Then I Met You

Matt Dunn is back on top form with ‘When I Met You’. A wonderful romantic comedy which tops the genre perfectly in every way.
Simon hasn’t had a date in two years. He had the perfect girlfriend, Alice, and doesn’t want to look for another. His best friend, Will, doesn’t think that is right, Will believes Simon should ‘get back in the saddle’ as it ‘has been two years’!
Lisa has not been lucky in love. She has not found ‘the one’ - why can she not find a good man?
What will happen when they find themselves on a blind date which will feature in the local newspaper? Will Simon and Lisa get along with each other? Will the chemistry flow? Will sparks fly? Or will it be a disaster?
A very funny and entertaining read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cute Read, interesting storyline, funny characters. Though I couldn't relate with some of the characters because they were a little flat for my liking.
Thank you to Matt Dunn, NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa and Simon are forced together on a blind date organised by their best friends. I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark. After a mammoth long blind date (over 24 hours), the two finally go from hating each other to wanting to be together. It was too unrealistic and I started to lose interest about halfway into the book (but plowed on and finished it!).

This is a fun romantic comedy. When shy and reluctant "to get back on the saddle" Simon meets Lisa, who is a full force to be reckoned with suddenly everything seems like a push-and-pull effect.
It's interesting how the pace is in line with their first meeting in the first half. It's slow and there's a bit of uncertainty, but once the two become open to getting to know each other-then it builds up beautifully.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Lisa and Simon are forced together on a blind date organised by their best friends; romantic, bubbly, unrealistic yet fun, "Then I Met You" hits the mark of being the ideal summer read.

⭐️Book Review ⭐️
Then I Met You
By Matt Dunn
3/5 Stars

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.** Pub Date 8/6/2019

Let me start by saying I was able to read this quickly in one day. It was a fast romantic, chick-lit read. There were some great jokes, funny puns and of course...romance.

Meet Simon and Alice. Simon hasn’t had a date for two years when he had the ‘perfect girlfriend’. Alice doesn’t want another date or even a boyfriend. Simon’s best friend, Will, decides it is time to set up Simon finally on a blind date. This date ends up being a marathon lasting over 24hrs! Alice and Simon start by hating one another as expected. How will it end?

What happens when they find themselves featured as a blind date in the local paper? Will sparks fly or will it flop?

It takes great skills and competence to treat such tragic topics with so much lightness and accompanying respect. What we have here is undoubtedly a romantic comedy with a light tone but with a very deep meaning. It was very easy to identify with both characters, two 'damaged' persons ( by the past, by themselves) like many. The story would have provided great dramatic, tragic material yet you do smile a lot while reading on as is customary in Matt Dunn's novels. I was particularly impressed by the very short timeframe of a couple of days that had worried me at the beginning (I was afraid it would be too heavy, too much, in a too short time) and yet was pivotal for the main message of hope and optimism that we get in the end. The double POV works perfectly, too. I found it engaging and entertaining and extremely uplifting. Top dialogues, funny jokes and brilliant puns: Matt Dunn never fails to delight us. Absolutely recommended.
I had the great pleasure to be able to read this book through NetGalley, before it was published. Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.
#ThenIMetYou #NetGalley

I've seen so many good reviews of Matt Dunn's books and had them recommended to me so I just had to try the latest.

Simon has spent 2 years getting over the love of his life when he is set up on a blind date with Lisa. She thinks she is there to help out a friend who runs a pretty disastrous dating column in the local paper. It's fair to say that the pair do not hit it off immediately, but after the longest first date in history, things start to change.

This was a quick and quite engaging read. I did find it a bit unrealistic in places as the date was continually prolonged by a series of events and the date meandered through various ups and downs. I also found both characters quite irritating in their own ways, especially Lisa who seemed to find multiple ways to take things personally and have an argument; if I was Simon, I think I would have run for the hills! However, it's a sweet story and humorous in places, so can be forgiven to some degree.

Overall, an engaging romance novel that will pass the time and make you smile. I'd be open to trying more books by this writer.

