This book was a mixed bag for me. While it was very cute, it often seemed to lack direction and heart. I felt no attachment to the family storyline. I also felt no attachment to the Abby/Leo pairing. I feel like this book will have a huge audience, it’s just not my fit.

I adored Emma Lord’s debut, Tweet Cute, so of course I had to read You Have a Match right away. The premise of the book is so unique and also realistic in this day and age. The main character, Abby, finds out she has an older sister via an online DNA test.

While the premise was interesting, I felt like the story unraveled a bit as it went on. There was a lot going on in the story. New sister, obvious parent drama, summer camp, awkward crush on best friend, drama with other best friend, and school trouble. Seriously, it was a lot. Everything came together in the end, but it was a little muddy getting there. I was also hoping for more of the swoons romance Tweet Cute had, but I was ultimately let down on that.

You Have a Match was just an okay read for me, but I definitely plan to read more from Emma Lord in the future.

I really wanted to like this book!
I thought the premise of it was such a cute idea: DNA test matching with an a sibling you didn’t know that you had and you get to know them by chance at camp.

But... in a way I feel let down. Gah.

I felt like there was a lot of background noise. I didn’t get the involvement of Finn with Abby and I didn’t understand why Jo showed up only to disappear. And I felt like there the conflict between Savvy’s and Abby’s parents was too long drawn out.

And after a while, it felt like it the modern date of the Parent Trap.

The Parent Trap with fewer hijinks and more teen angst, You Have a Match is ultimately a sweet, feel-good book about sisterhood and friendship. When a mail-in DNA test reveals that avid photographer Abby Day and Instagram influencer Savvy Tully are sisters, both teens are understandably upset that their families have lied to them all their lives. Family photos reveal that Savvy's mom used to be friends with Abby's parents, and the girls decide to go to the same summer camp to get to know each other better and try to suss out the truth.

I love the relationship between Abby and Savvy, and the way their sisterly bond developed over the novel. Abby's 17 and Savvy's 18, which means both girls have almost two decades of trying (and failing) to live up to parental expectations to fuel a sibling rivalry. The novel is told through Abby's perspective, so we get a strong sense of how much pressure she feels from her parents to improve her failing grades, and how little she feels they care about her photography. Her jealousy over Savvy -- by all appearances the rule-abiding, academically inclined daughter her parents have always wanted -- is relatable, and it isn't until later in the book that we learn Savvy has her own insecurities about living up to her parents' expectations for her.

One of my favourite passages is from when Abby realizes she no longer feels weird hearing Savvy refer to her as 'sister':

Maybe it's hearing it like this, mid-rant with a tinge of annoyance, that finally makes it fit -- she throws out the word sister like I throw out the word brother, with the carelessness of someone who's allowed to be careless because they know that sister or brother isn't going anywhere. [79%]

I love this, because it encapsulates so perfectly the secret ingredient that signifies the deepest relationship: the ability to be careless because you know the other person is always going to be there. What better way to sum up sisterhood?

The novel also has a couple of best friend / mutual pining type romances that were sweet, but not as prominent a feature of the story as I'd expected them to be. There was also a couple random attempts at love triangles that, to me, felt shoehorned in, and weren't really necessary. And there's a rather selfish act done by one of the side characters to their two best friends, which I thought should have been dealt with a bit more than it was. (We see this character apologize to one of the friends, and that friend accept the apology, but given what was done, I feel like bringing all three friends together to hash it out would have been more fitting, and a more meaningful apology.)

Beyond that, I love the characters of Leo and Mickey, who are both Filipino, and both avid chefs. Leo and his bio-sister Carla are adopted, and it's Leo's search for his birth family that sends Abby to doing the DNA test in the first place. Leo's DNA test is a bust, but he manages to find family anyway with Mickey and her parents and cousins, which was just really sweet. I love how Leo and Mickey bond over food, and particularly Mickey's skill at cooking Filipino dishes (her parents own a restaurant). There's a fun scene where Mickey's cousins teach Leo Tagalog and trick him into saying "eat shit" instead of "good morning". It threw me off at first, because the Tagalog phrase used was a literal translation of "eat shit" instead of an actual Tagalog colloquialism. But on the other hand, I can also imagine kids doing it as a prank, since the joke isn't to get Leo to actually curse but to say something silly.

