The Match

It Happened in Charleston #1

by Sarah Adams

Sometimes, love finds you when you least expect it...

Having worked for Southern Service Paws for a few years now, I like to think I’m prepared for just about any client meeting under the sun. I am dead wrong.

The day I meet with single dad, Jacob Broaden, about potentially matching his daughter with one of our service dogs, I learn a few valuable lessons.

1) Always set my alarm clock.
2) Single dads are way hotter than I previously thought.
3) It is possible to go from fantasizing about kissing someone to wishing they would be run over by a truck in a matter of two minutes.

Unfortunately, I don’t hold that opinion of him for very long. Not when he shows me a different side of himself—one that’s sweet as maple syrup and hot as apple pie fresh out of the oven. And after a few days of working closely with him and his daughter, he starts looking at me with fire in his eyes, making me dream of something I probably shouldn’t…
A family.

The Match is a feel-good, closed-door romantic comedy! Perfect for readers who enjoy sweet, sizzling chemistry with passionate kissing only.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2020

Reviews

[kim ౨ৎ [semi-ia] · Rating 3 out of 5]

₊⊹♡ 3.5 stars ⋆˙⟡

⊹ ࣪ ˖ evie is here with me. i can smell the coconut scent lingering in her hair and hear her taking deep breaths as she sleeps. this feels right, and i don’t know how long i’m going to be able to keep convincing myself that we’re just two casual friends dating. this feels a lot like falling in love.

thoughts 𐙚

⟡ this book was EXACTLY what i needed right now : just a lighthearted, fluffy romance after finishing fearless (which i'm still not mentally recovered from... but this helped). something about sarah adams books are so comforting to me, the way they are written with such love and care, and they never fail to make me laugh. this book follows evie, who works at a service dog training center, where she trains servive dogs to work for people with disabilities. she ends up meeting a young girl with epilepsy, and helps to train her new dog to help with her seizures (where she slowly starts to fall for the girls dad 🤭)

⟡ and you guys... one thing about me is a single dad trope is gonna do it for me everytime 👏🏼. the male main character, jacob, in this book was so so sweet with his daughter, and you could really see how much he loved her. he seriously would do anything for her, no matter what it took, and i just adore selfless men like that in these books! (for example, this man literally spent hours teaching himself to paint nails and style hair so he could make his daughter happy. like hello??!!)

characters 𐙚

⟡ irina
⤷ carolina by harry styles ⊹ ࣪ ˖
she was such a sweet girl omg. i loved the epilepsy representation, which i've never read a book about before and i feel like we need more !! she was so selfless and caring for others, working to train service dogs even though she made almost nothing because helping people is what she loves to do. and her internal monologue is SO ME lmaoo, the way she overthinks everything, especially when it comes to her little crushes 🤭 i felt like i was reading my diary in her pov.

⟡ jacob
⤷ risk by gracie abrams ⊹ ࣪ ˖
i loooved this man sm. a single father, once again, is always gonna appeal to me. and he cares so much for everyone around him, not even just his daughter, and ESPECIALLY when it came to evie. he was, of course, an acts of service man, and the little things he did to show his love & care for her was so sweet. here's some lil things he did (but not limited to):
- noticing she didn't have any food at her house so he bought her groceries
- cooked dinner for her on multiple occations
- CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (iykyk)
- drove her around everywhere, even when she insisted he didn't
- told his whole family about her despite the fact they weren't even dating yet

if my future husband isn't like this, i don't want him 😫♡

⟡ evie + jacob
⤷ margaret by lana del rey ⊹ ࣪ ˖
their whole dynamic was so cutee, i loved how they both couldn't tell if the other liked them, but in reality they were both completely down bad for each other 🥹⊹ ࣪ ˖ they were both so mature, and finally here's a romance where they can talk about their feelings like adults !!! they both had their shit they were dealing with, and managed to work through it TOGETHER. (and to be completely honest with u, i'm such a softie. the epilogue had me crying happy tears for them)

final opinions 𐙚

⟡ all in all, this was such a cute book and i definitely reccomend it for anyone wanting a light, easy read. and if you're wondering why my rating is so "low", i promise you it's a 3.5 in the best way possible. it wasn't life changing, but definitely worth my time <3 i can't wait to continue this little series in the future!

⊹ ࣪ ˖ i'm out-of-my-mind scared that i'm about to get my heart crushed by this woman. i can't hide away forever, though, right? sooner or later, i've got to give in and risk heartbreak. evie feels worth it.

started ➤ may 4, 2025
finished ➤ may 6, 2025

[luv2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evie and her service dog, Charlie, become an integral part of divorced dad Jacob and his daughter, Sam's lives when they need a service dog for her seizures. As Evie also experiences seizures, she’s perfectly positioned to provide Sam with the understanding and support she needs.

Sure, this book is a bit cheesy—maybe even extra cheesy—but it flows well and hooks you right from the start. How often do you come across a story featuring not one, but two service dogs? It's a refreshing and intriguing topic.

Yes, there's plenty of romance cheese, but it’s also a super cute story that’s hard not to like. The audiobook narration adds an extra layer of enjoyment, making the experience even better.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen and review this delightful audiobook ARC. If you're a fan of heartwarming tales with a side of romance and adorable dogs, this one's for you!

[lilly ♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ★'s

“I want Jake and Evie. Stupid kissing profile pictures. Cute nicknames for each other. I want serious. Exclusive. Us. I don't want anything less than planning months out for a vacation and obnoxious Christmas cards that have you, me, Sam, and the dogs on the front. Can you handle that?”

y'all mb i read the new edition not the old one so if you saw my other review no you didn't

oh my gosh, this book was amazing. i loved the epilepsy rep as well. this is probably my second fav sarah adams book.

i loved everything about this book, besides the insta-lust. but everything else about this was perfect.

jacob, dear god, please send me a man like him. he is amazing. evie? she is inspiring. she deserved this man just as much as he deserved her ❤️

--

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ pre-read

i love sarah adams, let's hope it delivers 🙏🏻🤞🏻

[hazirah ୨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOT BAD BUT NOT GOOD

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Está bien cute.

Es de esos libros bien wholesome, feel good, que te hacen pasar un momento agradable.

Evie es una mujer de 26 años que sufre de epilepsia por lo que tiene un perro de asistencia, le ha cambiado la vida porque tiene esa independencia que creía perdida cuando empezó con las convulsiones.
Evie trabaja en un centro de crianza de perros de asistencia y ahí es donde conoce a Jake que quiere adquirir un perro para su hija Sam que tiene algunos meses que fue diagnosticada con la misma enfermedad de Evie.

Me gustó mucho la relación de Evie y Jake, fue bonita, divertida y tierna y tal cual k-drama no hay escenas spicy, sólo unos cuantos besitos si tú estás buscando como diría mi amiga Viri fueguito, aquí no lo vas a encontrar.

Otra relación que me gustó fue la que se dio entre Evie y Sam, de cómo se entendían, se apoyaban y el gran cariño que se tuvieron como madre e hija.

El epílogo es bien cheesy, que te deja una sonrisa en la boca.

[Apoorva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-but-not-quite stars
Edit: I upgraded the rating because a) The moments that were good were really good and I can't let the bad overshadow them. b) I am not grumpy anymore.

I'd start by saying that this would be a really good one for anyone who loves chick lit novels and/or cute kids and animals. (I mean, I understand- that's my kind of shit too)

This started off amazingly well and I'd like to say that it retained the flavor till the end, but nope, my fate woke up with the aim to demolish any chances of me rating any book higher than three stars, as it has been since the past weeks.

I loved Evie but Jake as a man was sometimes good and sometimes okay for me. However Jake as a Dad is is 100/10 from me, I mean I'll even put up a sign around my neck. He would definitely be in the top 0.1 percentile of the Dad Club.

