This book was hilarious, entertaining, and very easy to get lost in. It hooked me from the beginning and it was very difficult to put it down.

I highly recommend this book to anyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *

This book is packed with funny dialogue, even funnier mishaps, an entertaining plot, and endearing characters. I loved Adelaide and Gideon in the previous book (which you don't have to read to understand this one, but you should read because it's great), so I was happy to see them together in this book. I liked the mystery element quite a bit and was eager to see how that played out. There were some times when Adelaide's very long-winded conversations and escapades started to annoy me (but that could just be because of my mood and a reflection of how busy I am in life and don't have time for run-away conversations, not indication that something is wrong with the book), and I wish the underlying attraction between Gideon and Adelaide had been shown a bit more. Overall, though, this is a funny story that Turano fans will lap up.

I read an ARC provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

Off we go on another zany romp through Gilded Age New York with Jen Turano. This book is the 2nd in her "Matchmaker" series, which pairs Adelaide, the resourceful, intelligent, compassionate, accident prone, cat loving and book loving heroine with Gideon, the dashing, dangerous, chivalrous and overly protective undercover agent. Once he gets involved with Adelaide, the "undercover" part gets very difficult to maintain. Throw in an assortment of animals, matchmaking mamas, and a conniving opera diva, and it all gets unbelievably silly, but you can't help but enjoy the ride.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.

To Spark a Match
by Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House Publishing
Series: The Matchmakers, Book 2
Rated: 4
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she's destined to remain a spinster forever--a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his investigation. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend--and one of high society's leaders--to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable. When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon's case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good--along with their lives.”

Impressions:This is a very fun book with lots of playful banter between the characters. It was an easy, clean romance. This can be read as a stand alone novel or can be enjoyed as part of the series. This is the second book in the Matchmakers series and I look forward to more.

Quotes: “As I’ve grown older, I’ve also been of the notion that God created me precisely as He intended.” – I feel the same way!

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

TO SPARK A MATCH is a delightful historical romance by JEN TURANO that kept me amused right through as the indomitable Miss Adelaide Duveen, who is about to be given the cut direct by the social set for her unusual behaviour and the trouble she causes at social occasions, is reinstated into society by Camilla Pierpont, a retired matchmaker, who has been approached by her good friend Gideon Abbot to take Adelaide on as a project. Gideon feels guilty that the unusual diversional tactics Adelaide used to help him were the last straw as far as the cream of society was concerned!
Gideon and his friend Roland Kelly are involved in industrial espionage which they hide behind their accounting firm. Gideon has a hard time countering Adelaide’s persistance in wanting to help him in his work……
Wherever Adelaide goes there seems to be trouble. For example, at her friends’ bookshop where there are suspicious characters, including Lottie McBriar who is working for Frank Fitzsimmons, a kmown criminal…..
Although the novel comes across as a rollicking comedy there is quite a lot of depth. I found To Spark A Match both enjoyable and inspirational and cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Jen Turano is an author that I often turn to when I need a light and enjoyable novel. Turano excels at quippy dialogue and outrageous and comical tales. To Spark a Match was entirely delightful. It was so much less of a “romance” and so much more of a tale of friendship becoming something more, something built on the ability to be your own unique self and to pursue who God created you to be.

Adelaide is a bit of chaos with a heart of gold. She’s far “too much” for society to tolerate, even with her background as one of the Knickerbocker set. That is, until a society darling takes Adelaide in hand to convince everyone that rather than just being odd, Adelaide is “an original.”

Gideon’s background in intelligence has convinced him that he will need to remain a bachelor, as he can not bear the thought of those he cares for being targeted by his enemies. His view on this has never been challenged, until he meets Adelaide, a woman whose insight and courage is exceptional.

Romping through bookstores and convincing society that owning cats is fashionable are other delightful aspects of this imaginative and fun novel.

