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The Matchup
The last thing Valerie wants or needs is to work for Gage, whom she loathed as a teen. But Valerie’s husband just walked out on her and she needs the job. Together they discover that when it comes to the Church and each other, it’s all about second chances. This sweet LDS romance will renew your faith in love and redemption.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2016
3 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
About the author
Laura L. Walker
21 books161 followersLaura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time Laura was young, she spent hours drawing characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero and they eventually became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. She is the author of two contemporary romances. Visit her at http://www.lauralwalker.com for updates and more.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 18, 2016
This is a companion novel to Pierced by Love but can stand alone. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous book make a few appearances.
Both Valerie and Gage have had a rough time of life and a chance meeting could put everything back on track--if Valerie can get over how horribly Gage treated her as a teenager and Gage can resolve his reservations about religion. I love the message of faith, redemption, forgiveness, and love that is hidden within these pages.
Sometimes, topics can be heavy--autism, divorce, inactivity in religion, trust issues, etc, but Ms. Walker tells the story in a way that comes across as hopeful and not depressing. The characters go through a lot of growth throughout their journeys and the result is causing the reader to feel some emotional attachment to them and to cheer them on. I appreciated that some of these harder situations were tackled and done in a very tasteful and encouraging way. I'm learning, as I go through my own life journey, that until you're actually experiencing a situation, it's really hard to feel true compassion and to steer away from judging. I loved that the people these characters encountered are real in their reactions and are also learning, therefore, they are not perfect.
Content: mild romance (nothing more than kissing and implied previous relationships); no violence or language; a lot of (heavy) religious references, specific to the LDS church. Clean!
*I received a copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Both Valerie and Gage have had a rough time of life and a chance meeting could put everything back on track--if Valerie can get over how horribly Gage treated her as a teenager and Gage can resolve his reservations about religion. I love the message of faith, redemption, forgiveness, and love that is hidden within these pages.
Sometimes, topics can be heavy--autism, divorce, inactivity in religion, trust issues, etc, but Ms. Walker tells the story in a way that comes across as hopeful and not depressing. The characters go through a lot of growth throughout their journeys and the result is causing the reader to feel some emotional attachment to them and to cheer them on. I appreciated that some of these harder situations were tackled and done in a very tasteful and encouraging way. I'm learning, as I go through my own life journey, that until you're actually experiencing a situation, it's really hard to feel true compassion and to steer away from judging. I loved that the people these characters encountered are real in their reactions and are also learning, therefore, they are not perfect.
Content: mild romance (nothing more than kissing and implied previous relationships); no violence or language; a lot of (heavy) religious references, specific to the LDS church. Clean!
*I received a copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
January 27, 2016
Gage and Valerie are each going through a rough patch and a chance meeting could bring major changes for both of them. They've known each other for years but Gage wasn't kind to Valerie when they were young. She needs to decide if she can put her feelings for him in the past and move forward.
They are both single parents and are dealing with different challenges because of that. Valerie has a son with autism. Her ex doesn't want anything to do with him but gladly takes their daughter and then won't keep his end of their agreement. Not too long ago, Gage found out he was a dad and then suddenly gained full custody of his son. He has a job that keeps him busy and isn't sure how he will be able to take care of a child.
Gage has also stopped going to church and it's important to Valerie that she date someone active in her faith. This is a book with a lot of religious references, specifically to the LDS faith. It's not a light, fluffy read but it's not overly heavy, either. I thought the author did a good job of keeping a balance so it didn't feel depressing, but rather hopeful. The characters were flawed and real and easy to relate to. If you enjoy a story about forgiveness and second chances, this book will appeal to you!
This book includes some characters from the author's first book, Pierced by Love, but it does stand on its own. Noelle and Pierce were the main characters in that book and they make a few appearances in this book, as well as other members of Pierce's family. It's five years since Noelle and Pierce's story so it was good to see how they were doing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
They are both single parents and are dealing with different challenges because of that. Valerie has a son with autism. Her ex doesn't want anything to do with him but gladly takes their daughter and then won't keep his end of their agreement. Not too long ago, Gage found out he was a dad and then suddenly gained full custody of his son. He has a job that keeps him busy and isn't sure how he will be able to take care of a child.
