I read Tweet Cute earlier this year, and while I liked it, I didn't love it, which was disappointing considering how my friends were all gushing over it. But it was good enough that I was determined to give Emma Lord another try, and requested a copy of You Have a Match on NetGalley.
I am so glad I received the ARC! I ignored all of my responsibilities to devour it in a few sittings. It had all the bright spots of Tweet Cute: humorous dialogue, a compelling plotline, fleshed-out teenaged characters with real flaws that they work through in realistic ways (teenagers who act like teenagers, essentially, which is lovely to see in YA lit). And where the more serious moments in Tweet Cute felt jarring in response to the overall lighthearted tone, here they complemented each other perfectly. It wasn't rare for me to go from laughing to crying in the span of two chapters, and the transitions were smooth.
But mainly, I loved these characters. Seeing the way that Abby and Savvy brought out the life in each other, the strong group of female friends Abby finds in camp, how several characters in the story are gay, not as plot points, but just because. The will they / won't they with Abby and Leo had me so frustrated at times (their missed opportunities are too much to be classified as something as simple as 'miscommunications') but the buildup is satisfying and the ending wraps up all the loose ends quite nicely.

I have to remind myself that reading YA Literature is not the same as reading literary fiction: they are apples and oranges. However, as a hesitant YA reader, I need to continue to read books like this in order for me to be able to recommend books to my students. I know that I can't expect to be reading John Boyne or other literary geniuses.

But for YA, this novel was cute. It was about a young girl, 16, who finds out a huge shocking secret, one that would rock anyone's world, and must try to make sense of the secret how any 16 year old would: by investigating rather than asking questions.

The had "Parent Trap" vibes, especially because of the camp setting, which was really fun, but it was also a YA Rom-com because of Abby's supressed love for her bestie Leo.

When I began to think that some of the dialogue or plot was juvenile, I reminded myself that these characters are in high school, and as a high school teacher, I understand the juvenile mindset very well.

It was cute, and definitely one I will recommend to students! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is my first Emma Lord book, and now I’m very eager to go back and read Tweet Cute to make up for lost time. What a sweet and fun book, with some really important deeper messages. Leo, Abby, and Connie have been best friends forever, but after a weird incident between Abby and Leo things have been kind of rocky for the three of them. Then, Abby discovers she has a secret sister and they plan to spend the summer at camp to learn more about their history. What ensues is just a really fun teen camp read full of heart and laughs. There’s teen romance, but at the heart of this story is sisterhood, forgiveness, and second chances. I really loved this book and by the second half I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend!

This book was so cute, and exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be reading more by Emma Lord!

**Links will be available January 4th!!**

ADORED THIS.

You Have a Match is the parent trap, found family, summer camp mash-up I didn’t know I needed. I loved this so much. Emma Lord is cementing herself as an auto-buy author for me. After loving Tweet Cute, I’m so happy I got a chance to read her next book!

I absolutely loved all of these characters. There were weaknesses and strengths. So much growth, and seizing opportunities and finding your future path. It was such a perfect young adult book. Watching Abby cope with learning about her new sister felt raw and real. Abby and Savannah conquered a lot because they realized they truly wanted to be in each other’s lives. Trapping their parents together was such a gem and seeing how the adults worked out their prior conflicts enhanced everything. I honestly couldn’t peg down the full story until it was revealed and I love that it remained a well-timed mystery.

The side story romance between Leo and Abby was PRECIOUS. Such a sweet friends to lovers that definitely had me shipping them from the beginning. I love where it fit in because it never over shadowed the main plot. It clearly was meant to be on the side and it appropriately remained there.

There was just so many little things that added together to make this story what it was. I felt like I learned more about myself just from reading it. Wanting a place to belong, understanding that our parents aren’t perfect, finding that sister you didn’t know you had, and falling in love. Incredibly heart-warming and intensely charming, You Had a Match needs to be on your TBR ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult contemporary
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses / make-outs

DNF. The characters are beyond boring, and the book is just trying too hard to be something it isn't.

Is Emma Lord the best YA author out there? I'm thinking so. Emma Lord's teenage snark is hilarious and her ability to flesh out the world of her characters is so appealing and absorbing. This will give you all the wonderful Parent Trap vibes and is exactly the kind of book you want right now because it's going to keep you delightfully distracted.

