📚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.

This was such a sweet and precious romance🥹 I loved Evie and Jake and how they complemented each other, and I loved watching both of them with Sam. And as a major golden retriever lover, I love that we got not one but TWO awesome dogs as side characters in this book. Really loved reading the Sarah Adams backlist title, and now I really want to read her other ones!

You’ll love this book if you like:
🦮Single Dad
🦮Age Gap
🦮Opposites Attract
🦮Disability Rep
🦮Light language and low spice*

*There is some language but it felt very minimal and mild, which I appreciated. There is one semi-spicy scene towards the end of the book, but it is very non-explicit and non-detailed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

 
Such a cute cozy and sweet romance.
 
There are two things I love in romance books: cute animals and cute kids with single parents.
I find both these minor tropes very difficult to execute because the FMC and MMC have to bond both with each other and with the kid/animal.
Well, here Sarah Adams does it flawlessly.
 
Evie has epilepsy, she is 27 and wants to live her life free of the burden her surname carries. She works for a Service dog company after regaining her freedom thanks to her dog Charlie. So when she received an email from a single dad, Jacob, asking for information about a service dog for his 10-year-old daughter with epilepsy, Evie was ready to help in any way she could.
Unfortunately, Jacob didn´t know anything about this email, being tricked into it by his daughter Sam.
But what do you do when your daughter may have needs you cannot always meet? And what do you do if the lady trying to sell you a dog is hot and you have an instant connection?
 
Sarah Adams is always able to engage from page one and she proves it EVERY SINGLE TIME!
 
The only tiny bit I didn´t like was the miscommunication bit by the end, I felt it was a little unnecessary, but apart from that it was flawless.
Perfect for a cute summer read by the beach.
 
And as always thank you to my loyal friends NetGalley and  Dreamscape Media for allowing me to review this book! The audio was flawless as always!

Que delícia de leitura! Foi meu segundo contato com a Sarah Adams, mas também o primeiro no idioma original, já que eu li Táticas do Amor em português mesmo, e uau! Agora entendo porque The Match já tinha tanto o carinho dos leitores da autora desde a versão independente, e que bom que foi relançado agora com direito a um audiobook tão bem narrado!

Esse, aliás, é só o primeiro ponto positivo da trama, uma narração dupla muito bem executada. Mais que isso, porém, The Match é um quentinho no coração para falar um pouco sobre deficiências invisíveis, mais especificamente a epilepsia como no caso da protagonista e da filha do nosso mocinho. Ainda que mais voltado à realidade com a presença de um cão de serviço, a autora faz uma abordagem bem importante sobre a ajuda real que esses cães desempenham e no fato de que, entre altos e baixos e apoio externo aqui e ali, é possível ter uma vida que não se resume a uma condição ou doença - ainda que a falta de compreensão e empatia em muitos casos dificulte ou atrase um pouco essa realidade de pessoa para pessoa, infelizmente.

Também gostei muito da forma como o romance se desenrolou, não me ganhando de todo a ponto do livro ser cinco estrelas, mas ainda me fazendo sorrir e suspirar aqui e ali entre as interações de Evie e Jake. Ela é uma mulher bem resolvida que não deixa de se mostrar vulnerável quando preciso e aceitar ajuda sem um orgulho exagerado, ainda mais de quem o faz de forma genuína como nosso mocinho que, por sua vez, antes de mais nada, é um pai incrível! Ele e a Sam tem uma relação tão fofa, ainda que inicialmente nublada pela superproteção dele pela condição da filha, mas vê-lo se soltar um pouco mais, tanto por si quanto por ela, ao longo das intervenções de Evie com a Daisy é lindo demais!

No geral, é um romance clichê e leve que traz um tema muito relevante e o aborda de forma significativa. Gostei de como a autora tratou sobre os background familiares dos personagens também, principalmente, mesmo com tanta interferência errada, sem ter vilanizado os pais da protagonista e ter dado um final tranquilo Lara a relação deles, mas ainda realista junto. O fato de ser closed-door também me agradou, isso sim é mostrar um casal com química e que convence o leitor sem precisar apelar pra muita exposição ou vulgaridade.

