The Paris Match

by Kate Clayborn

A TOWN & COUNTRY BEST NEW ROMANCE NOVEL TO READ IN 2026

A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man, in a poignant and romantic novel from Kate Clayborn.

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she's moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding in Paris—where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon—she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn’t attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding.... But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom’s mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple's doubts seems like Layla’s best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that’s driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff.

“[A] tremendous love story … proof that Clayborn only gets better with every book.” —Kirkus (STARRED)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, France, Adult

454 pages, ebook

First published April 7, 2026

About the author

Kate Clayborn is the critically acclaimed author of six novels. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Bookpage, and more. By day she works in education, and by night (and sometimes, by very early morning) she writes contemporary romances about smart, strong, modern heroines who face the world alongside true friends and complicated families. She resides in Virginia with her husband and their dog.

Reviews

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layla (a doctor, not an Eric Clapton song) is traveling to Paris for the wedding of her ex-husband’s sister when a BookTokker passes out on the plane. This sets off a series of events that involve in-laws, baked goods, a tragic handsome man, and a quirky best friend I would absolutely never want to be stuck in an elevator with because one of us would die. When the bride announces that she’s having second thoughts, it’s up to Layla and the crabby, mysterious best man to make things right. This perhaps sounds like a fun romp, and it sort of it (Clayborn obviously loves Paris and this book is a beautiful ode to the city) but it tackles uncomfortable topics with grace and sensitivity (the best man is heavily scarred from a horrific accident that has lifelong effects (besides the scars, obvs)). More than anything, this book is bursting with love — not just the two main characters accidentally stumbling into it, but the brotherhoods we see endure, and the stubborn adoration of friends we’re separated from, and the lingering families we build along the way.
Also there’s a sex scene that’s like fifteen pages long so well done, Kate Clayborn.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you have to show up somewhere you've already said goodbye to? Not just physically, but emotionally? That's where this book lives, and Kate Clayborn handles it with so much heart and sparkle. I'm always drawn to love stories about people in their second acts—people who've already lived a little, made mistakes, and are trying to figure out what comes next. This one hooked me right from the premise: Dr. Layla Bailey agrees to go to her former sister-in-law's destination wedding in Paris. Yes, *that* Paris—the same city where her marriage started with so much hope and eventually fell apart. She's determined to be the bigger person about the whole thing (her ex-husband will be there with someone new), keep a low profile, and just get through it without any drama. But then she has a well-intentioned conversation that accidentally plants seeds of doubt in the bride's mind, and suddenly the best man—this gruff, gorgeous guy named Griffin—decides Layla is now his reluctant partner in saving this wedding. His logic? She "broke it," so now she has to help him fix it.

What unfolds from there is this slow, gorgeous unraveling of two people who've built walls around themselves. One thing Clayborn does so well is write intimacy that starts way before anyone ends up in bed together. It's in the shared errands, the quiet walks through the city, those late-night conversations that only happen after you've cleared the dinner dishes and your defenses are finally down. Layla is a doctor who's spent so much of her life taking care of everyone else that she's forgotten how to take care of herself. Griffin is all quiet competence and hidden softness—the kind of guy who shows up and gets things done but doesn't always know how to let people in. Watching them figure each other out, negotiate boundaries, talk about what they actually want and need—it all felt so refreshingly grown-up. And genuinely romantic. Their chemistry builds in these small, perfect moments: a coat draped over cold shoulders, a steadying hand on slippery cobblestones. And then it shifts into something bigger, something that makes my heart squeeze.

Paris is definitely present in this book, but it never takes over. It's more like the city gently pushes these characters toward being braver. The markets, the side streets, a quiet museum garden, a café table that becomes their safe space to talk—Clayborn's details are lovely and specific without ever feeling like you're reading a guidebook. I also really appreciated how thoughtfully the book handles bodies, consent, and intimacy. There's a nuanced, caring approach to physical connection that acknowledges real limitations without ever making desire feel less powerful. It's tender and attentive and incredibly swoony.

If I'm being picky, I did feel like Layla carries more than her fair share of the emotional work early on. I found myself wishing a few other characters would step up and meet her halfway a little sooner. But the story earns where it ends up. By the time the wedding vows were actually at stake—in more ways than one—I was completely invested in these people and the future they were choosing to build together. Messy, honest, and chosen on purpose.

**The bottom line:** This is a feel-good romance with real adult stakes, beautiful writing, and a slow burn that's worth every single page. If you love grumpy-meets-warm dynamics, found family that comes from a former family, and second chances that start with learning to forgive yourself—you need to read this one.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Tarah DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one is ready. No one does it like KC.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

✩ 2 stars ✩

“So you’ll look at me, then.”

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Grumpy x Sunshine
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Her Ex’s Sister’s Wedding
➼ Set in Paris
➼ Trauma & Healing
➼ Narrated by Samantha Archuleta
➼ 3rd Person POV

Maybe this is a hot take, but I’m of the opinion that contemporary romances should NEVER be written in 3rd person POV. There’s a place for 3rd person in other genres, but not here. Based on the meat of the story, I really think I could have loved this in first person, but as is, I struggled to even finish it. I’ll give the author props for choosing very unique character details, I just wish she had presented them a little differently. I also think the bright/colorful cover doesn’t really match the book. This story was actually pretty heavy and filled with past trauma. If you already love this author or you think third person is the bees knees, I’d say give it a go. Otherwise, I’d probably skip it.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: 8 reviews behind again, and diving into a new book. 🙃

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

sad boys>>>>bad boys

My gawd I needed this. An all consuming. Angsty. Heart wrenching. Can’t breathe. Cheeks hurt from smiling. Screaming at the pages romance. This book is SO good!

The yearning is next level. The longing. The wanting. The desperate need! 15/10 would recommend.

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single piece of this book, and it's probably my favorite of the year so far.

The setting was amazing. You could feel the touches of Paris everywhere, and the sunsets that were being described...I want to go there so bad now.

The main characters. So. Good. Both of them so great on their own. I find a lot of times that I enjoy the relationship, but one of the characters is lacking, so then when there are POVs for that character without the love interest involved, it's hard for me to enjoy. But these characters were so good on their own and I was so invested in their side stories as well.

Layla was so relatable. Just trying to do what she thinks is right and supporting the people in her life, but she slowly develops...not necessarily a backbone, but the mindset that it's OK to put yourself first even while supporting others. Definitely possible to do both.

And Griffin. Holy moly. He starts out so gruff, but he slowly starts to develop in so many different ways, and again, he is so relatable and just real to me. He fucks up, but he knows he did and knows why, and he COMMUNICATES that to her. Just 🤌

And some of the storylines that were being tackled here were handled so well. I honestly felt like KC was reaching into my soul in so many different ways. I was reading these passages and just wondering if she plucked my own thoughts from me. Just felt so seen and so validated.

I can't recommend this book more. Romance. Humor. Tension. Longing. Communication. Spice. So much to love about this book 🩷

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no question I love Clayborn's characters, her plots, her writing, and the emotional and complex journeys she often takes me on. And while there is a lot of that last bit here, I'm not sure the rest really landed.

Unfortunately the biggest deterrent in THE PARIS MATCH is the amount of characters, subplots, conflicts, and secrets that were flying every which way. There is so much going on, so many moving parts, and honestly the messy dynamic of almost everyone involved in the wedding itself grew tiresome. It was a tough experience even if we got to see Layla come out the other side better for it but sheesh.

And speaking of Layla, while I felt for her situation, for how small she'd made herself, I'm not sure I ever really got to the point of liking her — though shoutout to nurses, physicians, doctors, and healthcare professionals everywhere! — and maybe that's because Griff just felt so much.. larger. His situation was heartbreaking and it's not one you see play out in a lot of fiction so I really felt he stole the show; for me at least.

This experience became more about appreciating Griff's reality moreso than really falling in love with the story. And also appreciating how down bad he was for Layla, of course. But everything else? Not so much.

I particularly wasn't a fan of all the weird little throwaway comments about fae princes and smokestacks. I don't know, it just felt.. forced, and the fact that it was repeated so often added to some of the tedium. There were some lovely turns of phrases here, the occasional little observation, but that emotional kick, that captivating and heartwrenching prose that I'm so used to experiencing from this author, it was very muted and often felt altogether absent.

With such a run of bangers, it was inevitable we'd hit a bump in the road. But this in no way affects my love for this author or dims my excitement for any hint of what is to come next.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Cindy Huskey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love The Paris Match. I really did. A second-chance-at-life (but not love), destination wedding in Paris, emotionally complicated exes, and a grumpy best man? This is usually where I thrive.



And to be clear, there is a good story in here. Layla navigating the aftermath of her “we’re totally mature about this” divorce while being emotionally ambushed in Paris? Delightful. Toss in Griff, the broody, no-nonsense best man who is absolutely not here for her drama? Even better. The emotional arcs, the introspection, the whole “maybe I haven’t actually processed anything” journey? Solid.

BUT.

The writing style and I? Enemies.

I have never seen so many em dashes in my life. Every paragraph—every conversation—every internal thought—just dash—dash—dash like the characters are all collectively incapable of finishing a sentence. At one point I felt like I was reading a book where every character had the attention span of a goldfish on espresso—mid-sentence revelations—half-formed thoughts—dramatic pauses that lead absolutely nowhere—like no one in this universe has ever successfully completed a single—full—uninterrupted—

I wanted to grab the characters by the shoulders and yell, “Spit it out already! Finish your sentence! We can do hard things!”

It completely pulled me out of what was otherwise a genuinely thoughtful, emotional story. Which is frustrating because the bones of this book are so good. The tension? Great. The character growth? Meaningful. The Paris setting? Très charming.

But the constant stop-and-start rhythm of the writing made it hard for me to stay immersed, and I found myself more focused on punctuation than plot. Never a great sign.

If you vibe with a very stylized, fragmented writing voice, you might absolutely eat this up. If you, like me, prefer your sentences to actually finish what they started… just know what you’re getting into.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this review copy!

[CatsBnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Clayborn delivers a love story that lingers, one that feels alive in every heartbeat and whispered glance. Set against the enchanting streets of Paris, this slowburn, second chance romance is messy, tender, and utterly real. Layla Bailey is brave, selfless, and is always caring for others while quietly neglecting her own heart. Griffin is gruff, irresistible, and a man whose guarded exterior hides a fiercely loyal, tender soul. Together, they ignite a romance that is authentic, heartwarming, and deeply swoony.