I received a free galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and as I thoroughly enjoyed this story I recommend it to you. To Spark A Match follows book one in the series A Match in the Making, but can be easily read as a stand alone if you prefer.

How I wish that Adelaide rescued dogs instead of cats so we could be real-life friends. I'm allergic to cats you see, so that could be a bit problematic! But really, who wouldn't want to be friends with Adelaide? She has a proclivity for matters of intrigue, is a magnet for mishaps and thrives in the midst of chaos. There would never be a dull moment, just like this story! To Spark a Match is full of diversions turning into pandemonium, wardrobe malfunctions, witty dialogue, a reputation restoration and of course, matchmaking! Everything you've come to expect from a Jen Turano novel and probably some things you never expected as well.

To Spark a Match is the second book of The Matchmakers series and could be read as a stand alone. However, Adelaide Duveen and Gideon Abbott are first introduced in A Match in the Making so you might want to read that one first. It was delightful, and you will love Gwendolyn and Walter's story. As one might expect, there is plenty of matchmaking in this story, including a pair of unlikely dinner companions who decide to take up the cause and champion the restoration of Adelaide's reputation into that of an "original". And do some matchmaking of their own. They were quite possibly my favorite part of the whole novel. I pictured them as real-life versions of the old men in the balcony, Statler and Waldorf, from The Muppet Show, which added a whole new level of hilarity. There is a bit of a mystery throughout the story, but that takes a back seat to the sparks flying between Adelaide and Gideon who are definitely not dating. One thing surprised me...since Adelaide is very interested in intrigue, I expected her to run into or become acquainted with some of the ladies from The Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency, but alas that did not happen. Probably because she could have just joined them and then she wouldn't have even needed Gideon! LOL. Maybe they will join forces now that she is an intrigue expert.

The message of this story is to embrace being yourself. The you, God created you to be without conforming to the ideals of society. Even if you suffer a "bustle uprising" that sets you apart from the crowd, questionable fashion sense and an enormous collection of cats.

Read if you like:
Fake dating
Witty dialogue
Matchmakers extraordinaire
Mystery
Spunky humor and mischief
Gilded Age
Clean romance

Thank you, Jen Turano, Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. I am part of Jen Turano's lauch team and was not required to give a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I received a copy of this book through Librarything giveaway. I am not required to leave a review and I am not required to leave a positive review.
I requested this book because I truly enjoy reading books by Jen Turano. This book did not disappoint. Her stories are truly unique and fun. The characters are not supposed to be true to life but are interesting and fun.
The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. There were a few scenes that were laugh-out-loud funny.
The editing was mostly well done though I did spot a few errors. The genre is Christian though it is more like a clean read, not exactly Christian but good nonetheless.
I give this a solid 4 out of 5-star rating, 4.5 if they had that. I recommend this book if you're looking for a clean and entertaining read.

An enjoyable historical read with a lot of witty banter, unique characters, and a little romance. Set in 1888 New York, when society was ruled by the 'Knickerbockers', Adelaide is a stand out when she stumbles through her social engagements, with embarassing mishaps, causing tongues to wag and some to shun her. Help arrives though in the form of an unexpected friendship.

"As I've grown older, I've also been of the notion that God created me precisely as He intended."

The story is told mainly through a lot of conversations, which are filled with wit and humor, as Adelaide finds herself in some lively company. Their adventures involve action and danger, yet Adelaide seems to rise up to the challenges. Her commitment to being true to her unique self is commendable, as well as learning how to work alongside Gideon and Camilla. Her other side kicks bring a lot of interest to the story as they team up against some dangerous characters. I enjoyed watching the story unfold scene by scene, especially as she learns to defend herself. She is a hoot! Anyone who has felt like they don't 'fit in', will identify with her struggles. I loved her lively positive spirit from page one, and her acceptance of others from all walks of life.

