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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
One of the things with reading a series is always me wanting to see the previous couples again because I’m really shit at letting them go. The fact that Lucinda and Samantha get their own random chapter or two throughout both the last book and this book is just amazing to see. I love how it easily ties into the story thanks to Samanthas role as the matchmaker. It makes sense and with Lucinda being her better half, it brings her into the scene as well which is awesome because it’s different from the series kind I’ve read before in which the girlfriend/wife usually doesn’t get as much attention as the part of the friend group. In addition to that, when starting the book, you get a clear mention of not only Samantha and Lucinda but also Shelly and Claire, and you get the actual interaction of this books mains with the others, you just feel right at home.
The story about Sasha and Abby was nothing short of amazing with all its ups and downs. How their fears came to the surface and were dealt with and even the side story with Sasha’s father and how misunderstandings can happen and ruin things for a while. Grand gestures were big in this book and I loved every second of it.
Sidenote: I can’t help but picture Lydia from One Day At A Time when Edie is mentioned and it was hilarious.
The story about Sasha and Abby was nothing short of amazing with all its ups and downs. How their fears came to the surface and were dealt with and even the side story with Sasha’s father and how misunderstandings can happen and ruin things for a while. Grand gestures were big in this book and I loved every second of it.
Sidenote: I can’t help but picture Lydia from One Day At A Time when Edie is mentioned and it was hilarious.
***No Synopsis***
I had high hopes for this book as I loved it's two predecessors, but I was a bit disappointed. I still like the book, but it was very predictable for me. I thought the point of conflict was a bit cliché which made me feel like the two main characters were a bit dumb. A little bit of honesty at the beginning of their relationship would have saved them a great deal of heartache.
I still liked it, but Riley's first two books in this series are better.
I had high hopes for this book as I loved it's two predecessors, but I was a bit disappointed. I still like the book, but it was very predictable for me. I thought the point of conflict was a bit cliché which made me feel like the two main characters were a bit dumb. A little bit of honesty at the beginning of their relationship would have saved them a great deal of heartache.
I still liked it, but Riley's first two books in this series are better.
+A firefighter and a millionaire falling in love.
+Russian-Irish American heroine and she is a womanizer!
+The book is wonderful, there are so many sapphic side couples.
+Slow burn romance, very cute (and hot) dates, funny interactions.
+Sasha and Abby are a beautiful couple.
+Both heroines have very supportive families.
+I had only one problem; I wished they had discussed more the privileges of Abby as a millionaire. Recognizing privileges is complicated but also super important, and social class influences everything.
I'll be reading very soon something more by Fiona Riley. And you should too!
Strike a Match was a heartwarming story with wonderful characters and romance.
Copy received through Netgalley in exchange an honest review.
+Russian-Irish American heroine and she is a womanizer!
+The book is wonderful, there are so many sapphic side couples.
+Slow burn romance, very cute (and hot) dates, funny interactions.
+Sasha and Abby are a beautiful couple.
+Both heroines have very supportive families.
+I had only one problem; I wished they had discussed more the privileges of Abby as a millionaire. Recognizing privileges is complicated but also super important, and social class influences everything.
I'll be reading very soon something more by Fiona Riley. And you should too!
Strike a Match was a heartwarming story with wonderful characters and romance.
Copy received through Netgalley in exchange an honest review.
This is book number 3 of Fiona Riley's Perfect Match series, this time featuring hot firefighter Sasha and reluctant millionairess Abby. Even though it's ok to read it as a stand alone, you'll enjoy it more by reading the series chronologically. This book is entertaining, romantic and downright hot. The chemistry between the main characters is sizzling, the dialogues witty and the secondary characters add realism and entertainment to the story. Ms. Riley knows her craft and builds her characters with realism and defined personalities. A good example in this book is Sasha's father, so accurately described in his Irishness that reminds me of any of my neighbours in Ireland. My only criticism is in the last few chapters, one of the circumstances surrounding their conflict is a bit weak. However, the author resolves it nicely at the end.
Overall, an enjoyable read. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See my other reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
Overall, an enjoyable read. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See my other reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
There’s so much I enjoyed about Strike a Match, the story of a firefighter named Sasha who is tired of the one-night stands and hook-ups of her “womanizer” lifestyle. Sasha is looking for the right woman to be her perfect match, so she signs up with a high-powered dating service, hoping to find a healthy long-term relationship.