Evie was so full of life and such a kind hearted, generous and real person because she had her insecurities, didn't have any fake bravado or the I'm better or I'm different game playing. She was an amazing female MC and I love her type of characters. Jake was nice too and sometimes did make me love him but sometimes I felt that even though he had insecurities and trust issues, thanks to his ex-wife, he was older and supposed to be more mature in terms of relationships than Evie. But as a father he soooo played the part and seriously that could be enough reason for some to fall in love with him. His banter with his daughter and the way he cared for her was so sweet and endearing to read about that I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time, sometimes because of them and sometimes during Jake and Evie show.
I mean, he watched Gilmore Girls, was reading Twilight (uh-huh no judgement here, it was to determine whether it's appropriate for her or not) and so many other things just to make sure that he could understand his daughter better when the time came. He slept on the floor in her room for six months so that he could be there if she had an epileptic attack, took great care of her as a single dad, giving up on hours of a job he loved just so he could be with her.
If this is still not sufficient, idk what is.



There were few instances where I found the plot too short and not as fleshed out as I'd have preferred but overall it was nice, sweet, funny and oh yep, a clean romance and I love them, not because I'm a prude *eyes all erotica books I've read* but just because I like the getting to know part more than the getting to bed part sometimes.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✩ 3 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Single Dad
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Age Gap - 7 Years
➼ Epilepsy Rep
➼ Service Dogs
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ He Takes Care of Her
➼ Manipulative/Unsupportive Family (Hers)
➼ Closed Door
➼ Dual POV

I’ve tried to write this review several times, but I honestly don’t have much to say about this book. 🙃 It was alright, but not great. I’m not often a fan of closed door romance, but I did think this author did a good job planning out a closed door plot that made logical sense. Closed door romances often have very abrupt transitions throughout the story to prevent the opportunity for an intimate scene, but the transitions in The Match felt very natural to me.

I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy this book because of the heavy focus on dogs, but it ended up being the characters that I didn’t completely love. Sometimes I wish I could climb inside a characters head to learn all of their thoughts and feelings, but in this case I would have preferred to know a lot less. They both just seemed a little too thirsty and eager especially considering how poorly their first few interactions went. He was being really hot and cold with her which was also annoying but since his reasoning was based on a desire to protect his daughter and himself from any future heartbreak, he kind of won me over in the end.

Her family’s attempt at forcing an arranged marriage on her was kind of a strange sub plot, but it mostly worked. I didn’t quite understand why she didn’t tell her parents what her ex had done to her in High School, but I’m not entirely sure her parents would have cared, so perhaps it wouldn’t have really mattered. 🤷🏼‍♀️

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Being a non dog person (yes, we exist 🙃), I doubt this will be my fav, but I feel compelled to read more of this author’s books before attending her signing event in January! Hoping my love for the single dad trope will cancel out the dog focus.

[sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

practically forced myself to finish this book because i have trouble dnfing books. it’s the bad writing, no plot, and insta love that were a huge turn off for me. plus i couldn’t bring myself to like the main characters or feel any chemistry between them even if i tried!

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4⭐️

The Match

Plot:
Evie Jones is working hard to save the struggling service dog company that gave her Charlie, her epilepsy-assisting companion, but things take an unexpected turn when she meets Jacob Broaden, a single dad with a daughter recently diagnosed with epilepsy. As they work together to find a service dog for his daughter, sparks fly between them, and Evie begins to yearn for the family and love she’s always wanted, while Jacob struggles with the idea of falling for her.

My Thoughts:
If you're in the mood for a sweet romance with a side of a fluffy tail, this is definitely your next read. While I enjoyed the plot, it felt a bit too predictable for my taste. That said, it was still charming and had its spicy moments. I do struggle a bit with the "spicy" scenes when the very next chapter shifts focus to a child, which just felt a little off to me. Otherwise this was enjoyable.

[Kiki ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A veces las personas solo necesitan hablar y ser escuchadas, no arregladas"

(4.3)

✨ Serie: It Happened in Charleston (Book-1)

✨Fue una historia muy linda y dulce. Pasé un rato súper agradable leyendo este libro, no quería soltarlo hasta terminarlo.

El libro trata de Evie, ella es una mujer que sufre de epilepsia, es independiente y por este motivo tiene un perro de asistencia, el cual le ha cambiado la vida para bien. Ella trabaja en Southern Service Paws, es como una empresa de crianza para perros que ayudan a las personas con alguna discapacidad. En una ocasión ella recibe un correo de un hombre llamado Jake, solicitando un perro para su hija de diez años que sufre de epilepsia, pero este encuentro tiene tropiezos porque Jake no envió ningún correo, fue Sam haciéndose pasar por él. Y como Evie se conmueve por la situación de Sam, hará todo lo posible para que su padre acepte y poco a poco irán acercándose más.

✨La relación de Evie y Jack fue bastante tierna y sana, que sí las cosas sucedieron muy rápido, completamente sí. Esto es un gran punto negativo cuando leo los libros, pero aquí no me importó, sentí tanta conexión entre ellos que el poco tiempo en que sucede no fue impedimento para mí. Los disfruté a más no poder, tuvieron tantos momentos super tiernos. (Los mensajes de texto que se enviaban me daban vida *-*)

"-Evie: ¿Hablas así de sucio con todas tus amigas?
-Jake: Solo contigo"

✨ Conecté bastante con Evie, ella me fascinó como protagonista, lagrime en muchas ocasiones por algunas situaciones que tuvo que pasar en su vida. Quería entrar al libro y abrazarla fuertemente, me pareció una chica muy fuerte y decidida, que no rinda y lucha hasta el final. Muy agradable ella, es como si fuera un rayo de sol.

✨La amistad que surge entre Evie y Sam también es muy linda, esa complicidad entre las dos es bastante bonito de leer. Encontraron en la otra esa seguridad, y que una enfermedad no las hace menos capaz de hacer las cosas.

✨Otra amistad que me gustó fue Evie con Jo, ella es la dueña de la empresa de asistencia, es como una mamá para Evie, siempre está ahí apoyándola en todo momento. También es muy lindo que Evie encontrara una familia, a pesar de que la biológica la apartara, porque odié completamente a esos padres de ella.

✨Es el primer libro que leo de la autora y me ha gustado su pluma, deseando leer más libros de ella.

✨Para finalizar, una historia simple, divertida, tierna, dulce, con unos personajes que disfrutas completamente.

[ApoorvaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars ⭐️

“The problem is, I don’t want to be friends with Evie. I want to take her on a date, and run my hands through her long hair, and find out if her lips feel as soft as they look.”

Oh my god,this was so cute. This was the first book i read from this author and i loved it sm. It had everything I wanted and the starting had me hooked😭 Sarah really knows how to hook the readers from the start I mean look at this-

”I wake up to the feel of Charlie’s tongue grazing my cheek. I don’t like being kissed like this first thing in the morning. Mainly because I don’t like mornings, and I wish that he would get it through his thick head that I need every minute of sleep possible. But just like every morning, he’s persistent ..... “But he doesn’t like this game. Never has. It worries him to not be able to see my face. We’ve been together now for three years—and he’s become the tiniest bit overprotective. But he’s the best snuggler in the whole world, so I allow his slightly domineering attitude”

And guess what? turns out, Charlie isn’t a guy but a dog😩🥺 I mean damn, I personally loved the starting of it.

Evie was so fun to read. She has been suffering from epilepsy and Charlie is her service dog who helps her with her seizures. She was so kind, real and the kind of person who brings light when they enter a room. I’m happy that Sarah did something unique cause I haven’t really read a book in which MC has epilepsy.

Jake had his moments. I just felt that he should’ve been a little more mature and he had a lot of trust issues but i get that because his ex-wife left him after 9 years. In terms of his relationship with his daughter, he was frkn fabulous!! I loved the relationship he had with our lil’ Samantha aka Sam. He was so sweet with her and i was like ugh there goes my heartt😩✨

Now the biggest and my favourite characters in the books are without any doubt the dogs Charlie and Daisy (tho we didn’t see much of her) and the cutest kid ever who deserves the world Sam.

The book was so so cute and I loved it sm!😩❤️ The epilogue had me all in the feels and I was so happy to see the way Evie and Sam developed a sweet and mother-daughter relationship.