Recommend for readers who enjoy lighter historical clean fiction with humor, mystery and a little romance. 4.5 stars

This book had me laughing from the first scene. Following the non-socially-conforming Adelaide and the complete gentleman Gideon-- this made for a swoony pairing. Great humor and wit without it being forced. A mystery. Danger. It had all the makings of a must-read story and I couldn't wait to get to the end--yet didn't want it to be over.

In 1888, in the Hudson River Valley.

Adelaide Duveen has come to terms with the fact that she may never get married and will remain a spinster. Although it's a rather dismal prospect, it will allow her to focus on her beloved cats and books. However, during a dinner party, she accidentally discovers Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a covert activity, which thrusts her into a world of intrigue resembling the plots in the spy novels she loves to read.

"And to that, I say we'll only be truly successful if society can embrace me without expecting me to comfort to their strict rules of propriety"

Clean romance, witty dialogue, strong characters, quirky situations, Beautifully written. It can be read as a standalone but I will recommend reading the previous book,

I enjoyed reading this book as it was filled with humor, gangsters, spies, cats, dogs, and a touch of sweet romance. The story had elements of both comedy and a good detective novel, and it was interesting to see how Adelaide Duveen got herself into trouble. The chemistry between Adelaide and Gideon was evident to everyone but themselves and the mystery was full of surprises. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an eARC. I truly enjoyed it.

Ah. We pick up with the fabulous Adelaide from our first book. I just loved she and her mom and was glad she was going to have the next book. Adelaide is the "disaster in the making" kind of wallflower. If there is a way for her to do something embarrassing it will happen even without her intending it to. She also is a "crazy cat lady". She doubts anyone will ever marry her but she's totally fine with that.

You know it will be a great book when it begins with Adelaide discovering her dress hem is caught in her bustle and she's showing off her embroidered cat unmentionables to the whole ballroom.

I had to laugh out loud at her bustle...explosion?

Honestly you just have to get through the first chapter for it to get fun. The first chapter is pretty heavy dialogue--mostly between Adelaide and her mother. But that's okay as it is setting up not only their relationship but also some of Adelaide's backstory.

Gideon carries over from book one where we learned he had some spy-like connections. And through an accident--he and Adelaide are thrust together (AGAIN) in a harebrained situation.

One of my favorite parts was Adelaide and the weapons...loved it. She's just definitely a madcap walking disaster through no fault of her own. <3 And she learns over the course of the book that God made her just perfect and she doesn't have to conform if she doesn't want to.

A great sequel...and I made a few highlights in my Kindle to add to my journal. I also loved Camilla and am guessing she's next on the list!

4 Stars
**I received this book as an ARC from the publishers and NetGalley. All opinions are 100% me and I was not required to write a positive review.

This was not my favorite of Jen Turano's books that I've read to date. I found it a bit silly and over the top with forced humor. There is a bit of intrigue included within the plot of the book which will keep the reader engaged to some extent.

There is a point in time where one has to outgrow the follies of youth and I found that Adelaide is a Peter Pan who never grew up. She did have some mature ideas, but for the most part, she stayed childish. There is a difference between childish and child-like and Adelaide never crossed the line. That was rather off-putting for me. I recognize that others will see her child-mindedness as endearing and this is only my opinion.

Because the setting is in New York and in the neighborhood of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, Ms. Turano missed an opportunity to bring back some of those characters and weave them into the warp and woof of this book. I would have loved to have them come back and make another appearance.

Gideon Abbott is a most worthy hero in the novel and makes a compelling leading man. He is the redeeming factor in this book. He tries to do what is best for Adelaide, even though his attempts are misguided at times.

I am not sure how I would improve the book but some of the "fun" was a bit too over the top, FOR ME. Like every other reader, I go through reading moods where silly is just what I need, and at other times, I want something to sink my teeth into some meaty ideas that make me think. Maybe it was just the wrong type of book for the current mood. In light of that, I will give it 3.5 stars, rounding up to four.

