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Perfect Match #1
Miss Match
When Samantha Monteiro launched Perfect Match, Inc. a few years ago, she never imagined her matchmaking business would be booming while her own love life floundered. When her business partner drags her out of hiding to attend the wedding of one of their successful client matches, she meets a dancer with a dark past and a penchant for secrecy who excites her in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Samantha wonders if Lucinda Moss is the key to solving not one but two matches that have eluded Samantha since everything around her fell apart or if she is destined to find love for everyone but herself.
In a world where nothing is constant, Lucinda has learned to keep herself emotionally at arm’s length and given up on the chance to find true happiness. Can the notorious Miss Match help her forget her troubled past?
In a world where nothing is constant, Lucinda has learned to keep herself emotionally at arm’s length and given up on the chance to find true happiness. Can the notorious Miss Match help her forget her troubled past?
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 17, 2016
41 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Riley
19 books344 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 137 reviews
December 16, 2017
For a debut book it was incredibly awesome! very good writing,perfect romance novel,wonderful love story with lots of depth and family drama plus steamy sex scenes. Added to this book was a lot more scenes between both of the main characters that was utterly charming and very indeed cute for this storyline along with the dialogues and great supporting cast which in particular helped this story even though neither woman was looking for love yet there is an unmistakable attraction and flirtation...nice ending and i do recommend to everyone
June 3, 2017
I feel like I'm one of the last people, in the lesfic universe, to read this book:) I have wanted to for a while, but honestly just forgot about it. With book 2, Unlikely Match, coming out shortly, this gave me the kick I needed to finally read this. I'm happy to say I really liked this. This is a sweet romance and I enjoyed every second of it.
The two mains in the story are Samantha, a professional matchmaker, and Luce a PR executive. I thought this might turn into a story of Luce going to Sam to try to find love, but she falls for the matchmaker instead of the matches. It was not that. These two ladies meet at a wedding, and their relationship builds from there.
What I really liked about the story was, that it was just a sweet romance. This book had very little angst. I like some good angst as much as the next girl, but they were such a sweet couple, I'm glad this book was not full of it. The chemistry and intimacy, was really well done. All the little touches and caresses, just made the romance believable. This books was not insta-love, which I was happy about. It was about two people, and watching their relationship grow. The sex scenes were nice and steamy too.
My only small complaint, a few times I was not sure who said what or who did what. It would switch back and forth from Luce and Sam, very quickly. This is the first book Riley has published. Besides that issue, which only happened a few times, the rest of the writing was great, and seemed like the book was done by a more seasoned author.
If you are one of the few, like I was, who has not read this yet... and you like sweet and sexy romances, this book is for you. For me, this book had a perfect ending, so I was wondering how book 2 would work. I started thinking maybe Riley would go in a new direction with a new main character. I picked out Claire, since Luce thinks so highly of her. I just checked, and am happy to say it looks like it will be Claire's story. I'm looking forward to book 2, and would read anything else Riley writes.
The two mains in the story are Samantha, a professional matchmaker, and Luce a PR executive. I thought this might turn into a story of Luce going to Sam to try to find love, but she falls for the matchmaker instead of the matches. It was not that. These two ladies meet at a wedding, and their relationship builds from there.
What I really liked about the story was, that it was just a sweet romance. This book had very little angst. I like some good angst as much as the next girl, but they were such a sweet couple, I'm glad this book was not full of it. The chemistry and intimacy, was really well done. All the little touches and caresses, just made the romance believable. This books was not insta-love, which I was happy about. It was about two people, and watching their relationship grow. The sex scenes were nice and steamy too.
My only small complaint, a few times I was not sure who said what or who did what. It would switch back and forth from Luce and Sam, very quickly. This is the first book Riley has published. Besides that issue, which only happened a few times, the rest of the writing was great, and seemed like the book was done by a more seasoned author.
If you are one of the few, like I was, who has not read this yet... and you like sweet and sexy romances, this book is for you. For me, this book had a perfect ending, so I was wondering how book 2 would work. I started thinking maybe Riley would go in a new direction with a new main character. I picked out Claire, since Luce thinks so highly of her. I just checked, and am happy to say it looks like it will be Claire's story. I'm looking forward to book 2, and would read anything else Riley writes.
September 28, 2022
➥ 4.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Listen, Fiona Riley does it every time. Her books are not slow burns or anything ok? But they're exceptional nonetheless. They always have smoking tension, fantastic female characters and an overall swoony characteristic in general. If someone wanted to, they could tear this book to shreds, sure, but I don't care because it was just that delightful. If you like the feel of office romances but feel that most out there are a little too cringey and dramatic, you should try this one.
Anyway *yawn* I've been a mess recently so here are my only complaints:
- Samantha's gbf was a little too stereotypical and annoying for me.
- The conflict will always be Fiona Riley's fatal flaw; way too overdone. (-0.5 stars)
- Don't love the character names
- Too much past drama, why would I want to read about a character going through grief in her past when reading a romance? Not something I'm personally interested in or enjoy.
- Ugly cover
"Lucy must really like you for her to bring you home." She smiled genially before a hand slid along her back, interrupting her.
"I do," Lucinda supplied from behind her ear, her eyes locked on Samantha's as she spoke softly. "I love her."
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Listen, Fiona Riley does it every time. Her books are not slow burns or anything ok? But they're exceptional nonetheless. They always have smoking tension, fantastic female characters and an overall swoony characteristic in general. If someone wanted to, they could tear this book to shreds, sure, but I don't care because it was just that delightful. If you like the feel of office romances but feel that most out there are a little too cringey and dramatic, you should try this one.
➥ Lucinda (h) is so?? SO?? She actually reminds me a lot of Charlotte from Those Who Wait but, ugh, she's so painfully charming and wonderful. She's poised and elegant and strong. Just be my wife at this point, please. She's had a rough time recently, suffering loss of her dance partner. On that note, she is a professional dancer and...when she dances with Samantha? I can't even tell you, I just love it that much. And when she can fully lift and man-handle Sam...like hellO???
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug before spinning her on the spot. She nearly dropped her glass as Lucinda lifted her up onto the counter and looked deeply into her eyes.
➥ Samantha was sweet too!! Very likable and definitely had her moments...ahem. Now, her job is to set people up basically (hence the name of the book being Miss Match). She is latina? Which I must say was a questionable decision on Riley's part. The country she was actually from was never specified and the family dynamic was quite stereotypically negative. Though, I really don't think Riley did this with any malicious intent. She usually always writes rough family relationships regardless of the character's background, but I found it a little unnecessary, idk.
"I've been thinking about watching you squirm and beg for me to touch you ever since you teased me in my kitchen." She kissed along Lucinda's jaw before biting her chin lightly. "Are we at that point yet?"
Lucinda moaned as Samantha pulled harder on her nipple while pressing her palm flat against her and thrusting up.
"Come on, Luce," Samantha growled with her lips just millimeters from Lucinda's mouth. "Are we there yet?"
A soft whimper spilled from Lucinda's lips as she finally submitted with a nod, unable to resist the game any longer.
"Good girl." Samantha kissed Lucinda hard on the lips and pressed her back against the desk as she stood.
Anyway *yawn* I've been a mess recently so here are my only complaints:
- Samantha's gbf was a little too stereotypical and annoying for me.
- The conflict will always be Fiona Riley's fatal flaw; way too overdone. (-0.5 stars)
- Don't love the character names
- Too much past drama, why would I want to read about a character going through grief in her past when reading a romance? Not something I'm personally interested in or enjoy.
- Ugly cover
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
December 6, 2023
Just recently, I've been whining (to myself in particular), yearning for another pure romance with all the fixings: chemistry, humor, believable drama, hot lady leads, nice writing, good cover art, etc. All that. Then, Fiona Riley's Miss Match dropped like a hot mixtape and I clicked 'buy' as soon as I could. This quenched my thirst while simultaneously getting me hyped for Riley's next book!
Ah, I'm trying to do this story justice. Idk about y'all, but I'm completely into the frills, designer, girly, heels-wearing, wine-sipping lifestyle for lesbians in fiction. Call me forever influenced by the L Word, but something's oh so sexy about two well-to-do ladies dolling themselves up in skimpy dresses for dates in lavish restaurants. However, Samantha and Lucinda's characters wouldn't go over anyone's heads. They're down-to-earth and quite relatable. And I was spoiled by them going out so much! How many stories have we read where the main couple just have sex and never get to build the world around them, yet we're supposed to believe they're sooooo in love? I love proof and Fiona Riley provided oodles of it.
Speaking of sex. YES, THERE'S SO MUCH OF IT. And by so much, I mean the perfect amount. No dry spells, pun intended. Their relationship is hot and cute and a little angsty. Yum yum yum.
Oh, and I must dedicate a huge heart to the couple's names: Samantha and Lucinda. Beautiful. Sure, they had nicknames expressed in dialogue, but what I love is the text itself didn't truncate their names to 'Sam' and 'Luce', which I see a bit too much in lesbian romance novels. Let those triple-syllable names breathe!
Can you tell I love this book? I love this book.
Ah, I'm trying to do this story justice. Idk about y'all, but I'm completely into the frills, designer, girly, heels-wearing, wine-sipping lifestyle for lesbians in fiction. Call me forever influenced by the L Word, but something's oh so sexy about two well-to-do ladies dolling themselves up in skimpy dresses for dates in lavish restaurants. However, Samantha and Lucinda's characters wouldn't go over anyone's heads. They're down-to-earth and quite relatable. And I was spoiled by them going out so much! How many stories have we read where the main couple just have sex and never get to build the world around them, yet we're supposed to believe they're sooooo in love? I love proof and Fiona Riley provided oodles of it.
Speaking of sex. YES, THERE'S SO MUCH OF IT. And by so much, I mean the perfect amount. No dry spells, pun intended. Their relationship is hot and cute and a little angsty. Yum yum yum.
Oh, and I must dedicate a huge heart to the couple's names: Samantha and Lucinda. Beautiful. Sure, they had nicknames expressed in dialogue, but what I love is the text itself didn't truncate their names to 'Sam' and 'Luce', which I see a bit too much in lesbian romance novels. Let those triple-syllable names breathe!
Can you tell I love this book? I love this book.
May 11, 2016
This is what I would call a good old-fashioned romance. No, there are no bonnets or horse drawn carriages. What I mean is Miss Match by Fiona Riley is a true romance in every sense or the word. There is no craziness or sub-plot, it’s just two ladies that meet, find each other attractive, and move forward through highs and lows of true love. This is a romance and it is so very good!
Samantha Monteiro is a match maker. She runs a company that finds personalized love matches to the wealthy of Boston. Most of her clients are business tycoons who have put their person life on hold while they have navigated their careers. Samantha and her business partner, Andrew, find them their true love. The only problem is Samantha hasn’t found her own match yet. She thought she was to marry her college sweetheart, but his infidelity left her nothing but a scandal to cover-up.
Lucinda Moss is an advertising executive by day and a dance teacher by night. This woman has a heart of gold. She smiles easily, says all the right things, but rarely does she let anyone know the real Lucinda. Raised a s a foster child, Lucinda has learned to fake happiness all the while keeping her heart safely hidden behind protective walls.
Samantha and Lucinda meet at a wedding. These two hit it off immediately. They find a way to keep meeting and become a constant in each other's lives. They date, they navigate a relationship, and they fall head over heels in love. While a generic as that sounds this book is anything but. Its sexy, it’s cute and it will hold your attention to the very last sentence. This is a great book, with great characters, with a great romance. Great, great, great!!! Oh, and this book is Fiona Riley’s first book. Oh my she is good, I cannot wait to see what she writes next because Miss Match is a stellar debut!
4.5 is my exact rating
All of my reviews can be found at https://theromanticreaderblog.com/
Samantha Monteiro is a match maker. She runs a company that finds personalized love matches to the wealthy of Boston. Most of her clients are business tycoons who have put their person life on hold while they have navigated their careers. Samantha and her business partner, Andrew, find them their true love. The only problem is Samantha hasn’t found her own match yet. She thought she was to marry her college sweetheart, but his infidelity left her nothing but a scandal to cover-up.
Lucinda Moss is an advertising executive by day and a dance teacher by night. This woman has a heart of gold. She smiles easily, says all the right things, but rarely does she let anyone know the real Lucinda. Raised a s a foster child, Lucinda has learned to fake happiness all the while keeping her heart safely hidden behind protective walls.
Samantha and Lucinda meet at a wedding. These two hit it off immediately. They find a way to keep meeting and become a constant in each other's lives. They date, they navigate a relationship, and they fall head over heels in love. While a generic as that sounds this book is anything but. Its sexy, it’s cute and it will hold your attention to the very last sentence. This is a great book, with great characters, with a great romance. Great, great, great!!! Oh, and this book is Fiona Riley’s first book. Oh my she is good, I cannot wait to see what she writes next because Miss Match is a stellar debut!
4.5 is my exact rating
All of my reviews can be found at https://theromanticreaderblog.com/
June 22, 2017
Miss Match is a nice romance with two likable main characters, a solid storyline, good dialogue and a sweet love story. Not much angst or drama, but a lot of hot and well-written erotic scenes -- much more than average for a romance novel. I wish it were the other way around, but if you like that kind of stuff, you will not want to miss this one.
3.5 stars, rounded up considering it's the author's first published novel
May 2, 2016
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
3.5 stars, rounded up considering it's the author's first published novel
May 2, 2016
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
November 21, 2018
This book was just what I was looking for. Low angst, lots of good feels, and well-written. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. I'm sorry it took me so long to find Fiona Riley. She's going directly from my authors-I-have-not-read shelf to my favorite-authors shelf.
February 27, 2023
4.5
Hard time distinguishing between the narrators voices for the two MC’s, otherwise, I loved it.
Hard time distinguishing between the narrators voices for the two MC’s, otherwise, I loved it.
February 28, 2019
Seems like I’m a bit late to the party but anyhow this is my 2-cents worth.....
This was a great read and a very well-written romance between Samantha and Lucinda - both so very feminine and sexily described in the book. Both are high-powered hot & beautiful ladies, in their own rights with strong likeable characters (which is such a turn-on). They found love with each other quite early in the book and what follows is a whirlwind romance with lots of hot sexy scene. Throw in a little bit of angst and what I got after reading Miss Match is pure pleasure.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up cos it’s a great read considering that it’s the author’s first book
This was a great read and a very well-written romance between Samantha and Lucinda - both so very feminine and sexily described in the book. Both are high-powered hot & beautiful ladies, in their own rights with strong likeable characters (which is such a turn-on). They found love with each other quite early in the book and what follows is a whirlwind romance with lots of hot sexy scene. Throw in a little bit of angst and what I got after reading Miss Match is pure pleasure.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up cos it’s a great read considering that it’s the author’s first book
December 3, 2017
This is a sweet, sexy romance with quality banter, which I always love. It's so damn cute, I just loved it. 4.5 stars.
Read my full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/miss-...
Read my full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/miss-...
June 29, 2017
4 Stars for the Audio book. A re-read, this time the audio book. It is read by an excellent narrator, Melissa Sternenberg. I've listened to one other book she has done, Embracing the Dawn.
Because Book 2 of the series, Unlikely Match is coming out in a couple of weeks, I decided to re-read Book 1. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. It is a pleasant romance with a bit of angst, but IMO mostly just bumps in the road, as they navigate their new relationship. Samantha (the professional Matchmaker) is getting over a relatively recent breakup. She and her business partner hired the PR firm where Lucinda works to keep the break up quiet. I guess, it would be bad for business if a matchmaker couldn't match herself? I really didn't buy into that. But whatever.
Lucinda and Samantha have a "meet-cute" at Lucinda's sister's wedding, seated at the "misfits table". Samantha had matched the bride and groom. As their relationship progresses, we learn of Lucinda's difficult past and Samantha's proclivity of putting up walls. The love scenes are pretty sexy.
I am looking forward to reading Unlikely Match. This time involving minor characters in this book, Shelly and Claire.
Because Book 2 of the series, Unlikely Match is coming out in a couple of weeks, I decided to re-read Book 1. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. It is a pleasant romance with a bit of angst, but IMO mostly just bumps in the road, as they navigate their new relationship. Samantha (the professional Matchmaker) is getting over a relatively recent breakup. She and her business partner hired the PR firm where Lucinda works to keep the break up quiet. I guess, it would be bad for business if a matchmaker couldn't match herself? I really didn't buy into that. But whatever.
Lucinda and Samantha have a "meet-cute" at Lucinda's sister's wedding, seated at the "misfits table". Samantha had matched the bride and groom. As their relationship progresses, we learn of Lucinda's difficult past and Samantha's proclivity of putting up walls. The love scenes are pretty sexy.
I am looking forward to reading Unlikely Match. This time involving minor characters in this book, Shelly and Claire.
April 25, 2016
4.5 stars
Samantha Monteiro is busy finding the perfect match for the very wealthy, along with her business partner and best friend Andrew. Rebuilding the business after a tricky breakup with her ex, Samantha works at every aspect of matchmaking, including nurturing the dancing skills of her clients.
Lucinda Moss runs a PR firm with her best friend Brian. An ex-dancer with a difficult past, Lucinda still manages to find the time to teach people how to dance. Working with Samantha, perhaps Lucinda can overcome her difficult past, and perhaps Samantha can find her own perfect match?
This was an unexpected gem. I really liked both of the main characters. They felt solid enough as characters to not be perfect, without being too damaged to function within the story. And while best friend/business partner is a well-worn trope, Riley manages to give the secondary characters enough of a life so they don’t feel too overridden by the main characters.
The story certainly follows the romance path, with two smart, capable women who are in charge of their lives, and dealing well with their day-to-day affairs. Both are comfortable financially, and both are in charge of their destiny, which is great for the fantasy required by the romance genre.
What I really liked was how much fun they were. I didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoyed the blossoming of the romance between them, and thought it went at an appropriate pace for the characters and the situation. There was also quite a lot of hot steamy scenes between the two main characters, which felt appropriate for the characters as written. The dance scenes were great, and they gave me a lovely sense of the physicality of the dancing, which was really refreshing.
It was charming, friendly and fun. I highly recommend it.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
Samantha Monteiro is busy finding the perfect match for the very wealthy, along with her business partner and best friend Andrew. Rebuilding the business after a tricky breakup with her ex, Samantha works at every aspect of matchmaking, including nurturing the dancing skills of her clients.
Lucinda Moss runs a PR firm with her best friend Brian. An ex-dancer with a difficult past, Lucinda still manages to find the time to teach people how to dance. Working with Samantha, perhaps Lucinda can overcome her difficult past, and perhaps Samantha can find her own perfect match?
This was an unexpected gem. I really liked both of the main characters. They felt solid enough as characters to not be perfect, without being too damaged to function within the story. And while best friend/business partner is a well-worn trope, Riley manages to give the secondary characters enough of a life so they don’t feel too overridden by the main characters.
The story certainly follows the romance path, with two smart, capable women who are in charge of their lives, and dealing well with their day-to-day affairs. Both are comfortable financially, and both are in charge of their destiny, which is great for the fantasy required by the romance genre.
What I really liked was how much fun they were. I didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoyed the blossoming of the romance between them, and thought it went at an appropriate pace for the characters and the situation. There was also quite a lot of hot steamy scenes between the two main characters, which felt appropriate for the characters as written. The dance scenes were great, and they gave me a lovely sense of the physicality of the dancing, which was really refreshing.
It was charming, friendly and fun. I highly recommend it.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
May 19, 2016
After reading all the great reviews, I was expecting a wonderful novel. It is certainly a very sweet story. But... it is rather flat and dull, with the exception of the hot sex scenes. There are no ups and downs, and very little happens until the very last chapter of the book.
In any case, it is an enjoyable read.
In any case, it is an enjoyable read.
September 14, 2020
4 stars
Light and steamy with little bit of drama, just enough to make the story interesting. This is a well written summer read with likeable characters. Going to read the next in this series.
Light and steamy with little bit of drama, just enough to make the story interesting. This is a well written summer read with likeable characters. Going to read the next in this series.
July 30, 2019
Nice debut novel
I got this to read because I received the second story in the series from NetGalley and even though I'm sure I could read it as a standalone, I prefer to read books in order.
This is a nice, sweet romance. There not too much drama, and what there is is handled fairly well, without tedious repetition or overblown dramatics.
I liked both characters, but even though they spent a lot of time together, I felt like my knowledge of them and their motivations was somewhat superficial. We're told things about Luce's past, but Samantha's backstory and family are more or less glossed over, even with her mother visiting, and the way Sam reveals her relationship with Luce to her mother seemed like a throw-away, when it could have added depth to the story if handled while her mother was there.
Even so, the interactions between the characters are pretty charming, and for those who love sex scenes, there more than enough in here to keep you occupied (I actually though there were too many, but YMMV). I was pleased by the fact that there were multiple points where I thought the author would go the tried and true route but she deviated, which I appreciated.
As the start of a series I found it interesting enough, and the hook of the dating agency lends itself to further books. It's a nice solid debut novel, and I look forward to reading more in the series.
I got this to read because I received the second story in the series from NetGalley and even though I'm sure I could read it as a standalone, I prefer to read books in order.
This is a nice, sweet romance. There not too much drama, and what there is is handled fairly well, without tedious repetition or overblown dramatics.
I liked both characters, but even though they spent a lot of time together, I felt like my knowledge of them and their motivations was somewhat superficial. We're told things about Luce's past, but Samantha's backstory and family are more or less glossed over, even with her mother visiting, and the way Sam reveals her relationship with Luce to her mother seemed like a throw-away, when it could have added depth to the story if handled while her mother was there.
Even so, the interactions between the characters are pretty charming, and for those who love sex scenes, there more than enough in here to keep you occupied (I actually though there were too many, but YMMV). I was pleased by the fact that there were multiple points where I thought the author would go the tried and true route but she deviated, which I appreciated.
As the start of a series I found it interesting enough, and the hook of the dating agency lends itself to further books. It's a nice solid debut novel, and I look forward to reading more in the series.
October 18, 2016
I enjoyed the characters in this, liked how honest and open they were with each other. When there was an issue, they were quick to discuss the problem and fix it between them. They were overall very sweet with each other and showed a lot of integrity with themselves and others. Honest communication can be super satisfying, but it can also have a downside, as it requires an external conflict that is big enough to counteract all the adorable togetherness.
As for the relationship itself, I wanted more depth with the transition from meeting to falling into bed/love. I have no problem with sex in my romances, but the focus of their relationship became about that instead of their emotional development. I wanted more of them talking into the night and learning everything about each other, more that would help me see why they were crazy for each other outside of the bedroom.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the humor the characters shared as well as the supporting relationships. I just wanted a bit more to balance it out with the conflict and emotional connection. I really am excited for the second in the series, as I feel this author has a lot of potential and I want to see what direction it goes.
As this was an audiobook, I must mention the narrator herself did a very good job and I would listen to more from her in the future.
As for the relationship itself, I wanted more depth with the transition from meeting to falling into bed/love. I have no problem with sex in my romances, but the focus of their relationship became about that instead of their emotional development. I wanted more of them talking into the night and learning everything about each other, more that would help me see why they were crazy for each other outside of the bedroom.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the humor the characters shared as well as the supporting relationships. I just wanted a bit more to balance it out with the conflict and emotional connection. I really am excited for the second in the series, as I feel this author has a lot of potential and I want to see what direction it goes.
As this was an audiobook, I must mention the narrator herself did a very good job and I would listen to more from her in the future.
June 4, 2016
Impressive debut novel. Miss Match is a sweet romance starring two beautiful women who meet and fall in love. The author strikes a nice balance between their work lives and the more intimate moments between Lucinda and Samantha. The conversations shared feel natural and unforced, their histories point to the strong and confident women they are in the present. These two women deserve to find their HEA. And yes, there are lots of sex scenes to keep the hungriest romantics happy.
I was concerned that that this couple peaked too early and that little would follow the rounds after rounds of lovemaking. Happily there were conflicts to resolve, minor ones but enough to get the women out of bed and talking again. The cliches we have seen before include the gay best friend/business associate Andrew and Samantha's overbearing mother but they were offset by Lucinda's story and her dance studio charity work.
A sweet and simple love story that was a pleasure to read. Looking forward to whatever Ms. Riley publishes next.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
I was concerned that that this couple peaked too early and that little would follow the rounds after rounds of lovemaking. Happily there were conflicts to resolve, minor ones but enough to get the women out of bed and talking again. The cliches we have seen before include the gay best friend/business associate Andrew and Samantha's overbearing mother but they were offset by Lucinda's story and her dance studio charity work.
A sweet and simple love story that was a pleasure to read. Looking forward to whatever Ms. Riley publishes next.
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.
August 27, 2023
This book is roughly 270 pages and I counted 7 sex scenes plus one that was interrupted. That seems a bit excessive to me but if that is your jam then this is the book for you!
The romance is very low angst and on the sweet side. This is a romance where girl meets girl, they date and then they’re in love. So there were quite a few dates and many, many sex scenes like I mentioned before. So you should look elsewhere if you want more with your romance. There was also some head hopping that confused me a couple times. Overall, I liked it enough to want to continue this series.
One thing I noticed and it started to grate after a while. The characters full names are said so much. I did a search on my kindle and Moss is said 38 times and Monteiro is said 29 times. Also, there were 35 winks. Do people really wink that much??
The romance is very low angst and on the sweet side. This is a romance where girl meets girl, they date and then they’re in love. So there were quite a few dates and many, many sex scenes like I mentioned before. So you should look elsewhere if you want more with your romance. There was also some head hopping that confused me a couple times. Overall, I liked it enough to want to continue this series.
One thing I noticed and it started to grate after a while. The characters full names are said so much. I did a search on my kindle and Moss is said 38 times and Monteiro is said 29 times. Also, there were 35 winks. Do people really wink that much??
June 29, 2020
What a great book!! The sensual chemistry between the MC’s was of the charts. The banter between them and between Samantha and her best friend Andrew was funny. Both women were in my eyes beautiful. The sex was hot 🔥🔥🔥 and there was plenty of it. There was little angst, but the angst that was there was understandable at both sites. And there was a great epilogue. So yeah. I loved it!!! A tiny bit more angst and it would have been more than 5 stars.
Audio was great too.
Audio was great too.
November 12, 2017
A pleasant but predictable and in parts boring read. There's only so much you can read about perfect beauties and them having sex until it gets old and frankly this is all pretty standard for the genre.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
July 12, 2018
Miss Match is certainly a pleasant reading. It’s sophisticated, it’s sexy, even elegant in its descriptions.
The two main characters are rich and beautiful, one blond, athletic, dancer-postured and blue eyes, the other is latin-american, dark skinned, dark eyed and sexy like hell.
In conclusion, this book is a paradise of femme lesbians and of glamour. A lot of sex blends everything for a success recipe.
Maybe a bit too much sex, I dare to say. I would have preferred less sex and more story.
The atmospehere is kept light and the book is an easier breath from other, more complicated readings.
One of the two main characters, Lucinda, is portrayed with a hard past and a certain depth of emotions.
I did have some problems with the other main characer, Samantha, and with the storyline.
Overall, it was a nice romance.
The two main characters are rich and beautiful, one blond, athletic, dancer-postured and blue eyes, the other is latin-american, dark skinned, dark eyed and sexy like hell.
In conclusion, this book is a paradise of femme lesbians and of glamour. A lot of sex blends everything for a success recipe.
Maybe a bit too much sex, I dare to say. I would have preferred less sex and more story.
The atmospehere is kept light and the book is an easier breath from other, more complicated readings.
One of the two main characters, Lucinda, is portrayed with a hard past and a certain depth of emotions.
I did have some problems with the other main characer, Samantha, and with the storyline.
Overall, it was a nice romance.
February 8, 2019
I've received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very entertaining slow-burn romance. It's the story of two women falling in love, as simple as that, with no big dramas or angst. I have to admit that I didn't expect this story judging from the book's title and cover but, as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover...
This is Fiona Riley's first book but it doesn't really show as it is very well written and fabulously edited by Bold Strokes Books. The characters are multifacetic and their chemistry works great. The book is full of hot sex scenes (maybe a bit too much for a romance novel) but overall it works well as it shows the typical passionate stage of early relationships. But the author doesn't stop in this "young love" representation, as she describes the personalities and conflicts of the main characters with an unusual deepness for this genre.
The secondary characters and subplots add interest to the story which has a coherence and credibility from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed the story twist in the last chapters which added an element of surprise.
Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read. Will definitely read the authors' next book.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
This is a very entertaining slow-burn romance. It's the story of two women falling in love, as simple as that, with no big dramas or angst. I have to admit that I didn't expect this story judging from the book's title and cover but, as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover...
This is Fiona Riley's first book but it doesn't really show as it is very well written and fabulously edited by Bold Strokes Books. The characters are multifacetic and their chemistry works great. The book is full of hot sex scenes (maybe a bit too much for a romance novel) but overall it works well as it shows the typical passionate stage of early relationships. But the author doesn't stop in this "young love" representation, as she describes the personalities and conflicts of the main characters with an unusual deepness for this genre.
The secondary characters and subplots add interest to the story which has a coherence and credibility from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed the story twist in the last chapters which added an element of surprise.
Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read. Will definitely read the authors' next book.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
September 8, 2024
2.5 ★ A whole load of nothing. I just kept waiting and waiting for something interesting to happen, literally anything… and nothing did. In a nutshell, it was boring.
It was written well overall and the sex scenes were good, but I ended up skipping even those parts because it got repetitive. I got to about 70% and then I got bored. There was just no angst, nothing?
It was written well overall and the sex scenes were good, but I ended up skipping even those parts because it got repetitive. I got to about 70% and then I got bored. There was just no angst, nothing?
April 25, 2018
This was a really straightforward romance, though with likeable characters and good chemistry between them. I liked both Samantha and Lucinda and particularly enjoyed how well they fit together.
Lucinda is a little over the top on the accomplishment side having reached the pinnacle of professional dance and now rocking the PR world as a top executive (while maintaining a dance studio after hours. And boxing, apparently. And cooking like a dream). Riley actually does a great job showing her at work and taking charge in ways that felt authentic enough to be going on with. I felt she was a bit too reluctant to deal with the obvious anchor dragging her accounts down, though I couldn't decide if that was a weakness in her character, or a weakness in Riley's portrayal in painting him too obviously incompetent. At any rate, I rather liked Luce despite all the over-the-top involved.
And Samantha was nice, too. Much less well-put-together and I hated how weak she was with her mother, but then I've never understood putting up with bad treatment by those who claim to love you. Belittling has no place in a loving relationship and putting up with that kind of constant friction has to be wearing so why do it? But that's just me. Samantha was the weak link in the relationship throughout (she's a hesitater), though with enough strength/resolution not to be too annoying or anything.
There aren't many relationship setbacks, and the few that show up are pretty well telegraphed and they're mostly handled well. Which was a relief because the "I love yous" came earlier than I expected so I was worried for a while. The biggest relied a little too heavily on coincidence to heighten the severity, but at least it didn't drag out forever and it didn't take unreasonably long for them to finally talk things out.
Anyway, this was a 3½ star read that I'm bumping up on the strength of the protagonists. I enjoyed spending time with them and it was a light, easy read.
A note about Steamy: There are six explicit sex scenes and that's a lot for a book that is on the short side. The last one is in the epilogue. Which was kind of odd. I'm pretty sure it would have crossed my steam tolerance if I hadn't skimmed all of them after the first two.
Lucinda is a little over the top on the accomplishment side having reached the pinnacle of professional dance and now rocking the PR world as a top executive (while maintaining a dance studio after hours. And boxing, apparently. And cooking like a dream). Riley actually does a great job showing her at work and taking charge in ways that felt authentic enough to be going on with. I felt she was a bit too reluctant to deal with the obvious anchor dragging her accounts down, though I couldn't decide if that was a weakness in her character, or a weakness in Riley's portrayal in painting him too obviously incompetent. At any rate, I rather liked Luce despite all the over-the-top involved.
And Samantha was nice, too. Much less well-put-together and I hated how weak she was with her mother, but then I've never understood putting up with bad treatment by those who claim to love you. Belittling has no place in a loving relationship and putting up with that kind of constant friction has to be wearing so why do it? But that's just me. Samantha was the weak link in the relationship throughout (she's a hesitater), though with enough strength/resolution not to be too annoying or anything.
There aren't many relationship setbacks, and the few that show up are pretty well telegraphed and they're mostly handled well. Which was a relief because the "I love yous" came earlier than I expected so I was worried for a while. The biggest relied a little too heavily on coincidence to heighten the severity, but at least it didn't drag out forever and it didn't take unreasonably long for them to finally talk things out.
Anyway, this was a 3½ star read that I'm bumping up on the strength of the protagonists. I enjoyed spending time with them and it was a light, easy read.
A note about Steamy: There are six explicit sex scenes and that's a lot for a book that is on the short side. The last one is in the epilogue. Which was kind of odd. I'm pretty sure it would have crossed my steam tolerance if I hadn't skimmed all of them after the first two.
February 12, 2017
Samantha Monteiro Co-owns a Match Making company with her best friend. The unfortunate truth is that Samantha has love life is not much to be desired and that’s not good advertising for someone trading where love is the currency. When she meets Lucinda Moss, a Executive by day and Dance Teacher by night, sparks fly but Lucinda is used to keeping any romantic connections at a distance… but something about Samantha makes Lucinda want to forget her rules…
I was shocked to find out this was Fiona Riley’s debut novel. It was written extremely well and I loved the storyline.
I was invested in this story very quickly; actually more specifically from the moment Lucinda and Samantha met at Connie’s wedding I knew this was my kind of book. The characters where well thought out and even the secondary characters left an impacted especially Samantha’s best friend Andrew. The sex scenes where fantastic and ticked all my boxes. The sex scene in Lucinda’s office… phew… Still reliving that in my minds eye.
The storyline wasn’t strung on too long and I felt like I got to know characters well and was given better insight into their relationship instead of them just getting together on the last chapter. I actually prefer to watch a relationship unfold after they find love in romance novels as you are able to know that the happily ever after is forever.
I just read that there will be a sequel to this book, which made me extremely happy… Watch out for ‘Unlikley Match’ available in Spring 2017.
5 stars and ‘Miss Match’ will definitely moves straight into my favourites category. Can’t wait to see what’s next from Fiona Riley.
Check out the full review on my website: https://lesreveur.com/2016/11/24/miss...
I was shocked to find out this was Fiona Riley’s debut novel. It was written extremely well and I loved the storyline.
I was invested in this story very quickly; actually more specifically from the moment Lucinda and Samantha met at Connie’s wedding I knew this was my kind of book. The characters where well thought out and even the secondary characters left an impacted especially Samantha’s best friend Andrew. The sex scenes where fantastic and ticked all my boxes. The sex scene in Lucinda’s office… phew… Still reliving that in my minds eye.
The storyline wasn’t strung on too long and I felt like I got to know characters well and was given better insight into their relationship instead of them just getting together on the last chapter. I actually prefer to watch a relationship unfold after they find love in romance novels as you are able to know that the happily ever after is forever.
I just read that there will be a sequel to this book, which made me extremely happy… Watch out for ‘Unlikley Match’ available in Spring 2017.
5 stars and ‘Miss Match’ will definitely moves straight into my favourites category. Can’t wait to see what’s next from Fiona Riley.
Check out the full review on my website: https://lesreveur.com/2016/11/24/miss...
March 2, 2017
This is a decent, straight forward romance and I'd rate it in the high 3 stars. The drama and angst are minimal and, thankfully, there's no insta-love. Samantha and Lucinda come together at a believable pace and express deeper feelings later on after their relationship has developed. The two leads have a natural chemistry and their interactions are enjoyable.
There's a certain level of fantasy element hit because both Samantha and Lucinda (especially Lucinda) are nearly perfect in looks, ability, and personality. There is some diversity in that Samantha is Hispanic and bisexual so that was good to see. My favorite scenes actually involved Samantha and her mother because they contained both humor and drama.
The one thing that highly amused me throughout the book was how often people wink at each other! I think Lucinda winks about 7 times in the first scene with Samantha and it's something everyone does in the book for a total of 35. I think I've been winked at maybe a dozen times in my entire life and the majority of those happened before I was ten years old. Maybe it's a regional/cultural thing. Anyway, it stood out to me.
If you're in the mood for a well-written simple romance "Miss Match" is a good fit.
There's a certain level of fantasy element hit because both Samantha and Lucinda (especially Lucinda) are nearly perfect in looks, ability, and personality. There is some diversity in that Samantha is Hispanic and bisexual so that was good to see. My favorite scenes actually involved Samantha and her mother because they contained both humor and drama.
The one thing that highly amused me throughout the book was how often people wink at each other! I think Lucinda winks about 7 times in the first scene with Samantha and it's something everyone does in the book for a total of 35. I think I've been winked at maybe a dozen times in my entire life and the majority of those happened before I was ten years old. Maybe it's a regional/cultural thing. Anyway, it stood out to me.
If you're in the mood for a well-written simple romance "Miss Match" is a good fit.
June 8, 2017
I enjoyed a lot this novel. The characters are well constructed and the dynamic they have is perfect. Sweet romance story without angst, which i have to say sometimes suits the novel better. I'll read the second part for sure.
December 18, 2019
It took me a while to get into this, but by the end I was totally invested. I think, actually, I've liked every Fiona Riley book that I've read so far. And this was no exception. Looking forward to the other books in the series.
May 14, 2016
I love love love this book, finally a good old romance with two enjoyable and hot characters and an unbelievably awesome energy and chemistry between them. Thumbs up for this one. Hot inside and out
October 17, 2016
Not really sure what to write here. Unfortunately, I found this kind of flat and meh (barring an event that occurred near the end that has me thinking of putting this book on my 'mental illness' shelf).
For whatever reason I spent the majority of the book having trouble keeping track of which was Samantha and which was Lucinda. One or the other worked as the head of a division at some marketing/public relations company and was also a dancer (this is Lucy , right?), while the other worked for a match making company and was, apparently, latina (Samantha) - 'funnily enough', while writing this paragrah, I accidentally put the names in the wrong spots).
This is not a book that will go down, in my mind, as something truly memorable. I can't even remember which character had which job/hobby (boxing)/enraged mother/was in foster care/has the gay best friend, etc. mmphs.
This issue is making my brain hurt. I've no freaking idea why I'm having this problem. Other than the characters are kind of interchangable, but still, no idea why I have this issue.
Right, I'm just going to flee before I hurt myself.
As written October 17 2016
For whatever reason I spent the majority of the book having trouble keeping track of which was Samantha and which was Lucinda. One or the other worked as the head of a division at some marketing/public relations company and was also a dancer (this is Lucy , right?), while the other worked for a match making company and was, apparently, latina (Samantha) - 'funnily enough', while writing this paragrah, I accidentally put the names in the wrong spots).
This is not a book that will go down, in my mind, as something truly memorable. I can't even remember which character had which job/hobby (boxing)/enraged mother/was in foster care/has the gay best friend, etc. mmphs.
This issue is making my brain hurt. I've no freaking idea why I'm having this problem. Other than the characters are kind of interchangable, but still, no idea why I have this issue.
Right, I'm just going to flee before I hurt myself.
As written October 17 2016
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