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Love Stories For Young Adults #32
At First Sight
Allie Parker is dreading Christmas vacation in Thornhill. She'd rather stay at her boarding school than go home, where she'll have to watch her flaky twin sisters and their superficial friends earn their Ph.D.'s in flirting. So when Allie meets cute Ben Harrington on the way there, things begin to look up.
But Allie's hopes for a winter romance vanish when she discovers that Ben moved from Thornhill last year and is part of her sisters' crowd. He's a star basketball player who has dated the most popular girls at Thornhill High. Allie writes him off. There's no way he'd be interested in a serious girl like her, anyway. But the more Allie sees of Ben the less he seems like a typical jock. Is there more to Ben than meets the eye?
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 13, 1998
About the author
Elizabeth Chandler
72 books2,330 followersElizabeth Chandler is a pseudonym for Mary-Claire Helldorfer. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 10, 2010
Oh my gosh! This was my favorite book when I was in junior high!! I admit... I still read it like once a year for old times sake :)
February 16, 2010
December 2014: I really enjoy rereading this during Christmastime.
_____________________
Originally posted here.
I love rereading this book during the holidays because it's a fun read and it's set at Christmastime. Allie has spent most of her school years at Fields School, a boarding school exclusively for girls in Maryland. Her parents travel all over the world for her dad's job so the kids were sent to boarding school for some stability. Once Allie's parents decided to settle in one place for good, her twin sisters, blond and beautiful Sandra and Julia opt to leave Fields to study at a regular high school. Allie isn't looking forward to going to their new home for Christmas. All her friends are in Fields and she always feels self-conscious around her sisters. She knows she looks nothing like them, she's not popular and she doesn't spend hours fixing her hair or choosing her outfits.
At 208 pages, this book is a lightweight but I really like how well-developed Allie and Ben were as characters. As Allie learns more about Ben, she realizes that he isn't like the rest of the popular crowd, he's not superficial and is actually very sweet, especially when it comes to his younger brother, Tim. I loved all of their scenes together because you can really feel the tension between them. All throughout the holiday break, they keep dancing around each other, unsure of the other's feelings and not willing to risk their new-found friendship. And it all leads to a satisfying New Year's Eve conclusion. The entire Love Stories series is already out of print. Most of my copies have already been passed on to a younger cousin (and I hope she enjoyed reading them as much as I did) but I kept a couple because I just couldn't let go of them. At First Sight made an impression when I was young so it will always have a special place in my heart. If you get a chance to read this, I'd love to know what you think.
That's it for today, I hope you're all enjoying the holidays. :) Merry Christmas, everyone!
_____________________
Originally posted here.
I love rereading this book during the holidays because it's a fun read and it's set at Christmastime. Allie has spent most of her school years at Fields School, a boarding school exclusively for girls in Maryland. Her parents travel all over the world for her dad's job so the kids were sent to boarding school for some stability. Once Allie's parents decided to settle in one place for good, her twin sisters, blond and beautiful Sandra and Julia opt to leave Fields to study at a regular high school. Allie isn't looking forward to going to their new home for Christmas. All her friends are in Fields and she always feels self-conscious around her sisters. She knows she looks nothing like them, she's not popular and she doesn't spend hours fixing her hair or choosing her outfits.
At 208 pages, this book is a lightweight but I really like how well-developed Allie and Ben were as characters. As Allie learns more about Ben, she realizes that he isn't like the rest of the popular crowd, he's not superficial and is actually very sweet, especially when it comes to his younger brother, Tim. I loved all of their scenes together because you can really feel the tension between them. All throughout the holiday break, they keep dancing around each other, unsure of the other's feelings and not willing to risk their new-found friendship. And it all leads to a satisfying New Year's Eve conclusion. The entire Love Stories series is already out of print. Most of my copies have already been passed on to a younger cousin (and I hope she enjoyed reading them as much as I did) but I kept a couple because I just couldn't let go of them. At First Sight made an impression when I was young so it will always have a special place in my heart. If you get a chance to read this, I'd love to know what you think.
That's it for today, I hope you're all enjoying the holidays. :) Merry Christmas, everyone!
November 25, 2012
If you're ever going to read just ONE teen romance in your lifetime, read this book! I've read this book over and over and over for about 10 years now and it doesn't matter whether you're a teenager or a teen at heart, you're going to fall in love with the characters in this story! I love Allie, Timmy and Ben! For a short book, I felt like the characters were fully fleshed out. There are no throwaway chapters, every single one counts in building the characters, conflicts and plot so you can get fully immersed. It's a quick read and you will feel giddy at the end of it. This blows Bella and Edward out of the water.
P.S. After reading this, you'll want more of Elizabeth Chandler, I suggest the story "I Do."
