Last Chance Match

Last Chance Match #1

by Gabriela St. Luke

Welcome to the inaugural season of Last Chance Match, a government-funded dating show for the soulmateless to find their other half. Set in a tropical location, eighteen people will compete for a soulmate and all the benefits that accompany it, free healthcare, better education, and exemption from soulmateless extermination. Viewing will be mandatory for all citizens, and compliance will be required for chosen participants.

Lights, CamBot, Bloodbath.
Are you ready to find the one who’s to die for?

In the nation of Calasca, those whose blood analysis failed to match with a partner are executed at thirty to control population and uphold natural selection. Struggling waitress and recovered addict Cera has two months to live without a government-assigned soulmate. When she’s chosen for Last Chance Match, she believes it could be the answer to prolong her life. Growing old with her sister could finally become reality, but her plans are uprooted when she meets her perfect the late president’s arrogant and mysterious grandson, Ryde.

After a contestant is slain by the robot host, Cera must team up with Ryde to escape, and the only way out is to become the monster the system wants you to be. When the truth of Cera’s past and the show’s purpose collide, Cera is left to choose between staying matched with Ryde and returning home to her sister or sacrificing herself to save Calasca’s future.

Genres: Romance, Dystopia, Dark Romance

353 pages, Paperback

Published October 13, 2026

About the author

Gabriela St. Luke is the author of LAST CHANCE MATCH. Living with her husband and two sons, she resides in the US in the sunshine state, where she works as a high school math teacher. She loves theme parks, especially Disney World, and has a bucket list of amusement parks she'd love to visit one day.

You can find her here:
TikTok: @gabriela.stluke
Instagram: @gabriela.stluke
Threads: @gabriela.stluke

Reviews

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I had such a fun time with this book. I am a complete sucker for shows like love Island and 90 day (The hunt for love). This book gives off those vibes with a life or death twist.

Overall this story has some great characters. I was quite enamored by Cera and Ryde, and wyn the glamblot. Cera seems like such a sweet person, especially with the way she cares for her sister.

This story is pretty dark though. It is basically a story where if you don't have a soulmate, they kill you. This group of individuals is getting a second chance, but most don't make it out alive. There are some semi-gruemsome on page deaths and there is talk about substance abuse/ recovery. Because of those heavier themes this book might not be for everyone..

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Symone · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️ Wow, this book had me on edge pretty much the whole time. The fact that your status in society, along with your life depended on whether or not you had a government appointed soulmate was willdddd! I've never read anything like this before. It was definitely unique. It gave me love island vibes but with bots and gore. The plot twists kept hitting me left to right, and i just never knew who i could trust. Could it have had a bit more depth in certain areas? Sure. But honestly, I was too entertained by the story to dwell on it too much.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[lindsay ☆彡 · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 stars. this is like if Love Island and the Hunger Games had a weird, fucked up little baby and i kinda ate it up. this was a very fast paced, action filled story with some characters that were likable and others that were hatable. the writing definitely felt a bit juvenile for characters in their late 20s, but the premise itself was fun enough to overlook the writing style. i didn't buy into the romance all that much because everything moved so fast, but i liked Ryde as a character far more than Cera. i'm interested to see where the story goes from here, even if the ending felt a bit abrupt. if you want a quick read that has a cheesy romance and a dystopian society and you don't mind some gore, give this a read.

thank you to the author and the publisher for the ARC!

[Aysha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review of the book! I would personally give this book 3.5/5 stars. For me, 3 stars means that I enjoyed the book, but not enough to want to do a reread of it.

The premise of this book feels like the Hunger Games mixed with the Love Island reality television show + robots. It caught my attention and felt like a really fun idea for a book! I did enjoy the unique aspect of combining those two things together.

One thing that I struggled with a bit is the writing. It felt a bit juvenile to me? Like something I would read on Wattpad. The main characters sort of felt like teenagers rather than being in their late 20s. While I appreciated the romance aspects of the book to not be too detailed and in depth/overly sexual, it was hard to connect to it at all. Things moved very fast. Relationships went from strangers to “I’d die/kill for you” within pages of each other and the book timeline wasn’t very long. There would be awkward moments of something bad happening to the characters lusting after each other in the same sentence. It’s just not the time or place for it, quite literally.

I do think that many people will enjoy this book. For those that want cheesier romance without having to read spicy scenes, this one is for you. It’s a fun idea for a dystopian world. It was a quick read and I was able to enjoy the time reading it.

[Marissa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I can’t believe how fast I absolutely flew through this book! I adored it. Whilst there was some predictability in the dystopian factors of the plot, something about this one had me flipping the pages like a fast paced thriller, desperate to devour more of the story. I enjoyed the premise of Last Chance Match, which encompassed a dating show for those without a romantic match, for a few lucky single contestants, those of whom would normally be condemned to an early death in this dystopian society. Of course, our main character and her worst patron at the diner are chosen, and thus the story begins. They sign a contract without being able to read it, but what choice do they have? Then they experience a multitude of challenges including an escape room type game amongst others. Just one tiny caveat. All the losers of the round are murdered. Brutally. By bots.
I liked our main characters, Cera and Ryde. They both had attributes of valor, friendship, and care. I thought the enemies to lovers romance was very well paced, and I was rooting for them.
Fifi and Wyn deserve shoutouts as truly awesome secondary characters that truly shine in the last 1/4 of the book.
The dystopian parts were well done and touched upon a multitude of facets including technology, drugs, and censorship.
The acknowledgements indicate a second book, which I will most definitely read, but this could also be a standalone as there were no glaring cliffhangers. A big thank you to Gabriela St. Luke for the ARC!

[abrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️

I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review! When I saw the plot for this book posted on Tiktok I was very excited to read it. As I was reading it though, it became very hard to sit through and I almost DNFed it a few times.

For starters, the comments are correct. This book is literally Love Island meets the Hunger Games, except dial down your expectations for Hunger Games and times your Love Island expectations by 3. There was so much focus on the challenges and couplings that the seriousness of their situation was overshadowed.

Additionally, there were quite a few questions about the dystopia they live in that I feel like never got answered? All of the serious undertone of the story was downplayed by the romance aspect of the story.

Overall, I loved the plot conceptually but the execution and characters? Not so much.

[Gracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride. This book was definitely a different take on dysotopian horror. Love Island meets murder drones.

Who knew a murderous game show could be so interesting. The twists and turns of the story I actually didn't know what was coming next.

Cera can't stand Ryde, but that's okay when she's whisked off by the government for one last chance to live past 30 as a soulmateless citizen. Low and behold here comes Ryde to be a contestant, too. Just her luck. Then the challenges start and they have their first eliminated contestant and chaos ensues! Now they must compete for their lives and hope their so-called friends don't stab them in the back, literally.

[Arely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this book was SO good. A dating show where the stakes are literally life or death? Sign me upppp. This was such a creative, one of a kind read for me, and I loved how unique the whole concept was. Cera and Ryde, the tension, and all the chaos that came with this setup made this such a fun read. I honestly didn’t want it to end!
Five stars, no notes. ⭐️
.
.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not influenced by receiving an advance copy.

[Ana A · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

It is like Love Island with a killer twists…and no one is who they say they are. This book has romance, suspense, dystopian vibes and killer robots!

We follow Cera who was deemed a “soulmateless” by the government, and has just received a letter saying her “termination” day is scheduled in two months.

Now she has been given the rare opportunity to compete in a tv show called Last Chance Match where contestants who are all soulmateless will be given a final opportunity to find their soulmate.

[thecrystalw1tch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, it was a nice easy read. Ive been following the author for a while on tiktok so I was excited to finally get to read it.

Its fast paced and gets straight into the story. After finishing its clearly not a standalone and im looking forward to seeing where the story will go. Its whole vibe is very much love island/big brother reality TV but with a much darker undercurrent.

Im giving 4 stars and some parts were quite predictable but thats not necessarily bad! I also struggled with some of the names of the characters haha but that might just be me. I would recommend this if you want a quickish read and fast paced.

[Nic Rianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

This was such a fun, bingeable thriller with a reality dating show twist that immediately pulled me in. The atmosphere was tense from the beginning, and I loved trying to figure out who could actually be trusted while everyone seemed to be hiding something. Every time I thought I had the mystery figured out, another reveal had me changing my mind.

The pacing kept me turning the pages, and I flew through it because I needed to know how everything was going to come together. While a few twists worked better than others and I would have liked a little more depth in a couple of places, the suspense, drama, and constant sense of paranoia made this a really entertaining read. If you enjoy survival thrillers, messy relationships, and stories where no one feels completely safe, this is definitely one to pick up.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an ARC I was sent to read. I had seen conversation about this book being a dystopian fantasy of the hunger games meets love island. This concept really intrigued me.

With now finishing it, I can see why they are the comparison. I felt it was such a refreshing book, I haven’t read anything exactly like this before. I was hooked with each page and wanted to see where the story unfolded to.

[Madysen neuman]

Honestly I wanted to like this so bad but I really don’t like love island and this book was just too similar to it to enjoy. The main characters were very insufferable and tried too hard to be ‘enemies’ even though there was no reason for them to not like each other much less be enemies. If you like love island this may be the book for you but it just wasn’t for me.

[Dejah Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dystopian reality show is slowly becoming my favorite genre!! This was so good, The Hunger Games and Love Island had a baby and it was brutal…but I was HOOKED! Ryde played no games about Cera. Yes yes yes. So many twists and turns, I need book two ASAP!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advance reader copy!

[Ashley R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book really caught my attention when it came across my TikTok FYP. It definitely has some nice little plot twists that kept me reading, but I didn't connect with the characters the way I had hoped. I have thought about it a few times since finishing it, so maybe I'll give it a reread at some point. Thanks to the author and Book Sirens for an advanced copy for my honest review.

