for my late husband’s best friend to crash my Hugh Grant marathon. Especially when he shows up to give me a letter with some of Will’s last words for me.
Brad
I’d do anything for Cassie, but waiting three years to spill the beans about the letter nearly did me in. Keeping my mouth shut isn’t my strong suit, so I’m relieved to no longer have any secrets between us. But now Cassie’s avoiding me like I’ve got the cooties, which makes me wonder what Will asked of her. Because if it’s anything like the letter Will left me, things are about to change between us.
Cassie
I can understand Will wanting me to date again, but why he asked me to practice with Brad is crazier than shoulder pads making a comeback! We work as well together as oil and water or peanut butter and mayo. There’s also the fact that Brad’s an actual movie star. He lives in a fish bowl, while I prefer to live under a rock—almost literally speaking. We’d be the oddest couple you’ve ever seen, more like Bill and Ted, not Ginger and Fred.
Brad
I may play an action hero on the big screen, but I have no guts when it comes to relationships with women, except where Cassie’s concerned—she’s the only one I can trust. So once she warms up to the idea of me taking her out, it’s easy to treat her like the queen she is. That is until we end up on the front page of the tabloids and the whole world thinks we’re in love. But would dating Cassie for real be all that scary? I’m going to attempt to find out …
The Fab Forties series was written by an over-40 author with readers of all ages in mind. This rom-com is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and help you escape reality. So, sit back, relax, and be prepared to laugh!
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Love at Second Sight, book 4 in Liwen Y. Ho’s The Fab Forties romcom series set in the San Francisco Bay Area. The premise for this story is fun and a unique trope twist. Cassie is a widow of three years with a nine year old son. She’s an extremely shy introvert who’d rather stay home and watch romcom movies than take the plunge and go out on a date. Her late husband’s best friend is well known action movie star, Brad Bitt, who’s an extrovert and a confirmed bachelor for life. Brad is commitment phobic, and he avoids getting entangled in romantic relationships and the associated paparazzi issues. Cassie’s late husband served in the military and, if he passed away, he left letters with Brad for both Brad and Cassie to open exactly three years later. The letters reveal that Cassie’s late husband has effectively asked Brad to take Cassie out on dates and help her find love again.
The friends-to-more romance between Cassie and Brad, and their dates together, are hilarious. I liked the witty puns and the introvert versus extrovert tension generated as they navigated many crazy situations together. The faith element in the story, and the underlying themes of grief and starting over, provided a perfect balance of serious with lighthearted humor. Cassie’s son, Levi, is adorable, and Levi loves Brad aka his Uncle Toobb. The Fab Forties series has many great mom characters, and Cassie’s mom, the wannabe famous Judge Fran, added to the fun and chaos in the story.
I’m a fan of what I call ‘romcom foodie humor’, and this book delivered in spades many LOL moments relating to food. I was curious to know if movie star Brad, who is a wealthy man, really ate Spam on instant noodles? Liwen is the author in the hot seat on our latest StoryChats @ InspyRomance podcast/YouTube Episode #83 that dropped tonight, and she kindly answered my weird Spam question. I recommend Love at Second Sight to contemporary romance readers who like first person viewpoint romcoms with a relevant faith element in the story.
Many thanks to Liwen Y. Ho for providing an Advanced Reader Copy.
Questions for you: Do you like reading contemporary romances where food plays a role in the story? Are you a fan of romcoms? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
LOVE RomComs and Liwen’s are some of my fav! Love the laughter and witty banter!
Hi Narelle! This reader enjoys reading stories where food plays a role. Many cozy mysteries and historical romance series include recipes that are mentioned throughout the story. While Contemporary Romance stories mention food, they do not often have recipes. As our home cook / chef, I enjoy reading cookbooks and recipes. While I enjoy exploring new genre, reading Rom Com is not one of my favorites. The genre I choose or reading in general depends on my mood. Recently I have been reading more suspense and mysteries. Enjoy your weekend and best wishes.
Hi Andrea, I totally agree – Liwen’s The Fab Forties series is so good! Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Renate, I do enjoy the foodie cozy mysteries, and it’s fun when recipes are included in books. I’ve read CCR’s by Hallee Bridgeman that include recipes. I will often Google food, especially when I’m reading historicals and I’m not familiar with the time period and the culture. I get excited when I find LOL funny rom coms because they’re not always easy to find. Enjoy your weekend, and your mystery and suspense reading. Thanks for commenting. 😊
I’m not a fan of RomCom’s, but I do like Liwen’s!!!! I honestly don’t read that many RomCom’s, and I don’t watch RomCom movies. I love books that have humor, but the ones I’ve read labeled as RomCom I usually don’t like as well as ones that have witty banter and yet aren’t labeled as RomCom, and have much deeper content than what I’ve read. Admittedly, since it’s not my favorite, I don’t read much in that genre. Also, since I proofread and read ARC’s a lot, I’m usually in my comfort zone of everything else except RomCom.
I like it when food plays a role in book. I like romcoms too. The first book in the series is free on kindle (Amazon US) today.
Thank you for sharing this post. This book sounds like it would be so much fun. I am an extreme introvert, so I can so identify with Cassie. I have recently started to read contemporary. I have started with romcom, because I love comedy. So far I have been happy.
Hi Narelle! I loved this one, and I love romcoms. :) I definitely enjoyed all the puns between Cassie and Brad (as well as their introvert-extrovert dynamic), and (some of) the food moments in this one were LOL. Still, I definitely enjoy finding food references in books, and when they’re done well, they have me drooling through the whole experience (Liwen’s been known for doing this in other books).
Hi yes, I like books that have food in them and I do like Rom Coms. Have a great weekend and stay safe.
It is! :) Thanks for mentioning it!
yes
Rom com is probably not my first choice. I think I have preconceived ideas which are wrong. I like humour in books. I hadn’t really thought about food in books, its interesting but as a fussy eater its not a huge think I look for but more so the sweets I would be interested in. Not sure I could come at eating spam. I know its a staple in Hawaii but not sure if we ever had it although I think we may have and its possible dad had it in sandwiches when working on the farm. We had fresh meat and he would have cold lamb sandwiches but I think we may have had some cans for when we didn’t have the cold meat. (most days he had lunch at home but there were days when he worked away from the home farm and had to take his own lunch.
I do enjoy reading rom-coms. Food can add a fun element.
Yes. I always love books that talk about food as well as recipes. I enjoy rom coms as they bring laughter into our world. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Hi Trudy, It’s interesting that you mention reader expectations. I’ve also read CCR labelled as romcoms that are fun and cute stories, but they don’t have me LOL like Liwen’s books. Since I’m looking for the humor, and not seeing it, I’m left feeling disappointed rather than appreciating the cute CCR story. Being an Aussie, I often assume it’s cultural differences, and sometimes unfamiliar pop culture references, that are the reason everyone else is LOL while I’m wondering what I’m missing. I do love British romcoms, and appreciate their humor. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Jcp, I appreciate you mentioning that book 1 in Liwen’s series is currently free. Foodie books are fun. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Lori, you’re very welcome. You’ll love Cassie – she’s just adorable and so much fun. Enjoy your romcom reading – there are some great CCR romcom books available. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Priscila, The puns are so fun, and I’d chuckle every time I read the name ‘Brad Bitt’. Liwen’s food references are great, and I tend to learn something new in her books, too. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Alicia, Romcoms and foodie books are fun. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi bn100, Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Jenny, I do like CCR set in bakeries, and cupcakes stories are fun, too. Romcoms are tricky because not everyone will find the same things funny. I remember having lamb sandwiches, too, using the leftover meat from a roast. I didn’t mind some types of tinned ham, but Devon sandwiches with tomato sauce were my favorite when I was younger. I worked in a Greek Deli when I was in high school, and developed a love for salami, feta, and antipasto foods. For lunch today my toasted sandwich combo was fresh avocado, spinach leaves, pepperoni, fresh pineapple, semi-dried tomatoes, and black olives topped with grated cheese to melt under the griller. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Mary, I agree, and food in CCR is fun. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Hi Debra, you’re very welcome. I think the stress and difficulties we’ve all experienced in the last few years has inspired many of us to seek out romcoms and an escape into a fun LOL story. I do enjoy reading stories that bring joy and laughter. Thanks for commenting. 😊