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Perfect Match #2
Unlikely Match
Shelly White is a coding genius who has mastered the IT world but hasn’t quite mastered dating. While she searches for Ms. Right with the help of Samantha Monteiro’s matchmaking agency, Shelly embraces her inner nerd, and when one of her newest ideas turns into a creative goldmine, she hires PR exec Claire Moseley to help her professional dreams become reality. But is Claire the girl of her dreams in more ways than one?
Being raised by four brothers has made Claire tenacious. Her assignment to Shelly’s highprofile project focuses her desire to prove her worth, even though she secretly fears she’s out of her depth. And she absolutely, positively isn’t going to let her growing attraction to Shelly White derail her career.
When passions and ambitions overlap, Shelly and Claire must decide whether mixing business and pleasure can result in a perfect match.
Being raised by four brothers has made Claire tenacious. Her assignment to Shelly’s highprofile project focuses her desire to prove her worth, even though she secretly fears she’s out of her depth. And she absolutely, positively isn’t going to let her growing attraction to Shelly White derail her career.
When passions and ambitions overlap, Shelly and Claire must decide whether mixing business and pleasure can result in a perfect match.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2017
26 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Riley
19 books343 followersFiona Riley was born and raised in New England where she is a medical professional and part-time professor when she isn’t bonding with her laptop over words. She went to college in Boston and never left, starting a small business that takes up all of her free time, much to the dismay of her ever patient and lovely wife. When she pulls herself away from her work, she likes to catch up on the contents of her ever-growing DVR or take a walk with her dog.
Fiona’s love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a “real job.” Fiona found herself with a bachelor’s, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer. A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.
Fiona’s love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a “real job.” Fiona found herself with a bachelor’s, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer. A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 3, 2019
'NetGalley ARC provided by The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'
Exceptional story!
In this the second installment of the Miss Match series,Ms.Riley writes a sizzling slow burn romance between a coding genius looking for the one and a PR exec who does not believe in true love--nerdy chemistry on high alert--this book was all about female empowerment at its best because it reminds us the readers that perfect love is not 'one-size-fits-all' and that our imperfections are so often not what makes us right for whomever we fall in love with. This storyline is a standout romance with two people learning to trust each other while dealing with their own fears regarding family issues plus their own:- there were also great backstory involving both leads and the characters were nicely developed & defined but do not forget as usual,Ms.Riley's love scenes are joyously steamy,and her dialogue is refreshingly realistic. There are a few of the same revolving characters from the previous series(book#1) that was mixed into this story for good measure and it just help in completing their journey to find true love. In addition their is also plenty of humor and a blissful ending that i think will truly leave a smile on lots of readers faces. Highly recommend to everyone!
Exceptional story!
In this the second installment of the Miss Match series,Ms.Riley writes a sizzling slow burn romance between a coding genius looking for the one and a PR exec who does not believe in true love--nerdy chemistry on high alert--this book was all about female empowerment at its best because it reminds us the readers that perfect love is not 'one-size-fits-all' and that our imperfections are so often not what makes us right for whomever we fall in love with. This storyline is a standout romance with two people learning to trust each other while dealing with their own fears regarding family issues plus their own:- there were also great backstory involving both leads and the characters were nicely developed & defined but do not forget as usual,Ms.Riley's love scenes are joyously steamy,and her dialogue is refreshingly realistic. There are a few of the same revolving characters from the previous series(book#1) that was mixed into this story for good measure and it just help in completing their journey to find true love. In addition their is also plenty of humor and a blissful ending that i think will truly leave a smile on lots of readers faces. Highly recommend to everyone!
April 19, 2023
➥ 4.75 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
I'm an actual mess at the moment, but this was a pretty delightful book to be reading alongside chaos. In typical Riley fashion, I got exactly what I was looking for: a perfectly romantic and steamy sapphic romance. There's nothing I can do about these horrific covers other than assure you that Riley deserves better. Could this possibly have grown to be my new favourite Riley book? I think yes, and it couldn't have come at a better (more necessary) time.
Interestingly enough, I've noticed that Riley's work isn't necessarily linear in terms of personal preference. Although this is one of her older books, or even series, I think this one has been stronger and even more delightful than her newer series. It's like this one was closest to displaying all of Riley's strengths.
Firstly, I adored both characters. Shelly (h) and Claire (h) are introduced to each other by Samantha, and end up dancing together at a function. Can I just say that 1) I liked the name choices and 2) I loved the dancing scenes we got. The description of the leading and flow of it was done really well, and it was just so painfully romantic. These two hit it off and start seeing each other more often for work, but grow closer.
This was one of my only qualms, but as a reader we were told that Shelley and Claire just started to see each other more often at work and even after work, and I think those should have definitely been explicitly written moments. Especially considering the shorter length of this book, I could have done with having more time seeing the characters grow together, though the moments they did have were spectacular.
I could go on about this for hours. The was fucking life-changing, and I just think everything Riley writes is so tastefully done . What I particularly love is that no matter how many sex scenes there are, Riley makes each one just as sweet and romantic as the next. Sometimes, books translate sexy=freaky/kinky but these women are just so loving it kills me. There is not a single moment where they aren't trying to hold back from kissing their girl and I love it. They kiss gently and softly, they kiss hard and passionately, they hold the others face with tenderness, yet hold on tight to each other when it comes to that.
I can't get over how much I love the way that the sex scenes facilitate an extension of the love and real emotions they already feel for each other while still being hot, rather than being jarring scenes placed in just because that's what the media wants nowadays. That's never the case for Riley's work at all - always perfect.
They're everything. Their first kiss was a drawn out moment and made out to be significant which I really loved. I also loved the backgrounds for each of the characters, I felt there was a lot of depth to both of them. Shelly with her nerdy side (she went to MIT and gives Claire MIT shorts to wear the morning after 🤭💕) (I envisioned her with cute rectangular glasses and a thick messy blonde braid) and Claire the softball player (I envisioned her with a low, ginger messy bun). I felt they were both attractive in their own ways, which was pleasant since I tend to lean towards one love interest in sapphic romances. And of course Hedy, how could I forget the cat who had such a main-character complex. Love her all the same though. Shelly and Claire are such cat-moms.
Of course it wouldn't be a Riley book without her signature (🙄 -0.25) third-act conflict. But, though it was slightly frustrating, I found it to be ultimately gratifying and heartwarming. Of all the conflicts Riley has written, this one has bothered me the least. Both characters grovelled, and sufficiently in my opinion. Their getting back together was too cute, and Riley fucking served the steamy epilogue. I can't wait to see the future progression of their relationship through side characters' perspectives in the next book. I also enjoyed seeing Samantha and Lucinda again (the couple from the first book). All in all, an unsurprising yet no less delightful read from Riley once again 💘!
“Let’s get a little wet, Claire.” Shelly kissed her lips and took the hand Claire had resting on her hip in her own, leading her into the shower under the hot, streaming water.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
I'm an actual mess at the moment, but this was a pretty delightful book to be reading alongside chaos. In typical Riley fashion, I got exactly what I was looking for: a perfectly romantic and steamy sapphic romance. There's nothing I can do about these horrific covers other than assure you that Riley deserves better. Could this possibly have grown to be my new favourite Riley book? I think yes, and it couldn't have come at a better (more necessary) time.