I also love the Filipino food featured! Leo and Mickey cook up dishes like turon, pochero, and mechado, which I absolutely love, because these aren't dishes I see often in North American media. The few times I've seen Filipino food onscreen or on the page, it's typically lumpia or adobo, so the fact that Leo and Mickey make other dishes got me excited. That being said, Leo put crushed Hot Cheetos into the mechado, which okay, gives it a nice kick, and I appreciate that the author did put thought into the flavour and colour of the dish. But also: as big a fan I am of Leo himself, I'm less keen on his cooking. :-) 

+

Thank you to Raincoast Books for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I finally got around to reading this book and I cannot stop thinking about it. I absolutely loved Emma Lord's first novel, "You Have a Match", and I was anxiously awaiting the release of this one and it did not disappoint. The characters were all so enjoyable and the plot kept me interested the entire time! It was a super great YA novel that I have already told three people to read! I cannot wait to read more of Emma Lord's future work.

Honestly, my feelings really went back and forth on this one. Shortly after I finished it, Reese Witherspoon announced it for her book club and I thought to myself, “Am I missing something?” So I just set it aside for a while because I didn’t really know what I thought. But here I am–I’ve gone through my notes and tried to write up my thoughts in a cohesive way; here’s the good and the bad.

Abby is passionate about photography (I love to see it!) and her friends. She feels a little overlooked by her parents sometimes because of the two rugrats who claim the titles of her little siblings. But the one person who always made her feel seen and helped cultivate her love of photography, her grandfather, “Poppy,” has recently died and she’s trying to cope and grieve while still trying to live her life. Her two best friends are her lifelines, so when one of them, Leo, wants to learn about his biological family with a DNA test, she decides to do one too in solidarity. She was expecting Leo’s test to be the most informative, but somehow her’s took the spotlight when it revealed a fully biological sister that she’s never heard of. Cue Savvy, Instagram star and practically perfect in every way. Instead of just going to their parents about this discovery (why?) Abby and Savvy decided to sign up for camp together as a way to bond and try to figure out they mystery unraveling before them. Oh, and, SURPRISE! Abby’s best friend Leo, who she’s actually desperately in love with and trying to convince herself not to be–he’s going to camp, too!

Some things I loved: Abby learning to craft her love for photography and continue that special bond she shared with her Poppy; Abby and Savvy trying to figure out how to have a relationship with a sister you’ve never met; some of the side characters are sweet and funny, and I really wish we could’ve seen more of them. I believe I said this in another review of Lord’s books, but while I love her quirky, quick voice, I also don’t like when authors try to name drop everything currently popular (brands, celebrities, etc) to stay current because I know this will cause the book not to age well. However, Lord’s writing is also very engaging and sweet.

Here are some things that I had problems with. The Big Embarrassing Incident is what Abby dubbed as the reason she can’t be in love with Leo anymore. However, when it was finally revealed (which was way too long), it is pretty anti-climatic and fell pretty short of being a big deal. Their chemistry was also not expanded on much beyond Abby’s constant “does he like me” stream of consciousness and his pretty clear hints. When they do get together, I did feel that “aww” moment mostly because I also fell in love with my best friend, but if I didn’t relate as much, I might have been asking why they liked each other instead.

Abby’s best friend Connie wasn’t fleshed out very well and it seemed she was mostly used as a plot device to keep Abby and Leo away from each other. I honestly felt like the book would read the same without her. I also felt like Savvy wasn’t easy to connect with (I don’t really like influencers, so that could be it–though Lord doesn’t really paint them in a great light either), but I did like the contrast in her personality and Abby’s, especially as they tried to navigate that.

The explanation of what happened between Abby and Savvy’s parents and their best friends that caused them to give up Savvy, cut ties, and have Abby just over a year later was quite the information dump and I still felt confused. The whole book was working up to this big reveal and it just didn’t feel like something that would happen–or even if it did, why would Savvy’s adoptive parents not move away once they had cut ties? They’re basically setting their daughters up for finding each other and feeling betrayal toward their parents for keeping them in the dark about a pretty life changing event. Even as the book draws to a close, all the lying that has taken place, not only in Abby’s and Savvy’s lives, but also just in this one summer, everything seems to be tied up with a pretty bow with not a believable amount of resolution. Honestly, the reveal and somehow happily-ever-after conclusions were what I had the most problems with in this book. I also feel like it doesn’t have a good adoption rep, which makes me wonder if Lord had any commentary from people on this.

Overall, Lord’s writing is engaging and fun enough to carry you through the book, but you’ll be left scratching your head on how everything was resolved. I’m not sure how it made Reese Witherspoon’s book club, to be honest.

Realistic fiction. Abby Day has two very close friends, Leo and Connie; Leo was adopted so knows nothing of his biological parents. To support Leo in his search for information, both girls also submit spit samples for a DNA analysis. When unexpected results come back, all three friends' lives may change forever. Overall, I enjoyed this story; it was well- developed and believable.

Abby signs up for a DNA service, in support of her adopted best friend and secret crush Leo. She never expected to find a match for herself, but Abby suddenly learns that she has a full blooded sister. Will the plan to meet have unintended side effects?

I try not to read the synopsis of a book in too much detail before reading for review, as I do not want my view to be skewed in any way. Because of this, I was expecting this book to be a straightforward YA romance, but instead was pleasantly surprised to find a story about a teenager whose life was turned upside down by secrets. The inclusion of the romance was a bit of a disappointment, as the central story was compelling enough to drive the plot forward. Overall, this YA novel included elements that the target audience would find interesting, along with a good message about hard work and dreaming big. For these reasons, I would recommend You Have a Match to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of You Have a Match by NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books. The choice to review this book was entirely my own.

This was a cute book. It is a fun YA novel about two teenage girls who find out they are sisters. They go to camp together for the summer where they bond and try to figure out how they are sisters.

There is some romance and some shenanigans. Overall, it is just a fun YA novel that isn't super heavy. It would be a great summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the eARC.

This was a fun story! Toward the end, a few of the plot beats seemed to be a little bit repetitive and I ended up just wanting to skip to the main reveal, but it was still enjoyable.

I gave this book to my 13 year old daughter to read and she thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hoping to read it myself at some point as well.

Summer camp, DNA tests and unknown siblings! What a fun read this was! There were times when the main character Abby got on my nerves but overall a great read. I would say this leans a little more toward the YA end but I still enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review.

You Have a Match is the second book that I have had the pleasure of reading by author Emma Lord, and I’m so thrilled to have read the book! I read Tweet Cute, also by this author, last year, and enjoyed the book SO much. (Especially considering that it was a You’ve Got Mail retelling!) I couldn’t wait to see how this new novel would compare, and I definitely was not disappointed!

Let’s start with the storyline for the book… I don’t think I have read many, (if any), books where a character has learned of a sibling from taking a DNA test. It was definitely interesting to read the story of how Abby discovered the sister that she never knew she had, and I really wanted to know everything happened to begin with. This storyline made the book a really quick read for me. I was hooked as I turned the pages because I just needed to know what happened in the past that kept these girls apart. (It’s a really good story, by the way, so if you’re curious, check it out.)

The book also has some really great characters as well. I love Abby, especially her love for photography. (I love it as well, and this book definitely made me want to get out with my camera ASAP.) I love her relationship with her friends and her family, including her grandfather who had recently passed away. And I loved watching her relationship grow with her long lost sister as well.

Overall; You Have a Match was such a cute read, and I’m so glad that I decided to check out the book. Emma Lord has once again managed to make me fall in love with her books, and I absolutely can’t wait to read more of them in the future. If you like a cute contemporary read, do check out You Have a Match!

Oh my goodness, this was just the cutest book and I loved it so much!! This book gave me all the summer camp and Parent Trap vibes. This book stole my heart. Right from the start I was hooked, Emma Lord is such a great author. She has a way of drawing you into a book right away, and make it unputdownable. I finished this book in one day, I just couldn’t stop reading it!

Abby takes a DNA test and finds out she has a sister. The girls meet up and Savvy invites Abby to stay at a summer camp with her this summer. They’re hoping to figure out why Savvy was adopted, and why they didn’t know about one another. I loved the sisters bonding in this story and getting to know one another. This is such a cute YA read. If you’re a fan of YA books, you are going to love this one!

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A camp book! A discovering a lost sister book! YA romance book! Considering all of this, I should have loved this book and am surprised to discover that I fall into the vast minority who didn't.

First, Abby annoyed me. I can't remember the last time that a main character has annoyed me to this degree. But perhaps that's because she was shallow as were the other characters. She jumped to conclusions, behaved really badly and for really no good reason.

As for the camp part, well, it wasn't pretty nonexistent. Supposedly the camp is on one of the San Juan islands, which the author describes as surrounding Seattle--geographically inaccurate. Camp seemed like a free-for-all and not very camp-like at all, unfortunately.

Anyway, no sense flogging a dead horse. Annoying rather than cute, for this reader anyway.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You Have A Match 📸🐶🛶

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks #partner for an advanced copy of this super cute new YA novel!
I am so stinking smitten with this book!
This Parent Trap like modern day romcom/surprise sister novel was addictive and whitty and just perfect. The audio of it was so well done I felt like I was actively watching a movie!
I loved the back story behind the parents that gave a more “real life” problems twist to the book.

Ever start a book and you just can't put it down?! This was the book for me, I couldn't wait to find quiet time and read it. These books are so rare. I had to keep telling myself you're going too fast, slow down or it will be over too soon.
I enjoyed the writing style of this author. She made it so easy to immerse yourself into this novel. Summer camp stories are just the best, no matter your age. The mystery around why she has a biological sister show up in a DNA match was really interesting.
I can't say enough good things about this story. I really look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with!

This was a fun, entertaining read. There are a few storylines interwoven, and it definitely kept my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

A smart, charming YA contemporary—no surprise there, since Emma Lord also wrote the absolutely delightful Tweet Cute! As an adoptee myself, I'm always curious about adoption stories in fiction. You Have a Match is a unique entry—it's about the biological sibling of the adoptee, not the adoptee herself. Lord sensitively and aptly navigates this topic, and crafts lovely relationships (romantic, familial, and friendly) between her characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Abby agrees to a DNA test to encourage her friend Leo, and to prove to Connie that she is more Irish than the redheaded beauty, she didn't expect that it would be as life altering as it turned out to be. Sure, she'd find out the percentages and which weird biological habits she's prone to based on her DNA, but she didn't expect to find out that she had a sister. A full blooded sister at that.

They conspire to meet up at summer camp to figure out what happened all the while Abby is having to come to terms with her feelings for Leo and how to overcome the awkward incident between them.

I read Emma Lord's debut Tweet Cute last year and was wondering how she was going to top that amazing love letter to the rom com in teen form. It's easy to say that she has done that and then some tackling some very rough topics and truthfully writing what it's like to be a teenager. Or at least what I remember it's like to be a teenager.

I really enjoyed Abby's character and the friendship between her and Leo and Connie. Oh, and the tension between Abby and Leo, that is something I don't miss about being young and having a crush on one of your friends.

This was just as sweet as Tweet Cute and really about growing up and coming into one's own.