Sasha and Abby are both clients of the same matchmaker, and they meet at a wedding. They have briefly been introduced at mixers and other social events, but this is the first time they really notice each other. Sparks fly! (There are going to be so many fire metaphors in this review. So many.) They share a dance and a sexy kiss, and it’s clear that this romance has potential.
Fiona Riley does a nice job of creating thorny internal and external conflicts for each heroine. Sasha is working multiple jobs, doing everything she can to help pay for the huge pile of medical debts from her father’s leukemia. She is close to her parents and wants the kind of stable, happy relationship they have. Her romance with Abby is firing up just as her father’s cancer is getting worse, and she finds solace and comfort in their closeness.
Growing up in happy families doesn’t mean that Abby and Sasha are perfect adults. They still struggle, like all of us, with how to build the future they want. It turns out that Abby isn’t being entirely truthful with Sasha. Abby is the millionaire heiress of a patrician Boston family; she works because she wants to, not because she has to. Abby originally hides her real identity because she wants to protect herself from gold diggers. Abby quickly realizes that Sasha is different, but now she’s painted herself into a corner and doesn’t know how to tell the truth.
I enjoyed the hot, fierce chemistry between Sasha and Abby. Abby thinks Sasha is the womanizer when they first meet; but that doesn’t mean Abby is a shy, retiring wallflower. Sasha thinks, “Abby has the filthiest mouth and mind ever. She had always prided herself on being a sexual being, but Abby brought it to a whole other level.” The sex is great, but as Sasha’s father becomes more ill, it’s clear that they also respect and support each other. They spend long nights getting to know each other and both hope that they’ve finally found “the one.”
The class conflict is well-handled. Sasha inadvertently makes some judgmental comments about rich, society women. Abby is warned by several people that she has to be honest with Sasha. Even though I understood where Abby was coming from, I really wanted to kick her in the pants for her lying. I was super invested in their relationship, but also wanted it to end up in a healthy, honest place. It’s clear from the beginning that the resolution of these conflicts would be painful for both heroines. This romance displays how easily inhibitions and fears can hold people back, and that it takes bravery and sometimes groveling to make things work.
My only major complaint about this book is the pacing. Plot-wise, there was way too much exposition. The brief interlude at the wedding where they dance and kiss happens in chapter six! They don’t go out on their first date until chapter ten, which is about 35% of the way through the book. At that point, I was so ready for them to actually interact, talk, flirt and BE with each other. That chapter ends with them sitting down in the restaurant, and the beginning of their date, but chapter eleven opens with, “Abby’s sides hurt from laughing. They had made it through dinner and were on to dessert.” All that build up and the details are lost in the margins! The romance between them doesn’t really heat up until probably the 50% mark. The beginning was drawn out and it didn’t develop the characters of Abby and Sasha more thoroughly; it just felt repetitive. It’s not terrible, it’s just slower than I expected, and I don’t think it does the story justice. I just wanted an editor to go in there and compress that first third, and help the author streamline or eliminate longer, contemplative passages. Once the romance torch gets lit, things moved along at a pleasing and crackling pace.
In my Borrow, Buy, Bye post from a few weeks ago, there was some interesting discussion in the comments about how more inclusive books, those without cis-het-white main characters, are higher priced. That is certainly the case for the previous two books in this series, which are $10 each. I will look for them at my library first, but I’m rethinking my hard upper limit of $8. If I truly want to support inclusive romance, then I should be willing to pay more for the authors and publishers that actually bring diverse stories to my Kindle. In this case, Bold Strokes Books specializes in “quality and diversity in LGBTQ literature.” This a publisher I want to support!
I enjoyed this book, despite the pacing issue. I was rooting for Abby and Sasha, not only to be together, but also that both of them would grow and change enough to find a true HEA. The supporting cast of family members, friends, and colleagues is charming and well-portrayed. I’m looking forward to more from Fiona Riley.
Sasha and Abby are both clients of the same matchmaker, and they meet at a wedding. They have briefly been introduced at mixers and other social events, but this is the first time they really notice each other. Sparks fly! (There are going to be so many fire metaphors in this review. So many.) They share a dance and a sexy kiss, and it’s clear that this romance has potential.
Fiona Riley does a nice job of creating thorny internal and external conflicts for each heroine. Sasha is working multiple jobs, doing everything she can to help pay for the huge pile of medical debts from her father’s leukemia. She is close to her parents and wants the kind of stable, happy relationship they have. Her romance with Abby is firing up just as her father’s cancer is getting worse, and she finds solace and comfort in their closeness.