Interestingly enough, I've noticed that Riley's work isn't necessarily linear in terms of personal preference. Although this is one of her older books, or even series, I think this one has been stronger and even more delightful than her newer series. It's like this one was closest to displaying all of Riley's strengths.
Firstly, I adored both characters. Shelly (h) and Claire (h) are introduced to each other by Samantha, and end up dancing together at a function. Can I just say that 1) I liked the name choices and 2) I loved the dancing scenes we got. The description of the leading and flow of it was done really well, and it was just so painfully romantic. These two hit it off and start seeing each other more often for work, but grow closer.
This was one of my only qualms, but as a reader we were told that Shelley and Claire just started to see each other more often at work and even after work, and I think those should have definitely been explicitly written moments. Especially considering the shorter length of this book, I could have done with having more time seeing the characters grow together, though the moments they did have were spectacular.
I could go on about this for hours. The was fucking life-changing, and I just think everything Riley writes is so tastefully done . What I particularly love is that no matter how many sex scenes there are, Riley makes each one just as sweet and romantic as the next. Sometimes, books translate sexy=freaky/kinky but these women are just so loving it kills me. There is not a single moment where they aren't trying to hold back from kissing their girl and I love it. They kiss gently and softly, they kiss hard and passionately, they hold the others face with tenderness, yet hold on tight to each other when it comes to that.
Shelly let out a pleased sigh and pressed her forehead against Claire's, her hands cupping Claire's face, kissing her slowly as Claire wrapped her arms around Shelly's waist and pulled her close.
They stayed like that for a moment, Shelly sinking into Claire's into Claire's embrace and seeming to get smaller on her lap as she tucked her head into Claire's neck.
Claire felt her heart swell at the way Shelly went from sexually charged to cuddly in a flash. She hoped it was because Shelly felt comfortable with her.
I can't get over how much I love the way that the sex scenes facilitate an extension of the love and real emotions they already feel for each other while still being hot, rather than being jarring scenes placed in just because that's what the media wants nowadays. That's never the case for Riley's work at all - always perfect.
“When Shelly sucked Claire’s earlobe into her hot mouth, Claire felt herself flush, everywhere. Shelly’s hands found Claire’s, stopping their rubbing motion up and down the front of her thighs and guiding them to the skin under her T-shirt. She pulled back from Claire’s ear long enough to take the glasses out of her hair and pull off her shirt in a slow, teasing fashion.”
They're everything. Their first kiss was a drawn out moment and made out to be significant which I really loved. I also loved the backgrounds for each of the characters, I felt there was a lot of depth to both of them. Shelly with her nerdy side (she went to MIT and gives Claire MIT shorts to wear the morning after 🤭💕) (I envisioned her with cute rectangular glasses and a thick messy blonde braid) and Claire the softball player (I envisioned her with a low, ginger messy bun). I felt they were both attractive in their own ways, which was pleasant since I tend to lean towards one love interest in sapphic romances. And of course Hedy, how could I forget the cat who had such a main-character complex. Love her all the same though. Shelly and Claire are such cat-moms.
Of course it wouldn't be a Riley book without her signature (🙄 -0.25) third-act conflict. But, though it was slightly frustrating, I found it to be ultimately gratifying and heartwarming. Of all the conflicts Riley has written, this one has bothered me the least. Both characters grovelled, and sufficiently in my opinion. Their getting back together was too cute, and Riley fucking served the steamy epilogue. I can't wait to see the future progression of their relationship through side characters' perspectives in the next book. I also enjoyed seeing Samantha and Lucinda again (the couple from the first book). All in all, an unsurprising yet no less delightful read from Riley once again 💘!
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
May 10, 2017
If you liked Fiona Riley’s debut novel, Miss Match, well you just have to read her second installment into the Perfect Match series. Riley brings us two adorable strong female leads that have an abundance of chemistry. I mean really what more does a romance need.
If you think back to Miss Match you remember that Lucinda was helping an adorable genius client of Samantha’s how to dance. Well, that client is now the main focus of Unlikely Match. Shelly White a lady version of Steve Jobs is looking for her true love. Shelly is an adorable character who reaches out and grabs your heart. She is dorky in the best possible ways. Her insecurities endear the reader to her. A female lead that is sexy, super smart and has a heart of gold is nothing to shake your finger at but seeing those little “imperfections” is absolutely adorable.
Out other main is Claire Moseley. Claire, also in Miss Match, was promoted by Lucinda to clean up some of the messes at Clear View. Clair leapfrogged some senior associates to become a PR and marketing executive and basically Lucinda’s right-hand woman. Claire is tenacious and competitive by nature. She has no no-nonsense approach to her job, she unequivocally knows that Luce went out on a limb and offered her a huge opportunity career-wise. In return, Claire works long hours and produces quality work time and time again, her loyalty to Clear View and her boss is endless. She is the ultimate workhorse. What she hasn’t had much luck in is meeting anyone special. Work takes precedence and she just hasn’t put herself out there in quite some time. That is till she is introduced to Shelly, and they begin working together on unrolling a few new products for the IT magnet. Shelly makes Claire want things she had put on the backburner. The only problem is dating a client is probably not the best idea career-wise.
This book is a true romance, built on two strong capable women and their journey to each other. The story is well crafted, as are the characters. They feel real. You read the book and feel as you could actually know women like this in real life. The best part is these two have chemistry in and out of the bedroom. Yay for that! I loved Riley’s first book and without a doubt took her writing up a notch. It was nice seeing Luce and Samantha together again, but the best part is those two dynamic characters stayed in the background and let Shelly and Claire be the true stars of this book. A really great read. I loved it! 4.25 stars
If you think back to Miss Match you remember that Lucinda was helping an adorable genius client of Samantha’s how to dance. Well, that client is now the main focus of Unlikely Match. Shelly White a lady version of Steve Jobs is looking for her true love. Shelly is an adorable character who reaches out and grabs your heart. She is dorky in the best possible ways. Her insecurities endear the reader to her. A female lead that is sexy, super smart and has a heart of gold is nothing to shake your finger at but seeing those little “imperfections” is absolutely adorable.
Out other main is Claire Moseley. Claire, also in Miss Match, was promoted by Lucinda to clean up some of the messes at Clear View. Clair leapfrogged some senior associates to become a PR and marketing executive and basically Lucinda’s right-hand woman. Claire is tenacious and competitive by nature. She has no no-nonsense approach to her job, she unequivocally knows that Luce went out on a limb and offered her a huge opportunity career-wise. In return, Claire works long hours and produces quality work time and time again, her loyalty to Clear View and her boss is endless. She is the ultimate workhorse. What she hasn’t had much luck in is meeting anyone special. Work takes precedence and she just hasn’t put herself out there in quite some time. That is till she is introduced to Shelly, and they begin working together on unrolling a few new products for the IT magnet. Shelly makes Claire want things she had put on the backburner. The only problem is dating a client is probably not the best idea career-wise.
This book is a true romance, built on two strong capable women and their journey to each other. The story is well crafted, as are the characters. They feel real. You read the book and feel as you could actually know women like this in real life. The best part is these two have chemistry in and out of the bedroom. Yay for that! I loved Riley’s first book and without a doubt took her writing up a notch. It was nice seeing Luce and Samantha together again, but the best part is those two dynamic characters stayed in the background and let Shelly and Claire be the true stars of this book. A really great read. I loved it! 4.25 stars
June 7, 2017
An enjoyable sequel, in the Perfect Match series. I really liked book 1, Miss Match. I'm happy to say that this book was almost as great. No sophomore slump here for Riley. This book could be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading Miss Match first. Not only is it a good story, but the two mains from that book, do play a role in this one. Reading the books in order, keeps the story flowing well.
This book is about Shelly and Claire, two characters we met briefly in Miss Match. Shelly is a well off, tech genius, but unlucky in love. Claire, works for Luce in PR, and thinks shes too busy to date. Match Maker Samantha, sets up a plan for Shelly and Claire to meet. Sparks fly when they meet, but a work relationship soon forms. Are they bound to stay work colleagues or has Samantha made another match?
I absolutely loved Shelly. She was a wonderful main character, who was instantly likeable. Claire, on the other hand, was a little so-so for me. Sometimes I liked her more than other times. The miscommunication/angst she contributed to, drove me nuts. But when Claire and Shelly were together, especially romantically or in intimate scenes, Claire was much more likeable.
What I really enjoyed about the book, was that while Shelly and Claire were the two mains, there was still some great scenes with Samantha and Luce. They were such a great lesfic couple, that I wanted more with them. I thought Riley did a good job of fitting all for characters into the book.
This series is easy for me to recommend. If you enjoyed Miss Match, you don't want to miss this book. If you are a romance fan and have not read Miss Match, go pick up a copy. Riley has made it onto my must read romance authors list.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
This book is about Shelly and Claire, two characters we met briefly in Miss Match. Shelly is a well off, tech genius, but unlucky in love. Claire, works for Luce in PR, and thinks shes too busy to date. Match Maker Samantha, sets up a plan for Shelly and Claire to meet. Sparks fly when they meet, but a work relationship soon forms. Are they bound to stay work colleagues or has Samantha made another match?
I absolutely loved Shelly. She was a wonderful main character, who was instantly likeable. Claire, on the other hand, was a little so-so for me. Sometimes I liked her more than other times. The miscommunication/angst she contributed to, drove me nuts. But when Claire and Shelly were together, especially romantically or in intimate scenes, Claire was much more likeable.
What I really enjoyed about the book, was that while Shelly and Claire were the two mains, there was still some great scenes with Samantha and Luce. They were such a great lesfic couple, that I wanted more with them. I thought Riley did a good job of fitting all for characters into the book.
This series is easy for me to recommend. If you enjoyed Miss Match, you don't want to miss this book. If you are a romance fan and have not read Miss Match, go pick up a copy. Riley has made it onto my must read romance authors list.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
March 7, 2020
☆ The copy provided by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. in exchange for an honest review.☆
It happened! I've been waiting and waiting and WaAAahhhhhh Fiona Riley blessed my gay life with the next installment of the Perfect Match series! I'd taken a break from lesfic reading for my own personal projects, so this was surely a welcomed treat back. Plus, it's an honor to be approved for my first Ever NetGalley review! Hope I don't eff this up!
Here, we follow Shelly White, a dynamo of a woman who's tech-brainish, a low-key gaming genius, gorgeous, and stylish to the point that I side-eyed my screen. She even has the sweetest cat in the world! Aaaaandddd she still can't find the love of her life. Ahh, I live for this.
On the other side of the romantic tracks is Claire, the femme-sporty love interest with a heart of gold and trust issues that (of course) break them apart for a bit. But, never fear! This story doesn't lack the lovey feels and you'll learn a few things, too. I'm quite fascinated in Fiona Riley's research, taking into account all these inventions mentioned--I'm intrigued! I want to buy a Rubik's cube now.
I love that the main story focuses on Shelly and Claire's chemistry as well as their personal obstacles--specifically, family. I ate up every single interaction of theirs, along with Samantha and Lucinda who show up time to time to out-perfect the entire cast. <3
The characters are feminine and fresh, everyone's professional and photoshop-lovely (not a bad thing). Just everything I look for when I wanna escape into lesbian fiction land.
If I had to drop some critique, it'd be about the dialogue. Some lines could flow more naturally, how people actually talk. At times, Claire's brothers sounded too similar in voice to the other characters. And they kind of...flirted with Claire? Idk, maybe I read it wrong.
Their sex scene was *sexy hand gesture that's probably cringey*. Very nice. I could've used more, even. Riley's very good at those. Details, yum.
Overall, a pleasant read! It didn't surpass Miss Match (an all-time fave), but I still purchased it because I've gotta support authors who are turning into favorites. ☆☆Four stars!☆☆
It happened! I've been waiting and waiting and WaAAahhhhhh Fiona Riley blessed my gay life with the next installment of the Perfect Match series! I'd taken a break from lesfic reading for my own personal projects, so this was surely a welcomed treat back. Plus, it's an honor to be approved for my first Ever NetGalley review! Hope I don't eff this up!
Here, we follow Shelly White, a dynamo of a woman who's tech-brainish, a low-key gaming genius, gorgeous, and stylish to the point that I side-eyed my screen. She even has the sweetest cat in the world! Aaaaandddd she still can't find the love of her life. Ahh, I live for this.
On the other side of the romantic tracks is Claire, the femme-sporty love interest with a heart of gold and trust issues that (of course) break them apart for a bit. But, never fear! This story doesn't lack the lovey feels and you'll learn a few things, too. I'm quite fascinated in Fiona Riley's research, taking into account all these inventions mentioned--I'm intrigued! I want to buy a Rubik's cube now.
I love that the main story focuses on Shelly and Claire's chemistry as well as their personal obstacles--specifically, family. I ate up every single interaction of theirs, along with Samantha and Lucinda who show up time to time to out-perfect the entire cast. <3
The characters are feminine and fresh, everyone's professional and photoshop-lovely (not a bad thing). Just everything I look for when I wanna escape into lesbian fiction land.
If I had to drop some critique, it'd be about the dialogue. Some lines could flow more naturally, how people actually talk. At times, Claire's brothers sounded too similar in voice to the other characters. And they kind of...flirted with Claire? Idk, maybe I read it wrong.
Their sex scene was *sexy hand gesture that's probably cringey*. Very nice. I could've used more, even. Riley's very good at those. Details, yum.
Overall, a pleasant read! It didn't surpass Miss Match (an all-time fave), but I still purchased it because I've gotta support authors who are turning into favorites. ☆☆Four stars!☆☆
July 24, 2017
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
I had every intention in the world to complete this book before it popped up for sale. And everything looked like I’d succeed. I was at 67% and had five days left. And I just stopped. For reasons. The most important one being that, while it is true I could easily have ‘powered through’ the end of the book, the last few percentage points, and then slapped up some quick review, I didn’t actually want to do that. I didn’t want to power through. I wanted to give this book a better chance to succeed with me. So I put it on pause. Still fully intending to complete the book before the 20th of June. So, here I am, the 24th of July and . . . well, I’ve finally restarted the book. And completed the last 33% in a few hours.
There were elements of the first book in the series that I enjoyed. Still, I didn’t like the book as much as I thought I would have, or as much as others did. So I had figured that it’d be a while before I tried another book by this author – I don’t stop reading after just one book. But then I spotted that this book here, and now I’m talking about ‘Unlikely Match’ not ‘Miss Match’, starred one of the characters who I thought was interesting in the first book, Shelly (plus another character from that book who hadn’t really made a massive impression on me – Claire). So I decided to go ahead and leap into another book by this author. Despite my somewhat tepid response to the first book.
Some of the problems that I had from the first book continued into the second. Namely the part where I still, no known reason why, had a massive amount of trouble keeping Lucinda and Samantha separate in my mind. Figuring out which was which. They just kind of merged in my mind. And quite frankly, they were kind of evil in this book, well Samantha was. In the old men from ‘Trading Places’ kind of evil. The ones who, as kind of a lark, manipulated two men into trading places for just a bet. I think the bet was for just a quarter at that. Why do I say that? Well, that’s what happened here, in a way – Samantha manipulated things to ‘force’ two people together who she thought would make a perfect match, despite how one of them never asked her to do so, and thought match making was stupid (or something like that) – and then that manipulation kind of continued, here or there, nudges, pokes, etc. And not just by Samantha. Shelly kind of got into that as well, maybe by accident. Like when Claire had come by to say that they can’t keep seeing each other because Shelly was Claire’s business client – and that got pushed aside by Shelly’s need to be close to Claire and hump her. But let’s move on from that.
I liked, for the most part, both Shelly and Claire in this book. They had some great scenes and dialogue, cute, sweet, humorous, touching. They also had some vaguely gross scenes, but that’s probably just me. I mean, maybe it’s just me that finds it kinda gross that someone would masturbate while thinking about the other woman and then – without in any way cleaning her hands, using that same hand that hand just been playing with herself, manipulating herself, gotten all slick and wet . . . that same uncleaned hand was then used to . . . . pet the cat. You know how cats keep themselves clean? By running their tongue over their body. I’m becoming vaguely nauseated as I’m mention this issue. So, I can’t continue. Please draw the correct conclusions as to what would happen next after basically wiping your pussy juices all over your furry cat who keeps themselves clean by use of their tongue.
Right, sorry. I had meant that paragraph to go ‘For the most part, I liked the two main characters in this book, Shelly and Claire, and, again for the most part, enjoyed their story. The thing that caused me to take a break for a month? Lucinda and Samantha. Why did they have to be in this book? They ruined things for me. I didn’t want to ‘break away from the action’ to go and visit them, who seemed to spend most of their time being lovey-dovey and dancing while planning a . . . big event (is that event a spoiler? I forget now, so I be vague).’
So: 1) liked Shelly and Claire; 2) liked Hedy the squeaking purring fur-ball cat; 3) there was sex, it was graphic, and occasionally it was gross (see my comment regarding cat earlier). AND 4) it did actually help me like this book more by giving myself time to pause and then restart. Maybe I didn’t really need a month pause, maybe I did.
Last thought: so the third book in this series involves the firefighter, Sasha, who has appeared, briefly, in this book here (and might have appeared in the first book). Hmm. She was kind of described as being strong and butchy looking. Why is the woman holding the fire-extinguisher on the cover wearing a tiny red dress and wearing high-heels? Right, sorry, I’m probably wrong in my recollections, and/or that’s supposed to be Abby holding Sasha’s fire-extinguisher. Oh, right, was going to say: I’m less excited about reading Sasha’s story.
Rating: 3.75 (which is an almost full star increase from my rating for the first book in the series)
July 24 2017
I had every intention in the world to complete this book before it popped up for sale. And everything looked like I’d succeed. I was at 67% and had five days left. And I just stopped. For reasons. The most important one being that, while it is true I could easily have ‘powered through’ the end of the book, the last few percentage points, and then slapped up some quick review, I didn’t actually want to do that. I didn’t want to power through. I wanted to give this book a better chance to succeed with me. So I put it on pause. Still fully intending to complete the book before the 20th of June. So, here I am, the 24th of July and . . . well, I’ve finally restarted the book. And completed the last 33% in a few hours.
There were elements of the first book in the series that I enjoyed. Still, I didn’t like the book as much as I thought I would have, or as much as others did. So I had figured that it’d be a while before I tried another book by this author – I don’t stop reading after just one book. But then I spotted that this book here, and now I’m talking about ‘Unlikely Match’ not ‘Miss Match’, starred one of the characters who I thought was interesting in the first book, Shelly (plus another character from that book who hadn’t really made a massive impression on me – Claire). So I decided to go ahead and leap into another book by this author. Despite my somewhat tepid response to the first book.
Some of the problems that I had from the first book continued into the second. Namely the part where I still, no known reason why, had a massive amount of trouble keeping Lucinda and Samantha separate in my mind. Figuring out which was which. They just kind of merged in my mind. And quite frankly, they were kind of evil in this book, well Samantha was. In the old men from ‘Trading Places’ kind of evil. The ones who, as kind of a lark, manipulated two men into trading places for just a bet. I think the bet was for just a quarter at that. Why do I say that? Well, that’s what happened here, in a way – Samantha manipulated things to ‘force’ two people together who she thought would make a perfect match, despite how one of them never asked her to do so, and thought match making was stupid (or something like that) – and then that manipulation kind of continued, here or there, nudges, pokes, etc. And not just by Samantha. Shelly kind of got into that as well, maybe by accident. Like when Claire had come by to say that they can’t keep seeing each other because Shelly was Claire’s business client – and that got pushed aside by Shelly’s need to be close to Claire and hump her. But let’s move on from that.
I liked, for the most part, both Shelly and Claire in this book. They had some great scenes and dialogue, cute, sweet, humorous, touching. They also had some vaguely gross scenes, but that’s probably just me. I mean, maybe it’s just me that finds it kinda gross that someone would masturbate while thinking about the other woman and then – without in any way cleaning her hands, using that same hand that hand just been playing with herself, manipulating herself, gotten all slick and wet . . . that same uncleaned hand was then used to . . . . pet the cat. You know how cats keep themselves clean? By running their tongue over their body. I’m becoming vaguely nauseated as I’m mention this issue. So, I can’t continue. Please draw the correct conclusions as to what would happen next after basically wiping your pussy juices all over your furry cat who keeps themselves clean by use of their tongue.
Right, sorry. I had meant that paragraph to go ‘For the most part, I liked the two main characters in this book, Shelly and Claire, and, again for the most part, enjoyed their story. The thing that caused me to take a break for a month? Lucinda and Samantha. Why did they have to be in this book? They ruined things for me. I didn’t want to ‘break away from the action’ to go and visit them, who seemed to spend most of their time being lovey-dovey and dancing while planning a . . . big event (is that event a spoiler? I forget now, so I be vague).’
So: 1) liked Shelly and Claire; 2) liked Hedy the squeaking purring fur-ball cat; 3) there was sex, it was graphic, and occasionally it was gross (see my comment regarding cat earlier). AND 4) it did actually help me like this book more by giving myself time to pause and then restart. Maybe I didn’t really need a month pause, maybe I did.
Last thought: so the third book in this series involves the firefighter, Sasha, who has appeared, briefly, in this book here (and might have appeared in the first book). Hmm. She was kind of described as being strong and butchy looking. Why is the woman holding the fire-extinguisher on the cover wearing a tiny red dress and wearing high-heels? Right, sorry, I’m probably wrong in my recollections, and/or that’s supposed to be Abby holding Sasha’s fire-extinguisher. Oh, right, was going to say: I’m less excited about reading Sasha’s story.
Rating: 3.75 (which is an almost full star increase from my rating for the first book in the series)
July 24 2017
May 21, 2017
Firstly I just want to say I have been waiting for this novel since the day I put down ‘Miss Match’ last year and when ‘Unlikely Match’ appeared in my Kindle last week I found my copy of Miss Match and started from the beginning.
Firstly I would advise anyone finding the perfect match series for the first time to start with book one ‘Miss Match’. The link to my review is below:
https://lesreveur.com/2016/11/24/miss...
Firstly, Samantha and Lucinda are planning their big day and with their normal elegance and type you will have come to expect from the first novel. If I wasn’t already totally rapt by these two, the second book just adds to my fascination. Samantha and Lucinda will always be the 'Original Perfect Match' for me.
We met Shelly in the first book where she had enlisted Samantha's services as her Professional Match Maker and Lucinda's services as her dance instructor to help boost her confidence with women. Shelly cracks me up with her geeky prowess, it make her sweet but really sexy at same time!
If you have read my previous reviews… yes you’ve guessed it I have a thing for geeks, I find them cute, endearing and ultimately sexy as hell! It's the quiet reserved types you have to watch out for after all and Shelly definitely falls into that ‘watch out for’ category.
Enter Claire.
She played a small role in the 'Miss Match' too as Lucinda's employee at Clear View and soon becomes part of an orchestrated idea by Samantha to set these two women up. Samantha see’s a connection between the two straight away and begins to facilitate Shelly’s role in winning Claire's heart.
Its a beautifully told story of two abandoned souls finding each other and discovering what it feels like to find your soul mate.
The novel was written from the point of view of both Shelly and Claire, with short chapters with Samantha and Lucinda’s point of view which was extremely valuable to the story and also gave the reader a chance to still be a part of the original couples romance. The pace was excellent and it at no point did I feel like it was dragging. Fiona Riley has an almost seamless way of setting the scene and introducing the main characters for the next novel that should be complemented. She links all the books beautifully and I am extremely excited for the third novel ‘Strike a Match’ that will be released November 2017.
Firstly I would advise anyone finding the perfect match series for the first time to start with book one ‘Miss Match’. The link to my review is below:
https://lesreveur.com/2016/11/24/miss...
Firstly, Samantha and Lucinda are planning their big day and with their normal elegance and type you will have come to expect from the first novel. If I wasn’t already totally rapt by these two, the second book just adds to my fascination. Samantha and Lucinda will always be the 'Original Perfect Match' for me.
We met Shelly in the first book where she had enlisted Samantha's services as her Professional Match Maker and Lucinda's services as her dance instructor to help boost her confidence with women. Shelly cracks me up with her geeky prowess, it make her sweet but really sexy at same time!
If you have read my previous reviews… yes you’ve guessed it I have a thing for geeks, I find them cute, endearing and ultimately sexy as hell! It's the quiet reserved types you have to watch out for after all and Shelly definitely falls into that ‘watch out for’ category.
Enter Claire.
She played a small role in the 'Miss Match' too as Lucinda's employee at Clear View and soon becomes part of an orchestrated idea by Samantha to set these two women up. Samantha see’s a connection between the two straight away and begins to facilitate Shelly’s role in winning Claire's heart.
Its a beautifully told story of two abandoned souls finding each other and discovering what it feels like to find your soul mate.
The novel was written from the point of view of both Shelly and Claire, with short chapters with Samantha and Lucinda’s point of view which was extremely valuable to the story and also gave the reader a chance to still be a part of the original couples romance. The pace was excellent and it at no point did I feel like it was dragging. Fiona Riley has an almost seamless way of setting the scene and introducing the main characters for the next novel that should be complemented. She links all the books beautifully and I am extremely excited for the third novel ‘Strike a Match’ that will be released November 2017.
June 26, 2017
I love romance books and I loved "Miss Match" Fiona Riley's first novel but I realize that although I liked this book, I am becoming tired of the same formula: girl meets girl and they fall in love. However this book has very good points, such as Shelly and Claire's chemistry, and there are some hot scenes. As well as how the previous characters, Lucinda and Samantha, are planning their wedding and help to the build main characters' story.
June 7, 2017
Two women with minor roles in Miss Match are the willing and not so willing projects of matchmaker Samantha Luce in this second novel in the Perfect Match series. This is a sweet, funny romance featuring strong women with fascinating careers and personal lives easy to imagine thanks to the talented Fiona Riley.
Shelly White is a geeky tech wizard hoping dance lessons with Lucinda Moss will pull her out of her (ahem) shell and give her the confidence to date the women she meets at mixers run by Perfect Match. She has a cat she loves, a father she endures, and a thriving business but longs for the chance to meet a special someone to make her life complete.
Claire Moseley has recently been promoted to a senior executive position in the public relations firm owned by Moss. She is driven to succeed both in the workplace and in her personal life where she competes with her brothers at everything from softball to winning the race for the preferred shower facilities at her family home. She has no time for serious relationships and thinks dating services are a joke.
I loved almost everything in this novel. The pacing is great, the character depth is off the charts. Their relationship builds slowly and the reader gets to savour all those little moments that make for a wonderful romance. Nothing instalove about these two. My only negative is how painful the expected bump in their road to love felt to this reader. That may be the biggest compliment to the writer’s talents because I was so invested in this couple I was unwilling to have anything ruin their HEA.
4.5 stars
ARC received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
Shelly White is a geeky tech wizard hoping dance lessons with Lucinda Moss will pull her out of her (ahem) shell and give her the confidence to date the women she meets at mixers run by Perfect Match. She has a cat she loves, a father she endures, and a thriving business but longs for the chance to meet a special someone to make her life complete.
Claire Moseley has recently been promoted to a senior executive position in the public relations firm owned by Moss. She is driven to succeed both in the workplace and in her personal life where she competes with her brothers at everything from softball to winning the race for the preferred shower facilities at her family home. She has no time for serious relationships and thinks dating services are a joke.
I loved almost everything in this novel. The pacing is great, the character depth is off the charts. Their relationship builds slowly and the reader gets to savour all those little moments that make for a wonderful romance. Nothing instalove about these two. My only negative is how painful the expected bump in their road to love felt to this reader. That may be the biggest compliment to the writer’s talents because I was so invested in this couple I was unwilling to have anything ruin their HEA.
4.5 stars
ARC received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
March 11, 2019
Another interesting read and enjoyable sequel. Loved the strong lady leads - Shelly and Claire. Shelly, socially awkward business owner who seek assistance from Samantha to find ‘her person’ and whom she inevitably found in Claire after some nudging from Sam.
Samantha and Lucinda make a few appearances and boy are they HOT and oh sooo sensuous. The scene where Sam was trying to determine Claire’s sexuality had me chuckling and those sitting besides me leering my way ;))
Another sweet love story and if you do enjoy reading Miss Match, chances are you would enjoy Unlikely Match as well!
Ratings: 4.25 ⭐️
Samantha and Lucinda make a few appearances and boy are they HOT and oh sooo sensuous. The scene where Sam was trying to determine Claire’s sexuality had me chuckling and those sitting besides me leering my way ;))
Another sweet love story and if you do enjoy reading Miss Match, chances are you would enjoy Unlikely Match as well!
Ratings: 4.25 ⭐️
July 13, 2017
“Unlikely Match” is Book Two in the “Perfect Match” series, the sequel to “Miss Match”. I loved “Miss Match”, and rated it 5* in November 2016. I’ve really been looking forward to the audiobook of “Unlikely Match”, as it is the story of two very likable characters introduced in “Miss Match” - socially anxious computer genius Shelly White and up-and-coming PR executive Claire Moseley.
Well, sort of. Claire is very much the character introduced in “Miss Match”. (Yes, the third MC named “Claire” in a book within the last two weeks!).
Shelly is likable, but is so far removed from her “Miss Match” character that I had a difficult time enjoying the book as much as I've anticipated I would. If you don’t read the first book, and read this book - it’s easily a high 4* book, and probably would even rate 5*.
But here, Shelly is introduced as
Huh? The girl who stuttered when faced with talking to a cute girl, who had to be taught by Samantha how to have dinner with a girl, how to dress and wear makeup is now described as a player who just went to Samantha for help settling down??? In “Unlikely Match”, Shelly is gorgeous, confident, super rich, drives a fancy car, lives in a mansion, knows how to dress so well that she no longer needs a personal shopper, has great abs because she’s uber fit from playing racquetball…etcetera etcetera. I really wish the book featured the Shelly from “Miss Match”. She and Claire would, indeed, have been an unlikely match, and that would have been a great story.
Here, Shelly and Claire are a very very likely match. Both are likable, successful women who are attracted to each other. Claire is nervous about mixing business with pleasure, and the impact that could have on her career - not knowing that her boss Lucinda knows that Shelly and Claire were set up to meet and encouraged to date by Lucinda’s fiancée Samantha, the matchmaker.
Claire’s angst was overblown, but most of the book was syrupy sweet. Family members are humorous and Hedy the cat is terrific. The work drama was uninspired. The buildup of lust was done well, and the explicit scenes, though few, were very enjoyable.
The narrator did a very nice job, though as in “Miss Match”, her cadence was sometimes stiff, or artificial. It was also nice, and somewhat artificial, to be presented with a new vocabulary word:
All-in-all, listening to the book was like watching two friends meet IRL, date, argue and end up together during a period of a few months. It was nice, by the way, that this book didn’t drag things out for years or decades as so many books have been doing lately! It was also nice that Samantha and Lucinda are featured as much as they are. 3.5* for the story with Shelly’s transformed characterization - rounded to 4*, as I do recommend it - you’ll like the book, especially if you can adjust to Shelly better than I could.
Well, sort of. Claire is very much the character introduced in “Miss Match”. (Yes, the third MC named “Claire” in a book within the last two weeks!).
Shelly is likable, but is so far removed from her “Miss Match” character that I had a difficult time enjoying the book as much as I've anticipated I would. If you don’t read the first book, and read this book - it’s easily a high 4* book, and probably would even rate 5*.
But here, Shelly is introduced as
”Though a geek, Shelly never had a problem getting one night stands…finding a life partner is where she needed help.”
Huh? The girl who stuttered when faced with talking to a cute girl, who had to be taught by Samantha how to have dinner with a girl, how to dress and wear makeup is now described as a player who just went to Samantha for help settling down??? In “Unlikely Match”, Shelly is gorgeous, confident, super rich, drives a fancy car, lives in a mansion, knows how to dress so well that she no longer needs a personal shopper, has great abs because she’s uber fit from playing racquetball…etcetera etcetera. I really wish the book featured the Shelly from “Miss Match”. She and Claire would, indeed, have been an unlikely match, and that would have been a great story.
Here, Shelly and Claire are a very very likely match. Both are likable, successful women who are attracted to each other. Claire is nervous about mixing business with pleasure, and the impact that could have on her career - not knowing that her boss Lucinda knows that Shelly and Claire were set up to meet and encouraged to date by Lucinda’s fiancée Samantha, the matchmaker.
Claire’s angst was overblown, but most of the book was syrupy sweet. Family members are humorous and Hedy the cat is terrific. The work drama was uninspired. The buildup of lust was done well, and the explicit scenes, though few, were very enjoyable.
The narrator did a very nice job, though as in “Miss Match”, her cadence was sometimes stiff, or artificial. It was also nice, and somewhat artificial, to be presented with a new vocabulary word:
Shelly “let her brain perseverate on the sensations of the liquid sliding down her throat” as she sipped bourbon while collecting her thoughts
All-in-all, listening to the book was like watching two friends meet IRL, date, argue and end up together during a period of a few months. It was nice, by the way, that this book didn’t drag things out for years or decades as so many books have been doing lately! It was also nice that Samantha and Lucinda are featured as much as they are. 3.5* for the story with Shelly’s transformed characterization - rounded to 4*, as I do recommend it - you’ll like the book, especially if you can adjust to Shelly better than I could.
April 1, 2019
Fiona Riley is officially one of my favorite authors. I just love her characters. There was chemistry, and a lovely romance between Shelley and Clair. We also had some nice scenes with Samantha and Lucinda from book one. My one quibble with this book was the business part of Shelley's story seemed interesting, but wasn't covered in much detail. It seems unfair to criticize Riley because I want more, more, more of her writing. :)
August 3, 2018
This is the second book by this author and another installment on the Perfect Match series which I recommend to read in chronological order. I found it as entertaining and fun to read as the previous one. Ms. Riley knows how to write a great story with a balanced amount of romance, humour, angst and hot scenes. She is seriously becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre.
This is the story of Shelly, a nerdy but lovable computer genius, and Claire, a PR and marketing executive hired by Shelly's firm. Soon the working relationship develops into something more but their budding relationship finds some bumps in the road... This is a very condensed description and there is so much more to this book. First, the main characters are multilayered, lovable and have an incredible chemistry. The secondary characters are very well described and functional to the plot, including Shelly's cat. As a bonus, the book catches up with the relationship between Samantha and Lucinda from the previous book. Overall, the story flows seamlessly making it believable and realistic. It's fun and enjoyable to read. 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
This is the story of Shelly, a nerdy but lovable computer genius, and Claire, a PR and marketing executive hired by Shelly's firm. Soon the working relationship develops into something more but their budding relationship finds some bumps in the road... This is a very condensed description and there is so much more to this book. First, the main characters are multilayered, lovable and have an incredible chemistry. The secondary characters are very well described and functional to the plot, including Shelly's cat. As a bonus, the book catches up with the relationship between Samantha and Lucinda from the previous book. Overall, the story flows seamlessly making it believable and realistic. It's fun and enjoyable to read. 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
July 11, 2017
Loved it!
I have been patiently waiting for this book to be released. I loved the first one but after reading this one, i think i love this one more. Shelly and Claire were very likable and they made sense together. Nothing was too dramatic or over the top about the romance or the "fall out," which made me like it more...it felt kinda real. I also am a fan of series books that have previous characters like Lucinda and Samantha but they are not main characters. Those two probably took up 25% of the book and 75% of that involved the two main characters. I cannot wait for the next one.
I have been patiently waiting for this book to be released. I loved the first one but after reading this one, i think i love this one more. Shelly and Claire were very likable and they made sense together. Nothing was too dramatic or over the top about the romance or the "fall out," which made me like it more...it felt kinda real. I also am a fan of series books that have previous characters like Lucinda and Samantha but they are not main characters. Those two probably took up 25% of the book and 75% of that involved the two main characters. I cannot wait for the next one.
October 18, 2020
This is my second Fiona Riley reading experience in addition to it being the second of the Perfect Match series. They're such enjoyable books. In this, coding genius Shelly White from book one gets her own story and it was great seeing how much she'd grown from a shy, geeky woman with little confidence to a successful, attractive entrepreneur. After working on a new app that promises to be a game changer in the industry, Shelly hires PR Exec Claire Moseley to help her market it. One potential conflict of interest with a love match is that Claire works for Lucinda, Shelly's professional matchmaker Samantha's girlfriend. Samantha was hired by Shelly in book one, Miss Match, to help her find Ms. Right and though she had some successful dates, she hadn't found The One. Samantha recognizes that Claire seems to be perfect for Shelly, so arranges for both of them to be at the same event to see if sparks fly.
What a great idea to have a series of books where a matchmaker sets up professional people to find their ideal mate! Lots of potential there. Shelly and Claire's story - though not without challenges - is sweet, fun and very sexy. I loved the humor and light angst and found I was really rooting for the two to get together. Many swoon-worthy moments in this read. Looking forward to the third one - Strike a Match - and more from Riley in general!
What a great idea to have a series of books where a matchmaker sets up professional people to find their ideal mate! Lots of potential there. Shelly and Claire's story - though not without challenges - is sweet, fun and very sexy. I loved the humor and light angst and found I was really rooting for the two to get together. Many swoon-worthy moments in this read. Looking forward to the third one - Strike a Match - and more from Riley in general!
September 18, 2020
I liked the second book in this series too. Perfect read for a lazy day at the water.
May 15, 2018
This is second in a series and the couple from the first play a big role in this one. Also, you meet both main characters in this story in the previous as well. So you're probably better off reading in order. Plus, the first is better so skipping is just hurting yourself.
I attached pretty strongly to Shelly right from the start. Scratch that, I attached to her in the first book and this one just deepened my engagement. She's sweet, capable, and does her best to help those around her in a way that avoids taking over their lives (which she could easily do with her resources, both mental and fiscal).
Claire, on the other hand, not so much. I liked Claire better in the first book when she was just an eager new executive trying (and succeeding) to impress the boss. The author chose Claire to be the impediment to their relationship, though, and did it with a nonsensical dose of negative motivation*. I mean, it's one thing to be motivated not to do something. But Claire is actively "afraid of love". And Riley didn't bother giving us justification or reason and simply made it so.
Anyway, when the inevitable stupid happens and Claire . And when Shelly it made me lose patience with her, too. I skated to the end on inertia because it was so close. But I didn't enjoy it.
I'm giving this 2½ stars that I'm rounding to three on the strength of Shelly. She was a delight to be with and Claire can go suck eggs.
A note about Steamy: Like the first, there's lots of explicit sex in this one. Not quite as much but it felt like a lot. It's actually hard to count in this one because I tend to roll those that are only separated by a bit of intimacy-reinforcing stage direction and dialogue into a single scene. Only in this, there are three separate instances joined by two short interludes that went on for chapters. So I'd normally roll those into one but they were big/long enough to resist that. By that count, there are only two (with, again, the final in the epilogue, which I still assert is weird). Anyway, all of that to say that it's the high end of my steam tolerance even though it was easy to skim through.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
I attached pretty strongly to Shelly right from the start. Scratch that, I attached to her in the first book and this one just deepened my engagement. She's sweet, capable, and does her best to help those around her in a way that avoids taking over their lives (which she could easily do with her resources, both mental and fiscal).
Claire, on the other hand, not so much. I liked Claire better in the first book when she was just an eager new executive trying (and succeeding) to impress the boss. The author chose Claire to be the impediment to their relationship, though, and did it with a nonsensical dose of negative motivation*. I mean, it's one thing to be motivated not to do something. But Claire is actively "afraid of love". And Riley didn't bother giving us justification or reason and simply made it so.
Anyway, when the inevitable stupid happens and Claire . And when Shelly it made me lose patience with her, too. I skated to the end on inertia because it was so close. But I didn't enjoy it.
I'm giving this 2½ stars that I'm rounding to three on the strength of Shelly. She was a delight to be with and Claire can go suck eggs.
A note about Steamy: Like the first, there's lots of explicit sex in this one. Not quite as much but it felt like a lot. It's actually hard to count in this one because I tend to roll those that are only separated by a bit of intimacy-reinforcing stage direction and dialogue into a single scene. Only in this, there are three separate instances joined by two short interludes that went on for chapters. So I'd normally roll those into one but they were big/long enough to resist that. By that count, there are only two (with, again, the final in the epilogue, which I still assert is weird). Anyway, all of that to say that it's the high end of my steam tolerance even though it was easy to skim through.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
June 11, 2017
This is the second book in the series by Riley. The first is ‘Miss Match’ which was published last year. I thought this book was charming, friendly and fun. The second book has many of the same characters, and is better read after the first.
In the first book, Samantha runs a dating agency. She was trying to find a partner for her geeky, awkward genius of a client, Shelly. Part of this is about re-socialising Shelly, which included dancing lessons from Lucinda, who runs a PR company and teaches dance in her spare time.
In this book, Samantha realizes that Claire, a PR specialist working for Lucinda, might be a perfect match for Shelly. But how to get them in the same room, when Claire thinks that dating agencies are a waste of time? Even presuming they’re going to get on, it will become complicated if Claire picks up Shelly as a client.
Riley has a light touch with her characters. The main characters in this book, Shelly and Claire, are well written and there is a lovely sense of them both, even though they are quite distinct. What Riley does so well is create characters who are very likeable, and I could easily see how they would like each other’s company.
There was a patch of conflict between the main characters, and I thought the resolution of this was a bit quick and a bit shallow. It was the only wrong note in the development of the relationship though. I liked how the characters gradually got to know one another, and depend on one another.
It was fun to be in their company, and it was a lovely, light book to read. Enjoy.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
In the first book, Samantha runs a dating agency. She was trying to find a partner for her geeky, awkward genius of a client, Shelly. Part of this is about re-socialising Shelly, which included dancing lessons from Lucinda, who runs a PR company and teaches dance in her spare time.
In this book, Samantha realizes that Claire, a PR specialist working for Lucinda, might be a perfect match for Shelly. But how to get them in the same room, when Claire thinks that dating agencies are a waste of time? Even presuming they’re going to get on, it will become complicated if Claire picks up Shelly as a client.
Riley has a light touch with her characters. The main characters in this book, Shelly and Claire, are well written and there is a lovely sense of them both, even though they are quite distinct. What Riley does so well is create characters who are very likeable, and I could easily see how they would like each other’s company.
There was a patch of conflict between the main characters, and I thought the resolution of this was a bit quick and a bit shallow. It was the only wrong note in the development of the relationship though. I liked how the characters gradually got to know one another, and depend on one another.
It was fun to be in their company, and it was a lovely, light book to read. Enjoy.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
November 4, 2017
Fiona Riley does it again!
After having fallen head over heels with the author's debut novel Miss Match I couldn't wait to read this. What a sweet and funny story this turned out to be. Just like book 1 this had me hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down.
The story is packed with laugh out loud moments followed by sweet romantic ones. That balance is not something that a lot of authors can successfully pull off but the author truly got it right in this book. Another thing that I really liked was the amount of time we got to spend with Samantha and Lucinda from book one in this story.
There is not much else I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in the form of praise by other reviewers. It really is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a funny, sexy, sweet and super romantic story to get lost in. November and book 3 Strike a Match can't get here soon enough. 4.5* for this one!
After having fallen head over heels with the author's debut novel Miss Match I couldn't wait to read this. What a sweet and funny story this turned out to be. Just like book 1 this had me hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down.
The story is packed with laugh out loud moments followed by sweet romantic ones. That balance is not something that a lot of authors can successfully pull off but the author truly got it right in this book. Another thing that I really liked was the amount of time we got to spend with Samantha and Lucinda from book one in this story.
There is not much else I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in the form of praise by other reviewers. It really is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a funny, sexy, sweet and super romantic story to get lost in. November and book 3 Strike a Match can't get here soon enough. 4.5* for this one!
May 21, 2017
Fantastic follow up to Miss Match. If you happen to like it you can't pass on this one.
Samantha and Lucinda are still present here and still a big part of the book. And also you can read their HEA.
Shelly and Claire are also part of the first book, especially Shelly.
Actually, I thought Shelly will end up with either Abby or Sasha as to the last part of book 1.
Shelly transformed into goddess with the help of Samantha's company. She's also a client of Lucinda from her dance studio. She's my favorite here. Who wouldn't want a sizzling hot geeky genius?
Claire on the other hand well, I kind of don't like her at first. She's tactless.
Especially when she first met Shelly.
After that I'm easily annoyed until I warmed up with her again. Lucinda's also her boss.
I must admit they have great chemistry.
And also likable secondary characters.
I really like Fiona Riley's writing. Looking forward to her next book.
Craving for ice cream blame it on Claire's brothers.
Samantha and Lucinda are still present here and still a big part of the book. And also you can read their HEA.
Shelly and Claire are also part of the first book, especially Shelly.
Actually, I thought Shelly will end up with either Abby or Sasha as to the last part of book 1.
Shelly transformed into goddess with the help of Samantha's company. She's also a client of Lucinda from her dance studio. She's my favorite here. Who wouldn't want a sizzling hot geeky genius?
Claire on the other hand well, I kind of don't like her at first. She's tactless.
Especially when she first met Shelly.
After that I'm easily annoyed until I warmed up with her again. Lucinda's also her boss.
I must admit they have great chemistry.
And also likable secondary characters.
I really like Fiona Riley's writing. Looking forward to her next book.
Craving for ice cream blame it on Claire's brothers.
October 12, 2020
I really enjoyed Fiona Riley’s first novel, Miss Match, but I loved Unlikely Match. If you haven’t read Miss Match I think you would be fine reading this one, but I wouldn’t miss out. Read Miss Match first, you won’t be disappointed. I really enjoy the character, Shelly. I mean really how could you not? I was just pulling for her from the moment she was introduced in book one. I can easily see Ms. Riley becoming one of my favorite authors. I know it is early, but what a great start.
June 26, 2017
4.5 Stars. I went back and forth on rounding up to 5 stars or not. In the end I loved the characters too much, not to round up.
I really enjoyed this book. This is the second book of the Miss Match series. This time Samantha slyly introduces Shelly, the shy awkward genius and Claire, the newly promoted executive at Clear View, who is tenacious and career driven. The unlikely match. Shelly as it turns out is the co-owner of a highly successful Tech firm. She hires Claire to help her company launch a new product. What I really enjoyed about the book is how well we get to know each of them along with their families. Of course this being a romance there must be conflicts and angst which I felt was a weakest part of this book.
I'm looking forward to the third book in the series, Strike a Match. November can't come soon enough. In the meantime I'll "likely" reread by listening to the audio of this book.
I really enjoyed this book. This is the second book of the Miss Match series. This time Samantha slyly introduces Shelly, the shy awkward genius and Claire, the newly promoted executive at Clear View, who is tenacious and career driven. The unlikely match. Shelly as it turns out is the co-owner of a highly successful Tech firm. She hires Claire to help her company launch a new product. What I really enjoyed about the book is how well we get to know each of them along with their families. Of course this being a romance there must be conflicts and angst which I felt was a weakest part of this book.
I'm looking forward to the third book in the series, Strike a Match. November can't come soon enough. In the meantime I'll "likely" reread by listening to the audio of this book.
May 24, 2017
*ARC provided by Netgalley and the Publisher for an honest review*
If I am honest, I think I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first book. Shelly and Claire worked really well as a couple and the author has done a great job in developing Shelly's character from the first book to now.
It's was also nice to see where Lucinda and Samantha are in their relationship and I can't wait to see if there is going to be another book in the series.
*4.3 stars
If I am honest, I think I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first book. Shelly and Claire worked really well as a couple and the author has done a great job in developing Shelly's character from the first book to now.
It's was also nice to see where Lucinda and Samantha are in their relationship and I can't wait to see if there is going to be another book in the series.
*4.3 stars
October 6, 2025
I loved book 1 and I loved book two maybe even better. There was more emotional depth. I even cried a couple of times. I loved both Claire and Shelly. But Shelly was my favorite. She was so cute. Shy on one side but not at another side. And she was a nerd. And Samantha and Lucinda from book 1 were big side characters. And I loved cat Hedy. And the sex was hot 🔥 . So yeah. More than 5 stars. On to book three.
4 August 2020 Listened to audio, but ebook was much better
4 August 2020 Listened to audio, but ebook was much better
June 9, 2017
A very sweet story, I liked the chemistry between Shelly and Claire.
As a nerd that I am, Shelly's ideas seemed very real to me and I loved her.
It cost me a little to believe Claire's impediments to being with Shelly, but above all it's a nice story
This copy was delivered to me in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley
As a nerd that I am, Shelly's ideas seemed very real to me and I loved her.
It cost me a little to believe Claire's impediments to being with Shelly, but above all it's a nice story
This copy was delivered to me in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley
May 12, 2017
This sequel did not disappoint. I loved Shelly and Claire. The story was well-paced, had just the right amount of angst, and very easy to read. Of course, it was also great to catch up with Lucinda and Samantha.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review
November 9, 2017
As good as Miss Match; 2 new MC’s (who were peripheral characters in the first book) and we still get to hear some about Samantha and Luce. Highly entertaining.
May 24, 2017
*The copy provided by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. in exchange for an honest review.*
I am a big fan of Perfect match book 1, and this one is no exception. The characters are simply adorable, and the book is bursting with cuteness. I have to say I'm very very fond of Shelly, ever since I've been introduced to the character in the first book, and I was secretly hoping the author will put her as a leading character of the second book. So, now that I got my wish, I was enjoying reading this book, seeing Shelly developing as a person, getting out of her shell and blossoming, so to speak. She's a wonderful human being, and as soon as Claire starts to realize it, she's more and more into her.
4.5 stars from me.
I am a big fan of Perfect match book 1, and this one is no exception. The characters are simply adorable, and the book is bursting with cuteness. I have to say I'm very very fond of Shelly, ever since I've been introduced to the character in the first book, and I was secretly hoping the author will put her as a leading character of the second book. So, now that I got my wish, I was enjoying reading this book, seeing Shelly developing as a person, getting out of her shell and blossoming, so to speak. She's a wonderful human being, and as soon as Claire starts to realize it, she's more and more into her.
4.5 stars from me.
January 26, 2019
Missed the first instalment - I've ordered it - so really not sure why I went straight into number 2! Someone must have recommended it - & I'm glad they did. A good read, thank you.
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