There's an unfortunate trope in romance novels wherein two parties fancy one another but both assume the feelings aren't mutual and so descend into a great deal of angst that could have easily been resolved had one or the other at any point decided to, you know, ASK A QUESTION. This book has that trope in spades between multiple would-be teen romances, between children and parents, and between (newly discovered) siblings. The author attempts to explain these unnecessary dramas by continually asserting that Abby, the MC, struggles with confrontation but this excuse tends to wear thin as unnecessary situation after unnecessary situation slowly pile up on top of each other. It makes for a read that is more annoying than enjoyable, quickly overshadowing the otherwise playful writing style and interesting characters (moreso the interesting secondary characters, to be fair). I'm sure this book will have it's champions, but I am not one of them

You Have a Match is a fun, entertaining read with The Parent Trap vibes that had me feeling nostalgic and all the feels.

The story follows Abby, who takes a DNA test and finds out she has an older sister. She's completely shocked, and becomes surprised when she gets to know her. Savannah is the complete opposite of her. She's an instagram influencer, queen of green smoothies, and only a year and a half older than her.

They meet up at summer camp to discover the truth as to why Abby's parents gave Savvy up for adoption. Her best friend, and crush, Leo is working in the kitchen at camp, putting her love interest on blast. She's trying to figure out their relationship before he goes away to college in the fall. Can she figure out her feelings, and the truth about her sister in a month?

You Have a Match is a wholesome story about sisterhood, first love, and finding yourself. I loved how complex certain subjects in this story were, making it very realistic. The romance was super cute, and I was rooting for Abby and Leo.

Overall, a charming and heartwarming read that I recommend to readers who love YA. I think this would also be a perfect summertime read!

RATING: 3/5 STARS

YOU HAVE A MATCH is a cute novel about Abby who realizes she has a sister, Savannah, her parents never told her about. The story reminded me a lot of The Parent Trap (one of my favorite childhood movies) - two sisters discover each other and shenanigans ensue at summer camp. But instead of setting their parents up they try to understand what happened between Savannah's adoptive parents and their biological parents. The premise and resolution are not the most realistic, but the story was unique and interesting to read. Mixed in with the plot is Abby's relationship with Leo, her childhood best friend.

This book is really well written. As usual, Emma Lord has a delicious way of describing food and there are many cool dishes included, since Leo wants to become a chef. What ended up lowering my rating a little was that the drama between Abby and Leo was drawn out due to poor communication. Usually I don't mind this too much, but in this case it caused my attention to falter while reading. The development of Abby and Savannah's sibling relationship was the true highlight of this novel. Overall, I'd recommend this book as a fun and heartwarming summer read with well-rounded characters.

A sincere thanks to Wednesday Books for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram

You Have A Match was an amazing coming of age story that even without the secret sister, we can all relate to. The feelings of not being what your parents wanted, of your friendships shifting as post high school looms, and most assuredly the uncertainty of what comes next.

Abby and Leo are an undercurrent through the book, but the real goal is the sisterhood Abby and Savvy are building together. It was great to see that inherent bond form even before Abby realized it was there

Okay, I loved You Have a Match by Emma Lord! The unique premise, endearing characters, and great writing style make it a 5-star read that I highly recommend.

Abby's life gets turned upside down when a DNA test reveals she has an older sister. Too hurt and confused to confront their parents, Abby and her sister Savvy set out to discover the truth behind the secret adoption while spending a month together at summer camp. But figuring out why her parents kept Savvy a secret is only part of what Abby's trying to figure out this summer. Upon boarding the ferry to camp, Abby finds her best friend and crush Leo headed to work in the kitchen at the same camp. Abby and Leo's friendship has been off ever since the Big Embarrassing Incident happened a few months ago and she's determined to figure out where she stands with Leo before he heads off to college in the fall. Will one month give Abby enough time to get the truth from her parents and see if she and Leo could ever be more than friends?

I read You Have a Match in one day, it's that good! I was completely absorbed and invested in Abby's story. Emma Lord did a wonderful job balancing the secret sister plotline with the budding romance plotline to show that both were important to Abby's coming of age story. I thoroughly enjoyed the side characters of Mickey, Finn and the other campers who welcome Abby with open arms.