This would’ve easily been a 5 stars read if the plot of Natalie wasn’t rushed and there should’ve been a little more character development.

Overall, this was a really fun and enjoyable read.

[abigailscupoftea · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was ADORABLE. ☀️🩵🦮
i was in the mood for a cozy, fluffy romance and sarah adams always delivers. the audiobook was so sweet, and both narrators did a fantastic job!

read this if you love:
💕 small town
💕 age gap
💕 single dad
💕 closed door romance
💕 disability rep (epilepsy)

[emma ⚘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆ - 4.25 stars

this is my new favorite Sarah Adams book (aside from When in Rome). it was insanely easy to binge in one night and had me blushing the entire time.

i was hesitant to start this book because some of hers have been really cheesy (The Cheat Sheet and The Rule Book). i was pleasantly surprised to see no cringey lines in sight, just lot of heartwarming vibes. it was so refreshing.

i loved Evie so much—mostly what she does for others but also the fact believes in herself. she has a very strong sense of self and doesn’t let anyone undermine her, because she knows her job is changing people’s lives. if you haven’t read the summary, Evie works for an organization that helps dogs save lives. she doesn’t make a lot of money from this, but it was clear from the beginning that she wasn’t backing out. that’s only part of what made her so admirable.

Jake was also sweet!! i knew i’d like him from the moment I heard he was a single dad. that trope always sounds like something i wouldn’t personally enjoy, but i realized how good it is in this book. his daughter, Sam’s relationship with Evie made the connection so much stronger between them. it made my heart burst with emotion. he was a bit grumpy at first, but i quickly realized how lovely he is.

what i also found so nice about this book is that it wasn’t loaded with tropes. no fake dating, no miscommunication, and not a super drawn-out third act conflict. it was just about 2 people attracted to each other who weren’t afraid to express it. i loved that they were able to communicate how they felt. Evie was so straightforward, which really helped their relationship grow. she knew exactly what she wanted and Jake was willing to open up to her. but even though there wasn’t any fake dating or rules surrounding their relationship, they still took things slow like normal people. all of their interactions were so sweet!! i loved every moment between them.

overall, if you’re wanting a short, but heartwarming romance, this is the one!

[kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay ive decided to try a bullet style review for shorter fluffy romance books/books that i dont want to write a full review on!

꒰ ⁀➴ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 🏹꒱ → the match ╰ 3.75 ⭐️

°˖➴ this book is about evie, a woman with epilepsy who works in a place that trains service dogs who help people with epilepsy, and jake, a single father whose daughter has epilepsy. jake and evie meet when jakes daughter, samantha, sets up a meeting with evie pretending to be jake. jake and evie don't originally get along but they obviously end up falling in love.

──── i liked evie, she was nice and i liked the way she was with sam (who, btw, was the most annoying thing ever. i hate bratty kids) . i liked jake for the most part as well. i didnt like him in the begininng and he said some really cringy stuff 😭 and some stuff that genuinely pissed me off like stfu why tf would u say that? sam was really annoying imo and kind of js got in the way. i didnt hate her but she got on my nerves.

──── the writing wasnt bad, i dont think its amazing but its a sarah adams book so i wasn't expecting it to be. i dont think her writing is good, but i dont think it's necessarily bad. it doesnt bother me at all. there were some really cheesy and cringy lines that made me go wtf.

꒰ 🌷 ── ₊ ⊹ ꒱ → this was really good imo. i js thought that the relationship moved kind of fast? like idk. another thing is i forgot that this was a single dad romance and i HATE single parent romances (trauma from gilmore girls) . this was the first one ive read and its safe to say that i will be staying away from them from now on. the child js always gets in the way and pisses me off yk. another thing is i didnt know about the age gap? i also dont like age gap romances (trauma from 'the love hypothesis') and the age difference in this book is like 7 or 8 years i think? i dont remember but i know that shes in her 20s and hes 33. thats all. other than all of that, i really enjoyed this. i js couldnt bring myself to give it 4 stars with all the cringy/cheesy lines so 3.75 ⭐️ !!

