At First Sight

Great modern twist on the story of Aladdin
Full of drama and chaos Love at First Sight Ian Ladd sees Valentina Di Midici, Her Serene Highness
and he is a street rat.

This was a beautiful opposites attract fairytale read about Ian and Valentina. They shared one beautiful night together and then were separated for many years. The angst and back and forth broke my heart for them. When they reunited, it was like two souls coming back together. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished this wonderful, thrilling retelling of Aladdin love story. I loved this adult version so much better. Loved this beautiful love story and I can’t wait to read more by Katy Regnery.

WOW! This was so WORTH the wait you guys! I was always curious about Valentina and finally the author give her a sweet HEA. We met Valentina in Shear Heaven. She is Nico’s twin, a princess. Valentina and Ian’s love story began when they met as teenagers. It was love at first sight. They have one unforgettable night together but an unfortunate event happened that separated them for 15 years. They are now both living in New York, a meeting brought them back together. Was it destiny? Faith? We’ll have to read and find out. My only regret is that Ian and Valentina’s love story was over so quickly. I could read about them forever. Although this is a novella, I feel that the characters are developed and their past stories are deeper than expected. Ian has a bit of a colorful past but he is loyal to a fault. When he loves, he loves hard. Valentina was an innocent princess who had her heart broken. She turned somewhat hardened by what happened with Ian all those years ago. She is a bit jaded but with Ian back in her life Valentina finally has a chance to find her fairytale ending. They both deserved it and they are perfect for each other. This love story is based on Disney’s Aladdin. Absolutely love the heartwarming fairytale retelling, the magic, the love at first sight, the two little nuggets, and the emotional second chance. Short and sweet and beautifully written as always! Love this author!!! <3

I love reading a good spin on a fairytale and have been looking forward to Valentina’s story for a little while. I’ve never had an insta-love connection, so it’s fun reading about them. Its definitely Aladdin: the Italian princess and the “street rat,” with an Irish flair. It makes me want to learn their languages. The early meeting wasn’t meant to be and that’s what makes the chance meeting in an unlikely place in another time all that memorable. Hokey, maybe? I live for that stuff. I love love, especially in these times. And…getting a brief visit from Nico and Bella was lovely too.

This is a fun, action-packed story!

Its love at first sight for Valentia and Ian but after one magical night together, tragedy strikes and the two are torn apart. Years later, they must fight for their second chance.

This story is told in two parts, their initial meeting and falling in love and then their reunion 15 years and a lifetime of choices later. As always, Katy Regnery captured my attention and told a lovely story of lost love and love found.

~~ 4.5. MAGICAL STARS! ~~

“Once upon a time, long ago and far away…..a street rat fell in love with a beautiful princess.”

Get ready to take a Magic Carpet ride that will leave you DIZZY WITH DELIGHT! AT FIRST SIGHT, a wildly original spin on the beloved Aladdin fairytale, is a fanciful story of first love, second chances and of a forbidden, FATEFUL passion that triumphs against all odds!

PREMISE:
For loyal Modern Fairytale followers who have read Ms. Regnery’s Rapunzel-themed novella, SHEAR HEAVEN, the heroine, Princess Valentina, was first introduced in in that book as Nico’s twin sister. But while it’s recommend to have read that book prior to this one, I can personally attest that it’s not crucial.

16-year-old Ian Ladd is starring as Mercutio in the Limerick Youth Theatre’s production of Romeo & Juliet, which has received a lot of fanfare, and rumor has it that there is a real Italian princess in the audience! But nothing prepares him for the moment he locks eyes with Valentia Yasmina De’Medici. The charming, rough around the edges hooligan is completely transfixed by the stunningly beautiful Her Serene Highness. And to his shock and delight, Tina feels the same powerful pull towards him! Their connection is combustible, and they both fall hopelessly in love AT FIRST SIGHT. And after Valentina finds herself in danger and he bravely defends her honor, they both spend a magical evening together, discovering a whole new world through each other’s eyes!

But, alas, as happens in these kinds of timeless fairytales, the cruel hands of fate intervene. For Nico and Valentina’s stolen moments together result in life altering consequences…and their happiness is woefully short-lived,

However, even though they are torn asunder for over a decade and a half, the love and passion they feel for each other cannot be severed! And when they cross paths by chance fifteen years later, lightning strikes twice for this hopelessly enamored duo!

“I recognize him. I see him. I see the boy I knew in the man before me.”

But it won’t be easy for this trouble-prone, tough talkin’ former “street rat” from the back alleys of Limerick to claim his beautiful royal highness once and for all. For can Ian truly ever fit into Valentina’s grandiose world…and will she ever be able to free her heart from a cage of her own making? You gotta read to find out but prepare to be spellbound as they embark on a breath-stealing romantic odyssey of a lifetime!

MY MUSINGS:
Katy Regnery bewitches our hearts once again with this eagerly anticipated installment in her beloved Modern Fairytale series! I was enthralled by this wildly whimsical and enchanting novella from page one and raced through the kindle pages at breakneck speed. Spanning fifteen years and transporting us from the Emerald Isle to Brooklyn, NY this short novella is brimming with so much beauty and passion, heart and soul, vibrancy and vitality that it left me BREATHLESS. There is nothing more intoxicating about a story featuring a filthy rich princess and street-smart pauper who come from drastically different worlds, and when you add the Aladdin twist, it’s even headier! Each and every word Ms. Regnery pens in this masterfully woven tale sparkles and shines with her trademark charm and sheer glittering majesty!

The richly detailed world she concocts is guaranteed to sweep you up and away but beyond all the pomp and circumstance, at the core this is an enduring love story about a perfectly imperfect princess who yearns to regain control of her life, and a gruff, yet gold-hearted Irishman with dark skeletons in his past who fight for a second chance at love together! Their connection is captivating, heart wrenching, passionate and so rousingly romantic your pulse will be racing a mile a minute!

