4 stars! First off, what a cute cover! I really enjoyed this!

This book is set in Charleston, South Carolina and follows Evie and Jacob. Evie is a service dog trainer who herself has epilepsy and has her own service dog, Charlie. Jacob is a single dad whose daughter, Sam, also has epilepsy. Jacob and Evie meet in a humorous not-so meet-cute. Evie eventually helps to train a service dog for Sam and starts to fall for Jacob. I appreciated the disability representation.

I loved the humor throughout this book! It had me giggling at times. Evie has a difficult relationship with her parents, but finds a family with Jacob, Sam, and their extended family. Evie also has a beautiful and fun mother-daughter like relationship with her boss, Jo. I loved the found family aspect.

Its not a full 5 stars for me because at times, I felt that Evie was a little immature and her mother was so "evil" it was unbelievable.

I enjoyed the audiobook with the two narrators. I did have to speed up the audiobook so that I wasn't distracted by the southern accents. (As a southern, I struggle with over emphasized southern accents in audiobooks.)

I would recommend this to anyone who likes:
-single dad trope
-disability representation
-dual POV
-closed door romance
-cute kids and cute dogs!
-found family trope

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audibook ARC!

I enjoyed the narration in this contemporary romance. It’s not a rom com but instead has a serious tone and a high level of angst. I liked that the book helps raise the reader’s awareness of epilepsy and service dogs.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Super cute romance that is perfect for summer! Sarah Adams in now a go-to author for me, and this book just reinforced her standing. This series is set in Charleston....which is always a win in terms of the setting of a book. I do wish she had done a little more with incorporating Charleston into the book, but that is a minor downside. I loved how she included therapy dogs as well as two main characters with epilepsy, demonstrating the impact it has on the life of both children and adults. The therapy dogs were awesome as characters in their own right. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a lighter read this summer!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listener copy.

So, I am a big believer that not every book is for every person, yet not loving a book is still incredibly frustrating. There were several things I felt this book did well: I loved the representation of epilepsy in two different characters. Adams did a fantastic job showing how it impacted both daily living and the insecurities it added to dating. I enjoyed the dual POV and I LOVED Jake the father. He was the brother/girl dad of my dreams; between his nonchalance towards menstruation and his obviously overwhelming love for his daughter, I was full on swooning.

The narration was okay. I don’t particularly care for the imitation of female voices by male narrators and since all of the major supporting characters were female Rusty Mewha who narrated our MMC Jake had to do a lot of female southern voices. Leanne Woodward did a good job, but I was bothered that Evie was described as having a southern lilt and then the narration did not. For some reason, the text exchanges were done as a duet, but the remainder was not, and that felt like a missed opportunity.

So you know I loved The Rule Book, and I really wanted to love this. I think had I read this first I would have enjoyed it more but after knowing what she can write, this felt like a rough draft. I can tell her writing has involved (and probably better editing, but I can’t find their names despite my internet searches). There were moments where the conversations just felt cringe with silly banter. I wanted more relationship development and deeper interactions both between Jake and Evie and the secondary characters. Evie had frequent self-doubt in the beginning, and it seemed exhausting to listen to. Finally, the insta-love (even over the course of a few weeks) bothers me every time.

I can’t seem to end on a negative, so while this was a miss for me, I still want to read at least one other book off her backlist!

The Match by Sarah Adams is a heartwarming romance that explores the themes of love wnd second chances. The story centers around Evie Jones, a dedicated employee at Southern Service Paws, who has a deep personal connection to the company's mission through her own service dog, Charlie. The story takes a turn when Evie meets Jacob Broaden, a single father initially skeptical about the benefits of a service dog for his recently diagnosed epileptic daughter, Sam. Despite the rocky start, Jacob is soon won over by Evie's expertise and compassion. Romance blossoms as Evie and Jacob's interactions go from professional to personal. The audiobook version of this book is equally fantastic, featuring outstanding narrators. They did an amazing job bringing the book to life, adding depth and emotion to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of The Match by Sarah Adams.

I am a huge fan of Sarah Adams. This book did not disappoint.

Evie is the part owner of Southern Service paws. They train service dogs for people with disabilities. We meet Evie's adorable service dog Charlie in the very beginning when he wakes her up by licking her face. Charlie helps Evie when she has a seizure. A little girl Sam writes Evie requesting a meetup to discuss the possibility of getting a service dog. Unfortunately, Sam is pretending to be her dad in the email. So, when Evie and Jake meet for the first time it doesn't go well. I love a good enemies to lovers book. Great humor, lovable characters, closed door romance, and great talk/education about epilepsy.