[Karen Brooks - TheTxLitChic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Chance Match
~Gabriella St. Luke

Last Chance Match by Gabriella St. Luke drops you into a world where finding your perfect match is left up to the government, not the heart. Think Love Island built on a gallows, where contestants aren't competing for fame or fortune, but for their lives. Those chosen are getting their “last chance” at finding a match before the clock runs out. This isn't just a flirt with darkness. This is the full proposal, ring in hand and blood on the floor.

Calasca has one rule that matters: be matched with your soulmate by the age of thirty, or be exterminated.

Cera, a broke waitress and recovering addict, is soulmateless and has just received her extermination date. But the thing she hates most about the government's control over her life isn't what will happen to her. It's the thought of leaving her sister, Kensi, behind. Kensi was lucky enough, if you want to call it that, to be matched with Jourdyn, even though their match percentile is one of the lowest rankings. At least Kensi won't have to face extermination.

Then the government makes a sudden announcement: for the first time ever, soulmateless citizens will have a chance to participate in the Last Chance Match, a televised competition where randomly selected participants will compete for the opportunity to find their perfect match.

Cera dreams about what it would be like to be chosen and actually win. To have the chance to live out her life, build a family of her own, and still be around to watch over Kensi. But dreams and government statistics don't exactly make comfortable bedfellows, and Cera knows her chances are slim.

Then there's Ryde Cassidy, grandson of the late President Cassidy, soulmateless and also scheduled for extermination. He's been coming into Kona's Diner, owned by Jourdyn, Kensi's match, for a while now, doing little more than what Cera has decided is his personal mission to annoy her on a daily basis. He's cocky, entitled, and seemingly far too interested in getting under her skin.

So when the bots show up to notify Cera that she's been selected for Last Chance Match, Ryde tells her to run. He'll figure out a way out for her.

Which leaves Cera understandably confused. Why would she run? And why on earth does Ryde care what happens to her?

After being swept away by a bot, taking a ride in a hoverjet, and enduring hours of waiting, Cera finally discovers what Last Chance Match is all about. Once inside the contestants' home, she meets the other female participants before they're introduced to their assigned matches.

And then Cera sees who has been chosen as hers.

From there, secrets begin surfacing, survival instincts kick in, and plans are made. The game may have been designed to find soulmates, but it quickly becomes a question of who will make it out alive.

St. Luke has created a large, remarkably well-coordinated cast of characters who manage to carry a detailed story within a relatively short amount of time. Cera is the driving force behind it all. She's prickly, guarded, traumatized, and shaped by a history that continues to leave scars. She's also deeply relatable, making her incredibly easy to root for, although her constant habit of downgrading herself can become a little tiresome. We get it, Cera. She thinks everything that goes wrong is somehow her fault.

Ryde starts the story as a cocky, entitled jerk in Cera's eyes, and honestly, I can't blame her. But as the story progresses, he earns his way into book-boyfriend territory as Cera gets glimpses of the man hiding beneath the attitude, including sides of him he never allowed her to see at the diner.

The chemistry between these two works particularly well. Whether they're snapping at each other, sharing tenderness during vulnerable moments, or standing shoulder to shoulder when things turn into a fight-or-flight situation, their relationship feels like it has some genuine teeth. St. Luke writes emotional wounds convincingly. These characters don't simply occupy the page. They live, breathe, hurt, and bleed their way through it.

Most of the supporting characters carry their own weight, although a few feel as though they were dropped into the story primarily to pad the body count.

Where Last Chance Match really flexes its muscles is atmosphere. The setting gleams like a beautifully decorated trap waiting to spring. The glamourbots assisting the contestants add an especially unsettling piece of stagecraft, creating that perfect contrast between polished entertainment and something much darker lurking underneath.

The pacing is more modest during the first half. It doesn't quite have the feel of a slow burn, but it isn't racing down the track either. Then, somewhere past the halfway point, the tension ratchets upward, the challenges within the game turn lethal, and suddenly the pages start flying.

St. Luke delivers a bloody, dystopian romance with plenty of danger, secrets, survival instincts, and enough unanswered questions to leave readers staring at the final page wondering when they can get their hands on the next book. And yes, that ending is a cliffhanger.

Fair warning, though: this book doesn't shy away from its darker content. Violence, abuse, blood and gore, and death are all front and center.

Be sure to pre-order Last Chance Match, book one in what is planned to be a four-book series, releasing October 20, 2026.

I would like to thank Gabriella St. Luke for the chance to preview Last Chance Match before its October release. As always, all opinions and reviews are my own volition. Karen Brooks, aka The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review of Last Chance Match.

[Samantha Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received an eARC via BookSirens in exchange for my honest review. The following thoughts are my own after reading the book.***

Although I’m not a fan Love Island, the idea of combining Hunger Games and Love Island was intriguing. I am a huge fan of the hunger games novels! That said, it’s almost like the author wanted to learn into the romance aspect of it and what eventually saved Katnis and Peeta. Very interesting concept for sure.

I thought some of the challenges were really interesting and well thought out. That said, I don’t think they necessarily made sense for the type of game. Each challenge should have been for the couple to complete together to show that they worked well together as a couple. The only reason I can see doing individual challenges is just to make the whole thing overall more difficult and complicated and ensure chaos amongst the couples just kind of showing the genuine cruelty of the government. But, I still think it could have been a bit more relevant.

I liked the way the secrets were revealed and that there even were secrets adding layers to the stakes and why everyone was where they were in the first place.

I liked the way the ending was kind of left open for so much more to happen allowing the author to continue this story or explaining the universe in the future. I think with some small tweaks in how she writes this could be something that really builds from here on out.

The book was incredibly hard to get into. We spent a lot of time looking into Ceras life before the show. You find out early on she’s been deemed soulmateless and what all that entails. She lives a pretty boring and sad life with no prospects because she already knows the date of her death. I understand the point of this was for the world building, I just feel like it could have been done better. It kind of felt like random droning on and facts and information as opposed to setting the stage. Early on we meet Ryde who seems like a pompous ass… But, the entire time he’s on The Last Chance Match show with Cera he’s presented as entirely different person? Later, excuses are made that basically he didn’t know how to handle himself around her? And she judged him without knowing him? But, it seems weak given the fact that it’s literally a complete 180. Cera overall is pretty unlikable. I mean, she judges Ryde based on very little information and her own bias about his money, she harbors secret resentment for her sister that she plays off as oh well I still have to take care of her, her idea of ‘taking care of’ her is that she works the same job with her and that she sometimes plays mediator between her and her match, she judges everyone on The Last Chance Match show incredibly harshly, and she continuously acts like her ‘taking care of’ her sister is more important than anyone else’s problems there even though her situation is objectively the least precarious or dangerous. I didn’t like how we got so little information on the other contestants. Part of why the hunger games was so emotionally riveting is because we knew just enough about all of the other contestants to either understand why they were the way they were, to sympathize with them, or to even care about them. We weren’t really afforded the same opportunity here. I feel like a small change here would have made this novel way more impactful and had readers way more invested in it. On that same note, I feel like there wasn’t enough time with everyone together at the house for The Last Chance Match show before the first challenge. In the hunger games you have about a week of training and interviews and whatnot which is part of how we get to know more about each character but this also allows time for you to get to know your main characters as well. With a love island type of aspect mixed in a week would have been too long but if they had done the matching like a day or two after everyone had shown up would have allowed time for world building by means of back stories AND given us more about each character before anyone died off AND it would have given time for people to form their own connections before the matches were announced raising the stakes from the very jump. And, just because I can’t NOT mention this… Why on earth did Ryde keep poking his tongue in his cheek? Like what? I kept doing it myself to try and understand how that could be a thinking face or even a nervous twitch and couldn’t figure it out 😂

Overall, I did enjoy it and once we got into the part with the challenges I really didn’t want to put it down. It needs some work and small changes to make a truly exceptional book BUT as it stands 4 stars feels fair!

[Hollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc of this book. The premise sold me. I am a sucker for dystopian romances and this sounded like the Hunger Games meets Love Island. Now I'm no Love Island fan but I can appreciate the appeal of a trashy reality show and the Hunger Games series is up there as one of my all time favourites.

This is dystopian, it's sci-fi, it's a bit of a thriller. The author describes it as a horror as well. I'd say it leans more into thriller territory but I'm not a horror reader so what do I know?

So what I liked... The premise. The plot. The characters.

In the future, the government selects your partner based on your blood and calls them your soulmate. The compatibility level of your soulmate is also worked out as a percentage and the higher that percentage is the better your status in society.
However there are those who are are not paired up. These people are called soulmateless and are doomed for execution when they turn 30

A group of these soulmateless about to face their executions are thrown into a Love Island type scanerio in the hopes they find their "last chance match"

But if only they were given enough time to read the fine print... because you wouldnt want to get voted off this game show.

Secrets and lies. Betrayals and Alliances. Government villainy and silly little robots.

It was a fun, quick read and I was hooked. I binged it in 2 sittings (but only because life got in the way otherwise this would have been a 1 sitting kind of ride) which was refreshing for me because the books I seem to pick up these days are unnecessarily chunky stuffed with filler and they have been taking me some time to get through.

But in this case a few extra chapters wouldn't have gone amiss because I feel this book had the potential to go even further. I just craved a bit more world building. Though we did get more of that at the end, as the reveals are uncovered, I personally would have wished to have seen a bit more from the beginning - for instance does the government even give the public a reason why soulmates is even a thing? Even if that reason turned out to be a big lie and the truth is later uncovered.

I also feel that if the author was going for a real dislike-to-lovers vibe as advertised, I would have liked to have seen more friction between the MMC and FMC at the beginning before being pulled into Last Chance Match and be something deeper than "he bragged about money a lot" which seemed a bit out of character from the version of Ryde the author gave us in the story, but was that because he was purposefully being an ass to keep her at a distance? It wasn't clear - to me at least.

Still, their romance was cute and I enjoyed their banter, though I felt their romantic progression could have used a bit more development as it felt just a tad rushed, but this could be because I've become a sucker for a slow burn.

With all that being said, I gave 4 stars for this because I felt a 3 was too harsh. It's somewhere in the middle. Add a touch more world building and fix the pacing a bit and for me this book would have been lightning in bottle.

Despite these few constructive criticisms, I truly did vibe with this book and enjoyed reading it, I wouldn't have flew through it so quickly if I didn't.

It definitely feels like there is more of this story to come and I would 100% interested in reading it and going along for the Ryde (haha get it?)

[Shelby Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐️

I once saw the author describe Last Chance Match as Love Island x The Hunger Games x Terminator, and honestly, that’s right on the nose. If you like any of those, you’ll find something here to appreciate.

I went into this with a certain level of Love Island cheesiness already built into my expectations, and considering my personal reading tastes this was very much the right approach for me. Things that might have felt too cheesy or tonally out of place considering the severity of the characters’ situation were mostly forgivable and often genuinely entertaining. I also really enjoyed the premise of soulmates and soulmateless and how that process is determined.

What I really loved was that the book didn’t pull its punches with the violence. When things got brutal, they really got brutal, and that violence actually carried weight. We feel how heavily everything happening sits with our main character Cera, which made the contrast between the “silly” reality dating show premise and the very real danger even more effective. I also really loved the relationships our MMC developed with some of the other contestants. I love a good bromance!!! Cera had some moments, but she was a little more guarded and that’s understandable. The MMC really stole the show in this area is all! 😅

As far as the actual romance goes, I appreciated that I was able to pick up on the yearning coming from our MMC without a bunch of spicy scenes - I liked that their relationship felt natural and I liked their teasing and bickering. This wasn’t trying to be enemies to lovers, which is refreshing, it was more forced proximity and it worked effectively without overpowering other elements of the plot.

I did have some issues with the writing and world building. Some of the futuristic terminology felt more like a shortcut to remind us we’re in a tech heavy society instead of something that actually developed the world. Things like holophones, holomessages, and holotablets make sense as futuristic replacements for familiar technology, but even some of the similes rely on it for example “like a microbot” is used twice to describe someone small. If there are three more books planned in this world, I’d like to see the technology and society itself developed more deeply rather than relying on futuristic language to do the heavy lifting. Not to say that the world building isn’t happening - the author does successfully paint a bleak picture of the social class system and the history of drug use and how harmful it is.

And as far as character development goes, it’s complicated. While our characters were forced to face difficult truths, I wouldn’t say there was development. However there are 3 more books planned, so plenty of time to see more of this!

But for as many critiques as I can come up with, I couldn’t put this book down from start to finish, and that speaks volumes. It was violent, campy, dramatic, and entertaining! If you are having a Love Island hangover, enjoy dystopian fantasy, prefer your MMC obsessed, and don’t mind violence - you’ll enjoy this one.

Thank you for providing the opportunity to receive an advance review copy for free - I am happy to leave this review voluntarily.

[Gøril Grant Holtan]

★★☆☆☆

I received an ARC of Last Chance Match and would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review it ahead of publication. All opinions below are entirely my own.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is genuinely intriguing, and a deadly dating show in a dystopian society sounded like exactly the kind of weird genre mash-up I could get behind. Unfortunately, the execution just didn't work for me.

My biggest issue was Cera. I never became invested in her as a main character. She often came across as immature, and her constant back-and-forth in the way she viewed and treated Ryan became frustrating rather than emotionally compelling. I don't need a protagonist to be particularly likeable, but I do need to understand them well enough to care about what happens to them. With Cera, I simply didn't.

Her inner monologue didn't help. There is a lot of self-criticism and self-deprecation, but instead of making her feel vulnerable or relatable, it frequently created even more distance between me and the character. At times, her thoughts were written in a way that made me want to roll my eyes rather than sympathise with her — which is a problem when so much of the emotional weight of the story depends on the reader being invested in her.

By around 67%, I realised I wasn't reading because I wanted to know what happened next; I was reading because I felt I had to finish it. That's never a good sign.

I also think the comparisons to The Hunger Games gave me the wrong expectations. Yes, there are deadly competitions and a dystopian framework, but for me this had far more of a teen-slasher feel: young characters, relationship drama, increasingly gruesome situations and a lot of emphasis on the next shocking set piece. There's absolutely an audience for that, but I'm unfortunately not it.

And that's an important distinction. Not everything that didn't work for me is necessarily a flaw in the book. The campy, bloody, over-the-top tone may be exactly what another reader loves. The premise is fun, the book certainly isn't afraid to go dark, and I can see why readers looking for a fast, chaotic survival story with romance and reality-TV elements could have a great time with it.

But I needed more depth — particularly from the characters, the relationships and the world surrounding the competition. Without that emotional investment, the violence started to feel more like splatter than stakes, and the romance couldn't carry the story for me either.

A creative premise and potentially a lot of fun for the right reader, but ultimately not a match for me.

[Steph Stump · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review, which can be found below.

Last Chance Match is a fast‑paced, high‑stakes romance with a “Hunger Games meets Love Island” vibe that feels more like a tonal influence than a direct comparison. The premise hooked me right away, and even though there were places where I wanted more depth, I’m invested enough to continue the series.

The world-building supports the story well, but I often found myself wishing it went further. With so many contestants introduced, several characters felt underdeveloped, which made it harder to fully connect with their relationships or understand the emotional weight behind their choices. A little more backstory for both the leads and the supporting cast would have enriched the stakes and made the interpersonal dynamics more meaningful.

The game show itself moves quickly, almost jarringly, but it seems clear that this was intentional. The pacing mirrors the chaos the characters are thrown into, and while the twists were engaging, I sometimes wished they tied more directly into the “love show” concept to reinforce the romantic core of the competition.

The FMC’s internal monologue is a major focus, which fits the genre, but her emotional progression toward the MMC felt rushed. Considering the trauma and intensity of the environment, her realization of love would have landed more strongly with a slower build and more reflection. Their previous interactions, which were hinted at but not deeply explored, could have added welcome nuance and made the romantic arc feel more earned.

The story is intentionally low‑spice, which suits the tone. It never felt like it was meant to be a steamy read, and the emotional beats take precedence. Some of the deaths throughout the competition feel abrupt or senseless, but this also seems like an intentional stylistic choice meant to emphasize shock and unpredictability rather than emotional devastation.

One personal note: certain descriptive phrases recur frequently, especially characters “worrying their lips” or the MMC “poking his tongue into his cheek.” A little more variation in these repeated gestures would help keep the prose feeling fresh.

Overall, Last Chance Match is a compelling, concept‑driven story with strong momentum and an addictive setup. Even though I wished for deeper character exploration and more layered emotional development, the book kept me engaged, and I’m genuinely curious to see where the series goes next.

[Monica Petcu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book was one wild Ryde! 😂 I'm grateful to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review. ❤️

Imagine living in a world where everyone is matched with their soulmate, but if you turn 30 without being matched, you're eliminated. Literally. 💀

To give the soulmateless a second chance, the government creates a dating show featuring 18 contestants. But is the show really giving them a second chance, or is there something more sinister going on? 👀

If you're a fan of dating shows and deadly games, you MUST read Last Chance Match, because it combines both of them!

Cera's frustration with Ryde was so annoying. She's supposed to be mature, right? But she acted like a spoiled child. She behaved as if her life weren't on the line and she wouldn't be exterminated if she failed to find a soulmate. Her attitude, fueled by her frustration with Ryde, got on my nerves most of the time.

Call me whatever you want, but I was hoping Quilla would be eliminated from the very moment she appeared. She gave me the ick right from the start. 😂

After the first elimination, I was eager to find out which three couples would win. I already had my three favorite couples picked out, but there was one more girl I was worried about.

I was captivated by the games throughout the story. I loved how I kept coming up with questions and was constantly eager to find out the answers. The mystery kept me hooked!

Also, don't even get me started on how self-centered Cera was and how little she seemed to consider the situation they were in. I genuinely think she's one of the most annoying main characters I've ever encountered. At one point, I actually hoped the story would continue without her. I even considered DNFing the book because of the female protagonist. 😭

But once I got past the peak of my annoyance, the book actually got even better! I was impressed by the way everything unfolded.

One thing I wish there had been more of was elimination games. I felt there weren't enough of them, even though I believe they should have been the main focus of the story.

As for the ending, I have mixed feelings. I was gasping and completely captivated by every twist and turn. On the other hand, it didn't feel entirely satisfying, and I found some parts a little confusing.

Despite that, it was definitely a captivating read! 👀🔥

[Dannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

This was a book that really grew on me.

Going into it, I expected a dystopian romance, and in the beginning I struggled quite a bit with the pacing. The romance moved much faster than I personally prefer. Ryder and Cera have known each other for years, yet Cera’s feelings seemed to change dramatically over the course of only a couple of days, which made it difficult for me to fully invest in their relationship. I also found some of the supporting cast hard to keep track of early on, so a few of the deaths didn’t have the emotional impact they could have had.

That said, once the larger story started unfolding, I was hooked.

The Hallifax conspiracy, the government secrets, the resistance, and the gradual unraveling of how this society actually worked completely changed my reading experience. Every new reveal made me question what I thought I knew, and I found myself constantly trying to piece the mystery together. One of my favorite parts was how clues were sprinkled throughout the story—I even found myself making theories while reading, and it was incredibly satisfying when one of them paid off.

Ryder was easily my favorite character. He was compassionate, thoughtful, and consistently put others before himself, making him someone I rooted for from the beginning. And I have to give a special shout-out to Wyn, who completely stole my heart. She ended up being one of my favorite characters in the entire book.

By the end, this had evolved into something much bigger than the romance it initially appeared to be. It became a dystopian story filled with conspiracies, survival, ethical questions, and surprising twists. While I still think the romance and early pacing could have been stronger, the worldbuilding and mystery kept me turning the pages.

The ending definitely feels like it’s setting up a sequel, and after everything that was revealed, I’m interested to see where the story goes next.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Gabriela St. Luke and BookSirens for the eARC and opportunity to read Last Chance Match! 🖤📚

The premise of this book had me hooked instantly, and I couldn't wait to dive into this dystopian romance and discover the world of Calasca.