Growing up in happy families doesn’t mean that Abby and Sasha are perfect adults. They still struggle, like all of us, with how to build the future they want. It turns out that Abby isn’t being entirely truthful with Sasha. Abby is the millionaire heiress of a patrician Boston family; she works because she wants to, not because she has to. Abby originally hides her real identity because she wants to protect herself from gold diggers. Abby quickly realizes that Sasha is different, but now she’s painted herself into a corner and doesn’t know how to tell the truth.
I enjoyed the hot, fierce chemistry between Sasha and Abby. Abby thinks Sasha is the womanizer when they first meet; but that doesn’t mean Abby is a shy, retiring wallflower. Sasha thinks, “Abby has the filthiest mouth and mind ever. She had always prided herself on being a sexual being, but Abby brought it to a whole other level.” The sex is great, but as Sasha’s father becomes more ill, it’s clear that they also respect and support each other. They spend long nights getting to know each other and both hope that they’ve finally found “the one.”
The class conflict is well-handled. Sasha inadvertently makes some judgmental comments about rich, society women. Abby is warned by several people that she has to be honest with Sasha. Even though I understood where Abby was coming from, I really wanted to kick her in the pants for her lying. I was super invested in their relationship, but also wanted it to end up in a healthy, honest place. It’s clear from the beginning that the resolution of these conflicts would be painful for both heroines. This romance displays how easily inhibitions and fears can hold people back, and that it takes bravery and sometimes groveling to make things work.
My only major complaint about this book is the pacing. Plot-wise, there was way too much exposition. The brief interlude at the wedding where they dance and kiss happens in chapter six! They don’t go out on their first date until chapter ten, which is about 35% of the way through the book. At that point, I was so ready for them to actually interact, talk, flirt and BE with each other. That chapter ends with them sitting down in the restaurant, and the beginning of their date, but chapter eleven opens with, “Abby’s sides hurt from laughing. They had made it through dinner and were on to dessert.” All that build up and the details are lost in the margins! The romance between them doesn’t really heat up until probably the 50% mark. The beginning was drawn out and it didn’t develop the characters of Abby and Sasha more thoroughly; it just felt repetitive. It’s not terrible, it’s just slower than I expected, and I don’t think it does the story justice. I just wanted an editor to go in there and compress that first third, and help the author streamline or eliminate longer, contemplative passages. Once the romance torch gets lit, things moved along at a pleasing and crackling pace.
In my Borrow, Buy, Bye post from a few weeks ago, there was some interesting discussion in the comments about how more inclusive books, those without cis-het-white main characters, are higher priced. That is certainly the case for the previous two books in this series, which are $10 each. I will look for them at my library first, but I’m rethinking my hard upper limit of $8. If I truly want to support inclusive romance, then I should be willing to pay more for the authors and publishers that actually bring diverse stories to my Kindle. In this case, Bold Strokes Books specializes in “quality and diversity in LGBTQ literature.” This a publisher I want to support!
I enjoyed this book, despite the pacing issue. I was rooting for Abby and Sasha, not only to be together, but also that both of them would grow and change enough to find a true HEA. The supporting cast of family members, friends, and colleagues is charming and well-portrayed. I’m looking forward to more from Fiona Riley.
So here's the thing with Fiona Riley's Perfect Match series: it's romantic, it's sexy, it's the kind of queer you don't see very often in lady-love romance, and it's got hands down some of the best exploration of family I've seen in queer fiction, period.
So, let me break that into bits for this particular book, the third in the series.
Romantic matchmaking can be a bit of a struggle to pull off, but Samantha, Fiona Riley's genius of making love matches, has an eye for the right couples, and each book spins a lovely—and unique—fantasy between two awesome women. In this case? We get Sasha, a firefighter who is fighting on the home-front too, to keep her family afloat in the face of crushing medial bills (we met Sasha briefly in [b:Unlikely Match|32072955|Unlikely Match|Fiona Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484668977s/32072955.jpg|52720443]) and Abby, an heiress who wants nothing more than to find that kind of spark with someone, but has learned most people spark with her heiress fortune, rather than who she is. So she hides who she is from potential love, which makes its own problem. Together, the two women click, but how can you move forward when one person is hiding a significant portion of who they are?
You can't. And therein is the core of the book's dilemma: Abby finding the strength to risk getting burned again, and trusting someone. It's not as simple as that, of course, and one of the things I love about Fiona Riley is it's never quite a "just sit down and talk to each other" so much as it's the fallout from those conversations driving the wedges. That's a big deal, and it's done so well with these characters. Especially given that the bigger issue at hand is, of course, Sasha's father's illness.
Now, I mention that you don't often see queers like those in Fiona Riley's books, and you also don't often see families like the ones you get in her books, either. This is another great example of this. First? Her women have queer friends. Gay ones, even. There's bisexual rep throughout the series, too. There's no queer "bubble" where the only two players are the only two queer ladies in existence. This is so much more representational of our real lives. And the families? We've explored cold families, and huge, sprawling families; we've also explored siblings-as-families, and chosen families and... Gah! It's just so atypical. I love it.
This time? We have a brilliant mother-daughter relationship with Abby and her mother (and even gentle pushes from Abby to see her mother try dating again, for another round of happiness). More, with Sasha, we see a family pulled tightly together, facing down terminal illness with joy, laughter, and (of course) some tears. The fight to keep Sasha's family afloat financially is a core piece of Sasha's character, a drive that she's taken on, and her relationship with her father as her hero is really moving.
And of course, Fiona Riley never fails to scorch. The heat is high on the page, and I loved some of the playfulness here, as well as a bit of role-reversal, with Abby being rather a dirty talker (not the kind of thing usually ascribed to rich, upper-crust women, no?)
For fans of the series, there are Easter Eggs with Lucinda and Samantha, as always, and indeed, the start of the book itself is a huge payoff moment for long-time readers. If you've never read any Fiona Riley, start at [b:Miss Match|27217650|Miss Match|Fiona Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445052597s/27217650.jpg|47260414], and don't look back.
So, let me break that into bits for this particular book, the third in the series.
Romantic matchmaking can be a bit of a struggle to pull off, but Samantha, Fiona Riley's genius of making love matches, has an eye for the right couples, and each book spins a lovely—and unique—fantasy between two awesome women. In this case? We get Sasha, a firefighter who is fighting on the home-front too, to keep her family afloat in the face of crushing medial bills (we met Sasha briefly in [b:Unlikely Match|32072955|Unlikely Match|Fiona Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484668977s/32072955.jpg|52720443]) and Abby, an heiress who wants nothing more than to find that kind of spark with someone, but has learned most people spark with her heiress fortune, rather than who she is. So she hides who she is from potential love, which makes its own problem. Together, the two women click, but how can you move forward when one person is hiding a significant portion of who they are?
You can't. And therein is the core of the book's dilemma: Abby finding the strength to risk getting burned again, and trusting someone. It's not as simple as that, of course, and one of the things I love about Fiona Riley is it's never quite a "just sit down and talk to each other" so much as it's the fallout from those conversations driving the wedges. That's a big deal, and it's done so well with these characters. Especially given that the bigger issue at hand is, of course, Sasha's father's illness.
Now, I mention that you don't often see queers like those in Fiona Riley's books, and you also don't often see families like the ones you get in her books, either. This is another great example of this. First? Her women have queer friends. Gay ones, even. There's bisexual rep throughout the series, too. There's no queer "bubble" where the only two players are the only two queer ladies in existence. This is so much more representational of our real lives. And the families? We've explored cold families, and huge, sprawling families; we've also explored siblings-as-families, and chosen families and... Gah! It's just so atypical. I love it.
This time? We have a brilliant mother-daughter relationship with Abby and her mother (and even gentle pushes from Abby to see her mother try dating again, for another round of happiness). More, with Sasha, we see a family pulled tightly together, facing down terminal illness with joy, laughter, and (of course) some tears. The fight to keep Sasha's family afloat financially is a core piece of Sasha's character, a drive that she's taken on, and her relationship with her father as her hero is really moving.
And of course, Fiona Riley never fails to scorch. The heat is high on the page, and I loved some of the playfulness here, as well as a bit of role-reversal, with Abby being rather a dirty talker (not the kind of thing usually ascribed to rich, upper-crust women, no?)
For fans of the series, there are Easter Eggs with Lucinda and Samantha, as always, and indeed, the start of the book itself is a huge payoff moment for long-time readers. If you've never read any Fiona Riley, start at [b:Miss Match|27217650|Miss Match|Fiona Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445052597s/27217650.jpg|47260414], and don't look back.