“My heart remembers yours.”

I absolutely adored both these characters! I loved how coarse and uncouth Ian was in Part One as a teenage gang member fighting for survival on the streets, yet despite his brash and brutish persona, deep down he possessed a gentle, loving soul. And HOLY SMOKES…when we see his transformation from Irish street thug to scrappy Irish Restaurateur in Part Three he truly embodies the roguishly sexy prince of our feverish fantasies!! This tall, dark and muscular hottie with the navy blue eyes and cocky smirk oozes testosterone, simmering intensify and raw potent masculinity! And sure he’s seen his share of hardship and tragedy—and one loss in particular decimated his entire world—but with the help of his own special “genie” he got his three wishes granted and was able to miraculously turn his life around. But he’s still haunted by dark demons in his past. Will he ever be deemed worthy of the beautiful royal princess of his dreams? My lips are sealed on that front, but I will say that I swooned and exalted and just plain coveted this roughhewn hero with every beat of my heart!

As for Tina, she is so sweet and angelic, spirited and adventurous and brave. And while in the present day she “radiates composure, sophistication and grace,” there’s still an aura of aching vulnerability and fiery sass about her that is reminiscent of the girl that Ian first fell in love with. Yet even though she was left devastated and emotionally shattered by the turn of events that ripped Ian away from her all those years ago, hereby resigning herself to make the ultimate sacrifice to elude a royal scandal, her heart always panged for one boy. Ian. But their passionate reunion is fraught with complications, especially since she’s vowed to never trust in love again. However, there’s just SOMETHING about Ian that is like a potent balm to her wounded soul.

Sighh! You CAN’T HELP but root hard for this star-crossed couple who loved one another so passionately for one unforgettable night and finally get a second shot at deep, everlasting happiness! They undoubtedly come from different walks of life, but Valentina and Ian are truly a match made in heaven! And while this fabled story of love and loss, hope and healing sure has its fair share of grim twists and turns, they are prepared to fight for a future together at all costs!

BOTTOM LINE:
Katy’s Regnery’s modern-day Aladdin retelling is simply GLORIOUS!

A MUST READ!

In this modern retelling of Aladdin, Ian Ladd is a young Irish gang member who is participating in a program to get the two main gangs in Limerick, Ireland working together on stage. Just before they go on for their final performance, the cast learns that the Italian royal family will be in attendance. As he scans the seats, Ian’s eyes lock with the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen, and he knows that she’s the princess. Her Serene Highness Valentina Yasmina De’Medici is excited to be away from the drudgery of formal occasions, even though the play is amateurish at best. That is, until she meets the eyes of one of the actors, a cheeky boy who looks at her with longing. She’s riveted during his performance of Mercutio, and afterwards she schemes with her brother so that she can sneak off and meet the young man that’s caught her eye.
After one secretive night together, Ian’s hit with devastating news. After attempting to exact revenge for the cause of his devastation, he flees Ireland for the safety of NYC, changing his name and vowing to never go back to the land of his birth. With no time, and no way to connect with the princess who owns his heart, he takes off.
Fifteen years later, a bitter Valentina and her young daughter are now living in NYC after the death of her best friend and husband. When she gets called into her daughter’s school because her daughter has been bullied, she is stunned to know that the little boy at the center of the event belongs to none other than Ian Ladd, the young Irishman who took her heart when she was a teen.
This is a very enjoyable retelling. Thoroughly modern in this telling, yet with a nod to past masters, Ms. Regnery has a habit of pulling you into the characters lives. You want to know more about their history and want to see more of their future. Great writing, enjoyable story arc, and wonderful characters all come together in this story to give you a happily ever after for the ages.
**I received an ARC of this story and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved this so much! To say I was excited to read it would be an understatement.

This retelling of Aladdin with the Katy Regnery touch was absolutely magical!

This beautifully written novella is packed full of emotion and carries as much delightful enchantment as the movie. The characters stepped off the page and felt so real, the story grabbed ahold of my heart and didn’t let go, and the happily ever after gave me blissful satisfaction with a big smile on my face.

I was swept away with the love and passion and all of the heart-fluttering goodness. This twist on Aladdin was pure genius and utter perfection. I can’t recommend it enough!

*Katy’s novella, Shear Heaven, takes place right in the middle of At First Sight. (It’s Valentina’s twin brother’s story). It doesn’t have to be read in order to enjoy this story. But IMHO, I think you should. I hadn’t read it yet, so I stopped where I needed to, went and 1-clicked, and read it before I went back to At First Sight. And I’m so glad I did!

This was a novella, so it was compact and a lot of story was shoved in this short book. I liked that there was crazy insta-love but circumstances beyond anyone’s control kept them apart, and since they were so young, it really shaped the rest of their lives. Tina battled with her feelings of low self-worth and would have hung on to those feelings if Ian hadn’t come back to her. I loved that he stayed to work with her and didn’t run at the first sign of trouble. This was a fabulous adaptation of Aladdin’s story, and it ties is really well with Shear Heaven, a Rapunzel retelling.

I was lucking enough to win this amazing book. I read it in one sitting. A 6 star spellbinding page turner. A modern fairy tale that is inspired by Aladdin.

Valentina met Ian 15 years ago. At 15 yo it was love at first sight, but circumstances tore them apart. 15 years later, they get a second chance. But they are different people who have experienced life.

I knew this story was going to be amazing and it even surpassed my already high expectations. I loved everything about this story. It’s addicting and captivating. I was hooked from the first page read to the very last one. An beautifully executed storyline that made sigh quite a bit. I loved these amazing characters that made me so much. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.