steamy

By Wendy Million

Coming Soon on June 13, 2023

(3.5 / 5)

I had the opportunity to read a free advanced review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Keep in mind that the published version will have been edited from the advanced version I read.

Miss Matched is a 2nd chance romance that alternates between the points of view of the two main characters, Tayla and Simon. The premise: about six years ago, the two had a bad breakup after dating for a couple years. You can imagine Tayla’s shock when she uses an expensive dating service to find her soulmate, only to be matched with Simon.

Overall, this book was a fairly quick read that flowed well, but there were certain aspects of the story that just didn’t seem very believable, which is why I didn’t like it as much as I could have. From the beginning, the dating service seemed like a bit of a farse. Only women can use it, and it costs as much as a down payment on a house? Over the course of the book, we learn other shady things about the company, yet somehow all of this has managed to stay quiet for years? I also found the full story about Tayla and Simon’s original breakup, which is revealed gradually, seemed a bit too uncharacteristic for a couple who was supposedly so close.

I honestly thought Simon was a bit of a jerk, especially at the beginning of the book. He did eventually grow on me more though. One thing I noticed was that the “voice” between Tayla and Simon’s points of view felt too similar, and sometimes I even had to remind myself which character I was following.

Despite my complaints, I found this to be an easy read that kept my attention, and I really enjoyed the ending. While this book didn’t turn out to be a favorite for me, I’d be willing to read more books by this author in the future.

By Raina Ash

(5 / 5)

TW: mental illness, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts

This book pulled me in almost as soon as I started reading it, and I found it very hard to put down. It follows 2 main characters, Natalie and Dean, who are each struggling with mental health and trauma from their past. As someone who has anxiety and has experienced panic attacks, I thought the descriptions were spot-on and realistic. Natalie and Dean end up meeting in an unconventional way, but I loved how they each accepted the other for who they were and didn’t judge. The story was interesting with a lot of ups and downs that kept me invested in the story. I was glad to see a lot of growth in both of the main characters over the course of the story while also being realistic about how these things take a lot of work, time, and sometimes you fall backwards in the process, but that’s okay. The book left me with a feeling of hope and a positive outlook about a topic that often holds a lot of stigma. I really enjoyed the romance aspects of the story as well and found that it came to a satisfying conclusion. There’s a couple steamy scenes, but it’s not excessive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A special thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of the book and the opportunity to provide my honest feedback!

Miss Matched

Love & Panic

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