Unlikely Match: A Transplant Romance

by Laura Bradbury

Could the man I hate be the perfect match I need?

I’m Jules Kelly, a certified bohemian boss babe, whose hip tech company just won subsidized office space in the coolest co-working space in town. From a distance I seem poised to take over the world (or at least the travel industry), and I would be if it weren’t for two big

1. A rare and seriously inconvenient disease is tanking my health by the day, and my only hope for a cure—a transplant—is moving further from my grasp.

2. A soulless database company is sharing my new office space, and its coldly gorgeous, judgmental, CEO is on a path to world dominance (at least in his mind).

Tom Davenport represents the very worst of bro culture in the start-up world. Naturally, we despise each other.

The thing is, as much as Tom's antagonism annoys me, he has an uncanny ability to conjure up my fighting spirit and vitality at a time when my illness is robbing me of both. I'm drawn to him in ways I can't (or would really rather not) understand.

A mysterious angel investor forces our companies to compete for a life-changing amount of money just when my relationship with Tom becomes infinitely more complicated. To make matters worse, things get cutthroat just as my health and time start to run out.

In order to survive, I must decide if I can truly trust my most unlikely ally of all.

Unlikely Match is a high-stakes, occasionally steamy, workplace romance that will leave you feverishly turning pages.

For those of you who love wry (and sometimes a wee bit dark) humor, emotional intensity, loyal friendships, insane chemistry, and forced proximity in the context of high medical stakes, you can fill your boots with Unlikely Match .

Not sure about a transplant romance? As a living donor transplant recipient myself (five years and counting!) I know this world from personal experience. Please note that this book contains sensitive topics such as medical trauma and hospital scenes on the page. It also refers to parental abandonment and the foster care system mostly off the page.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Workplace Romance, Rom Com, Adult

Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2022

About the author

Laura Bradbury is the author of the bestselling Grape Series, an award-winning cookbook Bisous and Brioche, the Winemakers Series, and "huggable" rom coms such as Oxford Wild.

She has a law degree from Keble College, Oxford but Laura’s true love was always storytelling.

She married a Frenchman and ran off to France after graduation so she would have something to write about. Now Laura lives between Burgundy, France and an island off Canada's West Coast with her French husband and their three daughters. She can be found writing, reading, or eating snails with a nice glass of Pinot.

Sign up for her beloved monthly Grapevine at www.bit.ly/LauraBradburyNewsletter or find her on IG at https://www.instagram.com/laurabradbu... or www.laurabradbury.com

Reviews

[aly ☆彡 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Those pity looks... Aren't they the worst?"
"And they always made me feel like a stranger to myself — like pity blinded people to who I was inside"

Jules' body is withering as a result of a rare liver disease, which may make it impossible for her to live much longer unless she gets a transplant. She is nonetheless doing everything possible to make it out of the dreadful situation, notwithstanding how difficult it is to keep them together. Prior to meeting Tom, Jules overheard him making unfavorable remarks about her team. The worst part, though? She had to see him every day as they are forced to work both in competition and collaboratively to achieve funding — except all the banters may have made Jules feel more alive than her fatal illness did.

First off, I'm so torn between giving four or five stars because all those tears shouldn't be allowed me to settle for less. All the delicacy and authenticity that comes from this novel are to root for, and I had a stellar time reading my first book from Bradbury. So it pains me to say that I may not find the second part as good as the first. Unlikely Match comes very close to being perfect, only that the execution may have been done better.

I understand that writing this novel probably wasn't easy, so seeing Bradbury and other people who needed to see themselves and their radically altering health experiences represented in romance was gratifying. So I have to say, Jules Kelly is among my favorite female leads and her perspective on both times merits praise. Even when she initially lost hope regarding her illness, she displayed women's empowerment which made this whole book hopeful and heartwarming.

It's remarkable how some aspects of this novel seemed so plausible while others were absurdly fanciful, but the events in this book were sufficiently detailed to give the reader a genuine sense of the situation, and it was clear that many of them were directly impacted by the author's personal experiences. I just learned so much from it.

While Tom does not start on a good foot and I like that he never excused his sort of 'asshole-ness moment' in the beginning, I enjoyed uncovering the mysteries surrounding him and was captivated by his past. Love the account of his pierogi deliveries story and see his growth throughout the book. The way he puts others before himself and wants the best for everyone kinda wished I had him for myself, but oh well — we can't always have what we want, do we?

The romance was delightful, in a way a transplant romance book could be. Jules and Tom's initial banter was spot on, and I always like seeing them argue and engage with each other as though they were drawn to each other. I eventually realized the plot the author was attempting to create, but their relationship was just lovely that I continued loving the book.

As for the pits in the book; I couldn't see how the conflict shifted at one point. The rest of the subsidiary plot like the unsupportive family members and gay friends felt didactic. The exploration of unhealthy familial reactions to dire medical diagnoses could have been fascinating, but it came off as over the top and clichéd. Like a toss-in attempt to create hyperrealism that is somewhat unnecessary.

There were times that I was super thrilled about the romance too, yet something would occur that left me feeling rather let down or perplexed. Jules and Tom had several extremely fortuitous encounters that push the boundaries of believability. The storyline had a tonne of potential, but it didn't quite come together satisfactorily. It feels like a whole different facet after the first half of the book that didn't win me.

Having that said, does it deter me from enjoying the book? If I am not clear enough, the goods did overhaul the bad. And to Laura Bradbury, thank you for taking me on your transplant journey in a form of a heartwrenching, eye-opening, and wonderful story in a form of Jules and Tom. If you have this in your TBR, just drop everything and give this one a try!

[Dab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know that feeling when you can’t put down a book to the point that you forget to eat and sleep? This is a book that does that to you.

Jules is young and successful. She loves bright colors, pierogi and socializing. Together with her best friend she runs a travel startup that has been recently invited to use subsidized office space for a year.

Tom is a CEO of a startup they have to share the office space with. He is extremely motivated and hardworking but not exactly an expert on human interactions nor on making great first impressions.

Jules hates guys like Tom and their tech bro culture but she quickly realizes that first impressions are not always to be trusted. As they get to know each other Jules finds herself thinking about Tom more than she would care to admit.

However there is this one thing about Jules that Tom doesn’t know. She has a very rare liver disease and her only hope is a transplant.

I absolutely loved Jules and her drive to not let the disease define her. She was such a badass! And I loved Tom. OMG how I loved Tom!!! Let me just tell you, he takes the whole book boyfriend concept to the next level.

This is not a book about a disease but about people. It’s about the worst and the best in humanity and how you should not judge anyone because you never have the full story. It’s about love, friendship and hope and “going on when you can’t go on”. I rooted for both Jules and Tom, laughed and maybe cried a little too, but only happy tears.

Five well deserved stars!

I would kill for a plate of pierogi right now though.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Laura Bradbury for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

[kay! ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“I thought with you I’d found the home I’ve been looking for my whole life.”

Unlikely Match is my first but certainly not my last book from Laura Bradbury. I went in with zero exceptions and barely read the summary before hitting the request button on Netgalley. The initial premise sounded so interesting (and, because I’m a sucker for Angtsy Pain) heart wrenching. I don’t always go for books where one or both of the protagonist are sick because of three reasons: #1 it hits close to home as someone who has a chronic illness. #2 The Fault in Our Stars traumatized me in middle school. But for some reason I found myself drawn into this book and was ecstatic when I found out that my request was approved! I devoured this book as fast as I can and now I regret it—I wish I could have savored and took my time with this book and it’s wonderful characters.

Jules Kelly is CEO and cofounder of GoodGuides, a company that focuses on providing traveling guides. She runs it with her childhood best friend Alan and, on the outside looking it she is seemingly living a perfect life. That is exactly what Tom Davenport thought. He’s CEO of a Silobase and is temporary sharing office space with GoodGuides. Right off the bat the two gets off on the wrong foot which kicks off this intense game of back and forth. Think The Hating Game but better. Tom thinks Jules is this overindulgent hippie while Jules thinks Tom has a stick up his…well you get it. But Jules secretly loves this little game that she has with Tom because it finally gives her this spark that she was desperately missing from her life since she was diagnosed with PSC — primary sclerosing cholangitis. Jules needs a liver transplant fast and this need only increases as she gets sicker and sicker. Along with juggling her sickness, she also has to juggle her budding feelings for Tom, work, her toxic family, and her own mental health.

I was immediately pulled into the book within the first few pages. It wasn’t fast paced but it certainly was not slow either. I’d say it was more medium paced. There was enough happening plot wise to always keep me invested but it never went 0 to 100 or dragged. I really don’t want to spoiler anything but I want to say that even though some of the plot twist was easy to figure out they still packed an emotional punch. Even at times when the plot was slowing down, the delightful characters were plenty entertaining. Jules is one of my new favorite protagonists. Even though she’s struggling with PSC she refuses to be placed into a box. She isn’t an easily defined and messy at times but isn’t that realistic? The same could be said for the rest of the characters. They were mostly well defined even if they were minor or side characters. The one complaint I have about the characters is that Jules (incredibly) insufferable family was very one dimensional. But at the end of the day I was okay with that—I would much rather spend extra time getting to know Jules, Tom, Alan, and everyone else.

Speaking of Tom: he is also one of my new favorite characters too. He doesn’t fit into any one box and he’s complex but most importantly he’s genuinely good. Sure he makes a few blunders but so do the rest. The things he says and does had me swooning and crying…sometimes at the same time. Even though he was “enemies” with Jules I don’t think he ever got the memo. Every time she brings it up he’s just like “wait…we are 😳” Tom gives off golden retriever energy except he only turns into a golden retriever around the people he cares about.

I just loved this book so much. It was funny, relatable, honest, adorable, and heartbreaking.

Read this is you like:
❄️ socially awkward golden retriever boyfriends
❄️ strong yet realistic main characters
❄️ books that deals with terminal illness but does not have a tragic ending
❄️ spice. adorably awkward and steamy spice
❄️ characters who makes a lot of mistakes but actually attempt to learn from it
❄️ the found family trope!!
❄️ healthy LGBTQ+ rep
❄️ angst, humor and comfort, and fluff
❄️ dark humor

✨4.5 out of 5 stars✨

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, close proximity, and office romance

I absolutely ADORED this book. It hit all of the marks for me, from its accurate depiction of the difficulties one faces when dealing with a lifelong illness, to the barriers women still face in the workforce.

Despite tackling some heavy themes, I found this book easy to get through. Jules, our fierce heroine, is the CEO of a travel guide tech startup that’s sharing an office with Tom’s startup. Jules and Tom have an awful first encounter that leads Jules to believe that Tom is just like any other tech bro.

Jules and Tom couldn’t be more opposite. Jules is fierce and outspoken. She wears boho fashion and has champagne parties at work. Tom is career focused, ridged, and wears the same variation of suits daily (it is revealed why later on in the book). Despite how different Tom and Jules appear to be, they are both hiding parts of themselves: Jules with her illness and Tom with his past. The banter and chemistry between these two was AMAZING. They found one another at just the perfect time in their lives and I loved seeing their romance grow and evolve as the characters worked through their traumas.

This book is such a gem and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a read that’ll make them feel ALL of the emotions.


Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[DeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 romance with complications stars (rounded up for the tears)

This is a transplant story, and this is a romance. I wasn’t quite sure how that would work, but I ended up loving this one. Fair warning, I cried in at least two (maybe three) places in this book.

I loved the two main characters in this one – Jules Kelly and Tom Davenport. They are rival CEOs at two very different start-ups. They’ve been given the gift of one-year free shared office space.

From the moment they meet, they bring out the worst in each other. Tom comes across as an arrogant tech leader and Jules looks like a hippy who doesn’t work all that hard.

Of course, we know from Jules’ perspective that there are serious reasons that she doesn’t spend all her hours at work, she’s very sick and if she doesn’t get a liver transplant soon, she will die. The author writes so authentically about this because she lived this. Can’t get more real than that.

Soon the only thing getting Jules out of bed in the morning is the chance to spar with Tom at work. She can’t help but notice his gorgeous forearms and overall good looks! Why does he only wear black and white though?

And we learn that Tom presents a tough guy exterior due to a horrible foster home life in his early years. He feels that he doesn’t know how to be a friend or how to be in a relationship.

I really loved the lifelong friendship that Jules has with Alan. He is there so many times for her, and you know that is difficult with a medical situation. Her family is atrocious and it’s no wonder that Jules sought out friends and co-workers to be her support system.

I read this one in one sitting and I was totally drawn into this story. I’ve read another transplant story before, so I knew a bit about the lack of available organs and the agony of the waiting game. I kept rooting for Jules to get her transplant and for her blossoming romance. This one did get emotionally tense but I’m so glad to have met Jules and Tom. This one won’t work for everyone, but it totally worked for me!

Thank you to Laura Bradbury and Grape Books for the chance to read and review this one. Scheduled to publish 5.26.22.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers with believable chemistry is the backbone of this romance. I will admit it has quite the emotional punch and I may have shed more than few tears. It wasn’t really surprising to see that the author had her own experience with the protagonist’s disease and journey because it was perfect and realistic. Jules is launching a start up in a grant funded shared space with another start up. She has thrown herself into work despite struggling with a rare disease and being in pretty desperate need of a liver transplant. The CEO of the other start up sharing the space immediately pushes all of Jules’ buttons and the two of them have sparks flying with their charged fighting. Tom is hard working and a bit of a perfectionist and struggles with Jules’ much different leadership style. It was a sweet story with likable characters. A bit less light than your typically romance but it was still a fun ride. I give it 3,5 stars rounded up for the well written emotional punch to the gut.

[Alds ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➼ Office romance, transplant romance, grumpy-sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity

Unlikely Match was such a refreshing and interesting read! It wasn't your traditional or cliche romcom - it was so much more. Jules and Tom, the CEOs of their respective start-ups, are offered a year's worth of free shared space. When Jules overheard Tom's sexist words and confronted him, they both got off to a bad start. They decided to hate one other and think the worst of each other from that point forward. Tom saw Jules as a haughty, hippy, and not hardworking lady. While Jules saw Tom as an arrogant, rigid, and aloof person. Both are polar opposites, and this is what set them off!  They were also forced to compete with one another, on top of which they had to cope with serious personal issues. However, the forced proximity allows them to spend more time together and develop feelings over time. But there was a hitch: Jules suffers from a rare illness and was running out of time..

I liked how real, flawed, and authentic the characters were. They were all unique and different in their own ways—with their upbringing and personal issues shaping their personalities. They made mistakes and weren't always easy to like, but that was because they were going through hard times, and their perspective and reactions were pretty human. Jules Kelly was such a badass on this one! Despite her crippling disease, she didn't let it deter her from living life. She was very strong. Her best friend, Alan, deserved a "Friend of the Year Award." He was always such a great support system for Jules, especially since her family was toxic and hard to deal with. Her relationships with Mac, Annie, and the medical staff were also very touching. They have helped her a lot to get through the worst times in her life. And of course, Tom Davenport!! the man who reignited Jules' spark. The man who gave the world back to her hands that was starting to slip away slowly. Jules' rock, despite of his own problems.

But I wasn't keen of the romance between Tom and Jules in the BEFORE chapters because it seemed pretty quick. I hope their relationship and connection were much more established before "that" big step. But I liked their relationship in the AFTER chapters. It was more realistic, convincing, and genuine, albeit it still seemed rushed for me.

This book has many good points. I agree that an illness may impact your life, viewpoint, friends, and how you adapt to your situation. I admired how Jules managed her post-transplant life. The author presented the realities of PSC and life after transplant well.

Overall, it was a pretty decent read. It just didn't impact me that much as I have hoped for, I guess? and the mcs lacked chemistry.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Grape Books, and Laura Bradbury for the arc in exchange of my honest opinion!

P.S. I am 5 days behind due to my hectic schedule 😅 😁

[Tetyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
Мені дуууже сподобалося, якщо не брати до уваги деякі моменти.
Трішки про сюжет. Джулс - генеральний директор стартап компанії хворіє невиліковною і дуже рідкісною хворобою печінки ПСХ, єдине, що може їх врятувати - це трансплантація. Том - гендиректор компанії, яка займає спільний офіс з фірмою Джулс. Він дратує її, бісить, але в той же час змушує відчувати себе живою, викликає в неї бойовий дух і іскру, яку вона втратила через хворобу.
Перша частина книги мені дуже сподобалася. Я плакала, сміялася, раділа і сумувала. Коротше отримала масу емоцій.

Джулс - неймовірно сильна особистість, я пишалася її здатністю до життя, її силою та витривалістю, тим що вона не дозволяла хворобі забрати в неї все що вона любить. Мені було її дуже шкода, важко уявити, який біль та страждання вона відчували роками, але все одно не зламалася, не втратила надію і продовжувала боротися за своє життя та здоров'я.
Том. Ще один зламаний книжковий чоловік з важким минулим. Мене як магнітом до них тягне😅. Він владний, але в той же час сором'язливий і невпевнений, дуже хоробрий, відданий, чесний, турботливий. Він чоловік, який збудував себе сам, без будь-якої допомоги і підтримки, а ще він максималіст і перфекціоніст, який завжди рухається вперед і не озирається назад.

Друга частина книги мене трохи розчарувала. Вона була розтягнутою, з великою кількістю драми і страждань, що я трохи задовбалася то читати. І да, я розуміла героїв та їхні вчинки, мені було дуже шкода Джулс. Я розуміла її невпевненість, її страхи, сумніви, адже вона опинилася в такій невизначеній ситуації, все чого вона очікувало не справдилося і їй потрібно було зрозуміти як жити далі, змиритися зі своїм теперішнім становищем і розібратися зі своїми думками і почуттями. І тут мене збісив Том, своїм тиском на неї і швидкістю з якою він хотів рухатися вперед. Я розуміла звідки то все йшло, але пару раз хотілося дійсно стукнути його. Але я рада, що вони розібралися в ситуації і все закінчилося добре.

Додатковий плюсик цій книзі за згадку про Україну. Вареники, борщ, ресторанчик "Український Культурний Центр". Це було мило. І окрема подяка авторці за теплі слова українцям стосовно війни, аж якось тепло на душі стало і приємно, що не всім авторам наплювати на ситуацію в нашій країні. Тепер мені хочеться прочитати й інші її книги.

[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I guess that’s the ironic thing about facing death— there’s no better crash course in learning how to live.”

After that Author's note, it was impossible for me to rate this book any less than 5 stars, guys. I was just 22% into reading it and by then, I experienced so many emotions. This book definitely made me cry because it was beautiful, raw, with great friendships, some strangers being angels but it also was real, heartbreaking, painful and tragic. While it showcased that there is good left in the world, we cannot ignored the fact that there's bad too. Sometimes mere strangers show you more compassion and understanding when your own family can't. I am at a loss of words and I'm feeling kind of numb after finishing this story but at the same time so happy with the ending because it was just very wholesome! I absolutely loved the kind of relationship that developed between Tom & Jules. Initially, I admit that it was kind of hard for me to feel the chemistry between them but the things that transpired in the second half definitely had me feeling all kinds of butterflies! Overall, it was a really great plot and most importantly the struggles that people with a serious illness go through was portrayed in such a realistic way that got me (a person who doesn't like to show her emotions) teary eyed. That should tell you just how real and heartfelt this book was! And yes, kudos to the authors for writing about a topic that is so personal to her.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the ARC

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful, eye-opening story. Jules was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis five years ago, and with her health rapidly deteriorating, she is in desperate need of a liver transplant. Seeing both the physical and emotional toll placed on Jules, the honest and intricate details were achingly enlightening. My heart goes out to all those dealing with a chronic illness.

"Every second of every day I was faking being well."

This certainly isn't a light read, but the magical sprinkles of humour kept the plot bright and fun. And the romance was absolutely precious!

The immediate banter between Jules and Tom was on point. It's a slight enemies-to-lovers vibe as the two CEOs of separate tech startup companies navigate sharing an office space. With completely different styles and work cultures, the two do not hit it off.

While Tom may seem arrogant initially, I loved unravelling the mystery surrounding him. I fell in love with his backstory (and his pierogi deliveries, of course). Highly recommend this unique, heartfelt romance! I haven't read anything like it.

I received a gifted copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[AvidReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful read!

Going to this ARC Kinda blind I never thought it would impact me this much. This book made me happy, emotional, laugh out loud and think.

This had all the interesting tropes, office romance, nemesis to friends to lovers, a great secondary characters, fantastic characterisation, made family, realistic issues, cute pet names for each other, tiny adorable moments etc.

Everyone must give this a try, I would say Unlikely Match is a ‘Wakeup’ kinda book. Sometimes you need those books to wake you up from the slumber you’re in, where it wake you up to the unconditional love your family has for you, to the care your siblings and friends give you, to the unwavering support your partner offers you.
One of the things most of us take granted is our health… till we get ill. The heroine Jules was one fiercest warrior like the hero Tom calls her. She was strong, brave and never lost hope. I was rooting for her from the beginning. There was many many Heart melting moments in the book.
Hero Tom was my absolute favourite! Ugh…. How I love that man. If I could, I would adopt him in a heartbeat. Even though he is stoic, cold and closed he had this child like innocence to him throughout the story. Loved how he worked to become for the better version of himself.
I just have one tiny complaint, I wish Jules was little more open and receptive to Tom.
The medical aspect didn’t overshadow the romance like I feared.
This was Tom and Jules story and they completely owned it.
Epilogue was perfect.
Recommended.

[Misha Ahuja · Rating 3 out of 5]

honestly it wasn't bad i just wasn't feeling it

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Canadian indie author Laura Bradbury and I absolutely LOVED it!! A loose Pride and Prejudice retelling about Tom and Jules - two rival tech startup CEOs who are competing to win money from an angel investor.

Their two companies are sharing a workspace and the two get off to a rocky start with hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Jules is also dealing with her rapidly declining health due to the rare liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Desperately in need of a live liver donor, Jules is keeping her chronic illness (and potential death) a secret while trying to keep up a good front at work.

With no idea of her condition, Tom just thinks Jules is another spoiled rich kid using her trust fund money to dabble in the tech industry. Unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth! I couldn't believe how horrible Jules's family was but thankfully she has a great support person in her best friend Allan.

I thought the author did an amazing job writing about what it's like to live with a chronic illness, the constant pain and fatigue and all the things associated with that (chasing down medications, prescriptions, constant hospital visits and bloodwork, etc). I also really liked that the story takes place before and after she gets a transplant and shows how hard life after transplants can be too - that they aren't just a magic fix.

Highly, highly recommended! The romance between Tom and Jules was very sweet but it was the found family and friendships that I loved most about the book! Perfect for fans of other transplant love stories like Your truly by Abby Jimenez or Would you rather by Allison Ashley.

[meg ☾ ⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ noooo tom was just too cute 🥹🥹🥹

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredible. Intense and beautiful.

Jules has a rare disease and she's very sick. She continues to live as best she can, loving her best friend and working with him to get their company successfully off the ground. She's hiding her sickness from a lot of people because of their reactions. I mean, her family is a perfect case in point for why she doesn't tell people cause they are a-holes.

Along comes Tom who is attractive and irritating and he makes her spark and feel life. They fight and push each other and she hides her sickness from him.

I'll dock it a tiny smidge for the beginning when the hero says something about the other company being all women and distracting. He admits he was an asshat later, but that never quite makes sense.

But... after the very beginning, he shapes up to be amazing.

They both need therapy. And they both seek greater emotional and mental health.

This book isn't easy cause they have trauma and Jules comes close to dying. But it is so beautiful and wonderful and they are #couplegoals.

I love the found family aspect of this. Jules bio family is trash, but she has a few amazing friendships, including the hero.

Safety deets
- no OM/OW.
- condom used
- consent done well.
- no mentions of past partners.
- we get to see them a year later with a lovely HEA.
- lots of descriptions of medical issues and treatments.

[Jeeves Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings

Conceptually, this is a win... but the execution isn't quite there. That interesting, fun cover caught my eye, and the upbeat blurb had me excited to read a rom com with a little bit of bite. And it started off well; our hero makes a terrible first impression, and it was clear that bickering with him would be the thing that makes this ailing heroine feel alive. But then the focus shifted to just how ill our heroine is, with several bleak and depressing scenes meant to punctuate the exhausting reality of a long-term illness. I appreciated the authenticity, but the book soon became SUPER heavy, without enough romance to balance it out. That lighthearted bickering was completely overshadowed by everything else, and it wasn't long before the romance felt disjointed and rushed. When a book presents itself like a rom com, I'm reading it for the romance - and that's the part that wasn't successful.

The story follows Jules, a woman whose body is failing her. She's got a rare liver disease that will soon require her to get a transplant, but her doctor is worried that she won't make it that long. Jules is doing the best she can in a truly awful situation, but it's becoming nearly impossible to hold it together. So when she overhears a tech bro in her building make some less than stellar comments, Jules reacts in a way that she probably wouldn't have pre-illness. And you know what? It felt kind of great. Jules soon realizes that sparring with Tom makes her feel alive, and she's all too happy to embrace that. But bickering won't be enough to keep her illness at bay - Jules needs a transplant. And she needs it as soon as possible. Only once she's on the other side of that can she even consider a future.

It's interesting, some parts of this book felt so realistic, while others felt incredibly far-fetched. The author's own experiences certainly shaped and informed many of the medical scenes, which were descriptive enough to give the reader a true feel of the situation. But then there were things that left me scratching my head - I'm really supposed to believe that a woman who is so close to death is having hot hookups, and her partner will be completely oblivious to her illness? I don't think so. Tom's personality was also a lot to handle; he goes from one thing to the next in rapid succession, and the transitions did not feel natural. There were moments when I was very excited about the romance, but then something would happen that left me disappointed or confused. I needed that part of the story to be more successful to balance out the heaviness of Jules' stark reality. So there's tons of potential in the storyline, but it just didn't come together in a satisfying way.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

I really wanted to love this one but it just didn't happen. There wasn't enough interactions with Jules and Tom and it was really disappointing. I think if it was dual POV I would have enjoyed it a little better but with just Jules' POV it had me feeling like I never knew Tom and the romance between them was pretty nonexistent. Tom was nothing more than this robotic side character to Jules transplant story. What was the most disappointing though was we never got to see him find out that Jules was sick. I was looking forward to that the entire book and then the time finally came for him to find out and it happens off page with Jules best friend telling him. Seriously, I was so sad and actually a little mad that I didn't get to see that scene because I eat that kind of drama up like M&M's.

Overall, I liked this story okay and I'm interested in reading more from the author. So yes, I have my complaints about it, but it wasn't all bad and most of my complaints are probably my own fault since I got my hopes up about seeing certain things between the characters.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

читалось досить легко, я думала навіть над 4, але я не побачила розвитку їхньої історії кохання, тут книжка більше направлена на історію хвороби головної героїні, а не розвиток любовної лінії

можливо мої очікування були не такі, але вони буквально остаточно зійшлись на двох останніх розділах, ну і секс такий собі 😂

[Anastasia Terendii (livie's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, because I just LOVE those cartoon covers for romantic novels. This one tells us a story of Jules Kelly, who is CEO and cofounder of a company that provides traveling guides. You may think, she's living the perfect life, but Jules is diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis. That means there is no treatment to this disease and that's why she needs a liver transplant in order to be alive.

Another main character of this book is Tom Davenport. He’s CEO of a company that works with databases. Jules and Tom are complete opposites when it comes to work an life balance, but their companies have to share an office in order to compete for a life-changing amount of money.

This book has everything I love: enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, strong female character, some witty lines and many office scenes (I'm a sucker for them, sorry). But what I liked the most about this story is the representation of chronic disease and all this transplantation situation. I don't want to spoil you anything, but trust me, this storyline is just SO GOOD.

However, I was a little bit bored while reading the second half of this story. I wish we had more Jules/Tom interactions, when he didn't know about her disease. Their love story felt rushed in the middle of the book, but the ending kind of fixed it for me. I loved how they acted like real adults and didn't run from their mental problems.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'll definitely be looking forward to reading some other books by Laura Bradbury.

P.S. Jules and Tom like eating Ukrainian pierogi, and it just broke my heart as an Ukrainian. Loved this detail! Stand With Ukraine <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Queen H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Couldn’t get past the second chapter.

Basically if ‘hey girl queen pussy boss’ was a book character, in the worst way possible.

The premise is wonderful, the writing is cringe.

Sorry.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

ЦЕ БУЛО ПРОСТО НЕЙМОВІРНО!🤧
Дякую авторці за таку чудову книгу, яка порушила дійсно важливі теми та за підтримку України, це дійсно важливо для нас всіх ❤️🇺🇦

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had The Hating Game vibes and I loved it! Tom and Jules are both CEO’s of companies sharing an office space and do not get off on the right foot. While the office rivalry and competition for new funding is occurring, Jules is also dealing with a life threatening disease and is in need of a transplant. This was such a deep and emotional journey while also being a lighthearted and easy read!

[Amanda Faux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was approved to read this ARC yesterday (May 19) and I sat down to start reading before bed and wound up staying up till almost 2am to finish it. Time literally did not exist when I was reading, that is how good this was, if you were on the fence at all I am telling you you need to go buy it and read it you will be so thankful!

This is certainly a tear jerker so have them tissues ready! Jules Kelly, our female MC, was one of the most well developed and strong willed characters i've read in the genre this year. I was sucked into every page of this book and I would without a doubt read more from Laura Bradbury!

Slow Burn Romance 🌶 🌶
Workplace Romance
Frenemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Excellent Banter

Story: 4.75/5
Cover Art: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

❗️CW: discussions of medical trauma, PTSD, hospital scenes, toxic families, discussions of parental abandonment and foster care system off page.


Thank you to Laura Bradbury and Netgalley for the absolute pleasure of reading this novel!

[sampopreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I realized I would go to the same lengths to make him smile as I would to make those sparks of annoyance burn in his eyes.”

4.5 stars!! Sucker for enemies to lovers 🖤

Jules Kelly is a badass, tech-start up CEO whose company is now sharing subsidized office space with her worst nightmare, a tech-bro named Tom who thinks he has her all figured out as a carefree hippie who always gets her way.

What Tom (and everyone else) doesn’t know is that Jules is silently fighting for her life and if she doesn’t get a liver transplant soon, will be leaving this world before she even has a taste of everything she wants from it.
The only thing that seems to pull her out of her physical and emotional funk is arguing with Tom, but how long can she keep her secret from him and everyone else?

This book made me feel every emotion and as someone who lives with chronic illness, I saw myself in Jules and could relate to so much of what she experienced.

I loved the banter, the tension, he raw reality of what chronic illness is like, and the toll it takes on not only the person who is sick, but everyone around them.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to but my own physical copy!

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was honestly too “realistic” for me. Not in the sense that everything that happened was actually realistic, but the things happening in the book were just realistic in the sense that there wasn’t any romance, in my opinion.

And it honestly kind of pissed me off that Alan ended up winning the money, while tom lost, ended up having to merge his company, and was demoted from ceo of his own company to coo of Alan’s. Like…isn’t the MMC Tom??? Why wasn’t he the one having good things happen to him? I don’t understand why everything good was happening to a side character.

Beside that though, I didn’t feel any romance between the two at all

[Lulye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend wholeheartedly. One of the most authentic books I’ve read recently. It’s emotionally on the heavier side. You go through the same roller coaster the heroine does and at one point, I felt the need to verify that it had an HEA (and does it ever! = one of my all time favorites…).

Let me state some facts about this book : It’s enemies-to-lovers, mixed with workplace romance. It has the bare minimum of spice. It was emotional and real and filled with pearls of wisdom. It acknowledged the comfort films (10 Things I Hate About You is a timeless classic) and books and will be frequently referenced by me for that simple fact alone. Thinking about the way Jules Kelly’s story came full circle will never cease to make me happy. Blood is NOT thicker than water. Culture shock is real.

And finally, it provides an incredible perspective about many things. I’m not really in the mood for going into family history but I know how hard it is to face organ failure. And I know how high the expectations usually are for the transplant. Sometimes it doesn’t work. And sometimes it does. And I never had the emotional maturity before, to question how things went with all that. The way Jules was written was, I felt like, near perfection. The guilt, the defeat, the hope, the frustration, the numbness, the ‘what now?’...

Before I finish, I want to focus on one person and one person alone. Thunder. Dias. Who is this guy ? Where do we make copies ?

“Can I be your happy ending ?”

Please do !

Consider this fictional man while I go find myself some of those pierogi things.

***

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I thank the author and the publishing team for providing me with this review copy.

[loryn (taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book had me screaming, crying, and throwing up in the best way possible and i could not get enough of it 😫✋

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

unlikely match is an ownvoices story that follow jules, a woman with PSC (a rare liver disease), as she goes through life working through the pain her condition brings, being a CEO of a tech company with her best friend, and dealing with the insufferable tom davenport, the ceo she has to share her office space with, all the while trying to find a liver donor before it’s too late. for those of you who like workplace romances and the forced proximity trope: this is the one for you!

ohmygod this book was so incredible, id give it a million stars if i could! im very glad no one could see behind my mask on the plane because i was grinning like a fool the whole time i was reading this. the romance was top notch and tom davenport (sorry, *thunder dias*) has my whole heart <3 my standards are sky rocketing all because of him.

following jules journey with PSC, which is something i didn’t know much about prior to reading this, was so eye-opening! her strength is so admirable, i cannot imagine how hard the shit she has to deal with is. i also like that this book showed the effects of getting a major surgery, didn’t just end the story there and skip to a happy epilogue 2 years in the future.

overall, this book is incredible and was such an amazing read!! it comes out may 26th, 2022 so be sure to pick up a copy when it does!

[Alloverthebooks ✎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon !

[sathvika · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fav books of this month. It is all the best parts from the Love Hypothesis and The Spanish Love Deception rolled into one.

The disability/chronic illness rep was beautifully done.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I read it in one day (slow day at work), and I enjoyed very much.