Book Review: Love at First Flight

By Melissa Amster

The last time I flew on a plane (which wasn't for a good reason), I made sure to look as plain and boring as possible and to avoid eye contact with any men nearby. I didn't want to put myself into a situation like the one Mel did in Tess Woods' debut novel, Love at First Flight.

What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who will destroy you?

Mel is living the dream. She's a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, she meets Matt and her picture perfect Stepford life unravels as she falls in love for the first time ever.

What begins as a flirty conversation between strangers quickly develops into a hot and obsessive affair with disastrous consequences neither Mel nor Matt could have ever seen coming. Mel's dream life turns into her worst nightmare.

LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT will take everything you believe about what true love is and spin it on its head. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Even if I had managed to get into Mel's situation, I would think that I had more restraint and could just focus on my Marian Keyes novel (not that I was reading one at the time, but I loved Tess' shout-out to her) the entire time. While I don't ever support or promote infidelity, I could see why Mel had an affair to begin with. And it was hard to not want her to be with Matt because the temptation he provided was challenging to ignore. The steamy scenes between Mel and Matt were definitely cigarette-worthy, but I would advise not reading those parts when children are nearby. (At least if they're able to read. I was careful, but still...)

I have to applaud Tess Woods on tackling this subject matter, as most readers expect the man to cheat and the woman to be the victim. However, Love at First Flight twists that concept around and intensifies everything. I have read a few good novels where women are the ones having the affair and the consequences that come with it, but this one takes the cake! Tess gives a realistic view of marital infidelity and also tosses in some surprises that just threw me off my game. There was nothing predictable about this novel.

I really enjoyed Love at First Flight and could easily see it becoming a movie. I loved Tess' idea to cast Rose Byrne as Mel. I couldn't even imagine anyone else. She had some ideas for Adam and Matt, but I had my own. I could see Gerard Butler as Adam and Matt Lanter as Matt. Nicky Whelan would be Lydia (Matt's girlfriend). The soundtrack would have to feature "Roller Coaster" by Luke Bryan. That song is perfect for this novel!

Thanks to Tess Woods for the book in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to more enticing stories from her in the future!

Love at First Flight is 99 cents for Kindle through October 25th.