Every interaction hums with chemistry, every conversation brims with trust, and every moment of vulnerability feels earned. The story is filled with leisurely walks, intimate meetings at charming cafe tables, and secret corners of Paris that made the city feel alive and magical. Clayborn balances emotional depth with lighthearted warmth, showing love as messy, real, and profoundly human.

Synopsis:
Layla Bailey believes she has moved on from her amicable divorce. Until she’s invited to a destination wedding in Paris, the same city where she once honeymooned. Determined to stay mature and composed, she agrees to attend, unaware of how deeply the past still lingers.

When an innocent conversation sends the bride into doubt, Layla is forced into an uneasy alliance with Griffin, the groom’s gruff, taciturn best man, who is determined to make sure the wedding happens. As they work together, guarded hearts soften amid quiet cafés, sunlit streets, and hidden corners of Paris.

At its heart, this is a story of forgiveness, self-discovery, and the beauty of second chances in life. It is passionate, swoony, unforgettable and reminds you that love is always worth the risk. I wholeheartedly recommend!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

[MAY 2026] This book is a masterclass in romance noveling. Required reading for anyone who loves this genre.

[OCT 2025]
I am happy to say that this is the first ARC granted to me by the publisher and author through NetGally! My opinions are, of course, my own. Now published.

This book was sexy. And I’m not just talking about the steamy parts, which were also delightful; but no, I’m talking about the building romance of Layla and Griffin from hating each other to falling in love with each other, all in the span of a few days at a destination wedding in Paris.

The reader first meets the FMC, Layla, on her way to her former sister-in-law’s wedding. She was close to Emily, so it makes sense that she would be invited and would want to go, because for many years Emily’s family was Layla’s family. What Layla didn’t know when she accepted the invitation was that her ex-husband would be bringing his new girlfriend. Potential awkward tension? Yeah, a little (read: A LOT).

What Layla couldn’t anticipate was to immediately butt heads with the groom’s taciturn Best Man, Griffin. Even before landing in Paris, Griffin is antagonistic toward Layla, and the reader is ready to hate Griffen right along with her. That is, until we get to Griffin’s first POV chapter, which Clayborn strategically delays. Once the reader is introduced to Griffin’s motivations, every previous negative interaction between the two MCs is cast in a different light, and every future interaction slowly breaks down the prejudices that both Layla and Griffin have toward each other.

What I also loved about this book was that Clayborn writes the plot’s main conflict not between the love interests, but between the soon to be married bride and groom. Griffin accuses Layla of saying something to the bride that causes her to have cold feet enough to derail the very elaborate Paris wedding. He insists on helping Layla fix the potential catastrophic rift, regardless of whether she was responsible for causing it.

So, Layla and Griffin have work to do to save the wedding, and in the process, they start to open up to each other and fall for each other.

Full endorsement for The Paris Match. (Seriously, read this book just for the romance writing masterclass that was the first kiss scene.) Chef’s kiss to you, Clayborn. Bien joué.

[Aya ☕︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why was this so realistic? I was here for a silly romance, but it turned out to be so much deeper. However, I liked the reality of it. I've never read a book where the MMC wasn't aesthetically pleasing (Our MMC's face and half of his body are scarred). The beginning is a little slow but it was truly worth it

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

SKIP CHAPTERS: 21, 22, 29

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Heard about this book from one content creator and I immediately requested it and thankfully I got accepted 🤭
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for approving 🩷🩵💛

[Mora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book info:

- H / h (34)
- 3rd person POV
- Dislike! to fake friendship to lovers
- Scarred H
- Divorced h


Safety:

- Both MCs are experienced.
- The H only mentioned once how he used to be with women since the accident (with some details).
- The h was with her ex-husband for around 12 years or more, and they’ve been divorced for two years now. After the divorce, she dated a few men (no clue if she slept with any of them, she only mentioned kissing them).
- No info on their last time.
- OMD (mostly from the H’s side):
The H was so jealous of the h’s ex for most of the book (even before the ex showed up).
The ex-husband didn’t really cause drama between the MCs and he’s happily with his new young girlfriend, which was disappointing tbh because I wanted some cheap drama, like him seeing the h with the H and regretting the divorce or anything like that! 🤷🏻‍♀️
Everyone including her ex and his new girlfriend felt sorry for her because they thought she was still hung up on him and jealous of seeing him with someone else. The h never corrected them or said anything for most of the book. Instead, she stayed so nice to everyone and kept saying she was fine and reinforcing what they assumed.
I knew this was an important part of her character growth later on but that didn’t mean she didn’t frustrate me sometimes. She didn’t owe those people anything, even if they were kind and treated her like a daughter.
Later, she finally realized that and told her ex she didn’t owe him anything and that they were no longer a family because they were divorced, so she ended whatever was left of their relationship (the ex wanted them to stay on good terms and act like family after the divorce but she kept avoiding him until she finally admitted she didn’t want that).
There were a few moments when the ex-husband saw the MCs together and assumed the h was with the H because she was confused and jealous about seeing him with his new girlfriend 🤦🏻‍♀️. He told the H that she deserved someone better than him (the H) and honestly, I didn’t really get what his motive was there! whether it was jealousy, judgment, or something else. But in the end the h shut him down.
- No ow/cheating/scenes with other people
- Separation for 3 and a half months
- Push away from the H
- HFN (a year and a half later, they were still in a long-distance relationship because of the h job. They would definitely get married in the future but they were taking things slow). Anyway I wanted more, the ending wasn’t enough for me.