Gage has also stopped going to church and it's important to Valerie that she date someone active in her faith. This is a book with a lot of religious references, specifically to the LDS faith. It's not a light, fluffy read but it's not overly heavy, either. I thought the author did a good job of keeping a balance so it didn't feel depressing, but rather hopeful. The characters were flawed and real and easy to relate to. If you enjoy a story about forgiveness and second chances, this book will appeal to you!
This book includes some characters from the author's first book, Pierced by Love, but it does stand on its own. Noelle and Pierce were the main characters in that book and they make a few appearances in this book, as well as other members of Pierce's family. It's five years since Noelle and Pierce's story so it was good to see how they were doing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
January 21, 2016
3.5 stars
I first have to say that I liked this book much better than I liked the first book I read by this author. This is a companion novel to the first book, Pierced by Love, but it can stand alone. The main characters of these two books are brothers.
This is an LDS fiction book with some elements very specific to the LDS religion. If you aren't familiar with the LDS religion you may be a bit confused.
Valerie and Gage have a history. When they were young, Gage teased Valerie and hurt her. She hated him. Now they are all grown up and have a run in at the store. Their meeting is strained but after a few run in's, somehow Gage convinces Valerie that he needs her help with his son. Valerie is hesitant, but agrees.
Both Valerie and Gage are dealing with a lot in their personal lives. Big changes, hearts that are hurting and mixed feelings about each other. Despite all the personal drama, I never felt bogged down in it. The thread of hope was always there, pushing the characters forward. This is a story of forgiveness and faith. It is a story of finding your way back to God and family.
I first have to say that I liked this book much better than I liked the first book I read by this author. This is a companion novel to the first book, Pierced by Love, but it can stand alone. The main characters of these two books are brothers.
This is an LDS fiction book with some elements very specific to the LDS religion. If you aren't familiar with the LDS religion you may be a bit confused.
Valerie and Gage have a history. When they were young, Gage teased Valerie and hurt her. She hated him. Now they are all grown up and have a run in at the store. Their meeting is strained but after a few run in's, somehow Gage convinces Valerie that he needs her help with his son. Valerie is hesitant, but agrees.
Both Valerie and Gage are dealing with a lot in their personal lives. Big changes, hearts that are hurting and mixed feelings about each other. Despite all the personal drama, I never felt bogged down in it. The thread of hope was always there, pushing the characters forward. This is a story of forgiveness and faith. It is a story of finding your way back to God and family.
January 16, 2016
First impressions can be a hard thing to overcome. As a youth, Gage loved to torment Valerie. A fact that she has not forgotten over time. Now both are adults dealing with divorce and single parenthood. They find that they need each other to navigate the paths their lives have entered.
The book deals with the opportunity for second chances. It deals with healing and finding a way back to happiness and faith.
I enjoy Laura Walker's writing style. It is light and humorous. The book deals with some serious issues, but I didn't feel burdened. She handled them well and was able to get her point across in the story. The book does contain a lot of religious dialogue. The focus is on finding your way back after falling away.
The book deals with the opportunity for second chances. It deals with healing and finding a way back to happiness and faith.
I enjoy Laura Walker's writing style. It is light and humorous. The book deals with some serious issues, but I didn't feel burdened. She handled them well and was able to get her point across in the story. The book does contain a lot of religious dialogue. The focus is on finding your way back after falling away.
October 28, 2016
Laura L. Walker’s latest release, The Matchup, is about two single parents, Gage and Valerie struggling to take care of their lives and their kids. After several years they meet again at the grocery store. Will they wind up helping each other out and in the meantime fall in love, or will the past get in the way? This novel has themes of pain, loss, redemption and love. Filled with delightful and relatable characters, this fun, quick-read is a book readers will enjoy.
Genre: romance, LDS, Christian
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Publication date: January 12, 2016
Number of pages: 240
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 4 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media.
