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At First Sight

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In At First Sight, when Lauren meets the perfect guy at the planetarium, she feels like the stars have finally aligned in her favor. The only problem is she met him in the dark and they never got a good look at each other… or got each other’s names. Now, Lauren must take matters into her own hands and find the mystery guy before she loses him forever.

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 25, 2010

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1,584 people want to read

About the author

Catherine Hapka

417books188followers
Catherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.

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5 stars
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319 (26%)
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348 (29%)
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116 (9%)
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37 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Profile Image for Kara.
112 reviews17 followers
October 9, 2010
Epic Wins:

- Lauren: She was a down to earth girl who one could really relate to. She had never really taken chances with love in the past, only stepping cautiously (for example she is good friends with a guy before she considers dating). That is until she sees Riley and starts pinging (or as her BFF Britt would say: Sparks).

- Riley: Drop dead gorgeous! Exactly perfect for Lauren in every way but not! The problem is the bimbos (aka: the girls faking as ‘planetarium girl’ more on them later) and Riley feels like he needs to find this girl but doesn’t understand that it is Lauren.

- Britt: Besides being totally boy-crazy (and fall in love every other day!), she is truly the best of friends. She is like a dog, loyal like crazy!

- The crazy scientist lady- for reasons that I can’t tell you to avoid spoilage.

- The first sight(ish): They are in the planetarium on a field trip, she tries to find him but it goes dark and she jumps at a noise, falling into his arms. They talk about The Beast (their favorite band whose name comes from The lord of the Flies) but only to be torn apart before getting the chance to exchange names (this was done by the crazy scientist lady)

- The connection they feel despite the fact that he doesn’t know/won’t except that she is the one.

- Laurens willingness to just be friends with Riley while he figures out who and what he wants. I don’t think I could take that!

- No sex (I love when books are clean)!

Epic Fails:

- Riley’s inability to believe that Lauren is the ‘planetarium girl’. I mean seriously hit him over the head with a brick and he won’t be able to understand! What I’d like to say to him: There is a reason you felt pinging when Lauren was around. Why go searching when you know she is right in front of you? (Please note: this is just me rambling, it was essential that he not accept it!)

- The Bimbos: Riley writes up a super sweet intentioned post trying to find the amazing girl he saw on the field trip. Though well intentioned the problem is there are a lot of girls that thought they could pretend to be the one and since Riley didn’t see her anyone could pass as the one. Enters the bimbos, well as Lauren calls them. They are all ditzy and pretend like they are the girl, while Lauren is cursed to watch. Poor Riley finds a bunch of posers and Lauren can’t help but laugh at them because they are nothing like her. I laugh because they throw themselves at Riley. (Really? Are we girls so shallow to do so? I guess some are. If you are I don’t like you! Hahaha not really but don’t ever do that!)

- The Crazy Scientist Lady- she rips the two apart before they utter their names (but this makes for a cool Cinderella-type search, which is the point of the book! So really it’s a love-hate relationship here)

Overall:

LOVE! I give this book a HIGH-FIVE (I like giving out high-fives)! I loved it; it was like chocolate in book form (I mean unless you’re lactose intolerant)! I really hope you read this because it was so sweet and Lauren was someone I could really relate to, she was real and down to earth. GO CRAZY SCIENTIST LADY YOU ROCK!

Just sayin,
Kare
Profile Image for Laurence R..
615 reviews83 followers
October 29, 2018
Okay, so Riley is one big idiot, but this book is actually pretty cute, so I didn’t mind.
Profile Image for Emma.
413 reviews
June 9, 2010
Lauren is a junior in high school and unlike her flirtatious best friend, Britt, definitely does NOT believe in "love at first sight." That is until she meets Riley at the planetarium. However, they only get a few words of exchange between them before they are separated without even know each other's names. Now, Riley is on Facebook and on the lookout for his "Planetarium Girl" and Lauren couldn't be more excited...until she realizes that imposters are claiming to be "The One." How will Lauren be able to compete with these girls and convince Riley that she is the true "Planetarium Girl?"

Cute, fast read. I would probably category this as a "Beach Read" and can actually picture it as a high school drama production!
Profile Image for °☆.。.:*・NԲԲ°☆.。.:*・.
487 reviews63 followers
February 29, 2016
I didn't like the book from the beginning. I definitely didn't like the boy crazy friend and how this book was pretty much about getting the guy. I just thought that it would be interesting having the guy go through the various Planetarium Girl impostors, which was the only reason why I continued to read the book. I just wanted to find out when he would finally be told the truth. I thought the book was pretty boring, except for the part with the fakes. They were so annoying and it was a little intriguing wanting him to soon find out that they were lying to him.
Profile Image for Mary .
196 reviews44 followers
January 1, 2013
It's pretty quick reading, only needs couple hours to finish all. You'll find sweet little romantic life of high school teens here. No complicated issues, likeable characters, light and easy beautiful writing, all blend into an entertaining reading.
Profile Image for Nikki Gutierrez.
299 reviews11 followers
January 16, 2019
3 stars!
And let me begin by saying that Riley’s dumb for not realizing that Lauren was the girl he’s been looking for all along. Although, his explanation was passable, I didn’t think that it would be THAT dark that he wouldn’t remember ANY facial features of Planetarium Girl at all. But, this book is cute. The idea of love at first sight and going after the guy despite all odds. If I were though, I would have given up halfway through already because Riley was friend-zoning her so hard. I’m glad she didn’t give up though. And I’m glad that the lady served as a witness to prove to Riley that Lauren really is the girl that he’s been looking for. What I like about the story, too, is that Riley was willing to give up looking for the girl because of how much he really liked Lauren.

All in all, it was a cute and short read, best read by preteens. It seemed funny that all girls were pretending to be this mystery girl, it had the Cinderella Story vibe going on. Same with the dumb male character who claims that it was love at first sight, but then he couldn’t even realize that his so-called love at first sight was in front of him all along. But I did like that they got to know more about each other as friends. In a way, the relationship developed more naturally before they got together as a couple.
Profile Image for Sara ♥.
1,370 reviews144 followers
September 6, 2017
This was really cute. Lauren and Riley meet each other in a dark planetarium on a multi-school class trip and exchange some banter... but not their names. They get separated and don't see each other again. A couple days later, her best friend finds a post on Facebook of him looking for The One that he met and so many details that he COULD have saved to verify that any girls that responded were actually his PG (planetarium girl)... but instead he holds nothing back, so when a million(ish) girls respond, claiming to be PG, he doesn't have a way of weeding out the fakes from the real girl... except like, "She was taller than you." *eye roll*

At first, I sorta "got" why Riley was holding out on Lauren, but once she confesses that, no really, she IS his PG... and he doesn't believe her... WELLLLLLL... I wanted to punch the kid in the face a couple times. I mean, seriously. And the "reveal" at the end? After he was SO STUBBORN in not believing it was Lauren THE WHOLE BOOK, I thought how he found out it really was wasn't strong enough. Like, why would he believe THAT and not her?

But overall, it was cute.
Profile Image for BluJade.
159 reviews
July 18, 2022
I like the MC Lauren but the love interest Riley was one dimensional and kinda dumb. By the end of the book I didn't even want them to be together I wanted her to find someone who actually listened to her.

Spoiler....
He was really insensitive. Even if he didn't believe she was PG he knew based on her saying she was that she liked him, so he told her he wanted to just be friends, the precedes to tell her all about his search for "the one" that's a bit insensitive.

2.5 starts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
56 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2019
I'm really disappointed, seriously, I was expecting an out of the world mind boggling read but no, I got nothing. Don't get me wrong, the plot was good and then it ends there, it didn't give me the thrills at all
Profile Image for SooLing Tang.
1 review
August 17, 2018
Young love

Very cute story that gives you the giggles even thought at times it seems draggy and long
But it is worth reading to the end :)
Profile Image for Marie.
310 reviews2 followers
June 5, 2024
It's a short story and it feels like a book of the time it was released, it didn't move with time but it wasn't bad
Profile Image for Karen Keyte.
335 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2011

“Britt is always on my case about being too cautious, she wants me to actually create every over-the-top outfit I sketch, no matter how wild or weird, and then wear it to school just to see what happens. But unlike her, I’m not a just-to-see-what-happens kind of girl. I prefer to test the waters first.” -

Lauren doesn’t believe in love at first sight. She leaves that kind of thing to her best friend Britt, who claims to ‘feel sparks’ for about half of the boys she meets. So while Lauren has a new boy on the hook every two weeks or so, Lauren has only had two real boyfriends, like EVER. All of which only makes what happened at the planetarium even stranger. The planetarium, where Lauren took one look at a boy and ‘ping’, there it was, instant connection. Of course, she didn’t even get his name, so that should be the end of it. Then Britt finds this über-romantic FaceBook post from a boy named Riley who is looking for his ‘Planetarium Girl’ and IT’S HIM. Lauren is totally psyched because it looks like she’s going to get a chance to explore the ‘ping’ after all. Of course, she didn’t plan on all the impostors who took one look at Riley’s romantic message and decided to claim that they were “Planetarium Girl,’ or for Riley, who is happy to meet a ‘new music buddy’ but absolutely refuses to believe that Lauren is “Planetarium Girl.’ Doesn’t he still feel the connection? What’s a girl to do?

At its core, At First Sight is a romance in the ‘girl finds boy, girl loses boy, girl finds boy again’ mode, with just a bit of a twist. It’s pretty standard fare for the Simon Romantic Comedies, although it is better written than most. I should point out, however, that while At First Sight is light, calling it a comedy is stretching things a bit. The point with romances like this is not ‘how is it going to turn out,’ because you pretty much know the answer to that question as soon as you read the blurb on the back cover. No, the point is, ‘how does the book get to the happy ending.’ At First Sight gets there via a lightweight and breezy story and leaves you feeling happily satisfied.
Profile Image for Jenny Zheng.
14 reviews
March 31, 2013

#3: At First Sight
Is it possible to experience love at first sight? Wait, does love at first sight even exist? The answer is yes, well, in the book At First Sight by Catherine Hapka, it is a true miracle. Lauren, a junior in high school, doesn't believe about the theory of love at first sight.
That all change after the meet with Riley in a school field trip to the planetarium. Just like that, in about fifteen seconds, love chemistry was discovered. Fifteen seconds, a first moment equals love forever. However they rush away, away from each other. In the pitch darkness of the planetarium, sparks of love flew everywhere. Different directions they went. They didn't even ask for each others' names.
In one place, Lauren's head only has one person – that teenage boy that she saw for once. Her best friend, Britt is helping with the search of the Boy Plan. She digs deep into the Internet to find his real identity and finally, she finds out. Lauren is told and guess what? – Riley also has a post on Facebook about this special girl he met at the Planetarium. But the love romantic road isn't easy to walk on. It's made out of mysteries. There, Lauren sends a message to Riley informing him that she is the ONE, the girl that he met for the first time. But Riley thinks she's just like any other girl that also claims “she's the ONE.”
Will Lauren and Riley realize the truth and finish the love road together? Author Catherine Hapka will absorb you romance readers into Lauren's world and witness the process of finding true love. <3
Profile Image for Jennifer Wardrip.
Author5 books512 followers
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Lauren doesn't believe in love at first sight, even though her best friend finds her boyfriends instantly. She's forced to change her opinion when she meets Riley on a school field trip to the planetarium. Sparks fly. They have a moment together before they're whisked away. They didn't even tell each other their names.

Lauren can't get him out of her head. Her best friend does some digging on a social media site and discovers his identity. Plus, he can't get Lauren out his head, either. But the path to true love isn't simple. When he writes about meeting an amazing girl, his wall on the website explodes with girls claiming to be "the one."

Lauren doesn't let that faze her; she writes him a message. He responds and soon they're hanging out online. He doesn't believe she's one of the posers, but he doesn't believe that she's the one he's searching for, either. How can she get him to figure out the truth?

Catherine Hapka writes about love at first glance as part of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy series. Lauren tackles overcoming her shyness and going after what she wants. Ms. Hapka touches on the different aspects of relationships, including lust and friendship-turned-love, in this engaging installment to the line.
Profile Image for Laura.
96 reviews6 followers
September 29, 2015
Such a cute read! Simon Romantic is one of my favourite series of teen novels; I love how each of them are cute, short, simple "beach reads" about a variety of relationships. While the plotline of At First Sight was practically the same as Cinderella Story (minus the Cinderella part) it was so cute and quirky that I didn't even notice. Lauren's love of fashion, music, her addiction to the internet, and her relationships with friends and family made her such a realistic character...one I'd love to be friends with. I thought Riley was a dolt and didn't understand why he didn't see Lauren was right in front of him but he made up for it by being such a polite and courteous boy rather than "the jerk" that we see so often in teen literature. I particularly liked Lauren's quirky parents and their food mission. I'm a big food lover (truly, who isn't though?) and I've sort of been inspired by the book to try some new foods.
Profile Image for Angela.
640 reviews63 followers
August 12, 2010
Part of Adventures in Reading post on Bewitched Bookworms.
I read five books. In five days. This was one of them. =)



Lauren is a practical teenage girl with a killer sense of style. She doesn't believe in love at first sight and scoffs at her bff's constant declarations of love. But one school trip will change that all when she meets Riley, a sweetly romantic, adorkable bass player. When their first meeting is cut short, Riley turns to Facebook to find her. But Riley never saw her face and he doesn't know her name, so how will Lauren be able to prove she's The One with so many other girls claiming to be her?!

Absolutely adorable! It's not rocket science. Nor will it blow your mind. But if you are looking for a sweet lil love story, one that will make you giggle and smile, sigh and swoon, I highly recommend you give this novel a whirl.
Profile Image for Amanda.
424 reviews30 followers
January 1, 2013
Really want to read this but it is impossible to get my hands on... on a side note it is selling for $118 on ebay for all you people in the US.

Reading this book was a little bitter sweet because this was the last Simon pulse Rom Com that i hadn't read. And it didn't disappoint. While it was not the best of them it most defiantly left me with the warm and fuzzies. Some parts seemed a little unnecessary and forced e.g. her wanting to be a fashion designer did not really contribute to the story or the character all too much and yet was brought up repeatedly. Also the laughs were not as common in most of the romantic COMEDIES in the series but as a sweet little trashing romance to add to my collection this book fits the bill perfectly
Profile Image for bookaholiclover.
362 reviews25 followers
April 29, 2014
At First Sight

This novel was the kind of romance where you would find love at first sight (from the title it self). Lauren finds herself at a planetarium for a field trip, she never believed in love, boys, opposite from her best friend Britt who sleeps with them and hooks up with most of them. When she finds a boy that she finds attractive she decided to just walk up to him and talk to him, but something goes wrong. In the novel At First Sight, find out Lauren's adventures on how and if love can really come from first sight.

Beautiful and humorous book that I read from the romantic comedies series. Definitely fast and adventurous too.
Profile Image for Kris.
1,278 reviews12 followers
June 30, 2010
Recommended for gr. 6-10. A light romantic comedy. Suitable for middle school, although characters are high school age. Situations include "making out" and parties at homes with no parents present, but no mentions of underage drinking or drug use. Lauren's flirtatious friend is constantly trying to find her a boyfriend, but Lauren likes to take it slow. After she literally bumps into an attractive guy on a school field trip and a major case of mistaken identity occurs, she is torn between being "just friends" and trying to convince him that she is the girl he wrote a song about.
Profile Image for Chasta.
3 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2011
Aww this was such a cute book! I finished it in a day so it was a very quick read. I enjoyed it very much, and it captured me from the very first page. It was a good story plot and the characters were so cute. I deff. saw myself as the main character throughout the whole story. I loved everything except i think the ending was a little rushed...in my opinion...i would of liked to see them emotional and just TOGETHER! haha, because in the end we dont really get to see them as a couple and that was a bummer=/. Everything else was pretty good though(:
Profile Image for Monica Z.
129 reviews19 followers
June 15, 2015
I can't remember when I read and finished this book. All I know is that I bought a copy of it because just by reading the summary, I got interested.

It didn't disappoint too, it's really a rom-com, just my cup of tea. I guess I should call myself kind of an emotional reader as most books affect me in certain ways especially with a female main character. And when it's written in first point of view. I like all the characters and it was well written enough to get me to finish it in one sitting. :)
October 16, 2011
This book was good but i just didnt like how he only found out that Lauren was the girl only at the end. If i was Lauren i would get really mad because he was with Megan just because she kinda look like the girl he saw at the planetarium. I know it was hard because all the girls were saying that there the 'one' but i didnt really like that part. But he liked her even though he didnt know it was her which was a good thing.
Profile Image for Abby Freitas .
8 reviews
June 14, 2010
I really enjoyed this book, it was a book about believing in love at first sight and the crazy adventure that happens to two friends. They both for the first time ever , think they have found the guy of their dreams and are going to put up a fight for them. you'll find out more if you read At First Sight By: Catherine Hapka
Profile Image for Mandy.
185 reviews
September 10, 2010
I think the happy ending came a little too quickly, it came as a rush. The male main character was so blind. I can't believe how ignorant he is!! How ignorant can a man be?? I still like the ending of when the teacher that hit them the first time bump into them again and that's what make the male character knows finally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hillary Hernandez.
91 reviews20 followers
December 10, 2013
Loved it!!! It's almost like the story of Cinderella. The one every young girl want as her fairytale ending. It makes you question the existence of love at first sight. Is it really a pre destined emotion or just some hormonal teenagers? And in a world full of fakers and liars Riley finds his "out of this world"planetarium girl.
Profile Image for Megan.
508 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2014
A super quick read, meh on the level of satisfaction.

Couldn't get over Riley's blockheadedness; doesn't he recognize her voice? I can't tell you how many times I wanted to slam him.

I couldn't connect to Lauren, either, as her and Britt were constantly focused on boys. Don't they have other things that make them happy?

Cute premise, bad execution.
Profile Image for Bookworm113.
396 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2021
At first I thought this book was going to be a Cinderella story, but it turned to be different, but amazing just the same. It's about Lauren, who meets the perfect guy at a planetarium, but couldn't even get his name. But then, soon after, a guy named Riley posts on social media, looking for his 'planetarium girl'.
Profile Image for Svea.
389 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2013
This book was so cute. At times I was so infuriated with Riley for not getting anything, but then again he was too cute to be angry at so I decided to love him.
Definitely an easy but enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews

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