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A Fowl Match
A meet cringe. A small town. A spring small business game. And two rivals. Forced to work towards one common goal—winning first place.
"There were moments that I literally was giggling and kicking my feet like a goofball." -Phoebe, Goodreads review
"If you're wanting a sweet read, with a cute chicken, a kitten, and some realistic and relatable characters - this is it!" -Haley, Goodreads review
"It's so clear how much Sarah adores her characters. They are very realistic, they grow, they laugh, they cry, they love." -Erin, StoryGraph review
Dustin Rhett has avoided taking over the family farm for years. After being laid off from his nine to five job in New York City, a call from his grandfather felt like fate. A drive to the unhinged, but charming town he's since forgotten was inevitable.
Violet "Vivi" Hart is the proud owner of, The Not So Secret Garden, a flower and garden shop in Thornwood Valley, Pennsylvania. Her life seems to be status quo, at least appearing to be. Until the gossip mill strikes again with the announcement of the town's annual spring small business games. To her dismay she's paired with the grumpy man she collided with only days earlier...Dustin.
When Dustin brings out feelings Violet's tried so hard to suppress, she finds herself face to face with her scarred past and unresolved grief.
Will she overcome her fears and explore a budding romance with Dustin? Or will they continue to be rivals?
A Fowl Match is the first book in the Thornwood Valley Series. A small town rom-com set in spring. Filled with chicken puns to make you laugh out loud, tender moments to bring you to tears, and one small open door chapter.
"There were moments that I literally was giggling and kicking my feet like a goofball." -Phoebe, Goodreads review
"If you're wanting a sweet read, with a cute chicken, a kitten, and some realistic and relatable characters - this is it!" -Haley, Goodreads review
"It's so clear how much Sarah adores her characters. They are very realistic, they grow, they laugh, they cry, they love." -Erin, StoryGraph review
Dustin Rhett has avoided taking over the family farm for years. After being laid off from his nine to five job in New York City, a call from his grandfather felt like fate. A drive to the unhinged, but charming town he's since forgotten was inevitable.
Violet "Vivi" Hart is the proud owner of, The Not So Secret Garden, a flower and garden shop in Thornwood Valley, Pennsylvania. Her life seems to be status quo, at least appearing to be. Until the gossip mill strikes again with the announcement of the town's annual spring small business games. To her dismay she's paired with the grumpy man she collided with only days earlier...Dustin.
When Dustin brings out feelings Violet's tried so hard to suppress, she finds herself face to face with her scarred past and unresolved grief.
Will she overcome her fears and explore a budding romance with Dustin? Or will they continue to be rivals?
A Fowl Match is the first book in the Thornwood Valley Series. A small town rom-com set in spring. Filled with chicken puns to make you laugh out loud, tender moments to bring you to tears, and one small open door chapter.
- GenresRomance
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2025
23 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Madeline
2 books28 followersSarah Madeline lives for small town romances. Swoon worthy, tension filled moments. Slow burn and meet cringes. She fills her pages with laughter, tears, farm animals, and happily ever afters.
She lives in small town Pennsylvania with her miniature dachshund, cat, and eighteen chickens. Hopefully adding some goats to her family soon. When she's not writing, you can find her reading in front of a warm fire, fishing, baking, or gardening.
She lives in small town Pennsylvania with her miniature dachshund, cat, and eighteen chickens. Hopefully adding some goats to her family soon. When she's not writing, you can find her reading in front of a warm fire, fishing, baking, or gardening.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
March 13, 2025
A cute and heartwarming small town romance. It was easy to read and all the puns put a smile on my face.
The novel clearly has some marks of being a debut work - but was still quite enjoyable. The story was certainly dialogue heavy, and I wish we got to see more into the characters thoughts and develop all their emotions and motivations some more. Some plot transitions felt a little choppy or rushed because they were lacking some development. I was loving Violet and Dustin’s transition from strangers-to-reluctant allies-to-friends-to-lovers and wanted to see more of their development as characters. The writing is very straightforward and I wish more information was “shown” to us versus “told”. I truly wouldn’t have minded if the book was maybe 50-100 pages longer to give everything more depth.
I did love the development of the town with its cute shops. The small town setting is really perfect. I would love to visit it with all the cats and chickens.
Book 2 is heavily hinted at and I’m definitely interested in it.
[I received an ARC copy from the author. However, this review expresses my own opinion].
The novel clearly has some marks of being a debut work - but was still quite enjoyable. The story was certainly dialogue heavy, and I wish we got to see more into the characters thoughts and develop all their emotions and motivations some more. Some plot transitions felt a little choppy or rushed because they were lacking some development. I was loving Violet and Dustin’s transition from strangers-to-reluctant allies-to-friends-to-lovers and wanted to see more of their development as characters. The writing is very straightforward and I wish more information was “shown” to us versus “told”. I truly wouldn’t have minded if the book was maybe 50-100 pages longer to give everything more depth.
I did love the development of the town with its cute shops. The small town setting is really perfect. I would love to visit it with all the cats and chickens.
Book 2 is heavily hinted at and I’m definitely interested in it.
[I received an ARC copy from the author. However, this review expresses my own opinion].
March 2, 2025
All around good story!! It felt like a Hallmark movie if Hallmark made Easter movies (though this isn’t an Easter book).
If you like A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston, this is 100% the book for you!
(Also, it’s like a 0.5-1.0 on the spice scale)
If you like A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston, this is 100% the book for you!
(Also, it’s like a 0.5-1.0 on the spice scale)
March 29, 2025
Thank you for the arc! This was a super cute, small town romance with enjoyable characters. I loved the witiness of their back-and-forth and little jabs at each other. One of my favorite things about small town romances is the quirk that the town has in this one was really funny.
April 5, 2025
This book healed me in a way. The moment I read the first few paragraphs, these characters were not characters. They were real people to me. It’s a sweet heartwarming romcom. I was able to read it practically one sitting and I. Ate. It. Up.
There were moments that I literally was giggling and kicking my feet like a goofball. Then there was a moment that really brought me to tears because of how raw and real the emotions were. They struck me hard.
I really recommend if you want a quick and easy read with some tragic backstory and rivals to lovers trope.
There were moments that I literally was giggling and kicking my feet like a goofball. Then there was a moment that really brought me to tears because of how raw and real the emotions were. They struck me hard.
I really recommend if you want a quick and easy read with some tragic backstory and rivals to lovers trope.
March 6, 2025
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy of her book.
This story made me feel like I was inside Gilmore Girls which is one of my favorite series.
This story was absolutely adorable. It was a short, simple read filled with cute, funny, and even deep and emotional moments. Our main characters, Violet and Dustin, experience not just the enemies to lovers main plot through the craziness of the town, but also individual struggles with their families and themselves. They grew immensely as people and supported each other through the process. It was a beautiful thing to read.
I did notice a few instances where the writing can be improved, and the story as a whole does have the potential to be longer, but overall I enjoyed it. I hope to read more books in this world. I'm particularly interested in diving into Mason and Olive's story as well as Henry and Darcy's.
This story made me feel like I was inside Gilmore Girls which is one of my favorite series.
This story was absolutely adorable. It was a short, simple read filled with cute, funny, and even deep and emotional moments. Our main characters, Violet and Dustin, experience not just the enemies to lovers main plot through the craziness of the town, but also individual struggles with their families and themselves. They grew immensely as people and supported each other through the process. It was a beautiful thing to read.
I did notice a few instances where the writing can be improved, and the story as a whole does have the potential to be longer, but overall I enjoyed it. I hope to read more books in this world. I'm particularly interested in diving into Mason and Olive's story as well as Henry and Darcy's.
April 1, 2025
This was such a cute book! It was a nice quick, easy, fun read and I am so glad I read it. This a great feel good rom com that had me laughing out loud. There are farm animals, friendships, love and some grief too. I ate it up and was able to read it in a day and loved it.
Violet lives in a small town and one day a grumpy guy runs into her path. When some town games pair them up she realizes he lives in town helping his grandparents. He is attractive but oh so grumpy. They end up having to get to know each other and each of them having some healing to do. There are cats, goats and chickens (we love you Helga!)
There is more character growth for Violet than anyone but it is her story. I do enjoy the dual POVs.
You will love this heartwarming story!
Violet lives in a small town and one day a grumpy guy runs into her path. When some town games pair them up she realizes he lives in town helping his grandparents. He is attractive but oh so grumpy. They end up having to get to know each other and each of them having some healing to do. There are cats, goats and chickens (we love you Helga!)
There is more character growth for Violet than anyone but it is her story. I do enjoy the dual POVs.
You will love this heartwarming story!
March 4, 2025
It is so refreshing to read a book and see yourself in the characters. Where they jump off the pages and interact in front of your eyes.
Violet and Dustin meet under awkward (and clumsy) circumstances. And their interactions feel so real. You never stop rooting for them and especially for Violet who has had more heartache than one person should ever have. The other characters that fill their lives make you wish you lived in Thornwood Valley. @sarahmadelineauthor pulls you in with her writing style and you never want to stop reading. Kudos!
Violet and Dustin meet under awkward (and clumsy) circumstances. And their interactions feel so real. You never stop rooting for them and especially for Violet who has had more heartache than one person should ever have. The other characters that fill their lives make you wish you lived in Thornwood Valley. @sarahmadelineauthor pulls you in with her writing style and you never want to stop reading. Kudos!
March 10, 2025
Thank you to the author for the ARC! Release date: April 4, 2025
3.25 stars
This was such a wholesome, cute debut! It had the best Hallmark vibes, and I honestly had such a fun time reading it.
This was a small-town romance where the town felt like a whole character itself. Thornwood Valley was incredibly quaint and had its fair share of nosy residents. The whole plotline with the town wide competition was such a fun way to get everyone involved in the story and gave it those classic small-town vibes.
I liked that Violet and Dustin kind of went from enemies to friends to lovers. It was sweet to see them work together to try to win the competition and slowly develop their friendship into more. Violet's backstory was so tragic and I'm glad she got her very deserved happy ever after.
I will say that I wish this book had been expanded on a little bit. It fell just a little flat for me and felt like it needed more, but there was definitely some potential there because I kept wanting to read it and I was invested the entire time.
We got plenty of crumbs for the next story and I can't wait to read it!
3.25 stars
This was such a wholesome, cute debut! It had the best Hallmark vibes, and I honestly had such a fun time reading it.
This was a small-town romance where the town felt like a whole character itself. Thornwood Valley was incredibly quaint and had its fair share of nosy residents. The whole plotline with the town wide competition was such a fun way to get everyone involved in the story and gave it those classic small-town vibes.
I liked that Violet and Dustin kind of went from enemies to friends to lovers. It was sweet to see them work together to try to win the competition and slowly develop their friendship into more. Violet's backstory was so tragic and I'm glad she got her very deserved happy ever after.
I will say that I wish this book had been expanded on a little bit. It fell just a little flat for me and felt like it needed more, but there was definitely some potential there because I kept wanting to read it and I was invested the entire time.
We got plenty of crumbs for the next story and I can't wait to read it!
March 4, 2025
• A perfect spring small town romance for anyone looking to start their romance journey. Such a perfect and easy read that deals with love, trauma, loss of a family member and a very funny hen. This book had me laughing, and getting into the minds of the characters. I absolutely loved the rivals to lovers trope, and it was so well written. Sarah (the author) has such a way with words to get you really invested in the story. And honestly, I can’t wait to read other books that Sarah writes.
April 4, 2025
4.5 ⭐️. This small town romantic comedy that deals with love, loss and trauma is lovely. I thought it was funny that the MCs first started as grumpy x grumpy but even with that, I was rooting for Violet and Dustin from the start. There are also cute and swoony parts as well as very funny parts and the town has a lot of character. I especially loved how hard Dustin falls for Violet. I am grateful to have had the chance to read this early and I look forward to Olive and Mason’s love story in Sarah Madeline’s next book.
March 4, 2025
ARC Review!
Super cute, small town friends to lovers romance! Lots of cute and corny puns, it’s adorable!
You can tell Sarah put so much effort and love into her debut book!
Super cute, small town friends to lovers romance! Lots of cute and corny puns, it’s adorable!
You can tell Sarah put so much effort and love into her debut book!
May 4, 2025
2.8⭐️
Necesitaba que la abuela tuviera su final feliz, aunque fuera por poco tiempo. 😭😭😭
Necesitaba que la abuela tuviera su final feliz, aunque fuera por poco tiempo. 😭😭😭
September 7, 2025
Such a cute small town romance! I fell in love with this small town and all the characters. Felt all the emotions while reading this: heartache, sadness and of course so much laughter. Cannot wait for the story of Olive and Mason.
March 3, 2025
ARC review- This book was a quick read and held my attention the whole time. I didn’t want to put it down! The romance was perfectly written with just enough tension between the main characters. I enjoyed the other storylines beyond Violet and Dustin as well and hope to see other books about other couples in the town.
March 5, 2025
ARC review! This was such a simple and sweet story- and I LOVED the eggs-ellent chicken puns in there, as a chicken lover myself. Violet and Dustin's story was so light hearted and fun, but handled grief in a way that didn't feel too heavy. Also- I definitely want some of those chicken shirts Vivi has!
March 9, 2025
I had so much fun reading A Fowl Match! The story was lighthearted and entertaining, and the humor—especially the chicken jokes—made it even better. It had the feel of a fun sitcom, which made it easy to get into. I really enjoyed the characters, and Darcy and Violet’s relationship was so cute. Overall, it was a great, feel-good read!
March 2, 2025
A cute small town rom-com! I enjoyed this book and gobbled it up so fast.
I loved so many things about this book:
-fast-paced
-the small town and its townspeople! I swear, conniving supporting characters are my fave
-they had such cute dates
-great chemistry
I wish at some point that the FMC would go to therapy to better deal with her trauma.
Thanks to the author for an eARC of this book!
I loved so many things about this book:
-fast-paced
-the small town and its townspeople! I swear, conniving supporting characters are my fave
-they had such cute dates
-great chemistry
I wish at some point that the FMC would go to therapy to better deal with her trauma.
Thanks to the author for an eARC of this book!
April 4, 2025
Very cute!
Classic small town/home town romance.
Dustin is a grumpy farm kid who moved to the city to pursue a career bugger than Thornwood Valley could offer. He returns home to help his grandparents take over the farm he grew up on, battling with what he wants to do long term.
Violet has been through some shit and maintains a sunny outlook despite it all. Running the local flower shop and hanging out with the locals she grew up with. She struggles with some guilt that she needs to work through in order to be truly happy.
The pair are teamed up for the town’s annual fundraising competition and the rest is history!
A Fowl Match is a cute feel-good read that would be a great palate cleanser after some heavy stuff. I’m excited for the next in the series! 🐓
Things to note:
- mention of parental death
- long term illness (dementia)
- dusting of spice but nothing descriptive
- A LOT of chicken talk lol
Classic small town/home town romance.
Dustin is a grumpy farm kid who moved to the city to pursue a career bugger than Thornwood Valley could offer. He returns home to help his grandparents take over the farm he grew up on, battling with what he wants to do long term.
Violet has been through some shit and maintains a sunny outlook despite it all. Running the local flower shop and hanging out with the locals she grew up with. She struggles with some guilt that she needs to work through in order to be truly happy.
The pair are teamed up for the town’s annual fundraising competition and the rest is history!
A Fowl Match is a cute feel-good read that would be a great palate cleanser after some heavy stuff. I’m excited for the next in the series! 🐓
Things to note:
- mention of parental death
- long term illness (dementia)
- dusting of spice but nothing descriptive
- A LOT of chicken talk lol
April 4, 2025
Love love loved this!! I received this as an ARC and I had high hopes. I was so impressed that this was Sarah’s first published book because her writing style is so strong!
I loved the characters and could immediately picture them and see myself in Vivi. The story is unique, fun, heartfelt, and flows so nicely! The plot devices make sense and are wrapped up so sweetly!
One of my pet peeves in romance books is when an author is too over descriptive in a way that takes you out of the moment. I thought A Fowl Match was a perfect balance of descriptive while also still relaying important details or moments!
This book genuinely made me LOL, giggle and kick my feet, clutch my chest, and had all of the emotions. I wish it was longer so I could have more of Dustin & Violet!
If you’re wanting a sweet read, with a cute chicken, a kitten, and some realistic and relatable characters - this is it!
I loved the characters and could immediately picture them and see myself in Vivi. The story is unique, fun, heartfelt, and flows so nicely! The plot devices make sense and are wrapped up so sweetly!
One of my pet peeves in romance books is when an author is too over descriptive in a way that takes you out of the moment. I thought A Fowl Match was a perfect balance of descriptive while also still relaying important details or moments!
This book genuinely made me LOL, giggle and kick my feet, clutch my chest, and had all of the emotions. I wish it was longer so I could have more of Dustin & Violet!
If you’re wanting a sweet read, with a cute chicken, a kitten, and some realistic and relatable characters - this is it!
March 2, 2025
THIS was such a charming read!
Set in a cozy small town, this debut novel creates the perfect atmosphere with its little details, lovable animals (Sardine the cat completely stole my heart!), and a beautifully written enemies-to-lovers romance. The tension, denial and slow build between the main characters felt natural and well-paced, making the romance even more enjoyable.
One thing that really stood out to me was how Violet’s grief was handled, it felt incredibly real and relatable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The small-town charm, heartwarming moments, and well-developed romance made it such a fun read.
Set in a cozy small town, this debut novel creates the perfect atmosphere with its little details, lovable animals (Sardine the cat completely stole my heart!), and a beautifully written enemies-to-lovers romance. The tension, denial and slow build between the main characters felt natural and well-paced, making the romance even more enjoyable.
One thing that really stood out to me was how Violet’s grief was handled, it felt incredibly real and relatable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The small-town charm, heartwarming moments, and well-developed romance made it such a fun read.
July 16, 2025
2.5✨
For a good romance to work, the story needs to have a good strong focus on it's characters. Unfortunately, this book is very much plot first, characters second.
It's refreshing to see a romance have a substantial plot nowadays but the pacing was too fast. It also resulted in me not finding the actual romance of this book believable, the main characters did not have chemistry.
Got a little bit sick of all the puns as well honestly, I knew what I was getting into with that title but it was too much.
For a good romance to work, the story needs to have a good strong focus on it's characters. Unfortunately, this book is very much plot first, characters second.
It's refreshing to see a romance have a substantial plot nowadays but the pacing was too fast. It also resulted in me not finding the actual romance of this book believable, the main characters did not have chemistry.
Got a little bit sick of all the puns as well honestly, I knew what I was getting into with that title but it was too much.
April 4, 2025
3.5 🌟
A Fowl Match was a charming, quirky small-town romance with a fresh, fun twist! It had all the classic Hallmark vibes with an extra dose of feathery chaos, and I found myself smiling through so many moments.
The town of Thornwood Valley felt like a character of its own—full of eccentric, well-meaning neighbors and a surprising amount of competitive spirit. The annual Spring Festival’s famous chicken races made for such a unique backdrop, adding humor and heart to the story.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Violet and Dustin. Their second-chance romance had just the right amount of tension, and their playful banter kept me hooked. Violet’s determination to prove herself and Dustin’s quiet, unwavering support made their relationship feel so genuine. Plus, the way their rivalry over the competition played into their rekindled feelings was just too fun!
I do wish some aspects of their backstory had been explored a little deeper—it felt like there were unresolved moments that could have packed an extra emotional punch. But despite that, I stayed engaged the whole time and couldn’t wait to see how it would all unfold.
The ending left a few breadcrumbs for future stories in Thornwood Valley, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to what’s next!
A Fowl Match was a charming, quirky small-town romance with a fresh, fun twist! It had all the classic Hallmark vibes with an extra dose of feathery chaos, and I found myself smiling through so many moments.
The town of Thornwood Valley felt like a character of its own—full of eccentric, well-meaning neighbors and a surprising amount of competitive spirit. The annual Spring Festival’s famous chicken races made for such a unique backdrop, adding humor and heart to the story.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Violet and Dustin. Their second-chance romance had just the right amount of tension, and their playful banter kept me hooked. Violet’s determination to prove herself and Dustin’s quiet, unwavering support made their relationship feel so genuine. Plus, the way their rivalry over the competition played into their rekindled feelings was just too fun!
I do wish some aspects of their backstory had been explored a little deeper—it felt like there were unresolved moments that could have packed an extra emotional punch. But despite that, I stayed engaged the whole time and couldn’t wait to see how it would all unfold.
The ending left a few breadcrumbs for future stories in Thornwood Valley, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to what’s next!
March 2, 2025
WHAT A CUTE DEBUT from Sarah Madeline!!
If you don’t like puns or cute (albeit, slightly predictable) outcomes, A Fowl Match may not be for you. BUT if you love chicken themed humor, a small-town feel with character interactions that build the history of their surroundings, and a well paced enemies to lovers story, A Fowl Match would be something I would definitely suggest to you!
A Fowl Match has some serious themes like grief and a small section with “spice” that wasn’t intense. Sarah Madeline handles these themes well and with care! I especially loved and appreciated Sarah’s attention to detail regarding the farming processes described as well! They were accurate and worded well so that they didn’t separate me from the immersion with awkward phrasing like some farm life including reads do as someone who has grown up near farms.
I had a fun time with this book from page 1! It was such a comfortable book to enjoy and palette cleanse from heavier, more intense reads with. I loved hanging out with Dustin & Violet!
If you don’t like puns or cute (albeit, slightly predictable) outcomes, A Fowl Match may not be for you. BUT if you love chicken themed humor, a small-town feel with character interactions that build the history of their surroundings, and a well paced enemies to lovers story, A Fowl Match would be something I would definitely suggest to you!
A Fowl Match has some serious themes like grief and a small section with “spice” that wasn’t intense. Sarah Madeline handles these themes well and with care! I especially loved and appreciated Sarah’s attention to detail regarding the farming processes described as well! They were accurate and worded well so that they didn’t separate me from the immersion with awkward phrasing like some farm life including reads do as someone who has grown up near farms.
I had a fun time with this book from page 1! It was such a comfortable book to enjoy and palette cleanse from heavier, more intense reads with. I loved hanging out with Dustin & Violet!
March 15, 2025
Super sweet small town romance! This was a simple, quick read, and I mean that in the best way possible. The town is very charming and so is all of its residence. I’m very happy this will be a series so I can spend more time here. I fell like there is many more shenanigans to be had here.
MMC Dustin: good guy at heart that is hanging on to the grumpy broody city guy persona making him a a big old jerk. But he softens up pretty quickly and is really understanding while the FMC figures herself out.
FMC Violet: Quirky and kind, sweet small town girl but not in the cliche way most hallmark movies make then out to be. She has substance to her and she seems to enjoy life regardless of what others think of her. She for sure needs some therapy to work through past trauma but I think she handles it well enough once she works through a dark spot towards the end of the book.
Favorite parts of it:
- A map! A freaking town map! My visual brain was so thankful for this.
- Olives pop tarts sound like a dream. I’m honestly bummed they aren’t real.
- Dustin shouting words of encourage to Helga brought such joy to my heart🤣 this was honestly probably one of my favorite parts of
So grateful to Sarah to get an ARC copy of this!!
MMC Dustin: good guy at heart that is hanging on to the grumpy broody city guy persona making him a a big old jerk. But he softens up pretty quickly and is really understanding while the FMC figures herself out.
FMC Violet: Quirky and kind, sweet small town girl but not in the cliche way most hallmark movies make then out to be. She has substance to her and she seems to enjoy life regardless of what others think of her. She for sure needs some therapy to work through past trauma but I think she handles it well enough once she works through a dark spot towards the end of the book.
Favorite parts of it:
- A map! A freaking town map! My visual brain was so thankful for this.
- Olives pop tarts sound like a dream. I’m honestly bummed they aren’t real.
- Dustin shouting words of encourage to Helga brought such joy to my heart🤣 this was honestly probably one of my favorite parts of
So grateful to Sarah to get an ARC copy of this!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2025
What a privilege to be an ARC reader for Sarah Madeline’s debut novel!! I read it in one day, and it was pretty good!
My only “bad” note is that the grammar got to me 😓. I almost DNFed because I was so annoyed in the beginning, but eventually I ignored it and paid the story the attention it deserved. No one has perfect grammar, and I shouldn’t let it interrupt my enjoyment. A Fowl Match was super cute, short and sweet, easy to read, and a nice little break between books. I’ve been in a little bit of a reading slump, and this book may have helped me out of it!
My favorite part was the epilogue. I LOVE when authors let us see how the relationship has developed, especially when it’s a happy ending like this one between Violet and Dustin. That wedding scene was adorable and the perfect ending to the book, I couldn’t have imagined better.
My only wish is for the book to be longer, so we have more time to develop a connection to the characters and see them fleshed out a little more. I mean, I did enjoy that it was such a quick read, I just wouldn’t have been mad if it had been longer. I know there’s at least one more book to come, though, so I look forward to seeing more of these characters in it and any that follow!!
My only “bad” note is that the grammar got to me 😓. I almost DNFed because I was so annoyed in the beginning, but eventually I ignored it and paid the story the attention it deserved. No one has perfect grammar, and I shouldn’t let it interrupt my enjoyment. A Fowl Match was super cute, short and sweet, easy to read, and a nice little break between books. I’ve been in a little bit of a reading slump, and this book may have helped me out of it!
My favorite part was the epilogue. I LOVE when authors let us see how the relationship has developed, especially when it’s a happy ending like this one between Violet and Dustin. That wedding scene was adorable and the perfect ending to the book, I couldn’t have imagined better.
My only wish is for the book to be longer, so we have more time to develop a connection to the characters and see them fleshed out a little more. I mean, I did enjoy that it was such a quick read, I just wouldn’t have been mad if it had been longer. I know there’s at least one more book to come, though, so I look forward to seeing more of these characters in it and any that follow!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2025
Thank you Sarah Madeline and Bookfunnel for the ARC!
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I freaking loved this book 😭😂 It had me laughing and crying at the same time. The chicken knowledge was top tier!
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You can tell that this a debut novel BUT it's a great debut novel! Sarah does a great job of keeping everything streamlined, the characters are perfect, and the storyline is super cute! The spice was really good too, not overally spicy, but still enough to keep you going!
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Dustin's story line was pretty predictable (big city boy comes back to help grandparents on the farm then falls in love with the local girl), but he was still the cutest Grump 🥹
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Violet was super relatable with the overalls and oversized sweaters (literally my favorite outfit IRL 😭), the constant fear of letting people down and feeling like she's never good enough. The little subplot with H was not on my radar but I'm glad that worked out 🥹
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Overall, fantastic read! I'm excited to see what the next book brings 👀 Maybe a little Olive and Mason action 😬😅
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I freaking loved this book 😭😂 It had me laughing and crying at the same time. The chicken knowledge was top tier!
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You can tell that this a debut novel BUT it's a great debut novel! Sarah does a great job of keeping everything streamlined, the characters are perfect, and the storyline is super cute! The spice was really good too, not overally spicy, but still enough to keep you going!
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Dustin's story line was pretty predictable (big city boy comes back to help grandparents on the farm then falls in love with the local girl), but he was still the cutest Grump 🥹
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Violet was super relatable with the overalls and oversized sweaters (literally my favorite outfit IRL 😭), the constant fear of letting people down and feeling like she's never good enough. The little subplot with H was not on my radar but I'm glad that worked out 🥹
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Overall, fantastic read! I'm excited to see what the next book brings 👀 Maybe a little Olive and Mason action 😬😅
March 5, 2025
4⭐️! Omg, this was so cute! I loved the small town vibes and the competition within the book was super cute! You could tell the townspeople were at play with getting the two MCs together. I do feel like they went from ‘hate’ to ‘like’ very quickly which isn’t my favorite. I think our FMC had to do a deep dive of herself and her own trauma from her past, which provided another plot line that felt needed to break up a little of romance. Even though this was dual POV, I don’t feel like we really got that deep with our MMC and I was looking for a little more from him throughout the book. Overall a cute little romance!
Thank you Sarah Madeline for the copy of this ARC!
Thank you Sarah Madeline for the copy of this ARC!
April 12, 2025
Thank you Sarah Madeline for sending me an ARC of this book!
3.5 Stars
A Fowl Match is a charming and quick read, that definitely gives Hallmark vibes in the best way. I love the quirky town with meddling townspeople.
I feel like this book had a lot of good potential, but maybe needed more pages in the book to flush out some of the storylines going on, and really give readers a chance to feel the chemistry between Violet and Dustin. Even though the "town games" seemed like they'd be pivotal in the story, I found that any of those chapters went by really quick with little lead up.
Even so, I still enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series!
3.5 Stars
A Fowl Match is a charming and quick read, that definitely gives Hallmark vibes in the best way. I love the quirky town with meddling townspeople.
I feel like this book had a lot of good potential, but maybe needed more pages in the book to flush out some of the storylines going on, and really give readers a chance to feel the chemistry between Violet and Dustin. Even though the "town games" seemed like they'd be pivotal in the story, I found that any of those chapters went by really quick with little lead up.
Even so, I still enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series!
March 4, 2025
Adorable low spice low stakes romance with lots of silly puns. A cute story line that gives 10 things I hate about you , Gilmore girls, with a touch of hallmark vibes. Helga is a start and deserves all the treats. I love that FMC is unapologetically her self and wears and does what makes her happy. I hope we get more stories set in the town of Thornwood. Cute cozy vibes romance with just the right amount of tension. My only complaint is that the timeline was hard to follow in between chapter especially in the first half of the book. ARC
March 6, 2025
ARC received
This was a DNF unfortunately. I read up to chapter 10.
I did love the setting - small town, chickens running around Main Street, cute and colorful shops. The vibes are there!
For me the timeline was moving much too fast. Especially with the first competition - I would’ve liked to have read some banter between our love interests when they first show up, upon receiving their team color, her trying to get him to wear a sweatband, etc. The chapter started with them already ready to go and then it was over.
Where was the buildup to them working together?
This was a DNF unfortunately. I read up to chapter 10.
I did love the setting - small town, chickens running around Main Street, cute and colorful shops. The vibes are there!
For me the timeline was moving much too fast. Especially with the first competition - I would’ve liked to have read some banter between our love interests when they first show up, upon receiving their team color, her trying to get him to wear a sweatband, etc. The chapter started with them already ready to go and then it was over.
Where was the buildup to them working together?
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