[Paloma FC (in my reading era) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 / 5 ⭐
Third Person, Dual POV 👀
Griff (MMC) and Layla (FMC) AKA Adult toddlers 😩

I hardly ever DNF books but this one was sooo painfully boring and the pace of the story was so mind numbingly slow 🐌 that I decided to move on to some other novel before I fell asleep 😴 💤.

I made it to the 25% mark before giving up, as nothing was happening. The MC's conversations and interactions felt completely unnatural, unrealistic and hard to relate to. Griff and Layla are two grown up strangers who for literally no reason antagonize each other from the start. She is a doctor 👩‍⚕️ yet behaves like a toddler. He is clearly repressed and has some traumatic past but I didn't even care to find out what was wrong with him... 🥱🙃.

Anyhow, this one was definitely not for me. Hard pass.

Happy reading 📚

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed to put down in writing just exactly what this book is and how it feels to have read it. I’ve read every book she’s written. Which is to say, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I cannot tell you how much I like being surprised (blown away, in this instance) by an author I felt I had a handle on.

He turned to her and said, “I’ll meet you down here at seven,” as though he was a completely normal person and not a smokestack fae prince with a sometimes-job who was also a surprisingly good dancer.

Griffin Testa, my friends. But more on that smokeshow later.

I wasn’t ready. And I know she’s such a talented writer. I fell in love with Luck of the Draw way back. I know she knows how to write two wounded people like she’s doing us a favor. And still! I was unprepared. From the moment Layla kneels down to calmly and competently handle the medical emergency on the plane. From the moment Griffin “The Man in Black” Testa stands up and barks at the malcontent on the very same plane. Reader, I was so far gone.

He said it like he had time for nothing but to rip out and hold in his hand the bloody, still-beating heart of any matter.

Ahem.

So Layla Bailey’s been done particularly dirty by her former family (through marriage). Divorced (amicably) and in terminal avoidance of the in-laws she still loves, her holding pattern catches up with her in the form of her former sister-in-law’s impending destination wedding. In Paris. Where once upon a time, Layla and her ex, Jamie, honeymooned themselves. Nothing could get Layla to take time off from her job as a hospitalist and board that plane except the love she still has for Jamie’s little sister, Emily. Come hell or high water, she is going to show up for Emily and be as happy and supportive and so completely fine with this week of wedded horrors. If only Jamie wasn’t showing up with his new girlfriend in tow. If only the best man (see aforementioned smokeshow) didn’t appear to carry a grudge against life, the city of Paris, and Layla. Not necessarily in that order.

The thing is, Griffin Testa has been in constant pain for fifteen years. Since the night a fire ravaged his life and the life of his best friend, Michael. And nothing but his love for Michael and his determination to see this wedding happen (even if he has his own quiet reservations) could convince him to leave his isolation and travel to Paris, stepping so far outside his comfort zone to navigate the pain and discomfort and unpredictability of his body in an entirely unfamiliar environment. When the bride suddenly develops her own reservations and indicates it was prompted by “something Layla said,” Griffin’s entire focus shifts from mere survival to forcing the troublesome (he’s not buying her amicable, completely fine with the horrors act for a minute) doctor to fix the problem she created. Immediately. So he can go home to his crumbling bell tower. As it were.

“Someone told me you’re a billionaire.”
He laughed.
He laughed.
A short laugh, but still: a huff of air out, a rasp of the lowest register of his voice escaping through the flash of his straight, white teeth, which Layla had never gotten a good look at. She felt, for a second, like one of the hideous, heavy chandeliers had fallen directly onto her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Michael’s face turn toward them—as though even from several steps away, with several sets of people milling between them, he could hear Griffin’s laugh, too.
”You’re . . .” She trailed off, temporarily stuck on the wrong completion of this sentence.
You’re even more handsome when you laugh. You’re like a secret door in the wall. You’re an electrical storm in my spine.

Friends, this book is utterly electric. It is a tactile, visceral reading experience. And it is giving fairy tale romance for days. It’s giving every perfect Laura Florand Paris love story all at once. There’s a scarred hero who only wears black. There’s a wounded heroine who has healed everyone but herself. There are secrets upon secrets. Parents who love their children and hold their tongues. Parents who love their children and only seem to hurt. There is Paris. My, but there is Paris.

Truthfully, I’m feeling a bit called out. Did Kate Clayborn send out a survey of readers’ favorite tropes and one of you filled it out on my behalf? And got every answer right? Because reading this book is a love letter to the best microtropes in the business (Was she crying?) and it is a master class in how to cast an iconic city as a main character, and how to sensitively depict and interrogate real human trauma and longing, living with chronic pain, the complexity of families, both the ones you’re given and the ones you choose. And what happens if one day they stop choosing you. And perhaps you start to build a wall.

I was so impressed by the focus on decision-making in this book. The way I wanted them to be together with every fiber of my being and yet never at the cost of Layla’s inviolable will. Griffin and me. Together, we’re gonna stand guard at the gate that is Layla’s right to make her own choices. For forever. It’s all so impossibly romantic, so stacked with genuine obstacles and human flaws and the ways in which we talk and cannot talk to the ones we love and loved. No part of me ever wished it had played out differently. And just ask my best friend, Beth. When I wish things had gone differently (or, on the odd occasion, firmly believe they should have for the integrity of the story and the characters who make their home there), I say so. At length.

