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ellemnope 's review for:

You Have a Match by Emma Lord
4.0
emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

4.5 stars. This is a cute "Parent Trap"-esque read. The plot moves very quickly and it is a comfortable, easy read. It would be a great beach or otherwise escape read.

The premise is unique, but will likely get a little dated easily. I appreciated the nods to current culture, but there are some readers who may find this problematic. Right now, it feels perfect for the reading climate to me. I thought it was fun, light, and still handled some interesting current event topics.

The characters are enjoyable, likable, and distinct. There is naturally presented diversity that doesn't feel contrived and is well-executed. The teenagers felt age appropriate and natural and their interactions felt genuine. I loved the friendships and relationships that developed and felt that the choices addressed and made by the characters seemed realistic. The adults did not feel quite as genuine. Though the relationships were clearly defined and the characters themselves were believable, the parental conflicts felt over the top D-R-A-M-A. I laughed and rolled my eyes a bit at a couple of scenes, but they didn't take too much away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

The primary storyline is well-crafted and I liked the twists and turns that things took. I also enjoyed the side plot with Finn, but did feel that it was roughly finished. He was a good character and I wanted to see more of him. (Maybe he will become the focus of a future Emma Lord novel...one can hope!) Similarly, I would have liked a more well-rounded exploration of Leo's side plot. We never meet his twin sister to see her point of view regarding their history and I would have liked to have seen that perspective. I would have traded the view of the sister for Connie's involvement in the plot, as she was a bit of a convenience character and didn't really seem relevant other than a plot device to push things along.

I really did enjoy this read and found it to be a good palate cleanser from heavier works. I was able to just fall into the read and enjoy the movement of the narrative. Emma Lord's writing is spunky and flippant, and totally up my alley. Her style made things a lot of fun and kept the narrative flowing with a good pace and comfortable transitions. This was my second read from Emma Lord and I do quite enjoy her works. I enjoyed Tweet Cute and I loved You Have a Match even more.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *