If Sarah Adams doesn’t have a fan, I am dead.

My heart 🥹

I honestly wish the book was longer!! Sam, Jake, and Evie are adorable!! Read this if you enjoy Gilmore Girls, single dad tropes, support animals, cute banter, and rom coms in general. I appreciate how Sarah Adams tells ya how it is with spice level and trigger warnings!

Evie is a therapy dog trainer, who has her own therapy dog, Charlie. One day, she gets an email about training a seizure support dog for a young girl, and she’s all in. The girls dad? Skeptical. But, Jake and Evie both had a crush on the other at first site. This cute rom-com talks about parent issues and spouse issues as well as epilepsy. It was a quick, binge read. I love that Sarah took her MIL’s awesome job as inspiration.

I can’t wait for the enemy!

Thanks to netgalley for the ALC 🫶🏼

Just finished listening to this story and boy do I want a chocolate chip muffin real bad now 🤣 such a great story! Disability representation throughout as Evie has epilepsy as well as Jake’s daughter. I love the whole premise of this story- dogs are such smart and amazing creatures!

This wholesome romance was 5 stars from me and is my new favorite from @authorsarahadams!

Evie Jones is living in Charleston and working at Southern Service Paws, a company that matches individuals with service dogs and who introduced her to her best friend, her dog Charlie. Evie meets Jacob at a client consultation “meeting”, which was secretly set up by Jacob’s daughter, Sam. Sparks instantly fly between Jacob and Evie, and Evie realizes she may have finally found a true family that supports and loves her unconditionally.

The Match is my favorite book that I read in June and I can’t recommend it enough. This book was originally published in 2020 but the revised and expanded copy is publishing on Tuesday, July 2! Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscape_media, and Sarah Adams for an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh. My. GOSH! SARAH ADAMS!!! This book was absolutely phenomenal! As an occupational therapist, I was immediately captivated by the story. The main character had such an inspiring strength that literally had me in awe. The bond between the two main characters was written so beautifully that I was totally swooning. Their connection just pulled me completely into the story. This was my first time reading anything by Sarah Adams, but it certainly won't be my last. I am beyond excited to dive into her entire backlist next. This book was truly out of this world - from start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat. If you love stories with heart, depth and characters you become totally invested in, then you HAVE to read this one. I can guarantee it will leave you with all the feels. Thank you, Sarah Adams, for bringing such an amazing story to life - I am one very happy (and satisfied!) reader.

This was a super cute, sweet, and refreshing closed door romance. Is it a bit cheesy? Sure, but most of what I read is dark and heavy and this world we live in can be dark and heavy, so a cheesy and uplifting read that soothed my heart and made me feel good is exactly what I needed. I absolutely loved the dual narration for Evie and Jake; both narrators did an outstanding job. Thank you so much Dreamscape Media, Sarah Adams, and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sarah has done it again, I swear everything she writes leaves me so uplifted and light after turning th last “page”.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own. I absolutely adore everything Sarah Adams writes!

This was a reread for me but I loved the updated audiobook. I really appreciated that we got narrators for Evie and Jake. The work that Evie does (and seeing her and Sam experience a seizure) was heartbreaking but I loved seeing Jake take care of her. I loved Charlie and hearing about their organization and the good that it does. I love how they fell into each other and it always felt so natural for them.

Well I have been charmed by 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉. This book is pure sunshine and sweetness. I’m talking all the hallmark vibes. It is truly so wholesome and had me smiling throughout the entire book. Evie, Jake, Sam, Charlie, and Daisy deserve the world. I loved the little family they built. The chronic illness rep was done so well. Evie was so much more than her disability and never let it hold her back from pursuing what she wanted. I admired her strength in all aspects. Overall, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 was an adorable book and perfect if you’re looking for a feel good romance.

🎧 The audiobook for this was so well done. The narrators, Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward, portrayed Jake and Evie perfectly. I would definitely recommend the audio for this book.

Tropes:
✨ Single Dad
🚪 Closed Door
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💕 Friends to Lovers
🩺 Chronic Illness Rep
🫶🏼 Found Family
🐕‍🦺 Service Dogs

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media, Sarah Adams, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having worked for Southern Service Paws for several years, Evie thought she was prepared for any client meeting. However, she was dead wrong. The day she meets single dad Jacob Broaden to discuss matching his daughter with one of their service dogs, she learns a few valuable lessons. As they navigate the process together, unexpected connections form, reminding them both that love often appears when you least expect it.

I’m not even a dog person and this was still 5⭐️ The story was so meaningful through watching Evie and Jacob’s daughter, Sam, manage epilepsy- I learned so much! Evie’s service dog Charlie had me giddy and though he was a cute companion from the beginning, Jacob complements her so much more (& also actually gives her the most adoring compliments hehe). I was living for the sweet moments when he realized she might like him and told himself ‘I’m over it’ to risk putting his heart on the line. Don’t even get me started on all the ✨girl dad✨ moments. Jacob Broaden couldn’t have shined any brighter.

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for the audiobook 💛 I absolutely loved the narrators!

Perfect for you if you like:
Insightful disability rep
Adorable pet companions
Age gap + man head-over-heels
Girl dad things that help him also connect with Evie

Similar to:
Betrothal or Breakaway by Leah Brunner
Savor It by Tarah DeWitt (open door)
Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
*Evie & Jacob reminded me of these main characters at different points throughout the book

⛔️fade to black romance
⚠️mild language, strained relationship with parents, spouse/mother previously left

Evie walks into a meeting with a potential client and his daughter. But, Jake, the client, knew nothing about it. His daughter, Sam, set the whole thing up pretending to be him. Sam was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and saw a news segment about how service dogs can help. Evie works for a service dog company, and has a service dog herself. Jake sends Evie packing, but feels guilty. He reluctantly allows Sam to have a service dog. The more time Evie spends with them, training their new service dog, the harder it is for Jake to picture life without her.

This is a cute, quick, clean read. (I consider it clean- there is kissing, but anything more is closed door). Evie, Jake, Sam, Charlie, and Daisy make an adorable family. It was predictable, but still enjoyable.

Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward narrate the audiobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★

I absolutely LOVE Sarah Adams and this book did not disappoint! This wholesome, feel good story had me hooked from the first page. I adored the FMC Evie and her down to earth personality, along with her beautiful outlook on life. Even with the circumstances she faced with her family and her lack of finances to support herself she is still positive and works hard to help others in life.

Evie’s story of battling with epilepsy and working to train and provide service dogs for others who need them with similar conditions was truly inspiring to read. I loved her “no back down” kind of attitude that landed her the connection with the one and only Jacob! I ate up the fact that Jacob’s daughter was dealing with the same battle as Evie and she tricked her dad into meeting with Evie. The instant connection between the two characters was perfection.

The adorable found family theme that unfolded after and the sweetness that overflowed through the pages had me unable to turn away from this until the end.

Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward did a wonderful job narrating this book. I enjoyed the emphasis they put into reading the characters.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
Single Dad
Found Family
Closed Door
Strong FMC
Epilepsy Rep
Age Gap

📚The Match by Sarah Adams
🎧ALC Review(Copy gifted by @dreamscape_media)
🚨While reviewed copy is gifted, opinions are always my own.
Status: Available July 2nd 2024 (Re-Release), Not KU

🥰Enjoyment: This story was SO freaking sweet. I absolutely adored the entire premise, from how Evie found herself in her chosen career and how that lead her to meet our MMC (yep totally forgot his name already) and his daughter Sam. I loved that the situation wasn’t just abstract but we got a taste of how it all works in the real world (can you tell I’m trying to be spoiler free and making a mess of it). The romance itself is very “classic” no modern trends like skipping the 3rd act breakup or anything but I didn’t mind it. Sarah is very outspoken that she writes for us anxiety girlies and she really does it so well. Just a sugar sweet hug of a book.

Narration was also really well done, for me a solid “meets expectations” audiobook is one where the narrators don’t have any voices or behaviors that rip me out of the story and this one was perfect on that front. Not all audio performances make the story better, but that’s okay. Just don’t make it worse.

Couple of side notes regarding this and other Sarah Adams novels set to release over the next several months: First point of order is to mention that this is the first of the re-release of Sarah Adams backlist, and if I’m not mistaken these are a bit reworked/expanded from when she initially wrote them. I had never read them before so I cannot speak to what changed. Second point of order, I am NOT the kind of reader that needs to immediately ingest an entire backlist when I find a new author I love. I quite literally can never find the time, but I also recognize that this is a craft and the more you work on the craft the more you improve. While some authors I work harder than others to check out their work prior to my “discovery” of them it also doesn’t feel like a failure for me not to get there or to take forever. Maybe that’s an unpopular opinion, I’m not sure. EITHER WAY I loved hearing that with the re-release of these titles they were getting a little facelift. It gave me confidence that they would still feel like the work of an author I love. (Maybe they always did, I’ll never know.)

2.5 ⭐⭐💫 rounded up. A woman with epilepsy is apprenticing to take over a service dog company. When meeting a young client with her same condition about a dog, she falls for the dreamy dad. Kinda cheesy, but this was cute. She's definitely improved with time.🌶️Acknowledges the existence of sex but in my opinion very clean. “Fade to black” or “closed door romance.”

Tropes:
•Single Parent
•Forced Proximity
•Enemies to Lovers
•Multiple POVs

It's a cute rom-com but not my favorite. It was an easy listen and both narrators were great!

The tropes in this book:
-single dad
-age gap
-friends to lovers
-complicated family relationship
-disability rep (epilepsy)
-cutest service dog!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

*3.25 stars
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for letting me review an ARC of the audiobook version of this book!
This book introduced me to audiobooks- I hadn’t listened to one in ages and I really enjoyed it! The narrators in this one specifically made the story captivating and realistic.

I found the romance between the two characters very sweet, even though some parts felt a bit too physical for my liking. I loved how they eventually came to care about each other and I thought their story was overall really beautiful. I have to say though, they found the other instantly attractive upon meeting them, and I’m not the biggest fan of “instant love” stories.

Another aspect I (surprisingly) loved in this book was the family and friends in the main characters’ entourage. Jacob’s daughter, as well as his siblings and parents, were adorable and so accepting, and I also really enjoyed Evie’s friendship with her boss Joanna. I also applaud the author for the excellent disability representation, since I haven’t seen many books with main characters who have epilepsy. However there was pretty much no other representation within this book - every single character was straight, white, and wealthy.

Overall The Match was a great palette cleanser romance book and a solid 3 stars, I don’t think I’ll think about it again much but I would definitely continue this series at some point, as well as listening to some more audiobooks!

“I want Jake and Evie. Stupid kissing profile pictures. Cute ringtones for the other person. I don’t want anything less than planning months out for a vacation and obnoxious Christmas cards that have you, me, Sam, and the dogs on the front. Can you handle that?”

- Single dad
- FMC and his daughter have epilepsy
- Charleston setting
- Age gap (he’s seven years older)
- Found family
- Closed door
- Dual POV

Premise: Evie works for a service dog company and meets Jake and his daughter while helping her pick and train her own service dog!

The Match is filled with Sarah’s signature cuteness, but you can also tell her writing has developed beautifully since its initial release.