I’ll tell you however many times you need to hear it, he’d told her one night, a few months ago. I’ll keep pulling you back from whatever gate you’re thinking of going through.

I’m still winded by the fierce love threading through every page of this book. By the defiance against all that would destroy or make afraid. I could feel Clayborn leveling up, challenging us to catch up, to keep up. To join in the shouted word that is joy over despair, healing over destruction, food and color and life over starving for lack of all of these things. Reading this book, I could feel the beating heart. In all of us.

My Substack

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

KATE CLAYBORN YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS!!! FIVE HUGE PARISIAN STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Would you still do it again?”

“I would”


It’s currently 6:30 am and I am a mess. A big old tear streaked mess after this gorgeous, heart crushing, heart mending book. I think everyone can stop now because this is the romance book of the year!

I always struggle to put into words the books that end up being 5 star reads for me and I struggle even more when they surpass that and enter into a realm that’s specifically for books that have knocked the wind out of me, books that feel almost engraved in me the minute I turn the last page. But I’ll try my best to talk about this one because it is so so special.

Layla and Griff. These two broke me but put me back together again. They’re real, they’re flawed and they both have the tendency to put other people before themselves even if it’s to their own detriment. It was such a pleasure seeing these two grow but also being allowed to see them mess up and almost regress a little. Kate is such a force when it comes to writing layered and complex characters. It takes a really skilled author to write characters whose primary pain happens before the book begins and is able to weave that into a story years late with such care and delicacy.

The writing. When I tell you that I had to catch my breath numerous times throughout this book I mean it. The imagery, the vividness, the richness of the setting, the foods and the art, even the fleeting moments of a facial expression are conveyed so beautifully that I was genuinely on and off (more so on) crying from 50% onwards. As always the prose is exquisite and sparkling and I just felt transported. (Also as a girlie who had Paris ruined for her by a man this book kinda had me reclaiming it for myself)

The vulnerability in this book had my heart aching I think Kate writes some of the most tender and carefully thought out intimate scenes and while they’re always sexy she makes sure to include those emotional beats and character growth in there too which is so important to me!

This book has everything that so many of us have been shouting out for! Longing!! Yearning!!! Hard fought for HEA’s!! And angst!!
This book really hit all of my soft places it’ll be one that I’ll talk about for years to come and will be placed into all of my best friends hands with a “trust me”.


An absolute banger… is it too soon for a reread?

[Jodi Schulz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The premise of this book is great, woman goes to Paris for ex sister in law’s wedding and finds love herself. Except, it is so, so long with extraneous characters and basically nothing happens in the middle that I lost interest. I read another book by this author I did not care for so it is possible this author is just not for me.

[bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet, soft, tender love. I liked the set up of her being invited to her ex-sister-in-laws wedding & falling for the best man. This got pretty messy at times in a very entertaining way.

My favorite thing about this book is how she kept saying her divorce was amicable & her new mans (who’s very mysterious) finally goes “there should be nothing amicable about losing you.” SWOON.

[Kait Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. I loved the writing style - but this book didn’t need to be 450 pages. The premise of this book being a messy wedding situation, going to her ex sister in laws wedding in Paris - while getting to know the grumpy best man sounded perfect.

But the first 200 pages there just wasn’t enough tension or fun banter between the two main characters for me to believe they were falling for each other. There really wasn’t tons of angst either for me
To believe their spice was justified. After the 60% mark the plot moved quickly and we got some good reveals and twists - but then we had another 100
Pages that really didn’t develop their relationship more.

I don’t believe in their love story at all. I’ve said this before but I just don’t think romances need to be more than 350
Pages and if they are going to be - you have to give us something to hold onto. 200 pages of no relationship building is tough to do to a reader.

[Amy K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best contemporary romance book I’ve ever read, and there’s not even a hint of exaggeration in that statement. Absolutely stunning.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

Contemporary romance set in Paris at a destination wedding... for the heroine's ex-sister-in-law. Her ex-husband will be there with his new girlfriend. When the bride begins to have doubts, she must team up with the reclusive best man to get the wedding back on track. Drama ensues alongside a slow-burn romance with a hero dealing with chronic pain and disability after serious burns.

[Kasee Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ex-CUSE ME????? Excuse me, Kate????

No ‘cause this book is god-tier. I have re-read it TWICE since I finished and who knows, I MIGHT just go in again!!! I’m actually feral for this book, so, buckle up.

THE PARIS MATCH is the story of Layla Bailey, who is returning to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law. She’s repeating her affirmations: she’s calm, she’s thriving, and she’s totally fine seeing her ex-husband (and his new girlfriend) after their amicable divorce. But returning to Paris means confronting the city she spent her own honeymoon in, then dealing with the potentially wedding-ruining aftermath of a seemingly harmless conversation with Emily, the bride-to-be. Now, with the bride’s cold feet, Layla is forced to do damage control with the grumpy and mysterious best man Griffin, who is hell-bent on making the wedding happen. Easing the couple’s doubts, maintaining a relationship with the family she once called her own, and participating in pre-wedding festivities in the city of love leads to learning more about dark, deep Griffin…and herself.