Genre: romance, LDS, Christian
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Publication date: January 12, 2016
Number of pages: 240
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 4 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media.
January 18, 2016
I liked Laura Walker's novel, Pierced by Love, so I was looking forward to reading this new one by her. I was honestly blown away by just how much I enjoyed it. I stayed up late to finish it, it was that good!
I liked Valerie and Gage. It was really fun that in the book, you get to hear both of their voices. It really puts the whole picture of the romance together for me. They're both single parents trying to get by. Valerie has two kids, Whitney and Justin. Justin is autistic and that makes everything just a little bit harder for Valerie. Gage has Zach, and due to his ex-wife dying in a car accident he's just become a full-time parent. When Gage runs into Valerie for the first time in years, he wants to try to help her out, while being helped as well. He works crazy hours for his job and needs someone to care for Zach while he's working. Valerie doesn't really want to have anything to do with Gage, he was unkind to her as a teenager, but recognizes that this is a great way to have a job but still be able to stay home with her kids.
I loved that both Gage and Valerie had things they needed to change. Valerie was stubborn and generally unwilling to take help from anyone. Gage was a rebellious teenager and needed to learn to get past things that had happened in his life many years before. I loved that they both wanted to put their kids first.
I loved the story line, it kept me interested until the end and even still wanting to know what happened to Valerie and Gage after the end. I loved that this was a cute, clean, fun romance. I didn't want to put it down!
I liked Valerie and Gage. It was really fun that in the book, you get to hear both of their voices. It really puts the whole picture of the romance together for me. They're both single parents trying to get by. Valerie has two kids, Whitney and Justin. Justin is autistic and that makes everything just a little bit harder for Valerie. Gage has Zach, and due to his ex-wife dying in a car accident he's just become a full-time parent. When Gage runs into Valerie for the first time in years, he wants to try to help her out, while being helped as well. He works crazy hours for his job and needs someone to care for Zach while he's working. Valerie doesn't really want to have anything to do with Gage, he was unkind to her as a teenager, but recognizes that this is a great way to have a job but still be able to stay home with her kids.
I loved that both Gage and Valerie had things they needed to change. Valerie was stubborn and generally unwilling to take help from anyone. Gage was a rebellious teenager and needed to learn to get past things that had happened in his life many years before. I loved that they both wanted to put their kids first.
I loved the story line, it kept me interested until the end and even still wanting to know what happened to Valerie and Gage after the end. I loved that this was a cute, clean, fun romance. I didn't want to put it down!
January 19, 2016
Life rarely goes as you plan. For Valerie she thought she was doing everything right, marrying a nice man who worked hard and shared her religious beliefs; but she soon discovered that he has very specific expectations as to how a wife should be. When their son is born with autism her husband gives up on her and her family all together.
Gage was not exactly the boy next door, rebelling from his beliefs and family as a teenager. With a quick Vegas wedding and unexpected son; things are quickly spiraling out of control. With time, Gage realizes he wants to turn his life around but doesn't know how.
When Gage has to call upon Valerie to help with his son, they begin to realize how much they need each other and can help each other grow.
This is a great clean book about second chances and dealing with challenges that arise in life. The main characters are LDS and this would definitely be considered a LDS fiction. The book moves at a great pace but then near the end seems to almost jump and speed up; I even turned back a page to ensure that I didn't miss anything. But overall I really did enjoy the book.
Gage was not exactly the boy next door, rebelling from his beliefs and family as a teenager. With a quick Vegas wedding and unexpected son; things are quickly spiraling out of control. With time, Gage realizes he wants to turn his life around but doesn't know how.
When Gage has to call upon Valerie to help with his son, they begin to realize how much they need each other and can help each other grow.
This is a great clean book about second chances and dealing with challenges that arise in life. The main characters are LDS and this would definitely be considered a LDS fiction. The book moves at a great pace but then near the end seems to almost jump and speed up; I even turned back a page to ensure that I didn't miss anything. But overall I really did enjoy the book.
