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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
4.5/5 stars.
SO MANY COZY FEEEEELS.
I've seen this book loosely compared to The Parent Trap and while it is similar, it's so SO much better. Sorry not sorry Lindsay Lohan, but Abby and Savvy > Hallie and Annie.
Also, can I just say: Abby + Leo 4ever. Mickey + Savvy 4evaaaa too.
Sidenote: I find it so interesting that quite a few of the novels I have recently read have taken place on West Coast, but specifically the PNW region. Love. It.
Okay, let's chat about le book:
1. What started out as a fluffy read got real dramatic real quick.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I loved the way the plot went as a whole, since there were bits and pieces where I was questioning, "Ehhhh but could that have happened?"
But, as Abby said it herself, her life had suddenly become the set of an MTV show while simultaneously being on the CW channel (very loose paraphrasing here, bare with me). I felt better about it the fact that she had acknowledged it herself and in the end, I just rolled with it– *fist bumps main character.*
If you don't like drama though, this might not be your cup of tea.
2. Alright, moving on. About the writing itself. Good god Emma Lord, you are gifted. I've highlighted a few quotes and will come back to share them once this novel is released...can't give anything away just yet!!
3. This novel was very much with the times, which I got down with.
However. Real talk.
Lately, I've been trying to distance away from social media and have found it to be very toxic, which is no surprise (@netflix documentaries about this, hollllaaaa), soooo since this read focused a lot (and I mean a lot) on social media, Instagram in particular, I was a bit standoffish.
I will say though. Savvy does talk about how she regrets how much time she spent on social media because she knew she had missed important moments right in front of her. Missed actually living her life. Almost like she let her internet persona she had created control her and she wasn't the real her. I was like, "HECK YES SOMEONE SAID IT."
But I got confused real fast when Abby then becomes shocked by the Instagram that Leo had made for her photography (cuteness points to this though becausseeeeee he believed in her when pretty much no one else did and way before anyone did minus Poppy), and then talks quite a bit about follower count and yada yada.
There's more Instagram talk later on too and it's brought up quite a bit.
I don't know if I should start mentioning trigger warnings in my reviews but count this as one. TW: Instagram/Social Media references.
Call me an old soul but social media is toxic and follower count *clap* does *clap* not *clap* matter. Guess I'm just a twenty something year old grandma *le shrug*.
4. Lastly. Wish we had more Leo and Emma. Wish they didn't beat around the bush so much. I was wanting to scream at them, "JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR FEEEELINGS."
But I get it. When I was their age, I definitely wasn't going to do that. I would have buried it deep deep down and brushed it off and pretended those feelings didn't exist ((((: So I guess just like Abby did.
So, ten points to Hufflepuff! (@emmalord, ya welcome, even though I'm a Ravenclaw. <3)
If you've made it this far into my review, I applaud you. Quite brave to have followed along with the many thought noodles my brain decided to create at this late late hour.
All in all. Read this. It'll warm your heart. It'll bring back some nostalgia. It'll probably make you want to go climb a tree (just don't fall and break your arm, ok? ok).
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. NetGalley review link: https://www.netgalley.com/book/196906/review/748413
SO MANY COZY FEEEEELS.
I've seen this book loosely compared to The Parent Trap and while it is similar, it's so SO much better. Sorry not sorry Lindsay Lohan, but Abby and Savvy > Hallie and Annie.
Also, can I just say: Abby + Leo 4ever. Mickey + Savvy 4evaaaa too.
Sidenote: I find it so interesting that quite a few of the novels I have recently read have taken place on West Coast, but specifically the PNW region. Love. It.
Okay, let's chat about le book:
1. What started out as a fluffy read got real dramatic real quick.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I loved the way the plot went as a whole, since there were bits and pieces where I was questioning, "Ehhhh but could that have happened?"
But, as Abby said it herself, her life had suddenly become the set of an MTV show while simultaneously being on the CW channel (very loose paraphrasing here, bare with me). I felt better about it the fact that she had acknowledged it herself and in the end, I just rolled with it– *fist bumps main character.*
If you don't like drama though, this might not be your cup of tea.
2. Alright, moving on. About the writing itself. Good god Emma Lord, you are gifted. I've highlighted a few quotes and will come back to share them once this novel is released...can't give anything away just yet!!
3. This novel was very much with the times, which I got down with.
However. Real talk.
Lately, I've been trying to distance away from social media and have found it to be very toxic, which is no surprise (@netflix documentaries about this, hollllaaaa), soooo since this read focused a lot (and I mean a lot) on social media, Instagram in particular, I was a bit standoffish.
I will say though. Savvy does talk about how she regrets how much time she spent on social media because she knew she had missed important moments right in front of her. Missed actually living her life. Almost like she let her internet persona she had created control her and she wasn't the real her. I was like, "HECK YES SOMEONE SAID IT."
But I got confused real fast when Abby then becomes shocked by the Instagram that Leo had made for her photography (cuteness points to this though becausseeeeee he believed in her when pretty much no one else did and way before anyone did minus Poppy), and then talks quite a bit about follower count and yada yada.
There's more Instagram talk later on too and it's brought up quite a bit.
I don't know if I should start mentioning trigger warnings in my reviews but count this as one. TW: Instagram/Social Media references.
Call me an old soul but social media is toxic and follower count *clap* does *clap* not *clap* matter. Guess I'm just a twenty something year old grandma *le shrug*.
4. Lastly. Wish we had more Leo and Emma. Wish they didn't beat around the bush so much. I was wanting to scream at them, "JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR FEEEELINGS."
But I get it. When I was their age, I definitely wasn't going to do that. I would have buried it deep deep down and brushed it off and pretended those feelings didn't exist ((((: So I guess just like Abby did.