I love Sarah Adams’ books and I initially read this a couple years ago and loved it so much!!! I’m so excited it’s being traditionally published!

This was just so sweet and happy and every time I went to listen to it, it brought me so much joy 🥹 I also loved the narrators! The southern twang they added was so good and made me love the characters even more!

I loved the epilepsy representation and the single parent trope. It was so well done!

I can’t wait to continue rereading Sarah Adams’ releases as they get trad published!

This is an easy-going romance with dogs and a cute child - the instant recipe for success. It's perfect for a beach holiday or a long weekend. Nothing too deep or dramatic, except for some toxic family background.
I have mixed feelings about the audio version: Evie sounds a bit sugary, like someone who is constantly smiling, and I find her annoying in some places. But otherwise this is a heart-warming and uplifting story.

I read this back in the day on KU when it first came out, but when I saw the audio, I knew I wanted to re listen. This story was adorable and I love Evie's service dog, Daisy! She was just adorable. Evie and Jake both faced different struggles but I think they helped them understand each other better. This is a slow burn romance as well as a clean romance and I truly loved it!

Read this if you like:
•single dad
•service dogs
•swoony books

This book was so dang cute. I couldn’t get enough of the service dog rep for epilepsy. Both characters have a tough background but they were perfect for each other!

Thank you Dreamscape for the ALC

This is a cute, slow-burn, very clean romance.

While I liked the story overall, some parts pulled me from it. Evie's family wanting her to marry Tyler was strange. Evie didn't tell them about the bullying; honestly, they might not have cared. But I had a hard time believing that Tyler, even though he sounded super creepy, would push that hard after being rejected.

I also do not personally connect to female characters incapable of innuendo.

The narrators were great, and I enjoyed this audiobook.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

This one had me all in from the very beginning. It was so much better than the typical romcom vibes I was expecting. The perfect blend of romance, humor, drama, and even some serious topics being covered. Our FMC, Evie, having an epilepsy diagnosis and working through the struggles that can bring in life on top of a very unsupportive family, and our MMC, Jake, having a self absorbed (narcissistic) ex wife while learning to be a single dad to a cute but sassy 10 year old named Sam who was recently diagnosed with epilepsy herself.
The narrators did an amazing job portraying their characters and really pulling in the reader/listener. It was an absolute joy watching Evie and Jake’s relationship grow as they worked through their insecurities and pain caused by people they should have been able to trust. It was just as enjoyable to watch Evie quickly learn to love Sam as if she were her own. Jake and Evie’s relationship with Sam shifts and changes as she learns some independence with her new service dog, Daisy, and encouragement from her family.
Overall just a beautiful story with so many good things throughout. I can’t recommend it enough and will be reading the next book in this series ASAP.

Sarah Adams bring us this delightful and hopeful romance featuring a single dad, Jacob, who is busy raising his 10-year-old epileptic daughter when he meets a beautiful and fun service animal trainer, Evie, with the same diagnosis. Both Jacob and Evie have personal obstacles that each most overcome as they find their way to each other. This novel takes place in Charleston, South Carolina and the two audiobook narrators Rusty Mewha and Leanne Woodward bring these characters home with slight and appealing Southern Lilts – just great narration. Thank you to #Netgalley and @dreamscape_media for this five star romance.

Evie and her service dog, Charlie, become an integral part of divorced dad Jacob and his daughter, Sam's lives when they need a service dog for her seizures. As Evie also experiences seizures, she’s perfectly positioned to provide Sam with the understanding and support she needs.

Sure, this book is a bit cheesy—maybe even extra cheesy—but it flows well and hooks you right from the start. How often do you come across a story featuring not one, but two service dogs? It's a refreshing and intriguing topic.

Yes, there's plenty of romance cheese, but it’s also a super cute story that’s hard not to like. The audiobook narration adds an extra layer of enjoyment, making the experience even better.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen and review this delightful audiobook ARC. If you're a fan of heartwarming tales with a side of romance and adorable dogs, this one's for you!