What can you expect in The Match?
- two cute dogs!
- a chaotic but sunshine-personified FMC you kind of can’t help but want to be friends with, a.k.a. the quintessential Sarah Adams female character.
- a charming and organised single dad who’d do anything for his daughter. The moment he and Evie shared where he brushed her hair and painted her nails to learn for his daughter was PRECIOUS 😭.
- some complex family dynamics because Evie is essentially broke and living in a shoebox… yet her family is famous around Charleston and loaded (and master manipulators) 👀.
- a Gilmore Girls quote (it will always win me over): “Channel your inner Lorelai Gilmore. I will not be that single dad that sucks.” This is after she asks him to take her shopping for her first bra. PRECIOUS, I tell you!

Evie is on a mission: match children with service dogs who can help them with their epilepsy. Evie has epilepsy herself, so the cause is close to her heart. Jake, the father of one of the hopeful recipients of a service dog, isn't so sure. He's reluctant to take any steps towards his daughter's independence, and it's up to Evie to open his mind. What neither of them counted on, however, was the attraction that they both must fight in order to stay in their tidy little lives. But maybe a little shake up is just what each of them needs!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Both of the narrators did a super job narrating their own chapters. I especially liked it when they were having conversations via text, which the narrators both took turns voicing, regardless of whose chapter it was. The scenes in which Evie and Jake became closer were by far my favorite. I was really rooting for this couple! :o)

The "villains" didn't feel realistic to me. I had trouble getting behind the idea that two mature adults could let petty and over-the-top caricatures of people create a third act break up. While the majority of the plot was pleasant, I didn't find it particularly compelling or interesting. There wasn't enough levity and chemistry to overcome the frequent (often contrived) drama presented in the pages.

Bottom line: If you're in the mood for a sweet romance with a single dad, cute daughter, southern charm, and the overcoming of some family drama, then you'll love this book!

Trigger warnings: dysfunctional family dynamics, epilepsy, seizures, unwanted sexual advances, absentee mother

I'd like to thank Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audio ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sarah Adams just has a way of making books feel like sunshine! This single dad, un-meet cute is sure to be a favorite of many. I loved the representation of using a working dog and the bond that was shared with the FMC and daughter. Highly recommend!

I’m a big Sarah Adams fan. She writes sweet, humorous love stories with endearing characters. In THE MATCH she also gives us a darling child and, not one, but two lovable pooches!

Originally released in 2020, this updated version adds a bonus chapter and, frankly, who wouldn’t want more Sarah Adams magic? Evie and her service dog, Charlie, meet BEST DAD EVER Jacob and his daughter, Sam, when Sam impersonates her dad in the hopes of getting her own service dog. Evie and Sam both have epilepsy and that initial connection is what brings them together. It’s sparks and chemistry that have Evie and Jacob thinking there could be more.

The audiobook is nicely narrated by Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward. They each capture the essence of their characters. Jacob is voiced as stable, thoughtful, measured, and oh-so-very kind. Evie’s enthusiasm, independence, and insecurities are reflected in the performance. This was a fun, entertaining listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this ALC in exchange for my unbiased review.

4.5 STARS

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book! Sarah Adams is one of those authors that has been sitting on my TBR forever, and I am so upset with myself for how long it took me to pick up her books. This story of Evie and Jake (and Sam) was so heartwarmingly adorable. This is a single dad, age gap, horrible first meet cute book with a whole lot of disability representation.

Evie has had epilepsy for years and has an adorable service dog named Charlie. Now she works to match others who need service dogs. And after a trick gone wrong, Sam signed her father up to meet with Evie about getting a service dog for her own seizures. After realizing how wrong Jake is, a beautiful, beautiful, friendship starts between Jake and Evie. Which eventually turns into so much more.

I loved everything about this book and these characters. I loved the closeness, turned motherly figure that Evie was to Sam. And the relationship between Sam and her father is unmatched. If you are looking for a perfect single dad trying his hardest for his daughter, you would see a picture of Jake.

The narrators for this book were fantastic and truly brought these characters to life. I loved that this narration was done in dual narration because we really got to feel all of the emotions that these characters were going through! Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward are two new to me narrators, but I will definitely be looking for more of their work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the advanced listeners copy.