Bethany House provided the advanced copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

Well, where is the plot of this one? So, Chapter 1... had to be THE LONGEST conversation in the history of a first chapter I had EVER read in my life. IN MY LIFE. It went on... and on... AND ON. I was waiting for some action from the characters, someone to move, someone to do something to get the plot going but instead the main character and her mother are just talking endlessly about everything under the sun.

The main character the moves to go into a room to read her book, only to find it occupied by the eventual male interest... and then, IT HAPPENS AGAIN. CUE ENDLESS TALKING #2. It wouldn't stop! Nobody was actually doing anything, but just talking at one another. I was ready for one of the characters to whip out War & Peace and start quoting verbatim.

I'm sorry, maybe I'm someone who likes action spliced within dialogue. But if you're going to have epic monologues where characters just keep talking for pages upon pages, paragraphs upon paragraphs, then this book is for you.

To Spark A match is book #2 in this series. I was so happy to see Adelaide get her own story. The chemistry was amazing and the action was intense. Great job, Jen.

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano is another fun-filled adventure that will have you in stitches.

I was so happy to see Adelaide Duveen as the main character in this second book of The Matchmakers series. Her wallflower status and love of cats made her an unlikely match for anyone until she met Gideon Abbott. It is obvious to everyone but them that they are made for each other.

When Adelaide agreed to help Gideon with his investigation by providing a distraction at a party they were attending, neither of them expected how horrible that distraction would be. With all of society about to give Adelaide the "cut-direct," Gideon feels compelled to help her, never realizing how much Adelaide prefers her cats and books to society. He has his work cut out for him.

I loved Adelaide's spontaneity and quick wit. She was hilarious and perfect for Gideon. The unending stream of banter between the two, while at times hilarious, left me exhausted. I do prefer dialogue in a book, but it would have been nice to have a break from that now and again. However, the author was descriptive enough in setting a scene that I was able to picture what was going on.

If you have read the first book, you will probably, like me, think Adelaide is a frumpy cat-lady spinster type. So I was surprised to find out the real reason behind her looks, and I enjoyed seeing her transformation.

While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. If you enjoy historical rom-coms, you will love To Spark a Match. I highly recommend it!

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano was another fantastic novel. Turano never disappoints with her witty dialogue, very likable and deep main characters, and an exciting and compelling story.
Adelaide and Gideon are so much fun! I love how in spite of all the changes expected of her, Adelaide remains so unapologetically herself through it all. She compromises a bit, but she also learns to stay true to things that matter most. She's a heroine that you can just love and laugh with. Gideon is a perfect partner for her, especially as he becomes more and more invested in Adelaide's happiness and well-being. He's charming and clever, but Adelaide still throws him for a loop all the time!
This was all around a delightful and exciting novel!

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

This book is just so much fun.

Set in New York Society, Adelaide is set to be shunned by society, Gideon has set himself as her protector and enlists a matchmaker to restore her reputation and make her a sensation. Adelaide is not sure she wants this.

The story itself unfolds with elements of both comedy and elements of a good detective novel and good luck saving Adelaide Duveen from herself.

The chemistry between Adelaide and Gideon is undeniable to everyone but them. Gideon is determined to keep Adelaide safe by staying far away, and Adelaide is resistant to anything that causes her discomfort.

The mystery itself is interesting and full of surprises. The story is delightful and the characters have beautiful chemistry as they fight not to fall for each other despite themselves. These two are a breath of fresh air and Camilla makes a lovely matchmaker who is not matchmaking.

I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I’ve been hoping to see Adelaide show up in her own story! I loved this installment and couldn’t get enough of the witty banter. Adelaide and Gideon were charming and so fun to spend a few days with. Now I’m anxiously awaiting the next book, and hoping it’s Camilla and Charles! (I just realized that it HAS to be…with names like that!

DNF, as story told via dialogue did not work for me.

Will not post this review elsewhere, as opinions are distinctly mine.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and Austenprose PR for the ARC.