The premise of this book is cute and it is actually well written in terms of rhetoric, but overall I was sad that it was a bit predictable.

3.5 stars
A funny and entertaining story with nice characters. There are a lot of moments when you gonna laugh out loud and also a lot of things happening in a span of a very short time. Sometimes we like to believe that true love can be felt in a very short time and maybe that’s what this book wants to share.
I feel like I couldn’t really connect with the characters. Yes they’re young and smart and trying to live their lives in full, they have insecurities and hopes but also some conceptions about life itself that is very difficult to change their opinion.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review it to the author, publisher and NetGalley

I have read several books by Matt Dunn before and enjoyed his light hearted "guy lit" approach to the genre. "Then I Met You" does not dissappoint, it does exactly what you expect, how you expect and when you expect. and i LOVED it! Being predictable doesn't take away from the enjoyment of reading this "fate brought us together and won't let us part despite the numerous mishaps along the way" book.

Lisa and Simon are set up on a blind date that goes horribly wrong. It is a book of self exploration, relationship analysis, grief and plain good old fashioned rom-com. It was deliciously easy to read (I stayed up half the night with my son snoring next to me reading "just one more chapter" on the kindle!)

I will say I found Lisa a little whiny by the end but I think the author does a good job of showing how people can over react, or allow thier past to affect the current relationships (this being true with Simon too)

There is enough depth in each of the charaters to make them likeable without dragging away from the intended light hearted humour, the prose is easy and fast past - it will make a great summer read.

Due for publication on 6th August and I'd say - grab a copy, if you like chit-lit you won't be disappointed! 4/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Matt Dun for the advanced copy in return for an honest review which will be published on my blog https://sahughes1404.wixsite.com/bothsidesofthedoona

Amusing story, not especially funny.

It's chick-lit and follows the patterns of chick-lit nicely. I didn't shout at the characters to just get over themselves and get together, but that's perhaps because the story takes place in a little over 24 hours, so there was very little time for the characters to mope around a lot.

The story is told in alternating chapters from Simon's and Lisa's point of view and that works very well. I don't think I could have stood the story if had been just the point of view of one of them.

#ThenImetYou #NetGalley

I have been thinking that my diet of "women's fiction" written by women from diverse backgrounds, could possibly use some... testosterone? So I was happy to be approved to read this book from Netgalley (Thanks!)

This book has a quick easy pace which you can read quickly, as I did. The story is about Lisa and Simon who are set up on a blind date by their friends which is a nightmare... That never ends. In spite of the characters discomfort, it's a funny, light read.

It's not all fluff though. I like how the author pays some attention to developing characters so that you hear about their "flaws" but then you also see them manifest on the date. And possibly grow?? Not telling, no spoilers.

Now when I say flaws, I really just mean Lisa... At times I felt like Lisa was based on a "crazy ex" of the author, portraying her as intense, bossy and inattentive. Other times she just seemed a little dumb (walking into traffic, her whole trip to Mexico, tattoo, etc). Simon, on the other hand, is shy, smart, gentlemanly and kind. All. The. Time. The worst of him is that he's just SO honest (1millioneyerolls) that he really thinks it would be great to get feedback from an ex (not his!) on what's wrong with... Lisa. (🙄🤯🤬)

There are many moments of classic comedic setups - coincidences, mistaken identity and misunderstandings for days. It keeps the story moving, but a healthy suspension of disbelief is required.

I enjoyed the description of the city and felt like the setting is important to this author. I felt closer to the story picturing the town.

Then I Met You by Matt Dunn a four-star read you won’t want to miss. This has such great characters that you won’t be able to stop yourself feeling for them and caring for them, that’s why I think Matt Dunn is a great writer, he writes people you can identify with and understand so much. Throw in some funny, funny stories and you have a great read. My only issue was that it dragged a little in a couple of points, but overall a very well thought out and honestly funny read.

Mmm. I like Matt Dunn’s books, have found them thoroughly enjoyable. And this is no different.