When Cera arrived at Last Chance Match, I immediately got Love Island vibes. It's not something I watch, but I know the basic idea! From the beginning there was a really eerie atmosphere that kept me questioning everything and everyone. Xenna constantly had me wondering what it was really thinking! 👀

Last Chance Match was brutal, unrelenting and unforgiving, with deception around every corner. Who do you trust? But throughout all the chaos and carnage, love still finds a way.🖤

Cera and Ryde knew each other from home, and although Cera doesn't have the highest opinion of Ryde, they soon come to rely on one another for survival. I did feel like Ryde's personality shifted a bit from how he treated her at home to how he treats her throughout the whole show! I wish we'd have gotten to know both MCs more in depth - I know there's more the Cera than her worrying about her sister and the finality of having her own death day sent to her.

I also wish we'd have spent a little longer on the show before the first challenge. I'd have liked to have gotten to know the other contestants more and hear their stories (whether they were true or not... 👀), I feel like the rest of the book would have been more impactful then as I'd have been more invested in the side characters.

For me personally, I wanted more of the world-building. In a dystopian romance I'd love a longer story and really get into discovering a new world. I'd have loved to learn more about the government and the different ways it controls its people, or simply to see more of the world. However, I understand that this particular story was focused on the Soulmateless and the dating show! The ending definitely leaves the door open for a second book, and I really hope there is one because I'd happily return to this world! 🖤📚

[Tiffany Solberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I am happy I was pick as an ARC reader. Below is my honest review:

I just finished reading Last Chance Match and I was really excited for this book. I love dystopian society books. I love a good lovers book within that society like the Divergent Series. I thought this book might have given those vibes. However, it gave me reality tv vibes about halfway through. I was kinda waiting for the other shoe to drop about halfway through because I felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over again. Then when I got toward the end it was like my other shoe walked off on its own. I was really disappointed with the ending. I thought it would lead on to the next books in the series a bit better, or even give better cliffhangers, but it made me feel like it was just a closer to the end of their love story and that the next book will be with different main characters. I think my critique would be to give a better “ohh my gosh” moment. Give something sticky to the readers that they will be talking about. I do have questions for how things did end, but they are not honestly not enough to make me want a second book right now. I could just make a conclusion in my head and be happy with the book as it is. For the middle part of the book, there was shocking moments, but I felt like it was dragged out too. I got the concept of what was happening after the first person died. I didn’t need many chapters explain more and more of it repeatedly. I think more of the dystopian society could have been also worked into the book. Outside characters could have gotten involved as it was just focused on one remote area with the “cast” members. I would have been more interested in that. I would love to go into more detail about that, but I don’t want to ruin the spoilers that this book does have. It is an okay read, but I was bored halfway through and was wanting more. That is why it gets 3 stars from me.

[Charl Ormond · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I actually got this as an arc from the author who sent me to book siren and I applied straight away… I loved the idea of a dystopian game show with love island inspired with a definite twist.

The story follows Cera who is a soulmateless, in this world people have their own soulmate at different levels and as she is turning thirty she doesn’t have one and is destined to die. So she randomly gets picked for a game show to find the one to DIE for….. so she and other contestants are taken to an island to find their soulmates… including our annoying customer Ryde.

The characters are interesting and you are interested to see what is going to happen to them….. I loooved Tolly the banter between him and Ryde was just amazing and was a proper bromance.

The story was so so fast paced and just was a unputdownable for me… I needed to know what was going to happen. The tests and challenges were so in detail and honestly gave some saw vibes… the first part was more building and setting the scene and then the first thing happened and honestly I was shocked I knew what I was getting into but it was brutal. And that just continued throughout.

The romance between Ryde and Cera I really enjoyed I could of done more of to be honest, but it was definitely he was into her from the start moment and she just needed to work out her own feelings and blinded by her own mind.

The robots honestly was very unique for me and kept it interesting and even though you kinda had the idea for the story kept throwing you curve balls throughout.

The ending wrapped up nicely for me to keep it as a standalone but also left it open to continue the series. As things were still left unresolved for me.

Absolutely great book, and something very different to what I have read before… love the idea of the game show and if you do want a very quick paced, love island and saw type short (could of been longer for me) book then this is for you

Thank you so much Gabriela I was so happy with this read and read it in a day not even a day a couple of hours 🤣

[Bethany Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book as an ARC. I really enjoyed the premise of this book - while I know there are dating show books out there in abundance, I actually havent read any, so if you have maybe this might not feel as unqiue to you.

The concept was great, I love the dystopian feel, I love the messed up governmental background. This was a really easy, fun read. Think dating show x Hunger Games.

I just think this book needed a little more polishing. There were a few times I had to reread a sentence to try to grasp what the author meant - things that could maybe we reworded more concisely. 

