Susan Elizabeth Phillips

3.5 ✮✮✮✮

I have been reading this series since the very first book It Had to Be You and all of the rest of her books. I can see where Ms. Phillips has grown as an author. Her books have usually been wonderful reads for me. They are both funny with serious (sometimes very serious) elements. I always come away wanting to turn right around and do a re-read.

This book seems to take off in a different direction. We don't seem to deal much with the team anymore. Rory (our female lead) is a strong and very opinionated woman who makes one mistake that I was not very happy with. (view spoiler) Things finally do get cleared up in Ms. Phillips's usual zany manner. And then tragedy strikes—a murder.

Things seem to go downhill from here; the book starts centering on sex more than any of the other essential plot lines (and there are several), like Rory starting her own artisanal chocolate business and getting her brother cleared of murder charges.

Although I'm a bit unhappy with this edition of the series, I'm not disliking it either. I think other fans will like, and perhaps even love, this book. So I think this book will be well worth the read.

It's best not to start the series with "Simply the Best"!

* This ARC was supplied by the publisher Avon Books/HarperCollins Publishers, the author, and NetGalley.… (lisätietoja)

Thad is the back-up quarterback for the Chicago Stars and Olivia is an opera singer. They are on a publicity tour for Marchand watches. Their first night out Olivia attacks Thad. Thad cannot figure out why. Eventually the truth comes out and Olivia must apologize. They are wary of each other but test each other before they admit their attraction. During the tour Olivia has been receiving threatening letters and packages. Thad finds out and wants to know what is going on. When he learns the story, he does all he can to protect Olivia. Will it be enough? Will their attraction turn to love?

There is a lot going on here. There are the humorous parts such as his teammates. There is the suspense of the threats. There is also the affect these notes are having on Olivia. Thad does all he can to help her. They fight--boy, are they good at fighting! There are hurt feelings. There are truths both to each other and to themselves. There is growth. When Thad tries to deny his feelings and get some of his own back at Olivia, he ends up hurting himself more. They can communicate but when pride gets in the way--not pretty.

I was surprised by the ending. I never saw the what or who or why. It came from left field for me but it made sense. I had a couple different whos and whys.

I plan on reading more of this series. I had fun.… (lisätietoja)

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions

Match Me If You Can is the sixth installment in the "Chicago Stars" series and this is where we get the infamous agent for the Chicago Stars that we have seen throughout the series and this is his book. I absolutely had a blast with this book. Its not quite my favorite of the series as it was a bit more slow burn than even I was expecting it to be. However, I had such a fun time being able to listen to this one here. It was also interesting in the ways that this couple comes together. I really enjoyed the moments that we get with this couple and they have some of the best banter with each other. There is something so fascinating in how this author will write angst and the whole conflicts of interest in a couple. This is a mix of a matchmaker in a contemporary setting, some competition, and a bit of finding the spouse for the one person you have the hots for kind of setup and this author really handled these elements so well in this one. It's pretty slow burn and a bit minimal on the sexual heat for this one as there aren't that many sex scenes, so keep that in mind when reading this one. And as its a very dragged-out slow burn it's not one that will work for everyone. So keep these aspects in mind upon reading this story.

First Line

If Annabelle hadn't found a body lying under "Sherman,: she wouldn't have been late for her appointment with the Python.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: (Hero’s Name)

-Alpha Male
-Self Made Billionaire
-Sports Agent

The Heroine: (Heroine's Name)

-Small Business Owner
-Socialite
-Snarky and Quirky

Summary

Annabelle has had her struggles with finding a career. She has gone from various interests until she decided to take over her late grandmother's matchmaking business and she is determined to make it last and make it a thriving business despite her family's misgivings on it. She is a quirky redhead who goes her own way and stands on her own. Even though she grew up in a family of wealthy and status, she has wanted to prove she can make it on her own. But in order for her business to make it off the ground, she needs to find a upstanding bachelor to land for a marriage, and she knows just the man....Sports agent for the Chicago Stars...Heath Champion. Heath wants to be married and not out of love but just out of expectations from himself. He doesn't believe in love at all and wants a match that will appeal and will be a solid investment. But Annabelle is determined to find Heath the perfect wife, but Heath doesn't make it easy. There is a growing chemistry between them but both of them are determined not to give into what they are feeling for each other. But will the man that is emotionally constipated be able to embrace what he feels for Annabelle before its too late?

What I Loved

Match Me If You Can is a flighty but fun romance. This is pure entertainment in reading this book. And if you love a unique twist for an enemies to lovers, then you have found the right book with this one here. I really enjoyed the whole matchmaking theme that we have here. Both characters you instantly fall for. The hero is so gruff and grumpy of sorts and he is so against love so when he falls hard for love and his girl....it is a brutal landing. And its so delightful seeing Heath grow and learn to redeem himself. We see him go from a man not caring about what others think and just doing his job at all costs...to caring about others and wanting to mend the bridges that he has cracked and broken over the years. Heath is such a redeemable hero that pulls you so strongly into the story. Then we have our quirky heroine. She is snarky but has a kind heart. She is a mix of personality traits that you become endeared to. She is quite easy to get behind and even though she seems so flighty at times, she is passionate and full of drive to set herself apart from her family and their expectations. The romance is definitely much more slow burn from the previous books. But this author does tend to go more for the slow burn type of relationships. We see such longing that these two have but they are also so driven by their "duty" that it takes them awhile to admit what they are feeling for each other but once they do boy do these two get entangled and its pure deliciousness. Now as for the conflict? Well Heath really has to prove he is genuine to the heroine and with the help fo their friends, they are able to accept each other and really come together in such a captivating almost poignant way.

What I Struggled With

It can be a bit harder to connect to the relationship that Heath and Annabelle have together. The slow burn was a bit too stretched out in my opinion. I do wish that there had been a bit more heart and swoons within this story dealing with this couple. It just felt like there could have been a bit more emotional focus. And while the ending really delivers on that score, I would have liked a bit stronger focus in earlier moments in the story. I just wasn't able to connect to this couple as I was with previous couples I have read from this author.

Narration

Anna Fields is such a solid narrator and she really brings the voice of the author in her narration. And my favorite aspects is how she portrays the humor of the story. Its just so well done and really delivers it to the listener in such a relatable way. I always laugh so hard when I pick up a book by this narrator and the accents are so well done.

Overall View

Match Me If You Can is a feisty enemies to lovers, with delectable banter, characters you can fall hard for, and a slow burn romance to easily get behind! A TRUE DELIGHT!

Favorite Quote(s)
“I think this is the way love feels to people like you and me. Threatening and dangerous. We have to be in control, and love takes that away. People like us… We can't tolerate vulnerability. But despite our best efforts, sooner or later love seems to catch up with us. And then…And then we fall apart.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Jerk Hero, Socialite Heroine
Themes: Laughs/Giggles, Football, Slow Burn
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Woo's and Falls in Love

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of both

Song This Book Inspires
Happier by Ed Sheeran

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.

Narrators:
Anna Fields… (lisätietoja)

FROM AMAZON: Take one hard-driving sports agent…

Throw in a failed chocolatier…

And her superstar football player brother…

Add a quirky pink and purple food truck…

Then, to really screw things up, mix in a very unfortunate murder.

Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.

Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.

Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.

It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.

A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?… (lisätietoja)