I know You Have a Match is releasing in January but it delivered all the summertime feels and I have a feeling it's going to be one of the must-reads for summer 2021!

This was my first time reading Emma Lord but I've already added Tweet Cute to my TBR pile and look forward to whatever else Emma Lord releases next.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the digital ARC.

I have never read anything like this before!! This book was truly fascinating, and to read about two sisters uniting and bonding was so intriguing. This books shows that it does not matter what family you are born into or where you come from, it's the people you surround yourself with that make you who you are. The importance of friendships and strong relationships with special people is emphasized throughout the story. I loved reading the character development of Abby, where she gathers the bravery needed to achieve her dreams. I will definitely recommend this book!

This was a delightful read that brought back great memories from my own time at a summer camp, but with much less drama!

I loved the mystery element that this book had - a secret that her parents had been hiding for years. The author did a great job of bringing the whole drama full circle and I didnt feel like there were plot holes regarding it all.

From the beginning I could feel the feelings that Leo had for Abby, even though they were unknown to her! Savvy the secret sister was a delight to read as she navigates who she is and how this whole drama fits into her seemingly perfect life (well one that is on insta at least).

I loved that Abby while mad at her parents didn't waiver in loyalty to them either - she just wanted to know the truth!

Another excellent book from Emma Lord.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the ARC!

A very adorable read. Sort of Parent Trap reminiscent with the twins, accidental finding of each other, and camp. The story of why the parents kept the kids a secret from each other is a bit contrived, but the writing was good, and the characters likable. An easy breezy summer read for teenagers.

Another cute read from Emma Lord!

I really enjoyed this sweet rom-com. When Abby discovers she has an older sister named Savannah she never knew about her world is turned upside down. Abby decides to go to summer camp so that she and Savvy can an learn more about one another and find out why their parents gave her sister up for adoption. She soon discovers that her best friend Leo, who she has been secretly falling for, is working at the camp it adds a whole other complication to her upturned world.

Abby is such a fun and likable character. She knows what she loves to do and taking nature photos is her passion but she doesn’t think her parents will approve of that choice as they constantly push her to improve her grades. She has so many ways where she appears confident in herself and so many times when she feels like she’s failing. The more she gets to know her sister the more she finds that she’s comparing herself with the perfect daughter her parents could have had. This is a story about self-doubt, finding yourself and embracing who you are. Beyond that fantastic theme there were funny and hilarious characters who are all trying to figure out who they are at one point or another, a sweet love story, and a sisterly bond that wasn’t always easy but felt authentic. I really enjoyed reading this story so much but especially the moments at camp that felt like a nod to the parent trap movie. I cannot wait to read another story from this author..

This is a very engaging story about sisterhood, friendship, and love.

Abby and Savvy have never met. But after taking a DNA test, they discover that they are sisters. And not half sisters. Full blooded sisters who grew up less than one hour away from each other. Wanting to get to know each other, they hatch a plan to attend the same summer camp and attempt to figure out what exactly happened with their parents.

This book was fun. It had me both laughing and tearing up. It walked the line between serious and light-hearted perfectly. I loved Abby and Savvy along with the other supporting characters. I loved the complexity of all the different relationships that were explored. And I loved the theme of family, both blood-related and not.

I do wish we'd gotten a bit more of Abby's friend Connie, as well as Abby's little brothers. I feel like some interesting things could have been explored there. But overall I really enjoyed this one!

I am a fan of Emma Lord once again! She has created a believable world that is sweet and heartwarming. The quirky characters and situations make this a great YA novel! Recommended.

Advanced copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is a really adorable book with well written characters. I am not usually a YA reader but I thoroughly enjoyed following the story of sisters meeting years after being given up for adoption. Somewhat predictable in a good way, it was light hearted and good read

Secret sisters, summer camp, romance? This is the book my adolescent heart would have swooned over. As it stands now, my adult heart was totally charmed by it. The characters had depth & dimension & were engaging.

The plot was predictable, but that’s ok. Sometimes knowing that something is going to happen isn’t what matters. The mystery is in unfolding how it happens. This one unfolded with unexpected turns & a few surprise transitions that made this a perfect beach read!

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