Perhaps, however, it is too much ‘no different’. There are some lovely characters here and it’s well written, but it’s just a bit too predictable. There are too many “almost” moments and twisty bits, when ultimately you know it won’t change the end.

An enjoyable ride, but it’s nothing new.

Jess works at a newspaper called The Gazette on a feature that matches people up on blind dates and then follows up with them afterwards to see how it goes. Lisa is Jess' friend and agrees to go on one of the dates. She has a history of dating losers who dump her and she's optimistically still looking for "the one".

Simon is still grieving over the loss of his relationship with Alice two years ago and is happy being alone. Will is his best friend and Jess' boyfriend. Will tricks Simon into the blind date with Jess and Will has no choice but to go through with it.

Things don't go well with between Lisa and Simon right from the start ... they are too different and want different things. But for the sake of Jess' column, they do a redo of the date within hours, courtesy of Jess' corporate credit card.

I've read many books by this author and thought it was okay. I usually find his books humourous but I thought this one was a bit of downer. I found Lisa was so desperate to find someone and put up with losers. I didn't find her overly likable. Simon was still trying to get over his relationship with Alice and wasn't overly enthusiastic to be stuck on a date with Lisa. He seemed to have a dry sense of humour.

It was written in third person perspective from Lisa and Simon's points of view. The story happens over 24 hours. As a head's up, there is some swearing.

"But life isn't just a moment. It's made up of a past. A future. It's forever."

A super fun and sweet romantic comedy. Doomed to be a disaster of a blind date at first, the two characters show us that nothing comes as expected. Lisa can be annoying at times but I really liked how her character developed the more she spent time with Simon. I enjoyed the alternating POVs and how they provided a little more depth and insight on the characters. The way the story built up and picked up its pace once they get to know each other more was well done. There's a lot of back and forth, misunderstandings and misfortunes, but all of those issues unfolded themselves in a very entertaining way without ever being too much. This is a super quick and easy read, one simply flies through it. It's charming and hilarious at times, gives hope and touches respectfully on the people in the book and their problems and burdens, with witty dialogues and great humor.

"It's possible to do everything right and still lose. That's not a weakness. It's life."

Then I Met You by Matt Dunn is a contemporary love story that unfolds over the course of a single weekend. I always leap at the chance to read a romance that is told from the male perspective, as this genre seems to be dominated by the female voice.

Simon has lost the love of his life and is uninterested in throwing himself back into the dating scene. He reluctantly agrees to join the charismatic and outspoken Lisa for a single drink as part of a blind date feature for the local paper. Both Simon and Lisa are intriguing characters, each bringing their significant emotional baggage along with them to the meeting, and their bantering is both witty and delightfully snarky.

This is a fun read that will have you smiling and, quite possibly, relating to this run through the gauntlet of modern love. Although it is somewhat predictable, this is an enjoyable read that is worth a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Lisa and Simon meet on a blind date arranged by their best friends under the guise of a newspaper article.
Both of them have major baggage from previous relationships - Lisa is looking for love at all costs; Simon (who didn't know he was going on a blind date) doesn't believe he'll find love again or even if he wants to.
What follows is a 24 hour plus ride-a-long with Lisa and Simon and their date.
A light-hearted read about how a blind date could potentially change your life.
I didn't enjoy it as much as his previous book "At The Wedding" but its good for a lazy day read.

spoiler alert ** Some funny moments,some sweet moments. Mostly an enjoyable read.
It ticked quite a few boxes on the romantic comedy front.... perfect ex girlfriend,fool of ex boyfriend. Meddling friends. Lots of misunderstandings etc etc

Not my normal sort of book but I really enjoyed this. Lisa and Simon have been set up on a blind date by their friends Will and Jess. Jess works for a newspaper who will feature the date in their regular blind date column and really needs the date to be successful in order for her to keep her job. Lisa has just come out of another failed relationship. Simon's girlfriend died 2 years ago but he hasn't dated since. Can the blind date actually work well enough to save Jess's job? Will Simon and Lisa be able to put their pasts behind them and have a good time?