So, ten points to Hufflepuff! (@emmalord, ya welcome, even though I'm a Ravenclaw. <3)
If you've made it this far into my review, I applaud you. Quite brave to have followed along with the many thought noodles my brain decided to create at this late late hour.
All in all. Read this. It'll warm your heart. It'll bring back some nostalgia. It'll probably make you want to go climb a tree (just don't fall and break your arm, ok? ok).
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. NetGalley review link: https://www.netgalley.com/book/196906/review/748413
Move this up on your radar!
I was going to try and wait to read this book, but I just couldn’t!
I absolutely loved this book and it was exactly what I was looking for! I love Leo and Mickey so much in this book. The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 stars is it just felt like it was missing something in the beginning. I can’t put my finger on it, though.
I’m so excited and blessed to have been given the opportunity to read this arc! It packs a punch in all the right ways. Light, yet handles more serious topics, cute adorable banter, and newfound love platonic and romantic!
I was going to try and wait to read this book, but I just couldn’t!
I absolutely loved this book and it was exactly what I was looking for! I love Leo and Mickey so much in this book. The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 stars is it just felt like it was missing something in the beginning. I can’t put my finger on it, though.
I’m so excited and blessed to have been given the opportunity to read this arc! It packs a punch in all the right ways. Light, yet handles more serious topics, cute adorable banter, and newfound love platonic and romantic!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
classic cutesy, wholesome romance with some family drama and stuff. quite unrealistic, too, but it's fiction, who cares?
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the premise of this — the idea of discovering a sister you never knew you had as a result of a DNA test. I also love stories set at summer camp, so that was another massive plus for me — and that aspect of it was very well done, with plenty of zany camp shenanigans, witty banter, and quirky hijinks included.
As for our main two characters, Savvy and Abby, I loved how utterly different they were from each other, with Abby being an artistic, rule-breaking, consequences-be-damned rebel who’s not all that concerned about academics, and Savvy, a social media-obsessed, always-in-control, play-by-the-rules type of person. I loved how obsessed with Instagram Savvy is, and though it seems as though that obsession is a bit over-the-top, I know people in real life who are just like this (okay…maybe without the 500,000 followers!), so it not unrealistic.
Though there was a romance aspect to this, it took a back to the newly discovered sister relationship, and it was so much fun watching the girls get to know each other and begin to understand the other. I felt that their characters were well-fleshed out and realistic, complete with flaws, doubts, and insecurities. I enjoyed how they put their heads together to try to discover why their parents gave Savvy up and uncover the reason why they never told Abby she had a sister. The big reveal regarding that mystery was well done and a lot of fun.
I loved how complicated and messy all of the relationships in the book were, all of which had not only a compelling dynamic but also changed and evolved as the narrative progressed, complete with all the related angst, raw emotions, tension, and anxiety that come with it. I especially enjoyed the awkwardness of Leo and Abby’s relationship because of the BEI (Big Embarrassing Incident) as they danced around their true feelings for each other and suffered through all sorts of miscommunications.
You Have a Match is a beautifully rendered and unique exploration of friendship, with all of its exhilaration, disappointments, and mistakes, with a fair amount of melodrama thrown it. And it is through friendship that Abbey learns some of the most important truths about herself and the kind of person she wants to be.
My only niggle with the book was the excessive Harry Potter references, something I always dislike in novels. That’s just a personal pet peeve of mine, but I wish authors would move past this already…so that part of the book was a bit eye-rolling. But apart from Harry Potter, I enjoyed this little gem of a novel, and I would definitely read more of this author’s work.
As for our main two characters, Savvy and Abby, I loved how utterly different they were from each other, with Abby being an artistic, rule-breaking, consequences-be-damned rebel who’s not all that concerned about academics, and Savvy, a social media-obsessed, always-in-control, play-by-the-rules type of person. I loved how obsessed with Instagram Savvy is, and though it seems as though that obsession is a bit over-the-top, I know people in real life who are just like this (okay…maybe without the 500,000 followers!), so it not unrealistic.
Though there was a romance aspect to this, it took a back to the newly discovered sister relationship, and it was so much fun watching the girls get to know each other and begin to understand the other. I felt that their characters were well-fleshed out and realistic, complete with flaws, doubts, and insecurities. I enjoyed how they put their heads together to try to discover why their parents gave Savvy up and uncover the reason why they never told Abby she had a sister. The big reveal regarding that mystery was well done and a lot of fun.
I loved how complicated and messy all of the relationships in the book were, all of which had not only a compelling dynamic but also changed and evolved as the narrative progressed, complete with all the related angst, raw emotions, tension, and anxiety that come with it. I especially enjoyed the awkwardness of Leo and Abby’s relationship because of the BEI (Big Embarrassing Incident) as they danced around their true feelings for each other and suffered through all sorts of miscommunications.
You Have a Match is a beautifully rendered and unique exploration of friendship, with all of its exhilaration, disappointments, and mistakes, with a fair amount of melodrama thrown it. And it is through friendship that Abbey learns some of the most important truths about herself and the kind of person she wants to be.
My only niggle with the book was the excessive Harry Potter references, something I always dislike in novels. That’s just a personal pet peeve of mine, but I wish authors would move past this already…so that part of the book was a bit eye-rolling. But apart from Harry Potter, I enjoyed this little gem of a novel, and I would definitely read more of this author’s work.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the romance was cute, I do feel like it kinda detracted from the main storyline which was two sisters trying to figure out their family history and comparing themselves to each other, to their detriment. And for that, it was good. If I was just rating it as a romance, it would be very bad and for that reason, I lowkey wish that the romance just wasn't in the book.
Anyways, great story about family and comparisons and I really liked it!
contains cursing, teenage romance, queer side characters
Anyways, great story about family and comparisons and I really liked it!