January 14, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It is a LDS romantic novel. I usually only read nonfiction, but I loved this realistic fiction. It was fun to dive into the crazy lives of Gage and Valerie. I loved how Laura (the author) would switch off who was narrating the story. She made it distinct and I loved the characters and their personality. In this story, we find two broken people with trials weighing on their shoulders. Life can be so hard sometimes! But, there is always hope. I believe everything happens for a reason. This story is no exception. Gage and Valerie re-meet and they know it's more than just fate. God has a hand in all of our lives and I loved going through the adventure with them. I recommend "The Matchup" because you will come away with a sense of trusting Heavenly Father. Not only is it a fun and easy read, but you will realize that second chances are everything. Progression is real and it's never too late to turn your life around. Thank you to Laura for writing an incredible book.
March 5, 2016
This book tackles difficult topics including divorce, autism, and reactivation in the church, and manages still to be light and optimistic. This book is about second chances for happiness. Although I enjoyed the author's first book, I enjoyed this second book more as it seemed to have a better flow and the main characters were more developed.
January 27, 2016
Sweet clean romance with a more of a real life twist than just your typical romance. check out my blog post for the full review. :)
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June 27, 2024
This is SUCH a cute story.
August 5, 2016
I enjoyed this little follow-up story to Pierced by Love. Fun, clean LDS Romance.
January 26, 2021
Clean Second Chance Romance
This was a great story with interesting quirks. A son that he didn’t tell his family about for four years? I love Justin, since my oldest also has Autism, but he’s 18 now and doing fabulous! I absolutely remember the times people thought we were terrible parents, because his Autism was at a ten that day.
This was a great story with interesting quirks. A son that he didn’t tell his family about for four years? I love Justin, since my oldest also has Autism, but he’s 18 now and doing fabulous! I absolutely remember the times people thought we were terrible parents, because his Autism was at a ten that day.
July 15, 2019
3.5 stars
September 6, 2019
I randomly selected this book not knowing it was Christian LDS based. I am also of the same faith.
The book was a heartfelt easy read
The book was a heartfelt easy read
January 1, 2020
Romance, clean; CJCLDS themes
Ok read.
Ok read.
December 28, 2016
I liked this book better than I remember liking the first one in the series. The characters were dealing with real-life problems, and I felt that the author dealt with the issues pretty honestly. I did feel that a few of the loose ends got tied up a little too easily, though.
February 5, 2016
This is the story of second chances. Gage and Valerie know each other from when they were younger. The two meet up again years later both suffering from failed marriages. Valerie is struggling with raising her young autistic son. She feels very alienated by people who do not understand her son and his needs. Gage has just gain full custody of his son after his exwife's untimely death. He does not know what to do with his son who he has only spent time with on short weekends. The two end up helping each other out and in the process a relationship between them grows.
I enjoyed reading about the realistic challenges a parent faces with an austitic child. I loved how the story involved from friendship into love and how Gage wasn't perfect but the process he went through make him perfect for Valerie. I was half way through the book before I realized I had read Gage's brother Pierce's story in Pierced by Love another great book by Laura Walker. I enjoyed reading this book and loved it's message. I would highly recommend it to others. Thank you for a great book Laura Walker and please keep writing.
I enjoyed reading about the realistic challenges a parent faces with an austitic child. I loved how the story involved from friendship into love and how Gage wasn't perfect but the process he went through make him perfect for Valerie. I was half way through the book before I realized I had read Gage's brother Pierce's story in Pierced by Love another great book by Laura Walker. I enjoyed reading this book and loved it's message. I would highly recommend it to others. Thank you for a great book Laura Walker and please keep writing.
May 19, 2016
To be honest, coming into this premise, I didn't realize this book was a LDS romance nor did I know what LDS was. The blurb is very misleading 'cause I expected it to be a legitimate romance between rivals which then turned into a romantic relationship, but alas, this book was about something else entirely.
Though the subject was did touched upon a few times, it didn't really matter in the scheme of things. Both characters almost immediately became friends despite their past. Regardless of that, I really did enjoy this book. I love how dedicated the heroine was to her kids. And I loved that her son is autistic because I have an autistic brother who had indeed been diagnosed with mild autism! As for the Hero, he had some admirable moments but I didn't fall ~in love~ with him.
Like I said, I didn't even know what LDS was so I didn't get some of the religious terms so I skimmed a lot of pages. Overall, it's a 2 for me.
Though the subject was did touched upon a few times, it didn't really matter in the scheme of things. Both characters almost immediately became friends despite their past. Regardless of that, I really did enjoy this book. I love how dedicated the heroine was to her kids. And I loved that her son is autistic because I have an autistic brother who had indeed been diagnosed with mild autism! As for the Hero, he had some admirable moments but I didn't fall ~in love~ with him.
Like I said, I didn't even know what LDS was so I didn't get some of the religious terms so I skimmed a lot of pages. Overall, it's a 2 for me.
November 27, 2016
It is a beautifully written story of the realities of life adn how to get through them knowing we are not alone in our journey.
I have to admit I had a hard time reading this book. It was like she took bits and pieces from my entire life. It was real and it was as if I relived them. I also have an autistic child, whom I love dearly. If you would like to hear a special experience about him I would be glad to let tell you. I sent the story to chicken noodle soup for the soul special experience version but never heard back. I assumed it was declined. It's an experience I wanted to share with other parents of special needs children because it changed how I look at each and everyone including my own. It also strengthen to understand my place in his life.
I have to admit I had a hard time reading this book. It was like she took bits and pieces from my entire life. It was real and it was as if I relived them. I also have an autistic child, whom I love dearly. If you would like to hear a special experience about him I would be glad to let tell you. I sent the story to chicken noodle soup for the soul special experience version but never heard back. I assumed it was declined. It's an experience I wanted to share with other parents of special needs children because it changed how I look at each and everyone including my own. It also strengthen to understand my place in his life.
January 1, 2016
Overall this was a good story about two broken people coming together to build a life and family. This book is a good reminder that our past mistakes don't need to define us; we just need to be willing to learn, move on, and forgive.
If not for some of the simplistic/slightly holier-than-thou dialogue between some of the characters that, at times, made me want to reach into the book and throttle the characters, I'd probably give this a higher rating. Solid 3.5 stars though. Worth the read.
If not for some of the simplistic/slightly holier-than-thou dialogue between some of the characters that, at times, made me want to reach into the book and throttle the characters, I'd probably give this a higher rating. Solid 3.5 stars though. Worth the read.
November 22, 2016
Awesome!
I usually stay clear of the LDS romance genre because it usually comes across as cheesy. So it's been years since I've picked one up. Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised. I read the majority of the book in one day. The characters felt very real to me, and I had a lot of emotion going through me as I read about these two people's hardships. I'm so glad I read this, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
I usually stay clear of the LDS romance genre because it usually comes across as cheesy. So it's been years since I've picked one up. Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised. I read the majority of the book in one day. The characters felt very real to me, and I had a lot of emotion going through me as I read about these two people's hardships. I'm so glad I read this, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
February 6, 2017
This book was wonderful because it took characters that have aready been through life's difficulties and were growing together in a more mature way than the traditional young love stories. The challenges the characters dealt with were very real and it was great to read a story that was more true to life. It was a very sweet story! I also really appreciated that the book didn't end with the wedding, but continued the characters a little further in dealing with marital adjustments.
June 13, 2016
Like-able characters, story told from two viewpoints, very rooted in LDS culture. I cringe away from some LDS plotlines/authors, but this one was executed well. The characters grew and developed over the course of the book, and were believable, so that made it enjoyable to read.
January 21, 2016
I would rate this a 3.5 star. I liked it a lot better than Pierced By Love.
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March 21, 2017Sweet and engaging. Review to come.
February 1, 2016
I enjoyed this story about love and second chances. The relationship between Valerie and her son, Justin, felt especially honest and poignant.
February 17, 2016
Enjoyable story about learning to accept challenges in life and love those around you.
October 13, 2016
Has a little on how hard it is to be a mom to an autistic child
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews