Terri has been set with and unfair reputation in town since she was younger but with small towns people gossip and its hard to break free from that. When she came home from a trip she comes to find Nate Taggert in her house and believes that this is a family members attempt at match making. The attempt backfires when she finds that not only is he engaged but hes engaged to the mayors daughter. They both put aside attraction for friendship but that doesnt stop tongues from waggling when it comes to the gossip mill.

If you like a good contemporary you'll like this book. I really enjoyed seeing these two and that slow burn when it came to their attraction with one another. They really did try to set some boundaries but manage to find themselves in a bit of sticky situations where boundaries sometimes did get a bit blurry. I thought it was interesting getting to know them and then there was the conflicts with Nate having trouble being a bit more open and honest when it came to his fiance. It was interesting getting to hear the kind of Nate that he was with her and how different it was with Terri and then there was the wondering who was the real Nate? Then there was that thing at the end that threw me a bit off that I wasn't expecting and it was just surprising how it turned out. I never expected that kind of ending. Overall this was a really good book I really enjoyed it.

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux is the first book I’ve read by this author. I thought it was very good, easy to read and it really held my interest. At first I thought it was just a romance but as I got further in to the book I realized it also was a bit of a mystery. The characters were all very real and likable. I liked how she threw in a small town gossip as every town has one! I would of liked a little more description of the location but perhaps that would of taken away from the storyline. Overall, it was a really good story and m happy to have found a new author to enjoy!

EXCERPT: ...his phone made a ding for a text message. It was from Kit. Ask Della about Leslie.

Nate dropped the phone onto the bed as if it had caught fire. "No!" he said aloud, his frown so deep that his eyebrows were nearly touching.

"No, no, no." He'd had all the mysteries he wanted in his lifetime. Twelve years of them! Digging and researching and finding out who was doing what and why. That was Kit's love, not his.

All Nate wanted was peace. He wanted to marry the girl he was madly in love with, set up retirement plans for people and make some babies. Peace. No more midnight runs. No more danger.

As he climbed into bed, he punched the pillow. He's thought Kit had put him in a house with a pretty young woman because of...What? Some temptation before Nate got married?

But it looked like it had to do with some damned mystery.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In small towns, no one lets the facts get in the way of juicy gossip…

Terri Rayburn is a girl with a reputation. She doesn’t deserve it, but having grown up on the outskirts of Summer Hill, Virginia, she knows how small towns work. The only way to deal with vicious gossip is to ignore it. So she keeps to herself as she runs the summer resort on Lake Kissel.

When she returns home from a short trip to find a handsome stranger living in her house, she smells a rat. Someone is trying to fix her up, and she has to admit that Nate Taggert is just her type. However, Nate is engaged to the daughter of the mayor and strictly off-limits.

Nate and Terri form an unlikely friendship while he throws himself into life at the lake. As Nate starts to hear rumors about Terri he’s confused. Knowing how smart, beautiful and strong she is, he’s determined to discover the source of the gossip. Terri doesn’t want to revisit the past, but Nate won’t stop until he discovers the truth—even if the truth might be more than either of them can handle.

Set in the beloved fictional town of Summer Hill, Virginia, Met Her Match examines the tensions between the wealthy townspeople, the summer vacationers and the working-class people who keep the town and resort running.

MY THOUGHTS: I haven't read a Jude Deveraux in years. She was one of those authors I loved who, for some unknown reason, just dropped off my radar. I still have several of her older books on my shelves at home. But I am glad I have rediscovered her. I enjoyed Met Her Match immensely.

Deveraux's characters jump right off the page at you....they are so real! She captures the intricacies of everyday life and infuses them with humour and passion. She had me laughing out loud at times. And even though as we read, we all know how it is going to end up, she makes the journey absolutely delightful. And, there are a few little surprises along the way!

#MetHerMatch #NetGalley

**** delighted stars

THE AUTHOR: Jude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.

She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.

Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin MIRA (USA & Canada) for providing a digital ARC of Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

In Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux, we visit the small town of Summer Hill, VA. Terrie Rayburn has been treated as an outcast because of actions by mother. While spending her days taking care of the summer resort on Lake Kissel, she keeps busy so she can avoid the small town gossip. When she returns home she finds Nate Taggert, a handsome stranger, living in her house. Nate came to Summer Hill to spend time with his fiancé, but she left for Italy for a few weeks. Terrie thought she had finally met her match only to learn Nate is engaged to the mayor's daughter and strictly off-limits. Nate starts to throw himself into life at the lake and he and Terrie become fast friends. As Nate starts to hear the rumors about Terri, he’s determined to discover the source of the gossip. Terri doesn’t want to revisit her painful past, but Nate will stop at nothing to uncover the truth; even if the truth might be more than either of them can handle.

Ms. Deveraux wrote a truly interesting tale, part slow burn romance tied in with a mystery that is not to be missed. Met Her Match is book two in the Summer Hill series, although it is a stand alone story. I loved the development of the characters as well as the banter between Terri and Nate and how perfect they were for each other. I just wished he wasn't engaged. Technically he didn't cheat on his fiancé but the situation he put himself in made me a bit uncomfortable. I definitely recommend Met Her Match to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

A sweet story of two characters drawn to each other as if pulled by an invisible thread. Terri was delightful, I loved reading about her. She had a tough life growing up which made her strong. Her day involved working at the resort and helping the guests. Entered Nate into her life and the resort to get married and start a new life. The two became friends abd roommates. The fiancée brought a new unexpected complication.

My first book by Jude Devereaux, this was a fast read. This was a cute small town romance which its kooky residents. There was a charm in them and their secrets. Few things were oft repeated, and the relationship could have been deeper. But that didn't bother me as I wanted something to distract my mind. I read the book in between my thrillers as I didn't want to analyze much, just enjoy the story.
Overall, this was a fun read.

Terri Rayburn didn’t have the easiest time growing up and is happy staying in her own little world which consists of a summer resort on a lake in Virginia. She is happy working and living on the resort helping out the residents. Until one day…………Terri comes home to find a stranger on her front lawn who is now coming into her house!

Nate Taggert has come to Summer Hill to get married and start a new life. He was offered a place to stay and had no idea that a very attractive girl was also a resident.

As Terri and Nate decide to become roomates until Nate’s fiancé arrives, things start to fall into place. Nate offers to help Terri out and as the days go by they find more and more they have in common. They both fall into a comfortable routine of being friends and roommates. This perfect set up becomes quite complicated when Stacy returns to town, Nate tries to repair Terri’s tarnished reputation and the town folk become involved.

This was such a refreshing novel. I loved meeting the returning characters in the book and enjoyed the love triangle between Terri, Nate and Stacy. What I didn’t expect was a mystery thrown into the mix, which added a whole new dimension to the story and the characters. This book made me laugh, cry and cheer for our heroine to the very end. Thank you so much to Harlequin-Mira, Jude Deveraux and Net Galley for an advanced copy of the book to review.

I wanted to like Jude Deveraux's "Met Her Match" so much more than I actually did. For a number of reasons, I had a hard time getting on board with the romance between main characters Nate Taggert and Terri Rayburn. I think the biggest reason is because Nate was engaged to another woman for most of the book, so Nate and Terri were forced to hold back from expressing their feelings for each other. I didn't care for the way they seemed to fall in love immediately, either. There was basically no relationship development between Terri and Nate; instead, they just moved in together and started acting like an old married couple almost right away. Truthfully, I found the mysteries of what happened to Terri's mother and Billy Thorndyke to be much more interesting than either of the main characters or their love story.

I also thought that there was a lot of unnecessary detail and description in this book, much of which became annoyingly repetitious by the end. For example, why was it necessary to include so much detail on Nate's weightlifting session with Dr. Jamie? I don't know what a "preacher curl" is, nor do I care. In addition, almost every mention of Nate's fiancee, Stacy Hartman, was prefaced with "cute little" or "sweet little" or "pretty little," which got very old, very fast. I understood the characterization after the first few times and really didn't need any more reminders of how (supposedly) perfect Stacy was in comparison with Terri!

Overall, I can't say that this was a terrible book, but IMO it certainly wasn't one of Ms. Deveraux's best. I'd recommend it for established Jude Deveraux fans but not for anyone who isn't already familiar with her previous books, especially those featuring the Montgomery and Taggert families. Ms. Deveraux has written a number of more interesting books that would be much better starting points for readers new to her work.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books that pull you in. You feel like you are part of the town and everything that goes on you feel involved. The characters were relatable, and the story had meaning. You want to feel for the underdog but there really isn't an underdog. Every one in the story had a real part and they all fit well together..

I really enjoyed it


**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

Terri comes home from a weekend away to discover a strange man living in her home. She initially suspects someone in her life trying to set them up until she learns that Nate is engaged to the Mayor's daughter. Realizing that Nate is off-limits, Terri forms a surprising friendship with him as he helps her run the resort and cabins around Lake Kissel. Meanwhile, Terri is trying to outrun the rumors that have followed her her whole life.

This was a charming and fun small-town romance with all of the drama and quirks that you find in a small town. I was instantly pulled in to all of the secrets and happenings of the town and was rooting for Terri to prove everyone wrong. I also enjoyed learning more about Nate's story and seeing him figure out what he actually wanted in life. I did feel like the ending wrapped up a bit abruptly and parts of it were a bit out of nowhere.

4/5 stars

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is the first book I have read by this author and will certainly not be the last. I really liked Terri Rayburn. Good read

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux was an enjoyable summer read. Terri finds Nate in her cabin and feels an instant attraction to him, but tries to stay away from him because he is taken...engaged to the mayor's daughter. Terri has enough issues of her own, having never come to grips with her mother's death, to take on being the "other woman".

As the two become closer, Nate falls under he spell and realizes he doesn't love his fiancee. Suddenly, a murder mystery is involved and things shake out in the end amazingly well for all involved. I did find the novel a little predictable and trite, although still a fun read. Thanks to the author, Harlequin and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel for my honest review.

Wow..wow..wow....I thought it's going to be an easy sweet small-town romance read, but I was so wrong and so happy that this book is so muh more than that, there's drama, scandal and lots of secrets, so complicated and soooooo good.
There's nothing like small-town mystery that keep me turn page after page, and finish it in short time, then the author put a wonderful strong lovable characters, that I can't not root and love them from the first chapter. Yup I love this book, great story, great mystery, great characters, lots of emotions, although I wished there's more in the end though, I felt like I need more closure, other than that everything is awesome.

If you love small-town romance read with a dash of mystery and lots of small-town's gossips, I think you will love this book.

Met Her Match is the perfect "curl up with a good book" read! I enjoyed the witty conversations and genuine friendship formed between the two characters. Terri Rayburn is what more people should strive to be like, ignoring the gossip and just trying to live her life. Nate Taggert is the perfect gentleman and won't stand for people spreading rumors about a friend, especially ones that he can't believe are true. This book leaves you with all the warm fuzzies and a smile on your face.

I cut my romance teeth on Jude Deveraux books when I was 18. It's been a very long time since I read anything by her. I was so shocked to see that the Montgomery and Taggert families were still around so I was excited to dive into this one. It did take me over a week to finish it, the first half kind of dragged on for me so I lost some momentum with the rest of the story. I found myself putting down a lot but I did eventually finish it. I put this down as just meh.

Met Her Match was everything I was hoping for from Jude Deveraux’s newest contemporary romance!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Met Her Match and was totally captivated by this amazingly, wonderful romance story! I am a huge fan of Jude Deveraux’s brilliantly written and enchanting historical romances. Having read most if not all of her historical romances, I was thrilled to read her newest contemporary novel. This book was everything I was hoping for! The story and plot pulled me in from the very start. The charming and entertaining romance completely held my attention and the mystery and intrigue made it difficult to put down. I absolutely loved this story and I highly recommend it.

Met Her Match is the second book in Jude Deveraux’s Summer Hill trilogy. Although I did not have the pleasure of reading the first book, I definitely feel that the author provides enough background information so that this story can easily be read as a standalone. This book is a contemporary romance with some mystery. It is written in the point of view of various characters and it takes place in the small town of Summer Hill, Virginia. It clearly depicts the struggles between the wealthy townspeople, the summer lake tourists and the working class who are often caught in the middle while trying to keep everything running. This story also deals with typical small town issues like popularity, rumors, quick to judge gossipers, and a whole lot of unsavory secrets.

Terri Rayburn has lived her whole life on the outskirts of Summer Hill, Virginia. She runs a summer resort for her father on Lake Kissel and is responsible for taking care of everything, including rescuing tourists when they fall in the lake. She’s strong, hard working, has a heart of gold and is fiercely loyal to her father. She is completely comfortable with herself and her life at the lake. Unfortunately, Terri has a bad reputation that began the year her mother suddenly left town. Although she doesn’t deserve to live under the shadows of her mother’s supposed betrayal, she prefers to stay away from the town to avoid the conflict and rumors. Knowing how small towns are when it comes to gossip, Terri is determined to just ignore it.

After spending the past 12 years traveling in the Middle East and working as a diplomat with his Uncle Kit for the CIA, Nate Taggert wishes to settle down. He decides to relocate to his fiancée’s hometown of Summer Hill, Virginia and is planning on opening his own business. When his fiancée unexpectedly decides to go to Italy for three weeks, he’s left with little to do. Totally aware that his future in-laws wholeheartedly dislike him, he allows his Uncle Kit to make arrangements for him to spend the next few weeks relaxing in a private home on Lake Kissel. However, Nate is totally unaware that his life is about to be turned upside down by the beautiful, “all American girl” responsible for running the resort.

Met Her Match begins with Terri Rayburn coming home from a short trip to discover a very attractive man living in her house. Her first inclination is to kick him out but she finds herself immediately drawn to him. Although she suspects that this might be a set up arranged by her father, she realizes that Nate Taggert is definitely her type- handsome, built and manly. From the very beginning, everything about Nate appeals to her. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that he’s also engaged to the mayor's daughter. Completely aware that she does not need another reason for the town’s people to judge her and afraid that her reputation will permanently be ruined, Terri is determined to keep her distance.

Hoping to get rid of her unwanted house guest, Terri goes to her father and unapologetically insults Nate’s character. After overhearing Terri’s insults Nate sets out to prove her wrong by taking care of the many chores and repairs at the resort. After proving he’s fully capable of running Lake Kissel the two of them make a deal that allows Nate to stay with her at the house for the next three weeks. Forming a comfortable relationship of working together, the two of them attack the many responsibilities of running a resort. Nate’s kind, outgoing personality attracts the attention of many of the vacationers and soon everyone at the lake, including Terri and her father, adores him. As Terri spends more time with Nate and the two of them becoming close, comfortable friends will she be able to keep her distance and protect both her reputation and her heart?

As Nate spends more time at the lake, he begins to hear rumors about Terri that just don’t fit with the smart, strong, beautiful woman he’s come to know. He’s determined to discover the source of the rumors and hopefully clear Terri’s name. As he digs into the rumors and uncovers many dark secrets, the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Terri’s mother becomes dangerous. Will Nate get to the bottom of the rumors and find out what happened toTerri’s mother? As he considers the plans his fiancée is making for them, could he really be happy living in town? Will he be able to leave Terri and the resort behind when the three weeks are up?

I completely enjoyed reading Met Her Match! Jude Deveraux is an amazingly talented author who is well known for her epic romances. She always delivers a wonderful story with a realist plot, well developed main characters and extremely entertaining supportive characters. What I truly love about her descriptive writing style is that her stories completely capture your attention in such a way that you feel pulled into the story as if you’re a participant in the story. As a reader you feel a deep connection to her characters which ultimately makes letting them go at the end of the story very difficult. I enjoyed the mystery which was somewhat predictable but still had some unexpected surprises. Lastly, I truly enjoyed the many humorous aspects of this story. Everyone saying, “Nate did it” and of course the Bikini picnic with the twins were both totally hilarious! I highly recommend this story to readers who love a great small town romances with a strong plot, real to life characters, some mystery and intrigue and of course a happily ever after ending! I will definitely be reading the first book in this series and I look forward to reading the third book when it is released! I know that this is one of those stories that I will read again!