Damn, this book is IT. So hot and smart, funny and deep, with richly-developed characters, a sparkling setting, and a love story that left me breathless. I truly had to put the book down at moments to scream into my pillow. THIS IS ROMANCE. THIS IS IT. *chef’s kiss*

Brb, immediately booking a ticket to Paris. We bow down, Kate!!!

The biggest thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE PARIS MATCH is out 04/07/26. PREORDER IT IMMEDIATELY.

[cakecoffeeandbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 16%
The blurb sounded good and the cover is very pretty, but what I read just didn’t work for me at all.
The FMC is lovely, the MMC clearly has issues that it feels like will be dragged through the entire story before being explained and is extremely unlikeable. He is awful and I think the FMC deserves far better. So far the story is bizarre and very slow- I’m giving up, I don’t care enough to keep reading and find out what happens and can’t see how the MMC could be redeemed.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, a little too contrived, but with twists and turns that made it work. Layla (FMC) is a locum tenens doctor, a couple years post-divorce. The reasons for the divorce are part of the story, but the important thing here is that Layla has stayed connected to her ex-in-laws, and she is attending the wedding of her ex SIL in Paris (site of her own honeymoon), and it is hella uncomfortable. Our MMC, Griff, is a man with serious physical pain and something akin to agoraphobia after a fire left him scarred and with neropathic pain. It is the backstory around the fire and the wedding of his BFF (marrying the ex SIL) that failed for me. There is a secret that had no reason to be secret and fallout that was insane. Also, there is a guilt storyline that is absurd, and some awful, unpleasant, unrealistic characters -Rosie (Maid of Honor), the groom's parents, and also the bride. But there is a lot of good, too.

Clayborn clearly loves Paris, and it comes alive here. I love Paris too, and have not been in too long, so that was lovely. There are long walks in the Marais, the feeling of first gazing on the Gates of Hell at the Rodin Museum, early mornings with the golden pink light, the scent of the Seine, and also the basics that one needs to include in Paris-set stories apparently; a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, a visit to Galleries Lafayette and to the Lourve, the universal disappointment of the Mona Lisa (why is that painting a thing? How can a thing be it is so nothing?) That part of the story was a 4-5 star.

I really liked Griff and Layla. Griff is rude and often fully mean, and Layla is someone who accommodates everyone, diffuses everything, and makes everyone else feel better. He is more abrasive than the average grump, and she is less sunshine and more heat lamp, a forced warmth that requires a lot of artificial non-renewable energy. But she ends up having the patience and non-reactiveness to see inside his pain, and he ends up seeing how she is carving out pieces of herself to serve others. I liked their story a lot. If we could have re-jiggered the surrounding story, this would have been a higher star rating, but this is a high three, almost a four, and I liked my time here.

The narrator for this audiobook, Samantha Archuleta, was very good, too.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Layla, a doctor who has been divorced for a couple of years accepts an invitation to the Paris wedding of her young ex-sister-in-law who was like a little sister to her. Paris is important to her whole ex-family, in fact, it is where Jamie and she spent a happy honeymoon. She is reluctant to attend but feels she must because she was close to the whole family once and especially to the sunshiney bride-to-be, Emily, to whom she had promised to remain close, but hasn’t. To make it worse, Jamie is bringing his new serious girlfriend, and though their divorce was “amicable”, and she is “fine,” Layla is concerned this will make her the object of speculation, worry, and “compassion.” Layla does not like to be spotlighted in any way, especially in these circumstances. On the plane over, while tending to an emergency medical situation, she meets a dark, intimidating, and strangely attractive man who looks at her with disapproval and dislike (for some reason.)Despite this, Layla is "electrically" drawn to him. To Layla’s dismay, it turns out he is the best friend of the groom and the Best Man. This is not a grumpy/sunshine romance. Layla is not particularly sunshiney, though she is selfless, good-humored, and kind. Griffin is not just grumpy. He is dark and brooding, surly and rude. Physically he is badly scarred and he obviously bears mental scars as well as physical. He is described throughout the book as a Fae Prince, a smokestack, and a column of smoke. Overused metaphors were sometimes a problem. Soon, trouble looms. After spending a night out on the town with Layla and her maid of honor, Emily starts to have doubts even to the point of possibly calling off the wedding. Michael the Groom is heartbroken and confused. Griffin is on the warpath because nothing must come between his friend and his happiness and he blames Layla. Layla is confused because she knows Emily loves Michael and that she didn’t do or say anything to make Emily change her mind. Can this wedding be saved?

While I liked the concept, the plot, and the care the author took with the development of her characters, her writing style was kind of a drag for me. It seemed very self-conscious like she was tying herself up in knots to express herself a certain way: a way in which clarity, straightforwardness, and effortlessness was something to be avoided. When she fashioned a metaphor or tried to convey a feeling or a thought, I often had to pause to re-read to fully grasp what she was trying to say. And usually what she was trying to convey was not as complex as the way she chose to say it.
Please bear with me while I try to put into words why this good writer’s writing just did not work for me this time. Here’s one example, though it’s throughout the whole book all the time. Layla’s ex-husband has finally arrived in Paris with his fiancée and Layla is explaining to Griffin that she feels like everyone is watching her for signs of jealousy or heartbreak (which she honestly doesn’t feel-it’s complicated) “the Is Layla Looking at Jamie show” as she calls it. Somehow she thinks that her being this distraction is going to prevent them fixing Emily’s doubts about the marriage. Seems like a distraction might be a good thing, but whatever. And why should Layla even care about what these people who are not in her life think? Griffin’s solution is for Layla to “Look at me” instead. We learn Layla response, “Look at you how?” not until the next chapter and while Griffin is recalling this conversation of the night before. During this recollection, we have Griffin’s long contemplation about how he feels like he is Quasimodo in Notre Dame’s Bell Tower. (although he never says that in so many words-just talks all around it very metaphorically and elaborately.)

He pretended it [Notre Dame] was still in ruins. That no one would ever come back to fix it. If that were true, he knew, he wouldn’t be able to stand this close to it; he knew it would be surrounded by barricades and warning signs and probably French policemen. But that little hurdle was no match for his apparently still-skilled pretending brain.
…His eyes drifted to the other bell tower, the one he hadn’t been looking at, and he pictured his wiry, hardy mother, brown-gray braid down her back, scrubbing its walls clean. Shouting out of one of her stone arches a few times a day, asking whether the monster across the way was up yet.

The reader looking for a conclusion to this conversation and Layla’s “Okay” will have to wait 12 pages, Griffin having a long phone conversation with his mother, a lot of internal sturming and dranging, and a trip to Versailles the next day. The upshot is they will not only work together behind the scenes to help and support Michael and Emily, but pretend to be “friends” so Layla does not appear to the others to be lonely. When I read contemporary romance I do not want the kind of book where the plot and character come second to the author trying to impress with her thought provoking prose. I want my thoughts to be about the plot and characters, the drama, suspense, mystery, and humor. This book has all of that, but it’s buried under too many words and too much eloquence. Lots of which didn’t even make sense. In describing Griffin, Layla is thinking how complicated he was: A complicated man. Bold but cautious, demanding but flexible, stubborn but still curious. So of course, I had to stop and try to figure out how “curious” was somehow the opposite of “stubborn.” And for that matter, shouldn’t “stubborn” be paired with “flexible" instead of "demanding?" My reading was brought to a standstill constantly and it became tedious.

I liked the slow burn layered romance and the building of the tension. When they finally do come together it was shattering and very erotic. Griffin has nothing but contempt for Jamie for losing Layla. We feel that their one time love that Layla shrugs off pales in comparison with Griffin’s love for her:

He would say it close enough for her to hear it loud and clear. “There shouldn’t be anything amicable about losing you,” he said. There should be a war, he thought. An army of stone gargoyles, ordered to be alive. All to come get you. All to show you that you should never shrug like that again.

That’s good writing.

And I was also kept turning the pages by the questions and mysteries that arise. What were the circumstances of Jamie and Layla's divorce? They both seem so nice. Why has Layla ghosted his family? Is Jamie over Layla? Why are Michael and Griffin so close? How did Griffin get burned? How bad is the pain? Can he ever get better? I really came to care about him. Why does Emily have doubts about Michael? What is the secret? What could Michael not tell Emily? Will they end up getting married? would that be a good thing? How can Griffin and Layla be happy when there is so much to overcome? Why do Michael's parents, especially his father, hate Griffin?

Towards the last part of the book, story elements picked up and it got easier to read. I don’t think it’s because I became accepting of her style, but because the author herself got more concerned with the story and character and forgot about “writing” to within an inch of her life. That was my impression anyway. I also liked some of the choices she made with the characters. I thought that Griffin was going to do the martyr trope thing and leave Layla for her own good. They part temporarily, but it was good.
The writing style was just so frustrating when I really loved everything else. 3 stars.

[Mel || melodrama_musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

By no means perfect, but The Paris Match is easily the best contemporary romance I've read in a long time. I think what I was ultimately most drawn to, is the way Clayborn manages to work in some of the themes I love most in historical romance - would be lovers wrestling with and ultimately defying societal norms of restraint and decorum and deftly applies them to a contemporary setting through the use of a creative (albeit frustrating and ultimately implausible set-up) and crafting a romantic hero living with chronic pain that requires him to carefully hone if and when he can endeavor to so much as reach out and touch the shoulder or grasp the hand of the object of his affection. It's the P&P 2005 hand clench heard round the world - only it's the 2020s and it's happening on a cobbled quiet street in the Marais.

Where I struggled with this book, as with so many contemporary romances, is the seemingly insatiable need to craft women who are simultaneously strong and independent in theory, but are doormats for the users and abusers in their lives in reality. Layla is a divorced woman living alone who travels regularly for work as a doctor in new or unfamiliar places, she has survived the perils of med school and residency - yet she can't stand up to her ex-in laws as they intrude on her boundaries again and again? Oh and of course Layla has a complicated family life filled with emotionally or literally unavailable people who are barely blips in the story other to laden Layla with the necessary emotional baggage these stories apparently demand. I wish Layla's revelations about her self-worth had been driven more by her finally finding the ability to stand up for herself and less about finding herself changed by the love of an agoraphobic burn survivor who fancies himself a stand-in for the Hunchback of Notre Dam. (Also, is not a bit of an odd choice for Layla to repeatedly refer in her internal monologue to said burn survivor as a "column of smoke"?)

