Historical, Sports Romance

Myfanwy was in love with her guardian. Samuel was broken. An injury that resulted from playing his favorite sport caused him to limp and to be blind in one eye. However, his disability was more psychological than physical. He believed he was broken, and so he was. Could Myfanwy help him to find another path?

When Myfanwy asked him to coach her cricket team, he was reluctant. Could coaching the team give Samuel the push he needed, and could it be what would help Myfanwy and her team to win the match? Could Myfanwy convince Samuel to take a chance on love? He might be her guardian, but she was past legal age.

I have read thousands of historical romance titles, but this was my first historical, sports romance. I found it entertaining and look forward to what comes next in this series.

This is the first book of a new series, The Cricket Club, and it is off to a delightful start. Ladies part of a cricket club as a means to enjoy their freedom is quite a unique and fresh idea and it instantly drew my attention. Samuel is an ex-cricketer, forces to quit the game he loves due to injury. All he wants to do now is enjoy a quiet life and put all the travelling and crowds behind him. Then Myfanwy comes into his life and reminds him how much he loves the sport and it is still a big part of him. She asks him to coach her team and as he does so, he begins to remember the joy the game brought him and he also grows closer to Myfanwy. They are both equally drawn to each other, but as she is a viscount's daughter and despite all his wealth, he is still a retired sportsman who is beneath her class. Although they do face this and other challenges, the novel does ultimately does end in a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to continuing the series!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Samuel Everett may have physical limitations, but to Myfanwy Wright he's still the best cricket player around. She needs a coach for her Singles Lady Cricket Club to win against the Matron's Club. As the captain and he's her guardian, it's voted by the other members of the team for her to convince him to take the job. At first he is resistant, but his competitive nature forces him to agree. It's not only practice for the team, but an opportunity for Myfanwy and Samuel to grow closer together.
An interesting subject for a plot in the story.
Very descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Honestly, I was bored. I couldn't connect to the characters or the sport, and the male lead annoyed me. I've discovered I don't care about cricket.

Myfanwy (Muh)(van)(oo-ee) is Samuel's ward after her father dies. She's also the captain of a ladies cricket team and almost the age of majority - 21. Samuel is a former cricket star, who's now been injured one too many times. There's about a 10 year age gap between them. Myfanwy's team has been losing so they finagle Samuel into being their coach.

The chemistry between Myfanwy and Samuel is very hot. Samuel's the gruff, scowly dude who turns out to be a softy.
I'm always interested to read about massage and treating injuries (and war wounds) in hist rom. It's a joy to see a character who has resigned themselves that they'll never feel any better and have to put up with pain and stiffness to discover the miracle and wonder that is massage.
Excellent writer! And she has a blacklist too!
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I liked the concept of this romance more than I like the actual story, I'm sorry to say. It was a fine romance in itself, and after all the point of romances is to get people together. But I really wanted, for once, when the heroine said she would rather have the man as a lover, than a husband, that perhaps, for once, that would happen.

Myfanwy loves cricket. I once watched a match. Other than bowling, I can't think of a sport that is more boring, but I put aside my own feelings, and pretended she was playing something that a little more exciting. She is the captain of a ladies team, and wants to win, and when she reaches majority age (21 years old) she wants to buy a house and some land so she can play cricket there.

It is a cute enough story, and there were lots of near misses of steaminess, until they finally started to get it on. I did like her independence, while she had it.

So, perhaps there will be more cricket matches in the series, and we will see where this goes.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

3.5 stars.
An interesting take on cricket as a means for the historically subjugated woman to enjoy a scent of freedom, “A Perfect Match”, by Margaux Thorne, is a romance involving a long-time crush and also a story about familial, fraternal and friendship bonds.
I liked the athletic heroine, unconventional and determined, and the taciturn wounded hero she has a crush on.
The building of attraction and the sexual tension between between Myfanwy and Samuel were very compelling to watch; I enjoyed immensely the fluidity and vividness of the author’s writing style.
I appreciated how relations, affection and ties were built not that easily throughout the story and how Samuel reveals his deep protective instincts.
I also liked the dimensions of the game and how players embraced it; the social injustice and prejudice towards women and the less favored were also depicted well.
Samuel’s visual affliction was more visually described than in terms of functional impact for the hero, and I regretted it.
I felt the easiness and freedom of some relationships was too modern and the sex scenes were too long, graphic and boring for my taste.

Although this historical romance is centered around the early days of Ladies cricket, you can still enjoy the story if (like me) you've never watched a match. It is not like any other I've read in this genre. In a time when ladies are supposed to be demure and definitely never do something as crude as sweat, sport was almost unknown for them.
Our heroine is one very determined lady. It takes our poor hero a while to understand what is happening.
A steamy romp into the "gentleman's "game. The characters have a lot of troubles to deal with.
Great fun.

Entertaining and romantic, this novel is especially interesting for anyone who knows and understands the game of cricket. I was also surprised that cricket clubs for women were formed far earlier than I anticipated given that one usually associates the sport with men. Samual Everett is a washed-up sporting giant who had been loved and adored by his fans, but injuries forced him out of the game. Little does he realize that when his mentor's daughter arrives on his doorstep with papers in her hand granting him rights as her guardian, she is going to turn his world upside down. Myfanwy Wright wants two things in life: to form her own cricket team and to attract the notice of Samual Everett. By democratic vote, she is tasked with approaching Samual to coach their floundering cricket team, which of course forces him to take note of every aspect of Myfanwy's presence. The novel ultimately comes to a lovely conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A historical sports romance?! This was such a fun read!!

The Single Ladies Cricket Club needs a win bad against the Matrons Club after losing several years in a row. Who better to coach these ladies to victory but Samuel Everett, a former Cricket legend. The only issue being, Samuel is a cranky drunk who was injured while playing Cricket and has no desire to coach, especially not the team of his ward, the independent, beautiful and headstrong, Myfanwy.

Samuel does in fact end up coaching the Single Ladies and the romance, team building and family aspects of this story made for a super charming read. I am very interested in seeing where Margaux Thorne takes us next in this series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Well this was a fun and fresh first for me: Ladies playing cricket!
A deliciously funny it’s-always-been-you guardian-ward romance with butting heads banter aplenty and tons of sizzle and steam! Forbidden fruit is the sweetest… The classes clash, lots of roses are sacrificed, tempers rise and a new family is found and rather unexpectedly grown - no babies though.

The MCs are Myfanwy “Myfi” & Samuel
After her mother’s death, her father, a viscount, shared his love of cricket with her. He also took a young player under his wing, and soon the boy became her secret childhood crush. Now the sport runs in her blood and she even started her own single ladies team. After a loosing streak, her teammates push her to ask Sam, now retired and still the man of her dreams, to become their coach.
Samuel, a bricklayer’s son, managed to become the greatest cricketer of his generation. Under the viscount’s guidance, he even became a wealthy man. Due to injury his career came to an end, and with his earnings he opened an inn. He never expected the viscount to make him his daughter’s guardian… A challenge for certain. Not only is she stubborn and obstinate, but she’s also gorgeous, bright and the object of all his desires since he first laid eyes upon her so many years ago.

Underneath all the fun, there a sombre side as well. Class difference is a major issue. On top of that she deals with society’s expectations, loneliness and fear of abandonment, and he deals with pain, depression and the unfair treatment of his former teammates. Add a couple of unexpected little guests, a lovesick suitor (not hers), a vile nobleman and a gaming hell owner, and chaos is guaranteed. Together however, they rock!
I love this author’s style and pacing! Never a dull moment, honest and direct dialogue, strong feelings yet light and airy with just enough drama and as always, a compelling witty plot.
A wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to find out what comes next!

What a great and unique story! Generally, romance stories are surrounded by balls, gardens, the ton, etc. This one however is surrounded by the game of cricket. A sport, I know nothing about, it took me to a place both of research and fascination.
Myfanwy is a beautiful lady who lives and loves for cricket. Samuel is an absolute dream as a former cricket player. Woven into the story are some unique and unexpected twists that may take you by surprise, yet the end result is spectacular. This is the first of a series so I'm excited to see who from the secondary characters gets their own story next. Beautifully written and so engaging, don't miss this opportunity.

This is just fantastic and I just could not put it down! It’s well written, well crafted, full of imagination, full of humour and had me laughing out loud with tears! A fast-paced, spellbinding romance complete with outrageous and hot hot hot characters, this is another hit for this author!

I don’t generally enjoy the guardian-ward trope but the rest of this synopsis appealed so here we are.

I was surprised by just how much I appreciated and enjoyed the slow buildup between Samuel and Myfanwy - taking the time to show the evolving relationship between the two was perfect for the story.

This was my first time reading Ms Thorne’s work - it definitely won’t be my last, and I’m already looking forward to reading more of this series.



Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

A perfect match indeed!! Neither wants a marriage but giving into the inevitable seem to be in their future. Hashing out the details of the cricket match and other surprises along the way, they steer themselves to a future both can agree upon.
It took me about halfway through the book to become more than half way interested in this book. But by the end I was rooting for the home team.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.