There was a big thing wrong with the initial premise - how come Jess and Will have never mentioned Simon or Lisa to the other person before especially as they are so compatible? However, this is quickly forgotten as the story progresses. A worthwhile read.

A quirky read, set over the course of one weekend.

Lisa and Simon meet when they are et up by friends. Lisa thinks it is a blind date and that Simon wrote in to the newspaper. Simon has been tricked in to turning up, thinking he is going to be meeting his best friend for lunch.

They don't get off to the best of starts, but keep ending up spending more time together.

An entertaining read.

We meet Simon and Lisa as they both embark on their first ever blind date. Whether this is a date from heaven or hell is not immediately clear! There are many bumps in the road (sometimes literally) of their meeting and we get to know the characters as they get to know one another. The characters are delightfully flawed which results in hilarity and drama whilst still being able to retain a certain amount of poignancy.
This is a humorous read book also pretty cute. It makes a perfect summer read.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK/Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book through NetGalley.

Taking place over the course of one blind date, this story was quick-moving and amusing, while still addressing the overthinking and baggage that comes with dating.

The dialogue was rapid and witty (though slightly unrealistic for in its frequency) but the characters waffle back and forth so quickly about if they are/aren’t attracted to each other that it gets a bit repetitive. Overall, a highly entertaining and light summer read!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

I had so much fun reading this book!!! I mean, who doesn't love to see people embarrassing themselves on blind dates? Lisa and Simon don't have much in common at first, except a very bad luck in relationships. She only dated jerks. His ex-girlfriend died. They're both trying to move on with their lives, but that's not an easy thing to do, especially when the people involved don't really know the whole truth.

It's my first book by Matt Dunn and I truly enjoyed his writing.

Ah the blind date! Told from the perspective of both participants- Lisa and Simon- this quick read is really a form of guy-lit. It's more sympathetic to Simon, who is still in the dumps about the failure of his relationship with Alice, than it is to Lisa, who has had a series of bad relationships. Lisa does come off as selfish and self absorbed but there is more to her than it appears initially. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is light, it has some funny spots, and it will remind you that there are two sides to every story.

Lisa has agreed to go on a blind date, arranged by her local paper. Simon agreed to meet his best friend Will for lunch, only to be surprised that he's actually being set up with Lisa.

This book takes place over the course of 24-30 hours, following Lisa and Simon through their date and all its highs and lows.

Cute, fun, fast read. Not sure I've ever read a rom-com book, but this was adorable. I'd totally watch the movie.

I have read some of Matt Dunn's other books and enjoyed them so jumped at the chance of reviewing his latest offering (thank you, NetGalley!). Although I would say that I got more into this story as the book went along, I'm sorry to say that I found it quite slow at the beginning. Good concept for a novel (blind date set up for the local newspaper) and I enjoyed the way that it was put together (some very witty comments and lines), but I would have just liked a bit more to have happened at the start.. Perhaps it was just me!

I want to gush about this book to everyone I meet!! This book reminds me of a John Hughes movie with this story taking place in a single weekend. But I guess that’s all it takes. This story and very well written and had me both laughing and crying. You get so gripped by the characters Simon and Lisa and can’t picture them as real people in your love. 4 Star read

Sometimes moving on after the end of a relationship is hard, where do you start? Simon and Lisa are set on a blind date by their best friends. They're writing a piece on blind dates for their newspaper and they need guinea pigs.
A nice easy read about love, moving on and friendships.

Carpet Diem! This was an interesting look at what happens when two broken people get thrown together for a blind date that keeps getting extended for various reasons both of their own choosing and not. Fairly Hallmark Movie-ish, if one of the ones with a bit more drama to it. Funny without necessarily being gut-bustingly so, it works well for a tight yet plausible romantic dramedy. (The entirety of the actual story of the book takes place over just about 27 hrs or so.) A great palate cleanser after a dark book, this one is very much recommended.

Lisa doesn't have the best track record with dating and seems to be attracted to all the wrong guys. Despite her poor luck, she still believes fate has someone wonderful in store for her and maintains hope. Simon has found the love of his life and subsequently lost her. He's just getting by and would prefer his friends didn't meddle in his life. But of course, his friend Will can't help himself and tricks Simon into meeting Lisa for a blind date, courtesy of the local newspaper. Will these two hit it off or be yet another failure in the column's mismatches?

Firstly, I may be a bit biased because I've read nearly everything Matt Dunn has written and always snag his new releases. I adore his wit and humor and he's always been one of my favorite authors. While this is not my favorite of his, mostly because I really didn't care for Lisa, I still really enjoyed it. It was hilarious, awkward and charming, much like life itself. Plus there were some very hopeful and also poignant overtones in this that I vastly appreciated. I'd say Matt hasn't let me down yet and I'll keep dutifully reading his work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This wasn’t quite what I expected. It dragged on a bit and I never got sucked into the story, it was pretty slow.

Such a lovely, cute story, an awkward couple, it’s such a fun read. A wonderful summer read guaranteed to make you smile.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I romped through this book in a day, it was so entertaining.

Simon is on his way to meet his best friend, or so he thinks, in fact he has been set up on a blind date. Lisa always seems to pick the bad guys, but will her blind date turn out to be THE ONE!

Their date will be paid for courtesy of the Gazette and their Blind Date feature. Will their story join the long line of failed romances?

The scene where they first meet is so unexpected, but meant that straight away I got a feel for the characters’ personalities. Matt Dunn bought the cool place they were eating and drinking to life by his wonderful descriptive prose and it was the little events happening on the side-lines that brought this story to life.

This book had me cringing, howling with laughter and weeping into my coffee, but most of it crept into my heart and no one was cheering this couple on more than me.

I’m a big fan of Matt Dunn so was very excited to read his next offering.

Simon has been single for 2 years much to the frustration of his best friend Will. Lisa has been unlucky in love and her best friend Jess is wanting to help. Jess and Will are dating and work for the local paper so what better way to help their friends than to set them up on a blind date for the purpose of writing an article about it.

This was a funny story that had me laughing out loud but was also quite poignant too. I was cheering Simon on and hoping for a happy ending for him. Not Matt Dunn’s best book but a good read none the less.

Simon lost Alice 2 years ago and hasn't considered "getting back in the saddle" since. Lisa has dated wrong guy after wrong guy, always having to bend over backwards to impress them and losing herself in the process. Their best friends set them up on a blind date that goes on to last over 24 hours. They go from hating each other to pretty alright within the 24+ hours.

Whilst there were a few funny moments that I chuckled out loud about, this was just okay for me. I didn't find Lisa particularly likeable. She needed to figure herself out before trying to date again so that fact that she was (pretty desperately) hoping to meet her true love on a blind date while she was still fresh from her therapy holiday where she discovered she needed to sort out her own priorities just really felt like it was poor timing and much too soon. I can jump to conclusions with the best of people, but Lisa just took that too far. Honestly, she was not ready to be in a relationship if she can't control her behaviour. When something had literally nothing to do with her she was spastic about it being about her and when she had done something wrong how could Simon possibly consider this her fault? It was too much for me.

Simon was a decent guy making the best of a situation he was forced into and he dealt with a basket case quite well and actually came to like her. I tip my hat to him for pushing through it. I liked that after she kept making a run for things he did finally just let her go. I did not want him to be a pushover chasing after her and he didn't so I'm very happy about that. I think he was actually a great character with real emotions having his previous relationship end quite traumatically. I was happy when his realisation hit that he needed to be wary of trying to compare future relationships to his perfect one with Alice because that relationship was still relatively new and it might not have ended up being the perfect relationship. Good for him. He could actually think and process adult thoughts.

So, this was just okay for me - didn't dislike it but didn't really like it either. Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

I really wanted to love this book. It had a lot going for it. I love a good rom-com and this had a lot of potential.

