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fictionallysam's review against another edition
5.0
Isla Madden-Mills did something I never thought possible--she made me love a heroine I previously didn't like. Giselle and Jack are now my favorites from this series and no one can convince to revert back to my previous line of thinking. They are just THAT good together. Not My Match, is a emotionally charged and sexually sizzling novel that hits you with moments of raw authenticity and comedic gold.
Like I said before--I went into this book not like Giselle. From Not My Romeo (NMR), she was the sister that had me rolling my eyes and scowling at. But cracking open this story and learning more about Giselle and her side of the story from the events that happened in NMR, my cold heart thawed, and as I dove deeper I began to root for her in more ways than I can count. Giselle is this super genius who happens to know everything outside of the bedroom. After having a shit storm of a relationship come crashing down, Giselle is out to prove to herself that she has what it takes to be in a relationship and the sexual prowess that comes with it too.
Enter Devon.
I absolutely LOVED Devon in NMR. And I think I actually squealed in a work meeting when I found out that Devon was getting his own story. A famous professional football player, Devon is known for his player ways both on and off the field. Attracted to Giselle beyond belief, he decides that he isn't the right match for Giselle and begins the adventure of being her matchmaker. Y'all this man has LAYERS. Every time I got to a new chapter, it was like I was introducing myself to a different and updated Devon. I got so invested in his life and who he was that everything else ceased to exist when I was in his point of view.
From the very beginning these characters clicked, and watching them fight their feelings and then come together was the most satisfying thing I've witnessed all year. The push and pull and the leaning on each other during difficult moments was like chef kisses. If you can't tell I am smitten and loved every single moment of this story.
The Chemistry, the emotions, and the well developed characters--Ilsa Madden-Mills threw it out of the park with this story. I was completely entranced from start to finish, and if the others didn't solidify my belief that Isla is a bonified QUEEN--then I don't know what else will. I highly, highly, recommend you grabbing this series up and devouring it. Trust me you won't regret it!
Like I said before--I went into this book not like Giselle. From Not My Romeo (NMR), she was the sister that had me rolling my eyes and scowling at. But cracking open this story and learning more about Giselle and her side of the story from the events that happened in NMR, my cold heart thawed, and as I dove deeper I began to root for her in more ways than I can count. Giselle is this super genius who happens to know everything outside of the bedroom. After having a shit storm of a relationship come crashing down, Giselle is out to prove to herself that she has what it takes to be in a relationship and the sexual prowess that comes with it too.
Enter Devon.
I absolutely LOVED Devon in NMR. And I think I actually squealed in a work meeting when I found out that Devon was getting his own story. A famous professional football player, Devon is known for his player ways both on and off the field. Attracted to Giselle beyond belief, he decides that he isn't the right match for Giselle and begins the adventure of being her matchmaker. Y'all this man has LAYERS. Every time I got to a new chapter, it was like I was introducing myself to a different and updated Devon. I got so invested in his life and who he was that everything else ceased to exist when I was in his point of view.
From the very beginning these characters clicked, and watching them fight their feelings and then come together was the most satisfying thing I've witnessed all year. The push and pull and the leaning on each other during difficult moments was like chef kisses. If you can't tell I am smitten and loved every single moment of this story.
The Chemistry, the emotions, and the well developed characters--Ilsa Madden-Mills threw it out of the park with this story. I was completely entranced from start to finish, and if the others didn't solidify my belief that Isla is a bonified QUEEN--then I don't know what else will. I highly, highly, recommend you grabbing this series up and devouring it. Trust me you won't regret it!
mslauraolivia's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Not My Match was a sweet sequel to Not My Romeo. I’m glad Giselle got her redemption arc, but I still don’t really care about her lol. Dev was the best part of the story.
Not My Match was a sweet sequel to Not My Romeo. I’m glad Giselle got her redemption arc, but I still don’t really care about her lol. Dev was the best part of the story.
schottofjen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
agrandromance's review against another edition
5.0
Steamy and Dramatic Romance
In “Not My Match”, Ilsa Madden-Mills creates two characters who seem like opposites but their attraction is off-the-charts, in any universe.
What you need to know about “Not My Match”:
✔ Steamy Slow Burn
✔ Forced proximity
✔ Complete stand-alone
✔ Opposites Attract
✔ Hot cocky football player, 28
✔ Smart theoretical physics PhD student, 24
✔ Friends-to-lovers
✔ Game Changers #2
In the follow-up to “Not My Romeo”, Giselle is on a disastrous dating app meet-up at Devon’s club, Razor. In an attempt to get away from her terrible date, she gets hurt. Devon helps her out but Giselle discovers that her new brother-in-law, Jack, has told the entire football team including Devon that she is “off limits”. Jack also told Devon another piece of highly personal information about Giselle that greatly embarrasses her.
After Giselle’s apartment building catches fire, Devon takes her in and they develop a friendship. They try to make rules to keep their hands off one another as their attraction is off the charts and very, very obvious. I loved these characters! They are so well developed, compelling, slightly damaged and loveable.
In “Not My Romeo”, Giselle is basically a foil for Elena, acting as a boyfriend-stealing sister. In “Not My Match” she is a fully realized character with a crazy and slightly sad history of bad luck birthdays and men who have treated her poorly starting from the age of fifteen. She has a passion for theoretical physics, an eidetic memory and is secretly writing a sci-fi romance.
Devon is more than football and his smooth-talking ways. He’s been caring for his alcoholic father for years. Every woman he’s ever cared for has left him. And Giselle has always dreamed of going to work at CERN...he’s afraid that she will leave him too.
As Giselle shares the stories of her bad luck birthdays and Devon lets her know more about his life, their bond grows deeper and their attraction for each other crackles through all of their shared adventures, just barely held back as they live together. The steam levels are high and hot when they finally give in to their attraction.
I loved their talk of multiverses (as Giselle is a theoretical physicist and is writing a sci-fi romance). “You are the best person in all my universes.” - Giselle to Devon -
They may seem like opposites at first glance and they also may seem to have goals diametrically opposed to a happy ever after but this leads the reader to experience some angst and swoony romance. You’ll have to read “Not My Match” to find out what happens.
Plot Description
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy romance about a professional football hottie and the girl he’s sworn to never touch.
Homeless and heartbreakingly innocent, Giselle Riley walks into my penthouse and chaos follows.
I shouldn’t have invited the girl genius to live with me, but it’s clear she needs my help—not only for a place to lay her pretty blonde head but in finding real love, which she’s not going to get with the crazy men she picks up online.
Too bad she’s a twenty-four-year-old virgin and I’m a bad boy wide receiver. She’s off limits for a hardcore player like me—and we’re just friends.
Instead, I’m her matchmaking service, no matter how jealous it makes me when I tag along on her dates.
I can keep my self-control. Right? No way will I give in to everything inside me that dreams of a girl like her in my world.
I may be the best wide receiver in the country, but how could I hold on to a girl like her?
WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PLOT: 5/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
ROMANCE: 5/5
HEAT: 5/5
In “Not My Match”, Ilsa Madden-Mills creates two characters who seem like opposites but their attraction is off-the-charts, in any universe.
What you need to know about “Not My Match”:
✔ Steamy Slow Burn
✔ Forced proximity
✔ Complete stand-alone
✔ Opposites Attract
✔ Hot cocky football player, 28
✔ Smart theoretical physics PhD student, 24
✔ Friends-to-lovers
✔ Game Changers #2
In the follow-up to “Not My Romeo”, Giselle is on a disastrous dating app meet-up at Devon’s club, Razor. In an attempt to get away from her terrible date, she gets hurt. Devon helps her out but Giselle discovers that her new brother-in-law, Jack, has told the entire football team including Devon that she is “off limits”. Jack also told Devon another piece of highly personal information about Giselle that greatly embarrasses her.
After Giselle’s apartment building catches fire, Devon takes her in and they develop a friendship. They try to make rules to keep their hands off one another as their attraction is off the charts and very, very obvious. I loved these characters! They are so well developed, compelling, slightly damaged and loveable.
In “Not My Romeo”, Giselle is basically a foil for Elena, acting as a boyfriend-stealing sister. In “Not My Match” she is a fully realized character with a crazy and slightly sad history of bad luck birthdays and men who have treated her poorly starting from the age of fifteen. She has a passion for theoretical physics, an eidetic memory and is secretly writing a sci-fi romance.
Devon is more than football and his smooth-talking ways. He’s been caring for his alcoholic father for years. Every woman he’s ever cared for has left him. And Giselle has always dreamed of going to work at CERN...he’s afraid that she will leave him too.
As Giselle shares the stories of her bad luck birthdays and Devon lets her know more about his life, their bond grows deeper and their attraction for each other crackles through all of their shared adventures, just barely held back as they live together. The steam levels are high and hot when they finally give in to their attraction.
I loved their talk of multiverses (as Giselle is a theoretical physicist and is writing a sci-fi romance). “You are the best person in all my universes.” - Giselle to Devon -
They may seem like opposites at first glance and they also may seem to have goals diametrically opposed to a happy ever after but this leads the reader to experience some angst and swoony romance. You’ll have to read “Not My Match” to find out what happens.
Plot Description
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy romance about a professional football hottie and the girl he’s sworn to never touch.
Homeless and heartbreakingly innocent, Giselle Riley walks into my penthouse and chaos follows.
I shouldn’t have invited the girl genius to live with me, but it’s clear she needs my help—not only for a place to lay her pretty blonde head but in finding real love, which she’s not going to get with the crazy men she picks up online.
Too bad she’s a twenty-four-year-old virgin and I’m a bad boy wide receiver. She’s off limits for a hardcore player like me—and we’re just friends.
Instead, I’m her matchmaking service, no matter how jealous it makes me when I tag along on her dates.
I can keep my self-control. Right? No way will I give in to everything inside me that dreams of a girl like her in my world.
I may be the best wide receiver in the country, but how could I hold on to a girl like her?
WRITING STYLE: 5/5
PLOT: 5/5
WORLD-BUILDING: 5/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5/5
ROMANCE: 5/5
HEAT: 5/5
kdeshaies's review against another edition
5.0
Ok this book is amazing.
Set up: Giselle is a physics PhD candidate who happens to be a virgin. Devon is a football player who’s been hurt in the past and doesn’t do commitment. Giselle and Devon are friendly acquaintances, though Giselle has had a secret crush on him for years. After a fire in her apartment Devon offers for her to stay with him. And so it begins.
This book has some of my favourite tropes.
- forced proximity? ✔️
- slow burn? ✔️
- alpha male who has a mushy center (at least for the heroine)? ✔️
- beautiful climax conflict that brought me to tears? ✔️
This book was almost perfect and Devon is going to the top of my book boyfriend list.
Set up: Giselle is a physics PhD candidate who happens to be a virgin. Devon is a football player who’s been hurt in the past and doesn’t do commitment. Giselle and Devon are friendly acquaintances, though Giselle has had a secret crush on him for years. After a fire in her apartment Devon offers for her to stay with him. And so it begins.
This book has some of my favourite tropes.
- forced proximity? ✔️
- slow burn? ✔️
- alpha male who has a mushy center (at least for the heroine)? ✔️
- beautiful climax conflict that brought me to tears? ✔️
This book was almost perfect and Devon is going to the top of my book boyfriend list.
thebookishattitude's review against another edition
3.0
Normally Isla Madden-Mills is one of my faves but Not My Match just didn't live up to my expectations. I'm fully aware I shouldn't have had any but I did. So here we are.
Giselle was a heavy feature in Book One (Not My Romeo) being the main gals sister. So I expected a fair bit here. She wasn't likeable then and even though she got her redemption and forgiveness I still couldn't connect with her.
From everyone's Pov Giselle was uptight, cold and determined but that wasn't who she really was. Giselle herself though was a major push over. Avoided all major and seemingly insignificant conflict and let herself be railroaded by her now ex fiancé. There were things I liked about Giselle, her drive and her passion. They suited her character perfectly. I just wish we could have seen more of this side.
As for Devon, he was charming. He did what he wanted, was mostly Alpha without being OTT and defended his woman when her brother in law made the biggest blunder. Gah, that made me annoyed as hell and even though I liked Jack in Not My Romeo, this dimmed his light massively.
Their story had is cute and even hot moments with a little push and pull. it could probably be classed as a slow burn, but I cant be sure. Now herein lies my biggest let down; the ending felt forced and rushed, it felt predictable. There wasn't any real conflict and it felt like Devon made her choose. The Epilogue didn't even make up for that last two chapters.
I'm hoping if she continues this series with Aiden and Hollis getting their own books and maybe hopefully Topher too (one side character I freaking adore!) that the stories are a little more fleshed out in all aspects even if it's going to be a relationship that is completely smooth sailing.
Giselle was a heavy feature in Book One (Not My Romeo) being the main gals sister. So I expected a fair bit here. She wasn't likeable then and even though she got her redemption and forgiveness I still couldn't connect with her.
From everyone's Pov Giselle was uptight, cold and determined but that wasn't who she really was. Giselle herself though was a major push over. Avoided all major and seemingly insignificant conflict and let herself be railroaded by her now ex fiancé. There were things I liked about Giselle, her drive and her passion. They suited her character perfectly. I just wish we could have seen more of this side.
As for Devon, he was charming. He did what he wanted, was mostly Alpha without being OTT and defended his woman when her brother in law made the biggest blunder. Gah, that made me annoyed as hell and even though I liked Jack in Not My Romeo, this dimmed his light massively.
Their story had is cute and even hot moments with a little push and pull. it could probably be classed as a slow burn, but I cant be sure. Now herein lies my biggest let down; the ending felt forced and rushed, it felt predictable. There wasn't any real conflict and it felt like Devon made her choose. The Epilogue didn't even make up for that last two chapters.
I'm hoping if she continues this series with Aiden and Hollis getting their own books and maybe hopefully Topher too (one side character I freaking adore!) that the stories are a little more fleshed out in all aspects even if it's going to be a relationship that is completely smooth sailing.
ellebeez's review against another edition
2.0
:( I’m so bummed. I loved all these characters in the first book, but this one is so flat. Giselle is almost annoying and Devon is not interesting at all.
swagginswanigan's review against another edition
3.0
So nothing really to write home about but it wasn’t terrible. I didn’t really care about the two characters and why they were so hesitant to get together when the dude was clearly into her from page one but it didn’t like makes me upset and I’m not annoyed I read it. Average rating for average book.
interludearson's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Tried to finish it but couldn't, the characters so annoying,the constant push and pull drove me crazy.
DNF 75 % in
Tried to finish it but couldn't, the characters so annoying,the constant push and pull drove me crazy.
DNF 75 % in