I was so excited for this book. Cute cover and an even cuter title. And they’re breaking up a relationship? Count me in! I was so excited that I didn’t even notice the excerpt was available. If I had, I would have known from the start that this story is just not for me. The MC, Paisley acts far younger than 16 but sometimes speaks as if she’s far older making her voice very inconsistent. She sounds like an adult trying to act like a kid. Hayden is painted as the bad boy of school because he did ONE stupid thing. Oh yeah, and he’s late for school. If being late for school makes someone trouble then my half of my school was rebels.

The camp idea was cute but ultimately fell flat because all the campers did activities you could do in a park around the corner from your house. I thought the bird theme would play out more but instead they do basic normal, boring camp stuff. Paisley loves birdwatching but we never see her doing it. She only brings up random bird facts as a flex. Going through day after day of normal activities made the story drag. I would have liked to see activities based on bird themes.

The plan itself felt very half done. I was expecting a unified effort but it was sporadic and after the cute name, nothing much else was done. The plan just wasn’t it and was pretty disappointing.

This leaves us with the romance, because that’s what I was focused on. Every time Hayden tried to tell Paisley the way he felt it sort of came across strange. Not like how you would describe a crush but rather someone you admired, like a hero. He did the dreaded “you’re not everyone else” and said something that could be applied to a group of people. (Trying to avoid spoilers.) He never really says anything specific to her, it’s more like generalized statements that left the romance lacking. When they finally get close, I wasn’t invested so I didn’t care
I did like the way things progressed with her mom but otherwise there was a lot lacking in this story. This book should definitely be listed as a middle grade book but I didn’t really care for it. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

tl;dr

Inconsistent voice
Lackluster romance
Disappointing plan

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This was a super cute book. I especially loved that the setting was summer camp as I am a camp counselor and big summer camp fan myself. The characters were interesting and the plot, although at times quite cliche, still made me want to keep reading chapter after chapter. I also really liked the romance. It felt very realistic and not to fast and not too slow. Overall a quick and fun read!

I just didn't love the main character so this one fell a little flat for me. Overall, it had a good story idea, but there was just something lacking for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Matchmaker Summer is a fun YA romcom. It takes place at a summer camp with the main characters as camp counselors. What will happen when Paisley and Hayden (two opposite personalities) work together on a plan to end Paisley’s mother’s relationship? Young readers will enjoy the results. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#NetGalley #TheMatchmakerSummer

I really couldn't get into this one, so I didn't finish it. but I can predict what happens?? I'm guessing that hayden turns out to be a sweetie; the main girl (can't even remember her name) doesn't save the camp, but grows enough to be okay with that; there's friend drama because the mc's best friend likes the one guy and he likes the mc instead.

it took me a while to get why I wasn't getting into this book, and I eventually realized it's because it's written more like middle grade than YA. it's cheesier, cleaner, and less subtle. it felt kind of over the top and ridiculous. (note: I looked it up after writing this review, and the intended audience is 12+, so it's for middle grade and up. should've done my checking ahead of time because I could've adjusted my expectations...)

I think though that if that's what you're expecting when you start reading it, you might really like the match breaker summer! it has real potential, my expectations just might've been too high.

________
thoughts before reading:

I am so immediately down for YA romances set at summer camps. this reminds me a lot of Kasie West’s Sunkissed, which I adored!


<I>thank you to netgalley, underlined, edelweiss, and random house children's books for this digital arc! I'm sorry that I don't have more positive feedback:( </I>

This summer was bittersweet for Paisley. It was her first and last summer as a camp counselor, and ultimately, a goodbye to a place that played an important role in her life. Saddened by the thought of no more summers at camp, she hatched a plan to sabotage her mother’s romance, but was Paisley willing risk her mother’s happiness for her own?

I always enjoy summer camp books. I never got to attend sleep away camp, but I adored my camp counselor experience as an adult. Rains did a great job capturing the magic of camp. The friendship and fun was on full display along with some of the expected shenanigans.

I cannot say I condoned Paisley’s plan, BUT I did understand how painful losing the camp was for her. Camp Seabrook held a special place in her heart. She grew up there, and it served as a connection to her father following his passing. Was the matchbreaker plan a good idea? Of course no, however, I can say Paisley learned a lot from it. She came to accept that maybe change wasn’t so bad, and I do feel that she atoned for her sins.

Aside from outdoor fun and camp antics, there was an adorable romance thrown in there too. I think Hayden was supposed to be this lone-wolf type bad boy, but he was a gem. His backstory was a bit heartbreaking, and I think being at camp was an important step in his personal growth.

Overall: The camp vibes, the cute romance, and the characters’ growth made this a great read for me. I found it hard not to root for everyone involved – Hayden, Paisley, her mom, and mom’s boyfriend. I wanted them all to have their cake and eat it too, and Rains gave me an ending for them all that put a smile on my face.

Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: death of a family member

Paisley is about to start her first summer as a counselor at Camp Starling, the camp her family owns. The only problem is that her mom is planning on selling the camp so they can move to Wyoming with her boyfriend. With the help of the school troublemaker, Hayden, Paisley comes up with a plan to break up her mom's relationship so they won't have to move. Paisley soon realizes, though, that her plan might hurt the people she cares about. Can she get what she wants and find happiness or will her summer end in heartbreak?

This is a fun book for preteens and teens. There's a sweet romance between Paisley and Hayden, as well as the relationship between Paisley's mom and her boyfriend. I think this book had a good lesson about how change can be okay, as well as the importance of communicating with the people we love.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Adorable little story that at first made me want to yell at my parents that they didn't ever let me go to camp. Then, I just wanted to yell at her mom for trying to take camp away. I liked the ending, thought it wrapped up nicely. I wish there were more depth to all the interactions between the characters. Everything was either very chill or very extreme.

Paisley is acting like a spoiled brat. Her mother has found romance and is going to sell the family’s legacy, a bird-themed summer camp, to uproot the family and follow the boyfriend she met online to to care for his ailing mother. It feels like the end of the world, as these things do at sixteen. To make life even worse, she discovers her high school’s troublemaker graffiting dragons on the cabins on Camper’s Eve. In spite of selling him out to her mom, who is familiar with Hayden’s antics, his punishment is to fill an unexpected vacancy and become a counselor during the first session, which is geared to 12-15 year olds.

Somehow, Pais ends up entering a pact with her frenemy turned crush to break up her camp director mom and Dave by focusing on his incompetence as an outdoorsman. What he lacks in skill he makes up for in enthusiasm, and comes across as the nicest and most placidest of guys. But when a series of pranks befall Dave that cause discomfort and even harm, the incidents mirror the ill-wishes Pais has jotted in her insecurely hidden journal, so of course all evidence points to her–but she never wanted Dave to actually get hurt or anything. When she gets what she wanted (a breakup) she also loses the respect of the artist rebel she’d come to care about.

The boy-crazy girls act more like high schoolers that middle schoolers, especially best friend Nora. The modern day setting doesn’t quite align with the amount of time the counselors seem to abandon their charges, even if they are teenagers themselves. The short time frame seems very unrealistic for all of the drama, changes of heart and plausibility of the novel.

The ending is predictable–had the plot been spread over an entire summer, I’d have bought it hook, line, and sinker.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #TheMatchbreakerSummer from #NetGalley

Paisley has always gone to the same summer camp - the one owned by her parents. Her dad loved the camp, but since his death, her mom owns it alone. Her mom’s boyfriend will be helping out this summer, but after that, they’re selling the camp and moving to Wyoming. It’s Paisley’s first year as a counselor, and she doesn’t want it to be her last. Her friends are here, and she doesn’t want to move. And now she has to spend her last summer at camp with Hayden, who she hates - or does she? Can the two of them come up with a plan to save Camp Starling?

This was a cute concept, but unfortunately it really didn’t work. Paisley was such a bland character; for the first half of the book, the only thing I really knew about her was that she loved summer camp. Her feelings about things seem to change very suddenly. She hated Hayden until… suddenly she doesn’t, and actually has a crush on him instead. Enemies to lovers is great, but only when the tension builds and it’s actually believable that someone’s feelings have changed. It didn’t work here, and there was no chemistry between them. Plus, why did Hayden insist on giving Paisley a nickname when she made it clear she really didn’t like it? That really bugged me - he should have respected her when she told him to use her full name, and it’s never addressed that he ignored her in this.

The background characters are all pretty one-note. Most of them had little to no personality. The only one who did, Nora, is awful, and she had very few, if any, redeeming qualities. She’s basically one of those people who is like “yes I’m annoying and rude and mean but my real friends will love me for it anyway!” And she’s rewarded for that! She’s so mean to Paisley and then tries to validate her behavior and jealousy by blaming it on her difficult life (divorced parents who don’t care about her). The book essentially agrees with her and says her behavior is okay by having Paisley forgive her and keep being friends with her without any sign of change from Nora. Is this a realistic teenage relationship? Yeah, absolutely. What sixteen year old hasn’t had a friend who wasn’t nice to them but who they stayed friends with because they’d always been friends? But I would have liked to see an acknowledgement that Nora’s bad relationship with her parents doesn’t mean that it’s ok for her to take her negativity out on her supposed best friend.

I’m curious about who this book was written for. The characters were 16, but it felt more like a middle grade book in terms of writing style and the main character’s personality - she sounded much younger than her age. It feels like a “teen” romance, but it would probably work better for a 10 to 12 year old audience. It was an easy, quick read that might work for that age range, but it isn’t what I look for in a young adult book.

