Cathy Yardley once again nods to geek girl culture in her latest rom com, One True Pairing. Fans of Ashly Poston's Geekerella will enjoy this HOT take on a geeky Hollywood romance!

Jake Reese loves playing Rick on the hit supernatural show, Mystics, but the fans are out of control. A slightly violent VIP event sends him running and hiding in a nearby cafe where he meets Hailey Frost. Their attraction is immediate and sets the story on fire within the first few chapters. When Jake is in fear of losing his spot on the show, he and Hailey strike a deal. If Hailey can help raise his popularity enough to help him save his job, he'll make an appearance at her family's bookstore.

This is one of those stories you think will never end well. Where you think everything that could go wrong, will go wrong. Yardley, though, keeps it balanced with a few crazy outcomes and a satisfying end. One True Pairing is sexier than I expected, especially since I hadn't read the previous novel Level Up, but it had just enough heat and romance to be fun. While the fandom scene is hot right now, this story is one I can see outlasting the hype. It didn't fixate on their love of science-fiction, although it was a big part of the story. Instead, Yardley takes the time to make us fall in love with the characters' backgrounds and situations.

One True Pairing gets definite thumbs up from me! I really enjoyed falling into this world and getting to know some of the characters! Calling all geek girls. Don't miss this story of fandom and romance!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed Tessa and Adam's story in the first book of the series, I was worried I wouldn't enjoy Hailey and Jake's as much. I was really happy to find, though, that I liked this book just as much!

Being from the Seattle area it was really fun to recognize cities and places mentioned throughout the book. I have read a few books set in Seattle, but not many in the surrounding areas.

Hailey is a complex character. She is strong, cares fiercely for those around her, and works hard for what she has. She has so much from her past influencing her decision making and relationships. Watching her and Jake interact was like peeling back layers of an onion. At least every couple chapters it felt like one more piece of the puzzle fell into place as you learned more about their past and how it affects them.

My favorite part of this series is the fandom and geek girl love. It is awesome to see so many references to shows and movies I love. I haven't been to a convention, but One True Pairing makes them sound like so much fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One True Pairing, A Geek Girl Rom Com, Cathy Yardley

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance

Sounded a book I'd love, the Hollywood trope with a heroine who works hard, isn't a simpering coy miss who falls at his feet.
Sadly though it was an OK read for me that was it, its not a re-reader, and parts dragged and I found myself skimming through. somehow it all became very storm in a teacup stuff.
The fact their "romance" only covers a week, apart from the last few pages meant there had to be some serious chemistry between them for me to believe it, but though there was lust by the bucket load, that was it for me, no real romantic feelings. 

I found Haley a bit abrasive at times, I know she had a difficult past, but she verged in outright rude to Jake, and he wasn't the Hollywood hero I was expecting, but a star on the way up who almost rolled over and let her stomp on him at times.
I like strong women, but I like strong men too, and Jake was just far too trusting of everybody!
There's one "twist" that was pretty clear very early on but the person it affects was oblivious. That smacked of naivety, a laziness in not checking,  and made me want to shake them....
The story didn't really have anything more to it than the blurb, very one paced, one plot where I was hoping for more. Its going to be a great read for some but for me it was just an OK one, I didn't dislike it but didn't love it either. 
 
Stars: Three, a little bland for me, but that's OK, others love it, we all want different things. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Geek girl meets geek star. It's a match made in geek heaven.

While not as strong as Tiffany Snow's 'Corrupted Hearts' novels, this book is fulll of charming haracters and excellent writing. I am hoping to see more of these same characters in future books. There are unfinished backstories that I want to read. Cressida needs that yummy bodyguard perhaps, and what happened with Rachel? Inquiring minds want to know.

A cute, light read with the potential for many follow-up books. Overall, I enjoyed this story, although I must admit that I didn't connect with the characters, particularly Hailey, as much as I would have liked. I would have liked to know more of what Hailey and Jake were thinking and feeling along the way, and I felt like maybe I was missing something with their backstories. I know there was a first book in this series, so maybe it covered the sisters' backstory, but since it wasn't about the three of them, I'm not sure. Maybe I've gotten spoiled by reading too many first-person POV books; this one is in third person, and I felt a disconnect, I think, as a result. The story itself is very interesting and well developed, however. Also, this book has a lot of secondary characters that I found really interesting, so much so that I'll be eager to read their stories. I'm hoping for follow-up books for Simon, Miles, Rachel, and Cressida.

This cute romance between two well developed main characters kept the reader entertained as they managed to find a bit of themselves with each other, while figure out their own priorities too.

<i>His gut was telling him to trust her. Of course, that might be his dick. They were in adjacent neighbourhoods, after all, and sometimes his dick was louder.</i>

As a fan of Yardley's earlier installments in the <i>Fandom Hearts</i> series I was <b>super</b> excited to finally see more books in this world being released. Especially when I saw the synopsis. I love that there are more and more contemporaries being set not only around nerds, geeks and fandom but <i>in</i> the fandom, at conventions, experiencing all the good, the bad, the crazy, the weird, all of it. From the obsessions to the cosplay to the slash to the cancellations.

"<i>Those crazy videos of you dancing so horribly? They went viral!</i>"
"<b>Of course they did.</b>"

ONE TRUE PAIRING goes a step further and adds in a 'famous dude and non-celebrity' <b>and</b> the fake dating trope. It's basically a hodge podge of all the things I love. And watching the earnest and genuine star and the defensive, hardworking, ballbusting waitress slash blackjack dealer slash ex-grifter who happens to look like a goth-rockabilly-pin up collide? Well, I mean, hello. I'm so here for it.

<i>She worked two jobs. She looked like Rosie the Riveter in a street gang. Who was this Hailey woman?</i>

And it really was great. Funny, sweet, sexy, and with quite an emotional backbone to the backstory.. not just Hailey's but Jake's, too, which was unexpected. I actually felt his own truth-telling reveals to be completely out of left field. In a good way; it explained a lot about his attitude. As for Hailey and her sisters, I so felt for them, the struggle to stay in the black, keep their business afloat, all while dodging their myriad of angst and emotional hangups. It was so endearing yet also frustrating to watch Hailey use them as a bit of a crutch but the lightbulb moment was well earned.

"<i>You're not a bad actress, you know that?</i>"
"<b>I'm a terrible actress. But I'm a hell of a liar.</b>"

I did kind of feel the big climax of the story was a little.. overblown.. but at the same time I understand that it's supposed to be. I won't spoil it, of course, and there were so other things I didn't see coming, but I definitely loved the beginning to middle of ONE TRUE PAIRING more than the wrap-up.

<i>Because of course getting this on YouTube is more important than calling the cops. It'd be funny if she wasn't right in the middle of it.</i>

That said I'll definitely be reading on. Yardley has set this world up with many more opportunities for more stories (Simon for sure, will Miles be getting one, too? and the sisters!) and with a variety of interesting and fun characters I'm looking forward to them all.

3.5 "I don't believe in instalove in books, movies, and certainly not in my own damned personal life" stars