Wish List Items I Didn't Get:
- A story that takes places over a period of time long enough for character development to be believable. No one dramatically changes in 24 hours outside of extreme trauma. PLUS, if they'd had a disaster of a first encounter, then been tricked into a blind date a week later, then forced on a second date a week after that, etc., events would played more into the author's ham-fisted "fate" theory.
- Less Tell and more Show, which would have required item A as well. Simon tells us (ad freaking nauseum) how Not Over Alice he is, but we never see evidence of that except for how often he tells us.
- Less clichéd "Over-reacting Woman Syndrome" from Lisa. The author has this chick jumping to conclusions like it's an Olympic sport and she's training for gold.
- In a copy editorial note, less parenthetical asides (especially those with dashed asides - especially especially those with nested asides).

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Digital ARC for an honest review by Netgalley

Then I Met You by Matt Dunn was somewhat unexpected. I went in expecting a long love story that spans across years and talks about relationships at large but here we have a book that lasts a little over 24 hrs and wraps up the beautiful story that is literally described by the title. To be able to read the title as a dialogue in the book never gets old. Just love it.

Simon Martin hasn't dated in two years and isn't eager on finding his 'the one' because he already had her and lost her, Lisa Harrod, on the other hand after a serious of bad relationships and an awful breakup two months ago is willing to do to any lengths to find her 'the one' which includes going on a blind date so that her friend could amp her up in the local paper to get more dates.

What happens when they are forced together for two hours date which turns into a twenty-four-hour date, that's the story. Reading how Simon turns from 'I don't want to look at another women' to being influenced by Lisa into moving on is rollercoaster (pun intended). The two people perspective with a lot of internal monologues were not easy to get through however they don't at all feel out of place they actually add character.

There have been times where I though that the characters don't just seem right because Lisa at times just comes off and dumb and well men's idea of a girl who is complicated because she just doesn't get it as she is stupid and Simon as the gentleman who could do nothing wrong because she is so sweet and bruiting over his dead ex. But then I decided to look at them just as characters and not a stereotype written by a man.

Reading a book which is based out of US is usual for me and Then I Met You at even corner gave me the impression without screaming that it was based in the UK which was a very fresh experience. Matt Dunn brings a fresh take to something disastrous that makes you life trait and the humor that make along with it made me laugh out in public even in the most awkward situations.

This is a carefree story with love and a change that will make anyone feel refreshed. I would definitely recommend it and the bright cover is not the only reason for it.

The book tells us about two people, with their own baggages, meet for the first time, and proceed to walk on the fine thin line from being strangers to friend and to a lover in a relatively short time.

Well, the book perfectly captured the awkwardness and super cringe dialogue at the beginning. It sail smoothly into the background story of our two main characters. Author also describe the scene beautifully.

What I dislike is how Simon p.o.v felt too feminine. Even at first I think the author is female.

All in all, this is a quite good novel, and I would recommend it for a romance-junkie reader.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting.
It was a carefree story with some romance.
The writing style was ok but never special
An average read

'Before Sunrise' meets 'When Harry Met Sally', Then I Met You is a story about daring to love again. Simon, grieving for his lost love is sure he will never find true love again. Lisa, optimistic but terrified of picking the wrong man again is prepared to dip a toe into the world of blind dating. Set up by their respective best friends, Simon and Lisa's first date is awkward and pretty much a disaster. But as circumstances, (fate?) conspire to keep them together they begin to get to know one another at a deeper level and despite their best efforts not to like one another, they end up irresistibly drawn to each other. Simon - awkward and prone to saying the wrong thing; Lisa, defensive and self-doubting - on paper they look like a terrible match. But as the hours go by and they let down their guards, we witness a beautiful courtship. I admit the ending brought a tear to my eye and being a sucker for a happy ending, it left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a big smile. I loved it!

