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The Matchmaker's Match
Eliza Woodhouse has everything a girl could want: a delightful little beachside flower shop, a loving family, and the best friend a girl could ask for. And while she suffers a chronic lack of romance in her own life, the bohemian beauty is a self-proclaimed matchmaker extraordinaire, as evidenced by her recent successes. Having found a fiancé for her sister and a boyfriend for her best friend, she is now taking her lovelorn new employee under her wing. Yes, life is working out quite nicely for Eliza. Until Parker Knightley walks back into her life.
After three years in Hong Kong, Parker is in town for his brother's upcoming wedding to Eliza's sister. They've all known each other their whole lives, and Eliza will never be anything but Little Liza Belle to her handsome childhood tormenter. So the fact that their siblings are getting married simply puts Parker one step closer to becoming the big brother he and Eliza have always joked about him being. But the more time they spend together, the more confused Eliza's feelings become. Because she has come to the shocking realization that the role of brother is the last role she wants Parker to play in her life.
After three years in Hong Kong, Parker is in town for his brother's upcoming wedding to Eliza's sister. They've all known each other their whole lives, and Eliza will never be anything but Little Liza Belle to her handsome childhood tormenter. So the fact that their siblings are getting married simply puts Parker one step closer to becoming the big brother he and Eliza have always joked about him being. But the more time they spend together, the more confused Eliza's feelings become. Because she has come to the shocking realization that the role of brother is the last role she wants Parker to play in her life.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2018
20 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Brittany Larsen
31 books253 followersBrittany Larsen is the author of fourteen full-length and three novella-length sweet romantic comedies, plus a couple more historical romance novellas set in the Old West. Brittany’s stories range across time and place, but they’re always about one thing: connection. They’re guaranteed to make you laugh and maybe even tear up a little.
Born and raised in Idaho, Brittany has spent the past twenty years (maybe more) living the California dream… If that dream includes wearing sweatpants all day and gorging herself on red Australian licorice–Australia’s second-best export (Chris Hemsworth being the obvious first). When not writing, she teaches hot yoga, walks her dog, and takes naps. Her sweater-sporting, mini Aussi-doodle, Bo, is her favorite writing companion. But her favorite people are her husband and three daughters.
Born and raised in Idaho, Brittany has spent the past twenty years (maybe more) living the California dream… If that dream includes wearing sweatpants all day and gorging herself on red Australian licorice–Australia’s second-best export (Chris Hemsworth being the obvious first). When not writing, she teaches hot yoga, walks her dog, and takes naps. Her sweater-sporting, mini Aussi-doodle, Bo, is her favorite writing companion. But her favorite people are her husband and three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
July 20, 2018
This is a fun, light contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. It was cute to see the classic characters in a modern setting, but it made the story rather predictable. I was hoping for some twists to shake things up or bring added depth, but the themes and characters stuck to the formula. I enjoyed the Southern California setting with the sunshine and surf, and the flower shop was sweet, although Eliza repeatedly got annoyed that others didn't know to not touch the petals of her flowers. Parker and Eliza shared great chemistry and banter, but I wished there was more romantic tension between the two of them throughout the story. Overall it was a pleasant book and a nice summer read.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
July 14, 2018
I love a fun and modern Jane Austen retelling! I loved trying to figure out who the different people were in Austen's story--so creative. This one takes place in a beach town and has a cast of great characters.
Eliza has such good intentions, but really just socially bumbles along, using her money as a crutch for friendship. She is so clueless in the love department and makes many situations worse by trying to get in the middle of them, but she really does have a good heart and is a likable character. Parker is years older and really shows his maturity, as he tries to help Eliza develop into a compassionate person. I wish there would have been more subtle chemistry and connecting simmering.
I really enjoyed the setting--the floral descriptions, the surfing, and the sunsets over the ocean. Larsen does a great job of transporting a reader into the pages of her book and in bringing her characters to life, but I especially loved the growth that Eliza goes through. True feelings were muddled and the reader gets to discover them right alongside the characters, which was a lot of fun. The relationship that Eliza shares with her sister, Caroline, and her Daddy was so sweet. The ending was the icing on the cake and I'm excited to see what Larsen will come up with next.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Eliza has such good intentions, but really just socially bumbles along, using her money as a crutch for friendship. She is so clueless in the love department and makes many situations worse by trying to get in the middle of them, but she really does have a good heart and is a likable character. Parker is years older and really shows his maturity, as he tries to help Eliza develop into a compassionate person. I wish there would have been more subtle chemistry and connecting simmering.
I really enjoyed the setting--the floral descriptions, the surfing, and the sunsets over the ocean. Larsen does a great job of transporting a reader into the pages of her book and in bringing her characters to life, but I especially loved the growth that Eliza goes through. True feelings were muddled and the reader gets to discover them right alongside the characters, which was a lot of fun. The relationship that Eliza shares with her sister, Caroline, and her Daddy was so sweet. The ending was the icing on the cake and I'm excited to see what Larsen will come up with next.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
July 23, 2018
Are you a fan of Jane Austen? Then you will want to check out this book and the other books by this author. She is so good at writing the contemporary versions of classic Austen books. Even if you aren't a Jane Austen fan and don't get the connection, this is still a very fun book!
This book in particular had that classic "feel" to it. All the emotions I remember as I read Emma really shined through in this book as well. I love that I had the same sort of feelings of familiarity even though the circumstances varied from the classic. That's how I want my re-take on classics to feel.
I was frustrated with both Parker (who is always criticizing Eliza and telling her all the things she does wrong) and Eliza who bumbles so many things. Eliza isn't malicious though, she just makes some mistakes. I love how Eliza tries so hard to help people and make up for the mistakes she does make. She loves her family and takes especially good care of her father. She is an endearing character. The whole cast of characters were just perfect and I loved them.
I read through this book quickly and enjoyed every minute of it!
Content: clean, kissing
- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book in particular had that classic "feel" to it. All the emotions I remember as I read Emma really shined through in this book as well. I love that I had the same sort of feelings of familiarity even though the circumstances varied from the classic. That's how I want my re-take on classics to feel.
I was frustrated with both Parker (who is always criticizing Eliza and telling her all the things she does wrong) and Eliza who bumbles so many things. Eliza isn't malicious though, she just makes some mistakes. I love how Eliza tries so hard to help people and make up for the mistakes she does make. She loves her family and takes especially good care of her father. She is an endearing character. The whole cast of characters were just perfect and I loved them.
I read through this book quickly and enjoyed every minute of it!
Content: clean, kissing
- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 18, 2018
This is a cute book. It is set in the modern day, but it is a retelling of Jane Austen's "Emma". The characters are successful with good intentions, but things do not always turn out the way expected.
Eliza Woodhouse is a self proclaimed match-maker. Because she has had two successes, she thinks that she knows how to find someone the perfect match. Her intentions are good, but things don't work out the way she thinks they will. The characters are fun. I enjoyed Eliza, her best friend, the girl she is helping out, and Parker.
I liked the pacing of the book. Nothing feels rushed, it feels like a natural progression of events. The humor is great, and the setting is also well done. There really isn't anything that I didn't like/enjoy about this book.
If you enjoy a re-telling, or just want to read a good romance, you should pick this one up. It is a clean story with some kissing.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Eliza Woodhouse is a self proclaimed match-maker. Because she has had two successes, she thinks that she knows how to find someone the perfect match. Her intentions are good, but things don't work out the way she thinks they will. The characters are fun. I enjoyed Eliza, her best friend, the girl she is helping out, and Parker.
I liked the pacing of the book. Nothing feels rushed, it feels like a natural progression of events. The humor is great, and the setting is also well done. There really isn't anything that I didn't like/enjoy about this book.
If you enjoy a re-telling, or just want to read a good romance, you should pick this one up. It is a clean story with some kissing.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 23, 2019
About half way through this book I was done. The problem with contemporary Austen replays is this. We know the plot. We obviously are reading this because - Austen. We also don’t want you to mess with the plot because - Austen. Which leaves a really big challenge for the author. To make this a page turner it then needs to be really engaging. The set up was fantastic, and the characters were all there. Everything was written to be true to them. What was missing was really great dialogue between the key players, and especially Eliza & Parker. I was just waiting, and longing for something to up in the chemistry department. They were good friends and cared deeply about each other, but the extra was missing sadly.
Emma isn’t my favourite of the Austen novels - however I’ll always give a book like this a go. Thankfully, for the author - right when I was about to put this away for good - my favourite football team (Liverpool) got a massive endorsement from Parker! I was so stunned because I don’t think I’ve heard many Americans ever choose Liverpool as their favourite - And well, I’m a born and bred Anfield loyalist ;) So, I decide to keep on going. I’m glad I did. The second half picked up some, and Parker distancing himself definitely upped the ante. Ended well.
Emma isn’t my favourite of the Austen novels - however I’ll always give a book like this a go. Thankfully, for the author - right when I was about to put this away for good - my favourite football team (Liverpool) got a massive endorsement from Parker! I was so stunned because I don’t think I’ve heard many Americans ever choose Liverpool as their favourite - And well, I’m a born and bred Anfield loyalist ;) So, I decide to keep on going. I’m glad I did. The second half picked up some, and Parker distancing himself definitely upped the ante. Ended well.
July 18, 2018
The Matchmaker's Match is a contemporary re-telling of Jane Austen's Emma. I think Larsen does a good job with her re-tellings, but I'll admit that Emma isn't my favorite story. It was a bit of an uphill battle to win me over.
Eliza had good intentions, but the way she looked down on people for things they couldn't control wasn't endearing-at all. She was a snob and it was actually a bit hard to understand why Parker liked her or how she had true friends that didn't seem like snobs. Much to their credit, those friends and some of the other supporting characters gave us a lot of kind gestures and instances of rising above themselves in the story.
Even though I didn't really like Eliza, I did feel bad for her with so many changes in her life that left her feeling alone. She had a lot of growth throughout the story, and I appreciated that.
It's clean and a fast read, and I think if you are a fan of Emma you would probably enjoy Larsen's re-telling.
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Eliza had good intentions, but the way she looked down on people for things they couldn't control wasn't endearing-at all. She was a snob and it was actually a bit hard to understand why Parker liked her or how she had true friends that didn't seem like snobs. Much to their credit, those friends and some of the other supporting characters gave us a lot of kind gestures and instances of rising above themselves in the story.
Even though I didn't really like Eliza, I did feel bad for her with so many changes in her life that left her feeling alone. She had a lot of growth throughout the story, and I appreciated that.
It's clean and a fast read, and I think if you are a fan of Emma you would probably enjoy Larsen's re-telling.
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 16, 2018
I’m always happy when I get to read a new book by an author that I’ve read and enjoyed reading before! I really enjoyed the two books I’ve read by Brittany Larsen Pride and Politics and Sense and Second Chances. I liked The Matchmaker’s Match just as much!
Eliza is a great character. I was really amazed by how much she tried to do for everyone around her. She takes care of her dad, because he has a bit of mental illness and she doesn’t want to leave him alone. Eliza works hard on her sister Caroline’s wedding, and she does the same planning for her best friends wedding. And she’s always giving people jobs in her flower shop. Even to the point of losing money instead of making it. She really has a big heart. The big thing with Eliza is that she doesn’t know when to stop taking care of everyone around her, and take care of herself instead.
Then there’s Parker. He’s the brother of Caroline’s husband. I liked him, but I didn’t feel like I “knew” him because the whole story is from Eliza’s point of view. One thing about Parker is that he never seems to feel as though Eliza is good enough. There seems to be a running list of what she does wrong from him. I really wish that I knew what he was thinking through some of this book.
There are so many fun characters in this one. Hailey, Elton, Taylor, Nancy, Jami, Blake. I really want to know what happens to each and every one of them!
I liked the beach town vibe this one has. It’s set in Orange County, California. There’s tons of outdoor ocean and beachy fun. It made me want to head to the beach, get out a chair and read by the ocean.
This one is really a fun one! I can’t wait to read more by this author!
Eliza is a great character. I was really amazed by how much she tried to do for everyone around her. She takes care of her dad, because he has a bit of mental illness and she doesn’t want to leave him alone. Eliza works hard on her sister Caroline’s wedding, and she does the same planning for her best friends wedding. And she’s always giving people jobs in her flower shop. Even to the point of losing money instead of making it. She really has a big heart. The big thing with Eliza is that she doesn’t know when to stop taking care of everyone around her, and take care of herself instead.
Then there’s Parker. He’s the brother of Caroline’s husband. I liked him, but I didn’t feel like I “knew” him because the whole story is from Eliza’s point of view. One thing about Parker is that he never seems to feel as though Eliza is good enough. There seems to be a running list of what she does wrong from him. I really wish that I knew what he was thinking through some of this book.
There are so many fun characters in this one. Hailey, Elton, Taylor, Nancy, Jami, Blake. I really want to know what happens to each and every one of them!
I liked the beach town vibe this one has. It’s set in Orange County, California. There’s tons of outdoor ocean and beachy fun. It made me want to head to the beach, get out a chair and read by the ocean.
This one is really a fun one! I can’t wait to read more by this author!
July 24, 2018
Romance, clean; classic re-telling
This was a clever modern re-telling of Emma by JA. Eliza Woodhouse and Parker Knightly are the 2 main characters. Several tweaks to the original story, but not extreme and a good way to adapt for the modern setting. Cute, fun romance, the same wit, humor, and of course the romance that we know from the original. Clever adaptation that is a nice romantic read.
This was a clever modern re-telling of Emma by JA. Eliza Woodhouse and Parker Knightly are the 2 main characters. Several tweaks to the original story, but not extreme and a good way to adapt for the modern setting. Cute, fun romance, the same wit, humor, and of course the romance that we know from the original. Clever adaptation that is a nice romantic read.
October 12, 2018
I'm sorry to say, but I didn't enjoy this book very much and didn't even read the last 20 pages or so. The characters were all too "high school-ish" and super condescending to each other. That characteristic is a HUGE turn off to me. How do you be so condescending the whole book and then expect we'll love them together at the end? Just not a light, fun book that I normally like to read. In all fairness, I have never read Jane Austen's Emma. So maybe this is a great retelling of that story.
April 9, 2022
Too many characters with similar names Preston, Weston, Ashton, Elton... The main character Eliza was a spoiled idiot. So many characters and events thrown in a book with no depth. I only read the whole thing because I wanted to.be sure she ended up with the right guy.
March 2, 2023
Excellent story!
July 19, 2018
Author Brittany Larsen has written a sweet and fun contemporary romance in her Jane Austen retelling, The Matchmaker’s Match. This is an enjoyable, light, easy, and fairly quick read that readers will thoroughly enjoy. Writing a modern-day retelling Jane Austen’s Emma by putting her own contemporary twist in it, Larsen brings to life this delightful and endless story. Readers will definitely be laughing as they read along too. A delightful and sweet story, readers will easily fall in love with this Jane Austen retelling!
Genre: contemporary, clean romance
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication date: July 1, 2018
Number of pages: 240
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Genre: contemporary, clean romance
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication date: July 1, 2018
Number of pages: 240
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
March 29, 2024
when I started reading this, I didn’t realize it was a modern day take on Jane Austen’s Emma. A few chapters in the storyline seemed familiar to what I read a few years ago, so thats how I figured it out. 🤣
August 5, 2019
I loved it!! But I wish we knew what Parker wrote in his love letter email.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2018
A little slow getting started but then a fun read.
January 13, 2019
Ok, I just love this author. She has a way of engaging me from the very first page, and wanting me to not put the book down! This book did not disappoint! I loved the retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, within a current setting, and wit and humor! I loved it!
November 20, 2024
I had a hard time finishing this one, because the main character was so pretentious. But it did have a feel good ending that I liked!
September 20, 2018
Oh my gosh this book annoyed me so much! Liza was so frickin’ annoying with her match making and being judgmental, and trying to decide everyone else’s lives. And when something good in her friends lives or sisters happens, it was oh boo hoo me, now I’m even more alone that I already was. She also thought that money would solve everyone’s problems. And the romance was really quite dumb. Nothing even happens until the end of the book. Lots of jealous people that are just so stupid. I was excited for this book, and it turned out to be terrible. I only finished it because I figured it would have to get better... nope
November 22, 2018
Just okay for me, it's a decent story, but I had a hard time finding any depth towards it. I liked the characters enough, it just felt like there were a lot, and that they were really random. I just never felt attached to the story, and was glad when I was done with the book.
October 19, 2021
Disappointing. Rich trust fund surfer girl with no understanding of life. Not even completely sure how she got together with the heart throb because he thought she was selfish and incompetent for most of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2018
The Matchmaker's Match is a novel loosely based on the book Emma by Jane Austen. This is a contemporary romance with a cast of very interesting characters. The most interesting thing is that the main characters Liza and Parker are some of the most flawed in the book. In the long run they also are the ones that have the most to learn.
Eliza and Parker grew up together in a sister-brother relationship. They tease, mock, fight, and have fun together. It's not until they are both grown up and thrown back together that other feelings start to develop or they are being recognized. I just wish they'd realized this way sooner in the novel. I almost felt cheated that it took so long and we don't see this part until the last few chapters. I wanted more of them being lovers not bickering friends.
Eliza is rich, beautiful, and everything has always gone her way. Some people think she is a snob and self centered. I don't agree 100% with this assessment. I think her heart was usually in the right place, but she didn't know how to carry out her good intentions so as not to offend others or cause problems. Parker seems like the perfect man, but I was really annoyed how he always was cutting Eliza down. If he'd only set her down earlier and had a non-judgmental heart to heart a lot of the problems they had would have been avoided. Granted there wouldn't have been much in the story, but I felt so many times he felt superior to Eliza and made her feel bad. Yes, Eliza with her matchmaking skills and wanting to "help" everyone sometimes just made things worse.
Other characters I really loved in the story are Eliza's sweet father. Eliza's dad is not well and she's stayed at home to take care of him. He gives her a lot of love and stability though and that's why I liked him. I also liked her best friend Taylor who is a true friend. I felt bad many times for many of the characters who wanted to just be loved but they'd fallen in love with the wrong person. It's called life and this novel is very realistic.
This novel is for those who like flawed characters who struggle, but in the long run find the right answers and the right person. Just know, the romance for our main character doesn't come easy throughout the book and you won't be seeing instant romance. The book is good for older teens and adults.
****Come follow me & my reviews at:
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Eliza and Parker grew up together in a sister-brother relationship. They tease, mock, fight, and have fun together. It's not until they are both grown up and thrown back together that other feelings start to develop or they are being recognized. I just wish they'd realized this way sooner in the novel. I almost felt cheated that it took so long and we don't see this part until the last few chapters. I wanted more of them being lovers not bickering friends.
Eliza is rich, beautiful, and everything has always gone her way. Some people think she is a snob and self centered. I don't agree 100% with this assessment. I think her heart was usually in the right place, but she didn't know how to carry out her good intentions so as not to offend others or cause problems. Parker seems like the perfect man, but I was really annoyed how he always was cutting Eliza down. If he'd only set her down earlier and had a non-judgmental heart to heart a lot of the problems they had would have been avoided. Granted there wouldn't have been much in the story, but I felt so many times he felt superior to Eliza and made her feel bad. Yes, Eliza with her matchmaking skills and wanting to "help" everyone sometimes just made things worse.
Other characters I really loved in the story are Eliza's sweet father. Eliza's dad is not well and she's stayed at home to take care of him. He gives her a lot of love and stability though and that's why I liked him. I also liked her best friend Taylor who is a true friend. I felt bad many times for many of the characters who wanted to just be loved but they'd fallen in love with the wrong person. It's called life and this novel is very realistic.
This novel is for those who like flawed characters who struggle, but in the long run find the right answers and the right person. Just know, the romance for our main character doesn't come easy throughout the book and you won't be seeing instant romance. The book is good for older teens and adults.
****Come follow me & my reviews at:
http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com
Like my Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/WhyNotBecaus... ***
October 12, 2019
This was highly recommended by the people that I follow here in Goodreads so I took a chance on it.
As much as the cover is pretty and the writing is decent. The parallel story to Austen's "Emma" was not for me. Not sure if it was meant to be that way but for me it seemed like it. In this book we meet Eliza who is supposed to be a trust fund baby who, at 24, owns her own flower shop and is pretty good at planning parties. She has a faux big brother named Parker who left the country for work and then came back. That's when the story really begins. There were a lot of secondary characters. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! There are like 3 more love stories within it. Apparently Eliza considers herself a matchmaker (rings a bell? yeah Emma was like that too) She found her sister and best friends "one true love" and now she feels like she has the gift of matchmaking. But then she meets Hailey who is a single mom and out on her luck. Eliza makes her a "project" (again doesn't that ring a bell?) There were also some other characters that come along the way.
Eliza's character, much like Emma, is clueless about people and ends up ruining things before she wakes up from her stubborness and naivete.
As much as I like the cover on this one, the story line and the enormous cast just didn't do it for me. At the end, her struggles of feeling alone made me have some empathy for her but other than that, this was just meh!
I was trying to do some research and this one didn't seem like part of a series. It would have been nice to read the back stories of Caroline, Taylor and even Jami's love stories. They found their happy endings in this book but I wished I'd known more about them.
That is my biggest problem with big casts. Every one has a story and if they're playing some part in this one, I wished that I could know a little bit more about them.
Parker was a good character and he was the only one that I really liked in this story. He had his vulnerability but he wasn't a dunce. I'm not sure he really deserved Eliza at the end.
Anyways, that's just my opinion. The cover was good looking though.
As much as the cover is pretty and the writing is decent. The parallel story to Austen's "Emma" was not for me. Not sure if it was meant to be that way but for me it seemed like it. In this book we meet Eliza who is supposed to be a trust fund baby who, at 24, owns her own flower shop and is pretty good at planning parties. She has a faux big brother named Parker who left the country for work and then came back. That's when the story really begins. There were a lot of secondary characters. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! There are like 3 more love stories within it. Apparently Eliza considers herself a matchmaker (rings a bell? yeah Emma was like that too) She found her sister and best friends "one true love" and now she feels like she has the gift of matchmaking. But then she meets Hailey who is a single mom and out on her luck. Eliza makes her a "project" (again doesn't that ring a bell?) There were also some other characters that come along the way.
Eliza's character, much like Emma, is clueless about people and ends up ruining things before she wakes up from her stubborness and naivete.
As much as I like the cover on this one, the story line and the enormous cast just didn't do it for me. At the end, her struggles of feeling alone made me have some empathy for her but other than that, this was just meh!
I was trying to do some research and this one didn't seem like part of a series. It would have been nice to read the back stories of Caroline, Taylor and even Jami's love stories. They found their happy endings in this book but I wished I'd known more about them.
That is my biggest problem with big casts. Every one has a story and if they're playing some part in this one, I wished that I could know a little bit more about them.
Parker was a good character and he was the only one that I really liked in this story. He had his vulnerability but he wasn't a dunce. I'm not sure he really deserved Eliza at the end.
Anyways, that's just my opinion. The cover was good looking though.
October 11, 2018
I loved this book! This is my favorite out of Brittany's three books (Pride and Politics, Sense and Second Chances, The Matchmaker's Match). The main character, Eliza, is so fun, and you can see she comes from such a good place in her heart. But, when you don't come from money, it can definitely not be received in the same way the charity is given! It made me laugh reading this and seeing these characters play out in modern day. I thought Brittany did a great job with this! It was fun to see the development of the main characters, seeing Eliza grow from giving charity in her own way, and seeing her relationship and her appreciation for her father. And, of course, I loved seeing her friendship with Parker grow. It was so sweet! And, our daughter is loving this now, too!
May 13, 2020
This was a fun read. It stayed really close to the original storyline. It also gave a friendly nod to a movie based on the original story--though perhaps not as many readers are in love with the movie like I am, so it might not be as apparent to them.
I didn't love, nor did I understand the point of the "Mormon" integration into the story. It seemed a bit forced and, being a member of that religion, I didn't really think it made a good impression. Religion wasn't referenced in any other way, so I feel that could have been left out and would have been the better for it.
Overall, I like my 'retellings' to better hide the connection to its muse. I like to work to find the connection while still enjoying a creative story.
I didn't love, nor did I understand the point of the "Mormon" integration into the story. It seemed a bit forced and, being a member of that religion, I didn't really think it made a good impression. Religion wasn't referenced in any other way, so I feel that could have been left out and would have been the better for it.
Overall, I like my 'retellings' to better hide the connection to its muse. I like to work to find the connection while still enjoying a creative story.
July 15, 2018
This contemporary version of Emma is fantastic! Eliza is a "rich girl" who has excellent intentions, but figures out she needs to give others space to make their own decisions and grow. Parker walked into Eliza's flower shop and I loved the two of them together immediately! I really like how they banter, tease, and discuss issues head-on. I loved the added tension from adding characters who take Eliza's and Parker's attention, and the way each is hesitant to cross the friends line, because there's no going back if both aren't on board. A great setting - California beach, flower shop, good characters, and a well told story!
March 19, 2020
This was a really cute story, I'll give it that. But what I found most odd was that this book is available to read on the Deseret Bookshelf PLUS app (which is how I read it) yet there are some comments made in this book about Mormons in a negative way? I don't know, seems odd to me but oh well! I definitely wasn't a fan of how terrible Eliza is at "fixing" everything. I related really well to how she felt about her sister getting married (I too shed many tears when my older sister got married) and how her relationship changed when her best friend got married. I definitely felt similar feelings when my best friend got married. Other than the Mormon comments, it was a cute story!
July 17, 2018
This was a fun read. I enjoyed the flower shop and Liza and Parker's relationship. The plot is wonderful and the setting is beautiful. I had a hard time with Liza though. By the end of the book I honestly didn't believe that she could be or that a person would be that clueless to things going on around her and, more so what her words and behavior did to other people. To me, I would think someone would have at least some idea of how words can hurt, especially face to face. I could be wrong. She was too niave.
July 20, 2018
This was a fun, romantic story with a steady plot and good characters. I enjoyed the story line and I especially liked the main characters Eliza and Parker who have been friends forever. I liked that they were honest with each other-sometimes brutally so-and could still be best friends and help each other. I liked that Eliza tried to have good intentions with matchmaking and helping others, even when it wasn't necessary or the right thing to do.
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
September 11, 2018
In this retelling of Emma, it's the same matchmaking gone bad story, but with a surfing coastal vibe, which I really liked. It was hard to get a read on Parker and I wanted just a bit more explanation from him at the end, but I'm such a sucker for a good Austen like book. I loved the father and all the quirky characters. I thought Emma properly matured and enjoyed the comparisons to the movie versions of her character. This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm really enjoying her modern retellings.
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January 25, 2023Cute story. Eliza is a bit of a busy body. She seems to think she is the perfect match maker. But she is also kind of clueless. Then there is Parker who is just a little adorable. But he forgets that just because he is older than Eliza that he can’t treat her like she is a child just because they grew up together. It is a bad habit of his. Eliza has plenty of her own faults such as feeling like she can solve every problem with money. I always think it is funny when the person that doesn’t want to marry is the one that wants to match everyone else up.
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