I have mixed feelings regarding pacing. On one hand, the fast pace allows you to really get hooked into the action of the book, and i loved this. However the action also needed to be a little more balanced with character development; A lot of the other characters I didnt really have enough information or time to grow attached to, and so when something happened to them didnt really feel that tug in my chest. Likewise, the characters didnt really have much time to realistically grow attached to each other and so when they go from strangers to supposedly fully fledged relationships it felt a bit rushed.

But that's the bits I wasnt sure on over. I really liked Ryde, and with that ending I really hope the second book dives into the mechanics of the government and the world they disapprove of so much. The pace at which these developments were uncovered in this book was perfect, and I wasnt expecting a single part of it. 

The writing allowed me to create a fantastic clear picture of the surroundings in my head, I can imagine the villa/pad, with each room, the robots and how they looked, talked and walked. I want to hug Wyn. 

The ending has me wanting more, and I will absolutely be reading the second book!

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this ARC. 

[Chantal B · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world were people without a soulmate are sentenced for death at 30, a television programme is introduced where contestants have a chance to find a partner, to find the one who's to die for. The winning 3 couples of Last Chance Match will be granted soulmatestatus and receive all the benefits that come with it.
Our mfc Cera's soulemateless extermination date is just announced when a robot comes for her to participate in Last Chance Match. The contestants are paired together with the best match of the selected pool and Cera ends up with Ryde, whom she can't stand.
There are some rules for example: matches sleep in one bed, they have to drink 3 full bottles of water a day and they can rematch when Xenna (the host bot) says so. Breaking the rules also means elimination.
After the first elimination round it is clear the programme isn't what they thought it to be.

First of all, thanks to Gabriela St Luke who send me this arc! Dystopian is my favorite genre and i was reallly enthusiastic when i read the blurb, so i was really happy to receive this arc (Yes i leave these review voluntarily)! And i was not dissapointed. I liked the story and i also liked the characters. Well.... not all of them... There's love, secrets, crime, more secrets and gore in this book and it all works together!

I was really curious where this story would go, especially with Ryde. But also the LCM-show, where would it go and what would the games be like. The twists and turns at the end are great and most of them i did not see coming.

I want to tell so much, but i don't want to spoil. Let me say you'll laugh, you'll be surprised, you'll be grossed out and yes you'll be mad or may even cry. Just read this book and lets hope she writes a second book, because with this ending there's a lot to go with (Also a prequel or novella about Wyn or Splyce would be nice).

[Rowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of this, I thought the concept of an assigned soulmate or death sounded pretty different. I struggled a bit more with the execution of it, I think some of this comes from having seen it described as like the hunger games, to me it didn't feel like that at all, but it did feel like a much less x-rated version of Enchantra.

I liked:

The ending, the twist that actually Ryde and FiFi already knew each other and were in on a plot to take down the system was quite cool

The opening scene was a fairly cool set up.

There were some warpy moments in the therapy sessions, and I thought the overall seeding that they were being drugged was done well.

I feel like I could have liked the romance between Cera and Ryde if the book was dual POV, I could see his longing for her.


However:

I really didn't like Cera, either as a character or as narrator. I was supposed to be rooting for her, but what she wanted was all over the place and she somehow just kept lucking out and then acting like she'd executed it.

I also didn't like how quick everyone was to blame Cera for everything, they were literally in a murder house, and she didn't actively do anything any of the times people suddenly hated her.

I hated how flip floppy people were.

I also wasn't a massive fan of the Robots, who firstly didn't act remotely like robots, but also they seemed to exist for the sake of it, there was no real reason for them.


Overall this was a quick, fairly fun read. Right now I'm not certain I'd pick up the second one when it's released, but I'll see how much this sticks with me.

[Kayleigh 2babesandabookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧪 BOOK/ REVIEW 🩸

📖: #LastChanceMatch
👩🏻: @gabrielastluke
📅: October 20, 2026
🌟: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚: Independently published (thank you for my #gifted #arc!)

🌴: Welcome to Last Chance Match, a government-funded dating show where finding your soulmate could literally save your life.In Calasca, anyone whose blood analysis fails to find them a match is executed at thirty. With only two months left, Cera is chosen to compete on the show and paired with Ryde—the arrogant and mysterious grandson of the late president. But when a contestant is killed by the show’s robot host, finding love quickly becomes a fight to survive.

✍️: The SECOND I saw this book on TikTok, I knew I needed to read it. Love Island meets Saw?! SAY LESS. 😂

I immediately applied for an ARC and ended up connecting with Gabriela, who is seriously the sweetest! We chatted throughout my entire read, which made the experience even more fun.

I LOVED this premise. The combination of a reality dating show, dystopian society, and deadly game was so unique, and the pacing kept me hooked. There was very little fluff; something was always happening, and I flew through it.

I also REALLY appreciated that this is a standalone. Sometimes I just want all the dystopian chaos without accidentally committing myself to three more books.

There were a few areas where I wanted a little more—particularly with the world-building and character development—which kept it from being a full five stars. But overall, this was such a fun, fast-paced, and bingeable read.

If you’re a Love Island fan who also happens to enjoy Saw, ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR. 👀️ Thank you @gabrielastluke for the ARC—and for listening to all of my thoughts along the way! 🖤

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