Terri does EVERYTHING at a lakeside resort - she is competent and a hard worker. She is also very disliked by the townspeople because of rumors that happened when she was a child and teenager. Nate ends up working with Terri - but he is engaged to the mayor's daughter. Thus, Nate and Terri develop a strong friendship with just touches of attraction. I think that was a real strength in this book - I truly believed they were good friends. I also thought the love triangle was handled well, which is good, because I often avoid love triangle books! There was some mystery, and I also liked the side characters. I need to look up and read more Jude Deveraux books.

This was the first novel that I have read by Jude Deveraux and I thoroughly enjoyed it though it was a little cliched. It was a light romantic read that is perfect for the summer!

Terri Rayburn deals with friction in her community. To put it simply, she has a reputation and it’s not a good one. She endeavors to stay in Lake Kissel running a summer resort rather than being seen in town. When Terri comes home from a short trip, she finds handsome and arrogant Nate Taggert staying in her home.

This must be an attempt to fix her up, yet Nate is engaged to the mayor’s daughter. Terri and Nate forge unlikely and sometimes contentious friendship. Things heat up as Terri is forced to deal with the past and contempt her future.

I received an advance copy of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Terri returns home from an errand in the city to find a stranger in her aunt’s house, where she’s been living. Too frustrated from her errand that appears to be a ‘wild goose chase’ and a list of things to be done around the lakeside resort she and her father manage, she’s not interested in the how’s or whys, or even the who. She just wants him gone. Nate has been ‘sent’ to stay with Terri by his ‘uncle’ and friend of Terri’s father. After years spent in remote locations with Kit, a diplomat, he was feeling strangled at his desk job with the CIA, and since Summer Hill is his fiancés home-town, he’s arrived to get a feel for the place and see his new offices, where he’ll be working in financial management.

While Terri is a ‘home town girl’ the gossip and innuendo after her mother disappeared without a trace when she was young is never ending, and she’s always been aware of the ‘rift’ between the affluent ‘town folk’ and the less so ‘lake people’. This attitude has always been on her mind, and a few incidents when she was younger have her avoiding the townspeople whenever possible, and concentrating on the multitude of tasks that require her to sort them out at the lake. But Nate is different – engaged to the “town’s sweetheart’ and mayor’s daughter, he’s drawn to Terri and her lack of pretension, her work ethic and her ability to think clearly without being in the least concerned about ‘what others think’. At least as far as he can see. He can’t picture his fiancé doing any of the things Terri does, and her more relaxed approach to life and what comes along is intriguing.

But there are troubles with vandalism, the usual summer upsets, and the fact that everyone has connected Nate and Terri together – even when she’s trying desperately to keep their connection in the background. With a long-cold mystery tied to her mother’s death, danger and even some newly whispered innuendo from the worst gossip in town have Terri thinking about leaving town to never come back, it will take Nate with his connections, some clear and tough talk to the gossips, and a bit of ‘distance and time’ for his fiancé to realize that the boys that Terri beat senseless in high school were actually in the wrong. Lots of opportunity for growth and sharing, a couple made for one another and a real opportunity for Nate’s fiancé to see just how much better her life and love will be with another made this a story that was jam packed with moments, and plenty of heart.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

A nice romance with interesting, well-written characters. The relationship between the characters seemed a bit rushed but it wasn't a deal breaker for me.

I tried to download and it wouldn't come through. I'll give it a star rating because I've heard it was really good! If there's a way to have it resent to me I would love to read it.

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux was a complete pleasure to read. The story grabbed me immediately and I did not want to put it down until I found out exactly what happened in the book's mystery and with the two main characters. Terri Rayburn is quite the spitfire and seems to have "met her match" in Nate Taggert. Unfortunately for Terri, Nate is already engaged to Stacy, the "perfect" daughter of the small lake town's mayor. The story follows Terri and Nate getting to know each other, then adds Stacy in to confuse feelings. This book is 100% enjoyable and I highly recommend it for a quick, fun read.

Way back in my elementary days, I was probably the only student who was well aware of the romance author Jude Deveraux because my mother was big fan of her novels. With my passion for books, naturally I ended up reading a few of the author's titles; though, reflecting back on it now, I was probably a bit too young for the steamy love scenes. Nevertheless, that was my introduction to Jude Deveraux, and now as an adult, I have become a fan

Jude Deveraux's newest novel, Met Her Match, was published in September, and I was lucky enough to get a review copy from NetGalley. Now I didn't read the book right away because I had 13 horror novels lined up for October so I didn't begin reading it until Halloween night. To be precise, I read a few paragraphs at a time while waiting to give out candy to the trick-or-treaters. I finished reading the book the following Sunday afternoon. Why did it take me so long to write my review? Due to setting up my annual Holiday Gift Guide, as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was swamped during November and December so I put off writing the review until today.

Anyway, Met Her Match is sequel to 2016's The Girl From Summer Hill (Read my review here). It's set in the fictional small town of Summer Hill, Virginia and centers around Terri Rayburn, a woman who runs a summer resort, which is owned by her father. After taking a short trip, she returns home to find a stranger living in her house. That stranger happens to be Nate Taggert, who has spent the last 12 years working in the Middle East as a diplomat. After his fiancé takes a sudden trip to Italy for three weeks, he goes back home to Summer Hill with plans of opening up a business. His uncle sets it up so he can stay in a private house, which happens to belong to Terri!

This is a romance so you can pretty much guess what comes next — sparks fly between Nate and Terri. However, there are rumors that Terri is a heartbreaker, which leads Nate to investigate into her past.

Final Thoughts

The Girl From Summer Hill is a fun modern take on the classic Pride and Prejudice story so my expectations for Met Her Match might have been slightly high. I hate to say this but this sequel is a little too boring for me. The characters are interesting but the dialogue is very clichéd and it feels like a badly written made-for-Hallmark movie. Don't get me wrong, the overall novel is well-written, it's just the plot is no different than any other romance novel. Jude Deveraux novels have always stood out from the crowd but, sadly, Met Her Match feels a bit stale. It's not a terrible read. However, I was disappointed with it.

Terri Rayburn, the main character in Jude Deveraux’s novel Met Her Match is quite likable. She lives on the outskirts of town, both beloved and disliked, due to actions by others, both real and perceived. Growing up with such disdain by people who have town influence has left her jaded and a bit of an outcast. As a result, when newcomer Nate Taggart comes to town, Terri is unsure how to act around him or trust her feelings given his connections to key stakeholders in the community. In addition, old secrets are uncovered, which stirs up gossip toward Terri and her family. Deveraux crafts a tale interspersed with mystery, romance, and adventure...a worthwhile read when you want to disappear for a while.

This is the perfect summer romance. A fun yet small town story with a tinge of gossip, tension, charm, and mystery.

Jude Deveraux will be always one of my best authors. To be honest with you, I preferred her older stuff. Now she tries to be more like others and mix suspense in it. Her books became just books. I wish she went to her old writing. It made me feel happy and bubbly inside. This book was just another book I read.
Still, I absolutely love the author!

This story was a mix of a romance and mystery. It began with hints of romance, with Nate arriving in town. He meets Terri and there is lots of attraction between them. However, Nate is engaged to the mayor’s daughter. Close to the end of the story, once the relationship problems were solved, it turned into a murder mystery. A decades old case was brought up. It was an unusual change to the story. It would have made more sense if the mysterious elements were brought up earlier in the story.

There were so many characters that I had trouble keeping track of them. I thought I was missing out because I didn’t read the first book in the series. The characters often spoke about things that had happened in the past, but I don’t know if they happened in the first book or not. By the end of the story it was getting difficult to follow because I couldn’t remember all of the characters.

This story didn’t work with me, but if you like romances with some mystery, you will probably like it.

Thank you MIRA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story of Terri and Nate was a bit slow for the majority of the book. You had two adults who felt strongly about each other but for different reasons couldn’t act on anything. I will say that about 3/4 of the book in it picked up and I really enjoyed the twists and the ending.

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux is an intriguing story with the juiciest plot. The dark sinister mystery not solved from years ago is found on the shoulders of a daughter who never got to know her mom. But as things escalate out of control between her and a new hunk in town-the mystery is being looked into once again. This time, things are found. Questions are being asked. Everyone now knows how Terri must have felt all these years. The truth about her mother will finally be revealed...and it's only a matter of time.

This is a deep story that went straight to my heart. Topics like rape, abuse, and gossip are mentioned in this book. A small-town that has its own dark secrets. Now, after so many years of torture from the town, a family finally gets peace. Only the truth can set us free-this phrase kept popping into my mind as I read the book.

Terri is athletic, smart, and gorgeous. She has not had any luck with the men in her town. Finally, she meets her type of man. However, he's engaged. Yet he too, feels the attraction that she feels. Letting go is easier to say than do. Terri has been handling the abuse of gossip from her town. Manly, because she loves the lakeside and wants to be by her father. So, she had endured all the pain until her prince charming comes to town.

Meet, Nate. He's built like a bear and growls like one too. He and his new roommate, Terri, have so much in common. They like beer, real food aka meat, and love being active outdoors. Nate is engaged to a beautiful and rich woman in Terri's town. While Nate's fiancée is working a good art job, he ends up falling for his roommate. Once his fiancee, the mayor's daughter comes back, Nate's in deep trouble. The real problem is he doesn't know which woman he loves or what he wants to do.

Overall, this novel was easy to get lost within. I loved the characters. They were quirky and real. I felt like I lived with them for years. This writer has successfully transported me into her world of fiction. I never wanted to leave...

Unable to read and review by publication date due to other commitments, Will update immediately upon completion. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher,

Jude Deveraux is an amazing Storyteller! Every single book I read of hers is great! Can't wait for her next book!!

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux was another splendid romance by this author. She has such a way with words. It always keeps me interested throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the little twists and surprises and especially the small town dynamics. Ms. Deveraux never fails to write a good story. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely had me eagerly flipping pages almost from the very start. Once I was able to get into it I finished this with a cup of coffee in my hand and a rainy night outside. I will definitely look for more from this author in the future.

Absolutely enjoyed this story! It was the perfect summer read for me! First book by this author also, and I loved it! Grab this one now, you will not be disappointed! 5 stars!

I have read Jude Devereaux's historical romance in the past, so I was a bit familiar with the author. Met Her Match was definitely a departure from the medieval era of the other books, but her deft hand with a mystery was evident throughout!

Terri Rayburn has been living an exemplary, but fairly secluded life, because any time she has stepped out, the town gossips have built her reputation into the stuff of legend. Never mind that little of it is true. Starting with her mother's disappearance when Terri was just a baby, she has been living down her mother's reputation.

Nate Taggert arrives in Summer Hill to await his fiancee's return home. Offered a beach house to stay in, he has no idea that it's actually Terri's home. The more time he spends with her, the closer their friendship becomes. When he realizes that he has more in common with Terri than his fiancee, he runs scared. Can they find a way back to each other without destroying every shred of her goodwill in the town?

The mystery kind of sneaks up on readers and eventually becomes the gripping focus of this book. I enjoyed the banter between Nate and Terri, and Nate and his cousins. I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this even more if I'd read the first book in the series. There was just enough steam here to make the romance sizzle. Contemporary romance readers should absolutely pick this one up.