I would like to thank MIRA books and Goodreads for providing me with this free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review! I truly appreciate the opportunity to read and experience this wonderful romance by Jude Deveraux!

Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux

A favorite storyteller. Immediate engagement. Always heart touching. Always sad when it’s over because it was so good. It’s like having a best friend in a book format.
This story was lovely, sweet and wonderful.
Of course, there is a bunch of worry while it’s all being worked out, but the HEA is worth the angst of the drama.

The toy story shopping wish was so touchingly sweet.
Loved the whole thing. Wanted to not like the fiancé or the twins but now hoping they get their own HEA.
I’m gushing. This author does that to me.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I purchased a copy to share.

What a great book! I loved it. Very real to life how things happen in a small town. What a strong person Terri is. She is someone I would like to know. Poor Nate, decisions to make. Seriously, it didn’t take long for me to know what I wanted to happen. Nate is also someone I would want to have on my team. It’s sad that people love to believe gossip and amazes me how quickly lives can be changed. I loved the characters and how the story plays out. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This latest book by Jude Deveraux about the small town of Summerhill, Va was as entertaining as any I have read in awhile. There are other books about Summerhill, and I believe I have read some of them, but this book kept me engaged for the whole book. I loved Nate, and Terri. She along with her father ran a lake real estate and rentals outside of town. There was definitely a distinction between townies and lake people, and Terri had born the brunt of many of those feelings that the lake people were no good. Nate arrives in town as the fiancé on the mayor’s daughter who is in Italy studying. Stacy, the fiancé and Terri are worlds apart in looks, and personality, but because Nate is bored waiting for Stacy, he begins hanging out at the lake and helping Terri with life around the lake renters and owners. Of course, there is an attraction that both try to ignore. This would be a good story on its own, but Ms. Devereux adds a murder mystery. It ties up the entire storyline, but I felt it was a bit of an add on to this story. It really didn’t become a focal point for the story until the last fourth of this book. Overall, an enjoyable story!

🌅 What a tangled web and Terri's caught in the middle 😯
4.5🌟stars
👍This story morphed from romance to suspense and kept me engaged beginning to end. Terri, the young woman at the heart of the action, has had troubles and heaps of responsibility throughout her life in small-town Virginia where a reputation once ruined is hard to repair. When Nate shows up, his presence is a mixed blessing. He helps lighten her work burdens, but their flirtation and closeness also goads the town gossips into fresh critiques of Terri's character. Terri's a very sympathetic heroine. I particularly liked the manner in which author Jude Deveraux released bits of information throughout the book to reveal the events that made Terri and her mother Leslie such pariahs in the town. The plot, writing and character development were strong; I just thought the ending seemed slightly clipped and rushed compared to the rest of the story.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Met Her Match is a slow burn romance with a love triangle of sorts. Not exactly a triangle in the usual sense, but Nate is being pulled in two different directions even when he doesn't realize it. The story moves a bit slow at first, which would normally turn me off in a romance, but I had forgotten how truly talented Jude Deveraux is when it comes to pulling a reader into the story. It didn't take long before I was hooked on these characters and their lives. They're all wonderfully developed, and the author has given us a whole town full of them. From our romantic couple to the visitors at the lake to the town gossip, they all add something to this story that is at its core a story about the differences between the haves and the have nots. The chemistry between Terri and Nate is darn near perfect. They fit together even when they're butting heads, and I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll just say that I absolutely loved the dance scene. From start to finish, it's sexy and about as romantic as it gets. I hesitate to say it, but if anything, Nate is a little bit too perfect. He knows how to do everything, and he fits in with any crowd. Part of that can be attributed to his past, but I kind of wanted to see him mess up a little. Regardless, I still liked him and spent a good portion of this book wanting him to make the right decision. Terri is just as likable if too concerned about what others think. It is understandable given her past, which also gives a mystery. And that mystery leads to a fair amount of mayhem for the conclusion. It's been quite some time since I've read a Jude Deveraux book, and after reading this one, I'm wondering why. Met Her Match made for a great weekend read and I'll certainly be checking out whatever she does next.