Overall, a disappointment based on one-note characters with confusing motivations and character development that wasn’t fully explained or supported by the plot.

This book is a perfect middle schooler book about summer camp, making new friends, keeping old friends, and finding romance.
I really enjoyed the story's plotline and the way it evolved with the characters actions. Things didn't happen to the characters, the characters made things happen.
The characters also had unique personalities and reactions to events. I also enjoyed their interaction with each other.
A great weekend read.

Simple romcom story. It was cute but unfortunately forgettable. I felt like the relationship happened way too quick. It was clean and appropriate recommendation for students.

This one was cute, but I felt some parts went off course some. Paisley seems wishy washy in her friendship with Nora, but I guess that's kind of how teens are.
I liked how Hayden helped her deal with all the things she had going on.
A cute summer teen read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

The set up of "The Matchbreaker Summer" was forced and disjointed. The narrator's voice was immature and unrelatable. It felt like the author was trying to make too many things happen at once, which led to situations feeling, well, forced. For relatable characters that teach us something about growing up and dealing with change, I would direct readers (teens, in particular) elsewhere.

Thanks NetGalley for this book !






I loved this YA book ! I loved the summer camp atmosphere my favorite 😍 very cute summer vibes. I really enjoyed it. A lot of growth in this story. I totally recommend it !

I’ve read a couple books about summer camps lately and this one had me intrigued from the blurb as well as the cute cover! I was also a bit hesitant to request it just because the Underlined Paperbacks can be a hit or miss for the ones that I have read previously. I’m happy to say that this one fell right in the middle so it wasn’t all bad and I could definitely see where some of the characters came from when it came to their feelings.

This book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Paisley Manning. She is a sixteen year-old girl who lost her father when she was younger and now has to deal with her mom getting serious with another man. It’s not only that but they also want to uproot the life she has known for so many years. It was easy to understand where Paisley was coming from and doing the only thing she could think of, breaking them up. I will say that some of the events that transpired because of it were not exactly what I was expecting as I was thinking they would be a more prominent thing than just a side one we overhear about.

Throughout the book we read about Paisley interacting with her friends as well as the new kid to camp but also the bad boy of school, Hayden. He is definitely the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. He is more like a cinnamon roll than anything and I loved that. One of Paisley’s friends was doing the most with her actions and I just couldn’t stand her. I’m glad that they all worked it out in the end though.

I’m not going to lie, the book could be a bit more dramatic than I would like and that is the only reason I didn’t love the book.

Overall, this was a fun read and I can see teens enjoying it this summer. There is great conversations to be had when it comes to communication.

The Matchbreaker Summer was such a cute read. Reading this one took me back to my days as a camp counselor. If you have ever been to camp or worked at a camp you will enjoy this one. I loved the overall plot of this one as well. Was a very cute YA romcom. This makes me really want to go back to being a camp counselor again. Over all really cute story that gives the perfect summer vibes.

Thank you NetGalley, Annie Rains, and Random House for the ARC of this book.

This book had me hooked so early on.
The characters are well written and the plot is engaging.
Every single character seemed like real people so it's not hard to connect to.
Annie writes with an enjoyable ease and something that is just simply put amazing.
This book was so incredibly original and creative, with a solid, sweet romance plot line carrying the story, and fun subplots building on top of it
If you're looking for something light with depth and heart, then this is sure to satisfy.

Underlined,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

This was a cute, fun summer camp read - it’s a YA book, and it definitely brings back the memories and feeling of being a teenager. I thought it was a sweet ode to summers of youth friends, sunshine, first loves, and dreams.

This was my first Annie Rains book and I really enjoyed it - the premise was interesting and I really thought she did a great job capturing the intensity of teenage emotion, that longing to be seen as an adult and feelings of helplessness and not being heard or understood.

I was quickly drawn into the story, the pacing was good and I found both Paisley and Hayden to be likable and relatable characters. I was also rooting for their romance. I enjoyed the camp descriptions and the idea of forming lasting memories, I also enjoyed the match breaking (reverse parent trap ish vibe) of the story.

Ultimately the story (as with most YAs) was one of reflection, growth, and finding a way to move forward. I was mostly pleased with how things ended, I did have thing I wished worked out differently.

A nice nod to summer, I think fans of Emma Lord, Sarah Dessen, Katie West and Miranda Kenneally will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Underlined for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions offered are my own and freely offered.

I loved the camp atmosphere and really wanted to like the story, but the characters were the downfall. Paisley was very immature and bratty, and even though she redeemed herself at the end and understood how awful she had been acting, by that point I just didn't care anymore. Her best friend wasn't the greatest either or her mom. The love interest was bland and the instant love between Hayden and Paisley was another dislike. I wanted to like this one, but the story just wasn't for me.