This book is so adorable and relatable. Dating is hard in your late 20s and early 30s. I appreciated how Simon described that it is hard to fit in because you are not young but you are not middle aged either. People have a whole history of dating that they are bringing to a first date. What you think you are looking may not be what you find works best for you. Being open to new possibilities is important. I loved that this book was easy reading but also made me think about my own dating history and future.
Thank you to Matt Dunn, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF. The premise was good- two people who got set up on a blind date. The issue is it never took off. Both characters from the get-go were bland and one-dimensional. Sure there's intrigue behind the male character's past love interest but it isn't enough to keep you reading. The whole down and out, not striving for much kind of attitude is a put off in books just as it is in real life. Do not start this book.

Matt Dunn has an amazing knack of being able to write a full length book about a certain event or day, and be so wonderfully engaging you don't even realise until you are half way through that not huge amounts of time pass in the book.

In this instance we follow a blind date between Simon and Lisa, who really don't hit it off initially, in fact i could't help but laugh after their first encounter!

From there were are treated to both sides of the story, with their best friends for moral support, as we see what could be described as the longest blind date in history!

There are arguments, awkward moments, times when the pair hate each other, and we are also given insight into their past relationships to build a fuller picture.

It is such a wonderfully engaging writing style that hooks you in, and I found myself hoping for for a happy outcome of this date of many coincidences and moments where you wonder, if either character may see what is in front of their eyes!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

3.5 stars

The synopsis for Then I Met You really drew me in, it sounded fun, cute and charming and I love a good romcom. There were entertaining moments, exasperating moments and I was pleasantly surprised by the hidden depth to this story as we got to know about events that led to Lisa and Simon agreeing to go on a blind date. I loved how the dynamics and chemistry between Lisa and Simon changed throughout the course of this book. I enjoyed that a lot happened during their blind date, I was entertained and invested in what would eventuate between the two. I much enjoyed the second half of the book however, as I felt the pacing improved and the story flowed a lot better. In the first half of the book there was constant dialogue between the two which because repetitive and dragged on a little bit that I ended up skipping lines here and there.

Overall Then I Met You was an an enjoyable, light and easy read and I appreciate Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for providing a copy for review.

Simon is still grieving for his partner Alice who died a few years ago. His best friend Will wants him to move on with his life rather than continue to mope around believing that no woman could ever live up to Alice. Will offers to take Simon to a new restaurant but he’s actually not going, he’s set him up on a blind date.

Lisa hasn’t had the best experience with men and her last partner has made her realise that she needs to change the type she goes for. Her best friend Jess sets her up on a blind date at a fancy new restaurant as part of a newspaper column she runs in the Gazette.

The date between Simon and Lisa doesn’t start well when Lisa walks out in front of Simon’s car and both won’t back down as to who was at fault. Moving on to the restaurant and they soon realise that they have been paired with one another. But with nothing in common, Lisa likes tea, Simon prefers coffee. Lisa likes astrology and Simon thinks it’s childish to believe in your star sign, the two part company and hope to put the experience behind them. However, forgetting about one another isn’t that simple.

I adore Matt Dunn’s books. They are full of funny moments and wonderful characters, Then I Met You is no exception. The book is totally predictable but isn’t all Rom-Coms? If you want unpredictable I’d suggest reading a mystery or a thriller book.

Simon was such a lovable character. Yes, he moaned a lot and thought little of himself, but this was a man who was still grieving for the love of his life. He knew in his heart that he needed to move on with his life but he also didn’t want to forget about Alice, nor replace her.

Lisa is a very headstrong woman, she doesn’t like others doing things for her. She wants to be an independent woman whilst at the same time be in a relationship, trouble is she seems to go for bad boy after bad boy which causes her one heart-ache after another.

The plot was enjoyable, there were plenty of humorous moments. You know what the story is building up to, yet I enjoyed the wait and watching these two people who seem to have an instant dislike for one another realise that they might actually be good for one another.

The book is told in the third person and from dual POV so we get to see both sides of the story. I’m not always a fan of dual POV (or multiple) but this worked well and I was never left confused.

The book is entertaining and satisfying and I read it in just two sittings as once I’d started reading I didn’t want to stop.

Fun and romantic, this is a light read - which is exactly what you need sometimes. I loved the characters and read this in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Most of us could tell some blind date horror stories—about the set-up that went terribly wrong. And in Then I Met You by author Matt Dunn, a couple is sent on an ill-advised blind date that goes from bad to worse before turning into something that could possibly have potential.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

I loved this! It was really cute. Too people who don’t think they will find love do with each other. Such s feel good read, you really feel for these characters. He never thinks he will find love like he did with his last but that’s not always true. Lightning can strike twice. Thanks NetGalley.

Then I Met You by Matt Dunn is a mostly bubbly rom-com with two leading characters who do not want to be in a relationship. Their best friends think otherwise. A blind date is set up. Hi-jinks and hilarity and perhaps love ensues. Formulaic? Perhaps. Engaging? Certainly. Lisa and Simon must navigate their own insecurities, previous heartbreaks, and other baggage to find each other. And, isn't that what life is all about?

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Matt Dunn and I was not disappointed. The story only spans over a couple of days, but it didn’t feel like it was going to slowly at all. All the way through I was gripped by the detail and what was going to happen. I loved this story and how realistic and raw it is. The language, pace and delivery were just right for me. I would recommend this book and I am 100% on the hunt for more books by Matt.

I haven't read much by Matt Dunn, but when I saw this on Netgalley it appealed. It turned out to be an entertaining romance with a hint of angst and a hint of comedy. Just right for a bit of mindless escapism, and a nice change from all the US romance flooding the market. The characters were instantly likeable, the dialigue realistic and the expected conflicts paced well. I'll be happy to read more from Dunn with the expectation that he's one of those reliable authors.

Matt Dunn has a way with words that I love. Wonderfully warm, funny, and relatable, so glad I've been able to read and review this book.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Then I Met You is a cute romance. There's plenty of awkwardness and realistic "dating" going on, which makes it that much more enjoyable and relatable.

This was a quick, easy read for me.

This book was SO LONG.

It all took place within a 24 hour time frame; the last little bit of the book went beyond "date day" - but otherwise this all happened over the course of one day. It was the longest day of MY life - and I wasn't even on this "blind" date.

Simon doesn't even know he is being set up on a date - all we know is that he was with someone and then it ended (that was the twist near the end) and his best friend has decided to set him up with his girlfriend's best friend Lisa. Lisa has no luck with men, and was just dumped by someone she thought she was going to marry.

Toss into the mix that the only reason they are even on this date is because Lisa's best friend needs a "success" story to run in her "Blind Date" column in the local paper.

And so you end up with two people who have to "play act" on their date but both of whom don't want to be there. It felt like pulling teeth. When they finally realize they have a spark... you kind of don't care that much. Or at least I didn't.

I can't say that my issue is with the writing - I think it was more with the pace of the story. The date should have happened quickly. AND then we move on. It shouldn't have been almost the entirety of the book. It just didn't need it. And quite frankly, it didn't paint either Simon or Lisa in the best light.

Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in return for an honest review. Apologies for the delay in posting my review.

1.5 stars.

3,5 Stars

Lisa and Simon have been set up by friends for a date, and simultanously participate in the "Blind Date" column of the local paper that both friends work for. The bit with the paper I found a bit silly (especially when they devote so much time to fill out the questionaire), but the rest was quite enjoyable.

I very much liked the idea that this book takes place over a single weekend. It's kind of like "Before Sunrise" where a couple meets and gets to know each other over the next couple of hours. It also means that the story is very heavy on dialogue. Most of the time this was humorous and nice to read, but towards the end it also dragged on a bit and I was urging them to come to an end.

Set over one day this is a story of friendship and being honest.
I really liked the characters and enjoyed the way that I found out about them and their lives.
Recommended

I really enjoyed the story of Simon and Lisa. I was surprised at the short amount of time that is covered in the book, and at times felt like it was moving a little slow, but I found myself cheering for the both of them about half way through. Definitely recommend for a fun, easy read!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.