Sarah Adams is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to get an early copy of this re-release with all the new content. Sadly, it didn't work for me. The writing wasn't as strong as I've come to expect from Adams (again-- I understand this is a re-release so it makes sense), and a lot of it made me cringe. The dynamic between Evie and Jacob almost made me uncomfortable at times. I didn't love how Evie decided the best way to get to know Jacob was by snooping through his belongings when he wasn't around, and I also didn't like how Jacob was okay with it?! Like, have either of you heard of boundaries?! It may sound silly, but it made me feel weird about their relationship. There was also some miscommunication which I wasn't a fan of. In classic Adams fashion, there were still a lot of cutesy moments, but as a whole, this one wasn't my favorite.

Oh my goodness was this adorable. Jacob was just what I was looking for in a book boyfriend. He was almost perfect. Single dads aren't usually my jam, but I adored this book. Evie helps run an assist dog placement center and with needs of her own, she knows first hand how much they help.
Jacob's daughter wants a service dog to help her with her seizures and to help her to be able to return to a normal life. Jacob isn't sold on the idea, but for his daughter he knows he needs to try.
Jacob sees Evie and is blown away by her beauty, he's gotten burned before by his ex wife and wants to make sure the next time he does it right. As the two get closer, they both realize that there is no denying their feelings and they have to try for what they want. There are obstacles in their way, but they have to just trust one another.
I really loved the representation here and how in detail the book goes about what service dogs do for people they help. It was a lot of information that I don't think many people realize and I appreciate how it was handled. This book only has kissing so it is perfect for someone who just wants a light read without any steam. There is a lot of tension though which I apprecaited.
The narrators were so good and brought such sunshine to each of the characters.
Thank you to Dreamscape, Netgalley and Sarah Adams for an early audio copy.

I have loved all of Sarah Adams’s books and The Match reminds me why I love her writing. The match is an amazing romance story with a difficult topic. I love how Adams handled it.

Evie was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager. She felt that this took her independence away. She lived with her parents who were horrible to her for too long. Evie gains her independence back from getting the cutest partner ever. A service dog named Charlie. Charlie is trained to alert others of a seizure and keep Evie safe until she snaps out of it.

Sam is a ten-year-old who has also been diagnosed with epilepsy. She wants a service dog but her dad Jake does not like that idea. Once Evie enters their lives everything begins to change for everyone involved. Sam not only gets a service dog but she gets the mother figure she has craved and both Jake and Evie find someone they can be themselves with.

This story got me emotional at a few different scenes but I loved every second of it. Evie is so lovable and Jake is the best father anyone could ask for. Them together are just the perfect match for Sam.

Sarah Adams is an author that I will read everything they put out. The Match has been available in print for a few years and is available now in audio. Check this one out.

Another great Sarah Adams book. It was previously published in 2020 and is the first book in the "It Happened in Charleston" series. I loved our main character Evie and the romance between her and Jacob was sweet. I loved the inclusion of Epilepsy and service animals in this rom com and I think the author did a really good job or portraying this disability. Definitely a quick closed-door romance that had some really sweet moments!

A quick, cute, and quirky rom-com that is sure to melt even the coldest of hearts. Evie understands the benefits of having a service dog as someone with epilepsy, so she has devoted her life to training service dogs to help others. One day she has a not so meet cute with a single dad who’s daughter also has epilepsy and wants a service dog.

Sparks eventually fly in this single dad, age gap (6 years), and disability representation romance! Both characters have their own insecurities/baggage that lead to some interesting conflicts.

Overall really enjoyed it and thought it was super cute. Both narrators did amazing!!!! I was eating up the southern accents.

Closed door spice.

Thank you netgalley and dreamacape media for the alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I have loved every simgle sarah adams book and so glad her backlist is being traditionally pubbed. She has a way of telling a story that you dont miss the steam. Her sweet/ closed door romancea are so well done. Her covera are super cute and grwat characters that you root for a hea

4.5/5

I love Sarah Adams, I loved The Rule Book with all my heart so I jumped on the chance to listen for this one. It started off strong it was super cute and I was loving it, until it just fell flat. The MMC was a great dad don't get me wrong but I just did not feel them together. There was a lot of miscommunication which I don't care for. It just felt very bland and I was getting a little bored towards the middle and end. I mean it was not a bad book, but it was not amazing either.. I really wanted to love it more than I did.

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me. I tried, but at 40% in I just don't care about either character. The MMC is a great dad, but not that great of a hero. I also don't care for the female narrator. She makes it seem like Evie has no personality.

This was so cute! I loved the epilepsy representation and the discussion of how important service animals are.

