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Messing with Matilda

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As a professional organizer in New York City, Matilda Hart wages war against chaos and clutter on a daily basis for her clients—and she vows to never let it invade her own well-ordered world.

But when her boyfriend decides to deviate from the path she’s been planning for them, Matilda's perfectly structured life begins to crumble. She reluctantly finds herself back in the tiny hometown she fled a lifetime ago—determined to lay low and avoid running into anyone she used to know. So why is she reconnecting with her former best friend and putting up with the bridezilla antics of Amber, her high school nemesis?

When Matilda is tasked with keeping the bride-to-be’s heartbroken ex away from the ceremony, she discovers she has history with the man who’s trying to sabotage the wedding. Matilda quickly realizes that teaming up with cute and quirky—but hopelessly devoted—Silas Flynn could be mutually beneficial. He needs help wooing the woman he considers the love of his life and Matilda can't pass up the chance to finally get back at the meanest of the mean girls by assisting Silas in his attempts to disrupt her wedding.

Will everything go according to plan for this mismatched pair? Or will working so closely together make uptight Matilda and laid-back Silas lose sight of their common goal?

One thing's for sure—things are about to get messy.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2018

56 people are currently reading
197 people want to read

About the author

Cat Lavoie

9 books142 followers
Cat Lavoie is a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada. She loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies,

A fan of all things feline, Cat loves cats and hopes to someday have a house full of them in order to officially become a crazy cat lady. (But one or two cats will do for now.)

If she isn't reading or writing, Cat enjoys listening to podcasts (mostly comedy and true crime) and watching way too much TV. She fell in love with London many years ago and hopes to go back one day. Cat is currently at work on her next novel.

To connect with Cat and find out more about her books, visit CatLavoie.com and follow @CatLavoieBooks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Lynn P.
794 reviews20 followers
April 26, 2018
This really is chick lit at it's best. I loved the fast paced narrative of this book. Cat Lavoie has a real knack of writing great dialogue with humour.

When we first meet Matilda she seems to have it all and is about to be proposed to - or so she hopes. But things rapidly change for her and her perfectly planned lifestyle spirals slowly out of her control.
It all happens in such a way that it was really easy to just go with the story line and get caught up in it along with Matilda. I read this book in just a couple of sittings as I really wanted to know how it would all pan out for Matilda.

It's a different take on romance with a bridezilla who was Matilda's high school bully thrown in for good measure and a lovesick ex who wants to recreate his past. I could see this being made into a film as it's such a great story.

My only tiny regret is that there weren't more references to Matilda carrying out her job as a professional organizer - as it was one of the reasons I was drawn to the book. However, I loved dipping into her life even when it became kind of crazy.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley and Karan & Co. Author Solutions for a copy of the book for review.
Profile Image for Katherine Hayward Pérez .
1,683 reviews77 followers
April 10, 2018
My first book by Cat Lavoie. I visited the Karan & Co website where I downloaded the ARC via NetGalley. Messing with Matilda is a fun read and I was privileged to take part in both the Release Blitz.

Matilda Hart works as a professional organizer in New York City, but lives in a well-ordered world. She has plans for a life with her boyfriend but he doesn't want the same. Suddenly, she finds herself back in her hometown and things happen that she wasn't expecting.

The story is told in first person from Matilda's point of view. I always feel that when this is used it makes the story more personal for a particular character. The writing is fresh witty and honest. I enjoyed the representation of Matilda's character and liked her immediately because of her "voice" within the story and how she handled everything that happened during the book.

In fact, all the characters compliment eachother well and the plot is realistic.

Messing with Matilda is a quick enjoyable read which I highly recommend if you are looking for a workplace/ love/ life drama.

https://katherinesbookuniverse.wordpr...

and Blog Tours for the title. I'd love to read more by Cat Lavoie and added the rest of her books to my "To Read" list before I had even finished Messing with Matilda.
Profile Image for Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫.
1,078 reviews121 followers
April 10, 2018
My favorite thing about most chick lit (and other closely related genres) is reading the quirky occupations that the main characters have. I get tired of reading about office assistants and lawyers and the occasional photographer or author. In Messing with Matilda, the title character is a professional organizer in NYC. This career plays a lot into her personality as well, as she is a bit uptight and comments frequently about the importance of being on time, people (or animals) making messes, and wanting to organize her friends' closets or pantries.

One thing that many readers--myself included--will probably appreciate that this is not an insta-love story. I know I get sick of the same tropes, so when Matilda first meets Silas and calls him messy (of course) and hates on his "man bun" (how sad! I'm a sucker for a man bun!), I was relieved. I admit that the book was surprisingly unique in that Silas' agenda was quirky, and Tilly's friendships were each different and unique. Overall this was a quick, simple, and charming read.
Profile Image for Grass monster.
579 reviews17 followers
April 15, 2018

The Blurb :
As a professional organizer in New York City, Matilda Hart wages war against chaos and clutter on a daily basis for her clients—and she vows to never let it invade her own well-ordered world.
But when her boyfriend decides to deviate from the path she’s been planning for them, Matilda's perfectly structured life begins to crumble. She reluctantly finds herself back in the tiny hometown she fled a lifetime ago—determined to lay low and avoid running into anyone she used to know. So why is she reconnecting with her former best friend and putting up with the bridezilla antics of Amber, her high school nemesis?
When Matilda is tasked with keeping the bride-to-be’s heartbroken ex away from the ceremony, she discovers she has history with the man who’s trying to sabotage the wedding. Matilda quickly realizes that teaming up with cute and quirky—but hopelessly devoted—Silas Flynn could be mutually beneficial. He needs help wooing the woman he considers the love of his life and Matilda can't pass up the chance to finally get back at the meanest of the mean girls by assisting Silas in his attempts to disrupt her wedding.
Will everything go according to plan for this mismatched pair? Or will working so closely together make uptight Matilda and laid-back Silas lose sight of their common goal?
One thing's for sure—things are about to get messy.

My Thoughts :
I love Cat Lavoie’s previous books, so I knew I was in for a real treat.
We meet Matilda Hart, who works in NYC as a proffesional organizer. Her life is very structured and organised and she knows what she wants in her future including life with her boyfriend. When he suddenly deviates from her chosen path, Matilda's life begins to crumble around her and she finds herself back in her hometown of Connecticut.
Matilda really doesnt want to run into anyone she knows but soon finds herself meeting old and new friends.
I enjoyed getting to know Matilda and rest of the charactors in the story, it was interesting to see how Matilda handles life when its not as planned. I must admit to a soft spot for Silas.
This is well written, funny, witty, romantic and a joy to read.


Profile Image for Jena Henry.
Author 4 books338 followers
April 5, 2018
The Author, Cat Lavoie, tells us in her author comments at the end of the book that she loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies. I’m glad because I know that I loved reading this book!

Matilda, only a few people are allowed to call her Tilly, has become one of my all time favorite chick lit characters now. When we met up with her in NYC, she has achieved her dream of being a professional organizer in her favorite city. She’s the type who has been tidying her dollhouse since she was a toddler. “I don’t believe in serendipity. I believe in hard work and moving forward.”

To that I say, “You rock, Tilly!” But her boyfriend Arthur isn’t as dazzled by her ability to rearrange a pantry. One night at dinner, he delivers stunning news to Matilda. “You don’t have a spontaneous or adventurous bone in your body.”

This leads Matilda to leave her cute apartment and best friend behind so she can go back to her small hometown in Connecticut, see her folks and regroup. Was Thomas Wolfe right or wrong? Can you go home again?

What can and does happen is that we readers get to read about adorable, friendly and funny Matilda’s ups and downs. Matilda is pretty, pleasant, and while she’s buttoned pretty tight, she may surprise you! All the other characters in this book have their own charm, Silas and his crazy mission, Amy, the childhood friend of Matilda, and Amber and her wedding will all delight you. There is even a Mom who bakes chocolate chip cookies, and a cat who deserves her own book.

The author writes in an upbeat, sincere way and there is always something amazing happening. “All of this happened in one evening?” asks her friend Evie.

Will bridezilla Amber West win again? Does Matilda get to happy ever after? You’ll love finding out! I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Tracie Banister.
Author 7 books468 followers
April 4, 2018
If you enjoy a good, opposites-attract story, you'll be in heaven while reading Messing with Matilda! From their unforgettable first meeting to their unexpected bonding while teaming up to stop a wedding, methodical Matilda and sweet, offbeat Silas bring the funny, the charm, and even some angst. I loved every minute of getting to know this couple!

The characterizations in this book are definitely one of its strong points. I adored Silas and think he’s the sweetest and most romantic of Lavoie’s heroes yet. And I was fascinated to learn what made Type A, super-organized Matilda tick. Her ongoing war with her parents’ cat in the book really amused me (of course, Matilda is not going to be a fan of a creature who sheds fur on her clothing!). Lavoie does a terrific job with the supporting characters in this book as well. Matilda’s high school nemesis-turned-bridezilla Amber is a real piece of work who could have just been a cardboard cutout villain, but it’s gradually revealed that she has layers and reasons for the way she behaves. And I can’t forget Matilda’s BFF, Evie! Her character is so much fun that I’d love to see the author do a sequel where Evie finds her dream man.

I was sorry to see this book end as I was having so much fun spending time with the characters. Cat Lavoie’s stories continue to delight and entertain me and I anxiously await her next release.
Profile Image for Karan Eleni.
Author 7 books30 followers
April 14, 2018
This review was originally posted on karaneleni.com

It's review time again! I had the pleasure of proofreading Cat Lavoie's new Chick Lit/Romantic Comedy novel (though that doesn't affect my review) and absolutely loved it! From her obsession with The Container Store to wanting to avoid her high school nemesis years after graduation, Matilda is relatable in so many ways. I loved going along on her trek back her to hometown, meeting new and old friends, being a fly on the wall as she met her new sibling (nope, not a baby!), and watching Matilda adapt as her life deviated from the plan she had for herself. My only complaint (is this really a complaint?!) is that the story ended. I'll definitely be ordering this one for my bookshelf and to read again! Cat, please write a "what happens next" scene, bonus chapter, exclusive, whatever!!
Profile Image for Pauline.
Author 7 books85 followers
April 27, 2018
A well-paced, funny, lightweight read. I've enjoyed Lavoie's other novels and this one didn't disappoint. The protagonist is suitably uptight (I spotted many of my traits in her!) and clashes delightfully with laid-back Silas. Lavoie did a great job of calling to mind high school humiliations and I appreciated that Silas wasn't a cookie-cutter romantic hero in looks or habits.

The last chapters didn't unfold as I expected, but on reflection I enjoyed the author's choice of wrap-up more. Strongly recommend for fans of chick lit or romantic comedy.
Profile Image for Meredith Schorr.
Author 15 books957 followers
April 16, 2018
I'm an avid fan of Cat Lavoie's and read her books immediately upon release (not often enough)! I adored Messing with Matilda for all the reasons I love the author's other books: humor, emotion, relatability, quick pace, romance. I love how her character's aren't too sweet and have their flaws, but remain likeable throughout. You root for them. I'm kind of hoping for a book about Evie next. What do you say, Cat??
12.7k reviews189 followers
January 2, 2019
A totally delightful story. Matilda organizes for a living, Chaos is not in her world. Then her boyfriend leaves her and it’s definitely chaos for her. Loved it.
Profile Image for Christie72 (Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews).
1,452 reviews32 followers
April 16, 2018
I absolutely LOVED Messing with Matilda! It is a must read romantic comedy!!!!

Matilda lives an extremely organized life. I mean, this woman is a professional organizer, and she is very good at her job. Everything she does, both professionally and personally, is planned and well thought out. She is anticipating a romantic dinner with her boyfriend, and she is expecting him to ask her to move in with him. When the opposite occurs, her life is completely turned upside down. She soon finds herself returning to the hometown she left behind years ago for some much-needed rest and relaxation. She has no clue that her organized life is getting ready to be completely turned upside down.

There were things I liked about Matilda and things I didn’t. I hated that she shut out those in her life that didn’t fit into her “neat” life in NYC, like her childhood best friend. I can understand looking back on your childhood and not liking things about your hometown, but I couldn’t understand how she left behind the people who loved and cared about her. Granted, her dislike for the small town, helped make her the success she was. She was so driven to leave that she did everything in her power to succeed, and she did. What I loved about her…she was able to see her mistakes and learned from them, paving the way for new friendships and repairing old ones. When Silas entered her life, he was a breath of fresh air. She learned how to let go of her control and live in the moment.

My, how I adored Silas, from their very first meeting in the bar in NYC. Whenever he appeared in the book, he had a way of lighting a room up for me. He was handsome, witty, smart, and I LOVED his quirkiness! He and Matilda were perfect for one another. She helped him say good-bye to his past with Amber, and he helped her see that there was more to life than organization and planning. It’s okay for life to be messy once in a while.

“Silas Flynn has done the impossible. He’s made me realize there is such a thing as a beautiful mess—and it can crash into your life and shake everything up in the best possible way.”

The way that the secondary characters were developed added so much more depth to the story, and they added A LOT of laughter. I loved Cat’s descriptive writing. It pulled me into the story as if I was a character myself.

Not only was this a romantic comedy, but it was a tale of self-discovery. I loved being a part of Matilda’s journey of finding out exactly who she was! I highly recommend reading if you are a fan of romantic comedy with quirky and unforgettable characters!!!!

***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
Profile Image for Pria.
673 reviews23 followers
July 3, 2018
Organized chaos. A real fun ride.
Profile Image for Kayla.
957 reviews35 followers
April 18, 2018
This book has everything that I look for - romance, opposites attract, relatability, and a flowing storyline. I could so relate to Matilda with the importance of organization. As a natural planner, I could feel the dilemma that Matilda was facing when her boyfriend altered their plans and then having to go back to your small town - been there, done that! Definitely another a fun and quirky romantic comedy from Cat Lavoie! Grab this book and head to the beach for an afternoon of delightful reading! Don't forget your sunscreen!
Profile Image for Kate Rock.
487 reviews76 followers
April 27, 2018
I love this author. She makes me laugh and her books make me happy. Messing with Matilda is another heart-warming, sassy and fun novel of Rom-Com.. It's an easy, quick read because you wont want to put it down and you'll feel good after you are done. Cat Levoie is a fun storyteller and her strong characters with flaws are like-able and real. I'm a big fan ! Any book that leaves me with a smile and a full heart is 5 stars! I'll continuing reading Cat's books as long as they keep coming. I highly recommend this book for Rom-Com and chick lit lovers or anyone needing a heartwarming, fun story with sass and humor. You'll be hooked.
Profile Image for Patty.
1,555 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2018
Messing with Matilda by Cat Lavoie is a very funny romance book. When Matilda's boyfriend ends their relationship, she returns to her small hometown in Connecticut
for a few weeks to regroup. This book made me laugh out loud, it was so funny. Fabulous book, which I thoroughly love and highly recommend. I will be reading more books by this author.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Regina.
1,098 reviews
April 24, 2018
Opposites might attract, but Matilda and Silas seem to have missed that memo, at least at first. They may be an unlikely pair, but a very likeable one. :)

I enjoyed the heck out of the shenanigans leading up to The Wedding[TM], and I loved the assorted friends, family and (fr)enemies, who made this fun story even better.

I loved this return to Messina (including a cameo by Chef Milo), and am looking forward to reading more books set in this world.
Profile Image for Kathy Lewison.
75 reviews3 followers
May 5, 2018
A wonderful read about a woman named Matilda (Tilly) who is a professional organizer.
When Tilly is unexpectedly dumped,, instead of planning her future, Tilly’s Mom guilts her into returning to her hometown, one place she never wanted to be.
Friendships are reunited and Tilly is forced into being a part of the “Queen Bee” of her high-schools wedding. Also, tasked with keeping the “queens” ex away from the wedding.

I highly recommend this novel,
Profile Image for Sarah Louise Smith.
Author 6 books56 followers
April 1, 2018
I loved Messing with Matilda from start to finish! Straight away, you're drawn into Maltilda's world and soon feel like you're having a frank and entertaining conversation with a good friend. This story has tonnes of witty, funny moments, a whole heap of romance and keeps you guessing. Wonderful, feel-good chicklit. If you enjoy Paige Toon or Lindsey Kelk, you'll enjoy this!
357 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2018
I loved Messing with Matilda! Atypical of other chick-lit novels, this book focused much more on the importance of friendships. The romance, while present and quite sweet, seemed very secondary to Matilda repairing and building her relationships with friends. A great read!
Profile Image for Carmen.
625 reviews18 followers
April 10, 2018
Matilda Hart's narrative swung between witty and mentally snarky to a regal and slightly more organisational tone where she becomes composed. It unnerved me slightly that Silas kept such a sharp eye on Amber West and occasionally Matilda as well. I got a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Krista Walsh.
764 reviews
April 12, 2018
Really enjoyable

Excellent book. It was well written and well paced. I couldn't put it down. I love Cat Lavoie's books. Very entertaining
264 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2020
A cute, clean read. I wish the plot had started a little further on in the story because the beginning seemed a little slow. I thought the plot was cute - girl goes back to her hometown and runs into her old enemy and old best friend. Gets roped into being in the old enemy's wedding and has to keep the bride's ex boyfriend at bay. Matilda was adorable. I really liked her character. I can't honestly say that about some of the other characters though. Silas was supposed to be really adoring and cute and whatnot, but he *did* come off a little creepy stalkery. There were moments where you could tell their romance was blosoming, but there were also a lot of moments where it seemed forced and more like a friendship than a romance. So that made it a little hard to buy into them when Silas, you know, got over the ex-girlfriend bride.
Overall, definitely worth your read! It was quick, light, cute, and clean. I'm interested to see what other works this author comes out with next! I would definitely recommend it to a girlfriend!!
Profile Image for Sahitya.
1,177 reviews248 followers
April 18, 2018
Matilda is a very unique and quirky character and I enjoyed being inside her head. It was fun seeing the extremely organized person having to face unexpected and unplanned messes and learning to eat with them. Amy and Evie are well written characters and I enjoyed their friendship dynamic with Tilly. Even though Silas has this convoluted plan to win back his ex, he is still charming and cool. I definitely understood the development of a friendship between Tilly and Silas but I just couldn’t get invested in their romance. I really didn’t see the chemistry.
But I did finish this book in a single sitting and it was fun. It’s written in a very entertaining way that keeps you hooked till the end even if you can guess what’s coming.
Profile Image for Julie.
153 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2019
I thought this book was going to be quite good when it first started, but the pub scene with Silas started to get a little silly. Then the meeting with Amber – someone who bullied Matilda at school and made her life a total misery – to then be bullied into being her bridesmaid – it was all just too silly and the silliness continued throughout the book with a very predictable ending. Sorry.
178 reviews4 followers
September 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. I loved Tilly. Wasn't completely convinced about Tilly and Silas together? Felt more like a silly/goofy friendship more than any romance! Didn't feel any real chemistry between them.

Still loved the overall story :) Had me hooked from beginning till end.
38 reviews
June 3, 2024
Sweet and romantic

A sweet and romantic story that will keep you laughing throughout. I would have like to have seen a little bit steamier romance between the main couple , but this was pleasantly sweet.
1,119 reviews3 followers
April 3, 2018
A nice story but could have been better.

When someone has OCD as badly as Matilda does, it is not so easy to stop as this book implies.
Profile Image for Maria Claudia.
358 reviews15 followers
July 29, 2019
I have never read this author before. And I really liked the book. It is light, fun and beautiful. Liked Matilda and Silas.
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