Quibbles aside, I did ultimately enjoy the journey of Layla and Griffin - growing both together and apart from one another both during the week they spent in Paris, and in the after following the week of wedding events. The quiet moments of Griffin beginning to trust, to let someone inside his fortress of imposed solitude and bear witness to his pain was handled with a sense of care that was ultimately more romantic than any shoehorned grand gesture could ever be. Not the easiest of love stories, but in my humble opinion, the best ones never are.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads Giveaway! Thank you to Berkley Marketing and Penguin Random House!
5 Heart Wrenching 🌟

Kate Clayborn does it again. I’ve liked every book of hers that I’ve read and I knew that The Other Side of Disappearing would be hard to beat. The Paris Match has done that, though. Don’t be fooled by the pretty very rom-com cover. Ms. Clayborn will take your heart apart slowly before she puts it back together again all in the very best way.

Layla travels to Paris for the wedding of her ex-husband’s sister, seeing her ex and his family all together for the first time since her divorce in the place where she had her honeymoon. Add to that an expansive cast of supporting characters laden with drama and unexplained tension with the bride and groom and you know immediately that this will not be the carefree and joyous week that it should be. That is quickly compounded when Layla and Griffin, the closed off and angry best man, try to hold things together despite their instant dislike for each other and their own personal demons.

There is so much here. Layla and Griffin have so much personal depth and tragic pasts that are wonderfully developed and the evolution of their connection and eventual relationship is just beautifully done. Clayborn has you feeling everything all the time. Her writing is unique and intense creating such imagery and insight in every moment. You feel all of the characters emotions and internal struggles through physical and emotional pain.

Griffin’s personal challenges and journey, having suffered devastating burns years in the past that left him physically and emotionally scarred, are unfolded in such a real and heartbreaking way. Things are not pretty and tidy and how he and Layla learn about each other and themselves is touchingly portrayed.

And yearning….oh my goodness, there is so much heart-wrenching longing here. So well done. And the scene in the cafe and doorway on the side street in Paris? Yes, indeed. Kate Clayborn can write. This is not a silly little rom-com. There are intense themes that tore at my heart. Loved it. Highly recommend!

[book bruin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Clayborn writes the most heartfelt and quietly beautiful stories. It’s an emotional ride, but every up and down makes the journey even more satisfying. I loved Griff and Layla and they grow so much through the novel. They see each other so clearly and it was wonderful to watch them (re)discover themselves and each other. Plus, there’s no way I could resist a stoic love interest who’s a complete marshmallow inside ;)

I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook of The Paris Match and really enjoyed the narration by Samantha Archuleta. Her emotional performance during the more vulnerable scenes was especially moving.

I think what stood out to me the most though, was the overall message about choice. Choosing happiness in whatever form that takes for you. Choosing the family you surround yourself with. Choosing forgiveness for yourself and others. Choosing to be brave, but also knowing when to ask for help. Choosing unapologetically.

Every time I finish a Kate Clayborn novel, I think there’s no way she can top this - the magic, the feeling, the joy. I’m so happy to be wrong every time. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 5 stars

CW: grief, death of loved one (past, fire related), anxiety, panic attacks, injury/scarring and chronic pain, trauma, brief mention of suicidal ideation, discussions about pregnancy and parenthood

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Main character Layla Bailey is a physician who claims her divorce was amicable, but is about to be trapped in Paris at her friend/former sister-in-law Emily’s destination wedding, not only with her ex-husband + his entire family, he’ll have his new girlfriend in tow.

Enter Griffin (Griff).. whom Layla meets on the flight to Paris which doesn’t go over well. He comes across in all the wrong ways. Griff is gruff. He is an antagonistic, visibly scarred best-man that (for whatever reason) is very determined to get under her skin.

Layla meets up with Emily for a fun girls night, but the bride gets cold feet after a remark is made. No matter what Layla did or didn’t say to her, Griff blames Layla. So Layla + Griff team up to keep the wedding from disintegrating, and in this forced proximity situation, he also plays the buffer between her and the ex + his extended family.. from there, they get closer by the minute. She gets to know + understand Griff better, helps him with his trauma and in gaining confidence. Griff helps her discover who she is.. that she deserves to be loved just the way she is. There’s so much goodness inside these pages. In what begins as heartbreak + loss, morphs into this sweet, beautifully written tale of self discovery, healing, growth.. and of course, love! Do recommend. ❥ Pub. 4/7/26

Much thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an advance copy!

[Keri Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wedding in Paris! And what a beautiful cover!

Layla has been invited by the bride, who is her ex sister-in-law. It’s been too painful for Layla to spend time with her former family after her divorce, but she feels like she has no choice. Griffin is the groom’s best man. He has been recovering from a horrible injury and seldom leaves home, but he forces himself so he can be there for his best friend. These two meet prior to the wedding and it doesn’t go well, so they both are irritated when they find they are both part of the wedding party.

They each plan to ignore each other… but when the bride gets cold feet they work together to try to get it back on track. Their feelings start to warm as they get to know each other better and see the pain they’ve each worked to hide.

I liked these characters. Their devotion to their friends, how they came to appreciate each other’s qualities, and how they each work to overcome hardship.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about this book the most was that it didn't fall into any dreaded cliches or outdated tropes. There's a HEA (of course, its a romance book, do not get onto me about spoilers) but it isn't the traditional, cheesy version. Other than abiding by some of the more important conventions of the genre, I couldn't predict what was going to happen next. The way the main characters were so tender and honest with each other was beautiful to watch.

The fact that the FMC doesn't want children and holds firm in that actually made me really emotional.

Loved this book, can highly recommend.