I really enjoyed Evie and Jakes chemistry and I think they are a couple that will stay together off page. I also thought the side characters were so charming, especially Joanna. Her presence brought me so much joy, not only because she is hilarious but because she is a mother figure for Evie. This in turn was Evie's example of how she can be a parent to Sam which I thought was really beautiful.

The dogs in this book were also adorable and admirable. Service dogs are such a blessing and we as humans are lucky to have them.

The narration was also fantastic. I loved that they read text messages in their own voices which made it flow so much better. I would absolutely listen to another book narrated by these two.

Overall, I rated this book 4/5

How can you not love a book with service dogs taking care of their humans in the best way possible? The answer is you can't. And the way service dogs quietly focus on their jobs in real life is the way they did it in this novel. It's a love story between a man and a woman, but also between a woman and a lonely young girl, and between them and their service dogs. This book had all the right elements for me and the result is a beautiful romance that became a family. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators voices captured the characters perfectly.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sarah Adams is such a comfort author for me, because her books are like being draped in a cozy blanket. There is also no one who does an inner monologue for FMC, better than Sarah. I really enjoyed the Match, it was a short and sweet love story. The audiobook was extremely enjoyable featuring dual narration.

Evie and her service dog Charlie are happily living life together, when suddenly her world is turned upside down when she meets Jacob and his daughter Sam. Evie and Sam both have epilepsy, and with the help of Evie, Sam is able to convince her Dad to get her a service dog.

Jacob and Evie have a rocky start, but eventually they both come around and are able to strike up a friendship centered around the service dogs and his daughter. But as Evie begins to spend more time with this family, things start to feel like home. But is Jacob really ready to find love again after his divorce? And will Evie be able to let herself be loved for the first time ever? You’ll have to read to see how this sweet romance pans out, but I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Read if you enjoy:
-Closed door romance
-Single Dad
-Epilepsy representation & adorable service dogs
-Found family

What a lovely read!! I am very glad Sarah Adams is republishing this book. You’ll have a smile on your face when you read this (except for a couple of scenes). Pick it up and enjoy!

The audiobook is fabulous. The narrators are great and it’s duet POV!

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

Charlie, the seizure dog, was the absolute bestest boy. I adored Evie and Jacob as friends and together. Sam was the sweetest kid and I loved seeing her connection with Evie grow throughout. There was some

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for an advance copy of the re-release audiobook of The Match.

4.0

I liked the “When in Rome” series, so when I saw the opportunity to read a new book from the same author, I was glad to give it a try, especially as an audiobook because I already had too many e-books on my “shelf”. This is a very cute story overall, but it can be hard to get over some things that just aren’t realistic. For one, this tiny service dog organization barely has two employees, yet trains dogs for many different types of “disabilities”. With those limited resources, even if they have apparently have an army of families to help train, the organization would definitely specialize in one, maybe two types of service dogs.

Also, Evie claims that she has a seizure every day, but we hear nothing about them happening during the book otherwise until closer the end. Young Sam, daughter of love interest Jacob and recently diagnosed, also doesn’t have one in real time until later in the book. Since they seem to be a lot more disruptive to the person’s life than just the seemingly brief episodes, one would think there would be more talk about them.

If we’re getting annoying things out of the way first, the next is the audio. I get frustrated when the female narrator does the voice that, to me, seems a believable male voice, but when a man is narrating alternate chapters, he always has a super deep, sultry voice and he reads any female dialogue as a very effeminate and high-pitched person like I’ve never heard a woman sound. Do women find female narration of male voices believable, but a men think the opposite is true? Also, Evie speaks about being from a very old, traditional Charleston family and having an accent to match but the female never reads her dialogue that way. However, when the male narrator reads Evie’s dialogue, the Charlestonian accent is there, more or less.

You may be asking, if I enjoyed this book and gave it a good rating, then why am I just complainting? Well hopefully, as you should with the book, you have stuck with reading this review. By now, you are aware of the frustrating parts of the book that would have bothered you nonstop had you stumbled upon them and now aren’t going into this book blind (cue the insensitive joke about Evie also training seeing eye dogs).

I remember that we don’t have to wait forever for the main characters to get together in “When in Rome” and that is definitely the case in this book. They are almost too in sync and seemingly in love. Well, after an unfortunate start. There are many challenges along the way. Evie’s family is horrendous and, as she indicates, treats her like a young debutant in the 1800s being forced into marriage.

Even though they are working dogs most of the time, any book that centers around dogs, goldens being pretty high on the list, is a good read. You almost feel like you can reach out and rub Charlie’s or Daisy’s belly…when they are off duty that is.

Now I can’t blame you for cutting out on this review early but if you’re one of those people who skips right to the end, here it is. If you like a fairly fun romcom and the topics aren’t triggers, READ (maybe instead of listening to) THIS BOOK!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.