P.S. After reading this, you'll want more of Elizabeth Chandler, I suggest the story "I Do."
July 23, 2017
I had way too much trouble while reading this book. First of all, I stopped several times in between and forgot about it because I was completely immersed in fanfiction. (I love fanfiction. :D) As a result, I had to pick it up again and try to remember where I was and exactly what was going on. The other thing is that the characters seem sort of two-dimensional, the plot is underdeveloped, and the writing is very very simple. I think once you've read one of the "Love Stories" books, you've read them all. It barely held my interest as I read it, and I found myself forcefully trudging through it.
January 6, 2018
I basically read this in a few hours. I'm pretty sure I read it when I was younger too. I purchased this book last year at my first ever Books By the Pound location while on vacation to see my Aunt in Georgia. I didn't mind the story line and the characters were nice enough but I really wasn't feeling connected to the romantic relationships in this story. Also, it doesn't really start to get good till the very end and then it's over too quickly when other books in this series are WAY better.
September 17, 2013
Cute love teenage love story set during Christmas - my favorite time of the year :))) The ending is so so sweet, but I wish it were longer and there were an epilogue ha ha ha :D Reading this book made me feel like I were a teenage girl again ^^
November 24, 2012
I could not love this book more. I read it once every year for over 5 years now. I love it so much. I really recommend it.
April 12, 2021
I have literally waited years for this book. It's one of Chandler's earlier publications so it wasn't available on Amazon (I had no trouble finding her other books, esp. The dark secrets series and kissed by an angel series) but I love her standalone novels the best. I Do and Love at First Click are my absolute favourite YA novels and At First Sight has been on my wish-to-read list since 2013. So you can imagine my delight when I got hold of a second hand copy on Amazon, a pretty expensive one that too.
When you wait for something for all those years, you tend to build up that thing in your head to impossible standards. And when you experience the real thing, you are more often underwhelmed than not.
That's what happened with me with At First Sight.
I really liked the novel, I really did, it has all of Elizabeth Chandler's bittersweet magic and I will definitely re-read it again a few times, but... I wasn't dazzled by it and it will never be a favourite.
When you wait for something for all those years, you tend to build up that thing in your head to impossible standards. And when you experience the real thing, you are more often underwhelmed than not.
That's what happened with me with At First Sight.
I really liked the novel, I really did, it has all of Elizabeth Chandler's bittersweet magic and I will definitely re-read it again a few times, but... I wasn't dazzled by it and it will never be a favourite.
September 20, 2020
3.5 stars
I love this series, especially the Elizabeth Chandler books. She has a special way of involving family members in the love stories that feels complex and authentic. This one takes place over Christmas break and is a short and sweet (and very mid-90s) comedy of manners between three teenage sisters. Not as good as my all-time favorite of hers - Hot Summer Nights - but cute and solid, a refreshing blast from a not-too-distant past. The perfect book to read during a couple of hours on a Rosh Hashana holiday afternoon.
I love this series, especially the Elizabeth Chandler books. She has a special way of involving family members in the love stories that feels complex and authentic. This one takes place over Christmas break and is a short and sweet (and very mid-90s) comedy of manners between three teenage sisters. Not as good as my all-time favorite of hers - Hot Summer Nights - but cute and solid, a refreshing blast from a not-too-distant past. The perfect book to read during a couple of hours on a Rosh Hashana holiday afternoon.
November 23, 2018
This book is incredible
April 24, 2020
Cheesy, perhaps, but still a good read. Fun and romantic and well written. Lots of lovely characters.
September 3, 2025
I read this years ago and I think one of the best books of this series that I’ve read so far.
January 16, 2011
This is one of my favorite books of all time! I think I have read this book at least 4 times.
Allie is a girl who has gone to boarding school her whole life. She is a girl that plays all the sports and is a typical tomboy type. She has two gorgeous twin sisters that know all the ploys to get all the guys. On her way back to her parents for the Christmas holidays she bumps into a hot guy who just so happens to be going to see his father in the same town that her parents recently moved too.
I love Allie as a character. It just seems extremely weird that she gets all the guys to fall for her in the town. However she is so sweet and just the type of person that I would love to be friends with. I have a friend really similar to her.
Julia is my favorite sister as far as the twins go. She is growing as a person and I would love to have a sister like her.
Ben is just an amazingly hot guy. Ok so Mike is also another amazingly hot guy. Also the guys in this town are just hot. They are amazing people. They all do amazing things for the girls. They do take them shopping hold the bags and take care of everything.
Allie is a girl who has gone to boarding school her whole life. She is a girl that plays all the sports and is a typical tomboy type. She has two gorgeous twin sisters that know all the ploys to get all the guys. On her way back to her parents for the Christmas holidays she bumps into a hot guy who just so happens to be going to see his father in the same town that her parents recently moved too.
I love Allie as a character. It just seems extremely weird that she gets all the guys to fall for her in the town. However she is so sweet and just the type of person that I would love to be friends with. I have a friend really similar to her.
Julia is my favorite sister as far as the twins go. She is growing as a person and I would love to have a sister like her.
Ben is just an amazingly hot guy. Ok so Mike is also another amazingly hot guy. Also the guys in this town are just hot. They are amazing people. They all do amazing things for the girls. They do take them shopping hold the bags and take care of everything.
March 2, 2023
I don't have much to say, only that I loved this! I think Elizabeth Chandler's love stories books are the best in the series, she writes good stories with good characters and good development with lovely romance so what's not to like? before this "Hot Summer Nights" was my favourite but this has passed it out I think, I really enjoyed the two main characters and how they met and how they fell in love, and the relationship with Ben's younger brother was a nice touch too. I do wish there was a few more pages at the end though as I'm greedy and wanted a bit more but it was still a perfect ending. I actually felt like crying when finishing this though, crying for the loss of the 20th century and the loss of romance with it. So just crying that the world in this book no longer exists even though it was such a short time ago. Sorry this is a feel good book so I don't want to turn in depressing lol. It's probably my favourite young adult romance book, it's so intelligent wrote with wonderful leads that make you feel their chemistry throughout and the witty dialogue, this teen book is wrote better than many adult romance.
The models on the book are so attractive too, such a pretty cover.
The models on the book are so attractive too, such a pretty cover.
November 29, 2010
I had way too much trouble while reading this book. First of all, I stopped several times in between and forgot about it because I was completely immersed in fanfiction. (I love fanfiction. :D) As a result, I had to pick it up again and try to remember where I was and exactly what was going on. The other thing is that the characters seem sort of two-dimensional, the plot is underdeveloped, and the writing is very very simple. I think once you've read one of the "Love Stories" books, you've read them all. It barely held my interest as I read it, and I found myself forcefully trudging through it.
Read
March 23, 2012 “At First Sight” is about a girl name Allie Parker who is looking to find herself. Allie wishes she can be as gorgeous as her twin sisters. Until, she meets a guy name Ben. Ben doesn’t know who her sisters are but once he finds out, nothing changes. I recommend this book to people who like to read romance. I really enjoyed this book.
September 4, 2008
This is a great book. Most people would classify this as a romance, but i don't agree. It's the classic teen story, the one where two people are insanely in love with the other, but neither thinks the other loves them back. Kind of pathetic, i think. But it was an overall good book.
September 20, 2009
I read this book when I was maybe 12. LOVED IT! I actually own it - the only book of it's kind that I owned for a long time ... and I would hide it so my brothers wouldn't find it. If that is not the DEFINITION of a guilty pleasure, I don't know what is.
October 15, 2012
Giáng sinh hoặc Giao thừa năm nào cũng nằm đọc lại cuốn này.
Truyện rất thích hợp với các em tuổi "teen", thế mà lần nào đọc lại dù đã không còn teen mà mình vẫn thích :D
Trong bộ Love stories gồm 6 cuốn đã xuất bản mới đọc được 5 cuốn thì cuốn này vẫn là thích nhất :D
Truyện rất thích hợp với các em tuổi "teen", thế mà lần nào đọc lại dù đã không còn teen mà mình vẫn thích :D
Trong bộ Love stories gồm 6 cuốn đã xuất bản mới đọc được 5 cuốn thì cuốn này vẫn là thích nhất :D
January 13, 2009
I really liked this book you should read it.
Read
May 21, 2012I LOVED IT!!!
May 25, 2012
I just loved this book when I was young. It is a great romance, well written, awesome characters. Cheesy in such a good way!
July 19, 2012
I always liked this one because the lead was a runner. Great teen read.
August 12, 2012
Really good book! I love to read it at least once a year!
June 2, 2013
My personal favorite... i dont know why... its so amazingly sweet
July 19, 2013
One of the best teen romance ever. You guys have to read. You won't regret it.
December 27, 2013
I love this book! I can't tell you how many times I've read it. It's short and sweet. It's a classic love story. I love all of the books in this series! Read it!
August 24, 2015
okay - i might read again
I recently re-read this book. I loved it when I was in high school, but the appeal has faded for me. It's a little cheezy and the teens are a litttle silly.
I recently re-read this book. I loved it when I was in high school, but the appeal has faded for me. It's a little cheezy and the teens are a litttle silly.
December 17, 2015
This has been a favorite for years and always worth a reread at Christmas time
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews