First Thing I See

I really enjoyed this book it got my attention from the beginning and just couldn't put it down. What I liked the most is that Kennedy was a very normal guy, yes he is rich and sexy and protective but not excessively dominant like other novels where the male protagonist ends up boring you whit his negative attitude and trauma from the past. I also liked that Hope accepted everything that comes whit the man, his past, his help, his money and gifts like any normal girl in her situation would do. This is not a Cinderella kind of novel, is about two people with different backgrounds that fall in love.

Honestly, I CANNOT understand all the great reviews of this book! In my opinion, it was one of the worst books I have ever read. First of all, the female was an absolute SKANK and the male was a complete ass throughout the entire book. Neither of these characters were likeable in the least. The female was so immature and had none of the responses of a normal woman. The man had no redeeming qualities at all. I cannot express enough how much I absolutely hated this book.

A romance novel that shows you love is always the happiness dose we all continuously seek whether it's in our current situation, or one we hope for in the future. It's an empowerment, hope, and riding on the crest of the wave story that leaves you feeling good, and determined to now make your own dreams come true.
Hope the main character, aptly named I must say, had decided to reinvent herself. She moved across the country, changed her wardrobe, and followed a little in her friends footsteps to be who she thought she should be. After landing a new job, the one she had coveted, she met who she thought was 'the one'. He was handsome all over, charming, and the chemistry was immediate just upon seeing him, let alone what she felt when he brushed just her hand.
As with any relationship, Hope and Kennedy went through the machinations of learning about one another, trusting each other, and finding out what their inner most thoughts are. Their process is not only entertaining, but fanciful and enveloping. You could feel the chemistry and emotions with each word she wrote. Her descriptive writing drew you into the scenes with such clarity and emotion, that you had to keep reading. You knew, from an outsider, what mistakes she was making and just had to keep reading to know that she eventually got it right.
Kennedy, even though it was written with Hope as the first person, still gave you enough insight into his world to understand him and root for him and Hope's future. What makes him become who he is, and what is going to make him be what they both need in the future is a process you watch develop throughout the storyline. It isn't held in secret with you wondering until the end, which makes you get attached to this character as much as you do Hope.
What Hope discovers is, her past influenced her development; it didn't change the core of who she was. When she changed her wardrobe and moved across the country, she was really just giving herself permission to be who she always has been. It took Kennedy to show her the truth, even though her best friend had been telling her that for years. She realized that if Kennedy could see that, having only known her for a short time, then it must be true. Sometimes it takes a window instead of a mirror to see what has been right in front of us all along.
It's a fun story and romantic as ever. Get the book, you will definitely enjoy it and enthusiastically look for Vi's next one.

A perfect blend of romance, sex and reality, this book was beautiful, sweet, and real. Hope lands her dream job in a plush New York hotel. It's here, on her first day, that she runs in to Kennedy, a wealthy man who knows exactly what he wants. When they meet, there's an instant attraction that can be felt as you read the words on the page, and their whirlwind romance begins.

The characters that the author created for this story shared a chemistry that felt real. Hope was insecure, sweet and ambitious, and those insecurities made it really easy for me to relate to her feelings. Kennedy is the epitome of an Alpha male. Strong, sexy, dominant, and with a "broken" past, he has poured so much of himself into his work, creating situations where he sees something he wants and he takes it. When the two of them meet, their worlds are turned upside down and an intense relationship develops between the two of them. Their moments of intimacy are erotic and tastefully written; making their relationship all the more beautiful, and their romance, while flawed like most, is just perfect.

If you're looking for a Fifty Shades type of dominance (minus the childish drama), you'll thoroughly enjoy First Thing I See.

Reviewed by Marie for Cocktails and Books

From the beginning this story grabs your attention. Yes, you have a rich, alpha male and a regular female however, it doesn't focus on the alpha aspect or their differences. It actually focuses on their story and their journey.

The only reason that it doesn't get more stars is due to the gramatical errors and how it switched from different perspectives. It made the reading a bit slower, it didn't necessarily take away from the story but it did slow you down and take you out of the zone momentarily. However, I still recommend this as a love story to be read.

In the description of this book, it starts off with something like "If you are a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, etc"... Yes, if you are a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, the Sylvia day "trilogy" (Now quintet), the Up in the Air series, and all of the books that are almost EXACTLY the same and you aren't sick of reading about the EXACT same thing, than you will like this book.

For me, I am waiting for an author to blow me away with creativity. Not continuing to write about some dominant, rich, d-bag falling for a girl, when he just can't understand why he is feeling all of these things that he has never felt before... Only to have the female fall for him at first sight, but has horrible self value/worth and repeatedly compare herself to her best friend only to put herself down.

The thing that gets me is that all of the authors of these books are women. Quit putting yourselves down! If you think you aren't worth a guys time... screw that!

It started out okay, but was really shallow and I started losing interest. The typos and grammar issues had me confused then laughing. The story went from 1st person her, to 1st person him, then 1st person her again without any differentiation. But then it went from 3rd person him to 1st person her in the next paragraph so it sounded like there was menage going on. But the wrong wording was the worst. His expression was "taught" instead of taunt. And my favorite, the jeans hung low on his "waste." I'm still laughing about that one. I'm not trying to slam the author. I'm sure it's hard to write a book. But she needs a decent editor to catch all these problems. I finally quit reading the book about halfway through (or threw ;)

I really enjoyed this book. This is the second book of Vi Keeland's that I've read and both have been great. Her story flows well and I felt connected to both Hope and Kennedy. Without giving away too much i'll say this.
I love when a story allows a character to grow and I feel both did in this book. I loved Kennedy's unwavering support and love for Hope.
I'd definitely recommend this book. I think Vi Keeland has become one of my new favorite authors. Can't wait to see what will be next from her.

I read this book on a recommdation from reading the other Vi Keeland book and I have to say I was not disappointed. She made me feel like I was part of this book and the characters real. She did an excellent job in writing as usual. This book is AWESOME!!!

I found the book an entertaining read. My three star rating is for how the first half of the book was too much telling of what was happening (conversation, events) then experiencing them. I enjoyed learning about Kennedy and Hope's past and seeing their relationship evolve.

I absolutely loved this book, - love all Vi Keeland books in fact. It was a pity that this isn't a Trilogy, it is that good, and I would have loved to enjoy more of the characters in this book. Great read.