────────

pre-review: (3.75) i finished this in like three hours on my second flight. this time i did not cry because of a mean stranger (read: mean man 2x my age) . small rtc!

ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: cutie little romance before i read 'i am not jessica chen' !! rec from hailey + a lot of my goodreads besties liked this one! going to hit up oceanofpdf.com rn 🤭

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This might be my favorite Sarah Adams book (behind the Cheat Sheet of course). Such an adorable rom-com that I am simply obsessed with. This couple & family are everything. 💛

[mel ✧˚ · . · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's been a long time since i've read a book where i don't want it to end. 💛

[The Girl Murdered by Her TBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-I-Have-No-Words-Stars!!!

Scratch the I have no word part, please. One word. Perfect. Yes, it is. If you read this you will definitely expect:

-Ray of sunshine heroine which you will adore because she is very optimistic, thoughtful, funny, kind and immensely independent. She's perfect in this book, my dream heroine.
-Single dad with trust issues but also really caring and loving. He's also hot you know... which makes it 100% better than it already is.
-Fur babies that save lives- my precious babies. I wish I can pet them and baby them all day!
-Adorable and independent 10 year old girl
-Romance so pure and warm that will definitely give you butterflies in your stomach because it's precious.

Seriously, this book touched me in a way that other books haven't done before. The amount of information I've learned about how wonderful and life-changing service dogs are will forever be stuck in my heart and mind. As a dog lover, I am usually drawn to books with dogs in them but this is the very first time I've read a book with service dogs in them and I absolutely adored it.

I'm mentally picturing Charlie & Daisy being so adorable that it makes my heart so happy. They save people's lives and it's overwhelming-how crucial their roles are to people with disabilities.

I mean who can resist a perfect face like this?



TELL ME WHO!!!!

This is not your typical romance book because it has it's lessons about life and how people deal with disabilities. Definitely recommend this to all bookworms because it deserves all the love it can get! Kudos to Sarah Adams! You did great girl, you did great!

___________________________________________________
Pre-reading review:

A ray of sunshine heroine with a golden retriever service dog plus a semi-grumpy single dad? This could be heaven you know. I really hope it is!

[bruna · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Sometimes people just need to talk and be heard—not fixed."

When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be a 4-5 star read because the plot was right up my alley. Evie (h) has epilepsy and she works at Southern Service Paws, a company that matches dogs with people suffering from disabilities. In one of her meetings with prospective clients, she meets Jake, a single dad that was not looking for a seizure-assist dog to Sam, his 10-year-old daughter that also suffers from epilepsy. I loved Jake and Evie’s first meeting because it was equal parts endearing and awkward. Their connection was instant and I became excited to see how it all would unfold.

After Jake decides to get a seizure-assist dog to his daughter, Evie starts spending a lot of time in his house to help Sam with her new dog. Their scenes together were amazing and they became a little family in no time at all. Their dynamic was one of the only redeeming qualities of this book because it was all very natural and sweet. The beginning of Evie and Jake’s relationship was also very cute because they just clicked. They didn’t mind just spending a lot of time talking and getting to know each other, which made their relationship very special.

However, everything went downhill after the 60% mark. I absolutely hated Evie’s family and the way they wanted to make Evie marry a man who had bullied her during high school just because it was the best thing for their law firm. That whole dinner scene where they tried to push Evie into marrying Trevor right in front of Jake made me want to throw my phone at the wall. I can’t believe Evie could be so naïve as to believe her parents actually wanted to do something nice for her. I was already frustrated with her, but the cherry on top of the cake was Jake getting pissed at the situation and doubting Evie’s feelings for him even though he already knew her family was awful.

Jake and Evie kinda break up after that and when Jake arrives at his house, he finds his ex-wife there. They fight and Jake decides to spend the night at a hotel because his ex wants to sleep at his house or whatever it is that happened. On the next day, Evie goes to Jake’s house to apologize and of course, she finds his ex-wife there. The ex tells a story about how Jake was still sleeping in his room and Evie believes that he had sex with her. This whole plot was pathetic because contrary to what they led me to believe in the previous chapters, they clearly didn’t trust each other after all the conversations they had.

Anyways, the drama with her parents, the miscommunication, and the lack of trust was all too much. I only finished the book because I had already wasted a lot of time reading it, but the urge to dnf was strong, I’m not gonna lie. Considering this wasn’t a great experience and that I’ve heard the drama in the second book is equally ridiculous, I’ve decided to not continue this series.

[Oceana GottaReadEmAll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a ton to say about this one.

Some language but no f-words.
Fade to black with heavy makeouts.

Epilepsy rep. Single dad. Dogs.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Match is a cute single dad romance. I enjoyed it, and I loved seeing Jake as a dad. He was top-tier. Evie was great with his daughter, and I loved the service dog aspect. There was nothing wrong with this book, it just didn’t quite to it for me for some reason.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Rusty Mewha & Leanne Woodward
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 9h 8m

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ It Happened in Charleston, #1
Setting ~ South Carolina
Publication date ~ May 30, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 310 (39 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 7 minutes
Narrators ~ Rusty Mewha, Leanne Woodward
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ single dad, second chances, no steamage

Evie (26) & Jake (33)

I love love loved Jake so much. Such a great dad and written perfectly for how scared he was of getting his heart broken again.

Evie and Sam bond wonderfully, and not only because they both have epilepsy. I love me a well behaved child ~ except that one time she was sneaky and sent an email, but we wouldn't have had this story if she didn't, so I'll let it slide.

I'm never thrilled when the mom is out of the picture because of her selfish choices, and you know she's just going to come back and cause some drama at some point.

Overall, cute and fun.

Narration notes:
They both did pretty well. Rusty could do with working on his little girl voice, and really his lady voice as well.

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[Kennedy Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and fun, nothing too special! The third act breakup was infuriating 🙃

[Mikayla Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cute read!!!

Loved the dog aspect of this book🫶🏻

[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like The Match very much. The book exceed my expectation. This is my first read by Miss Adams. And I am certainly looking forward for her next book.

I am surprise to find low rating for this book. The romance story with epilepsy heroine and a cute dog has all the feels. It is cute, sweet and light comedy.

The story is simple. The banter is cute and the characters are loveable. Although I wish Ivy is not that harsh on her judgement.

4 stars

[Lucía · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, nothing extraordinary, but nice to pass the time 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Match by Sarah Adams - 4 Stars
LONG REVIEW ALERT:
NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS ON THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED 2020 EDITION. I WILL BE OUTLINING DIFFERENCES BELOW IN THE NEW EDITION VS THIS ONE BECAUSE I READ IT ON EBOOK ALONGSIDE THE ORIGINAL VERSION.

While I really enjoyed the story in the original edition and would give it a solid 4-star rating, I wanted to share some thoughts on how the newer edition differs, in case it helps you decide which version might be the best fit for you or if you want to read the new edition or not. I know many of my followers here really want to know about the level of detail for sexual content, language etc., in books, so I try to let you know these things.

First, I highly recommend the original edition if you can find it. Unfortunately, with the new release, the older version is harder to come by, but I found it to be a sweeter, more wholesome read. The new edition made some noticeable changes that didn’t work as well for me, personally. (See details outlined below in full.)

This book has disability represented through Epilepsy - I loved the storyline through that because we have our main girl, Evie, who has Southern Service Paws, her business that is dedicated to service dogs to helping people with Epilepsy. She has it herself, so she can relate and share her journey with others. I loved that. She has a client she is meeting, a little girl, Sam, with her father, Jake. Unfortunately, Jake has no idea they were meeting for this purpose and wants nothing to do with her or the dog. He judges her immediately, not knowing her story and is pretty rude in their first meeting. As time goes on, he feels bad about the situation and agrees to meet with Evie. They connect and she shares her story, leaving him feeling even worse about their first encounter. As they work with Sam and her new service dog, they start to care about one another and a romances ensues. Story goes on from here and they are working on everything together and Evie is dealing with her parents constant back and forth intrusion on her life. I loved the way Jake and Evie's relationship was in tone in the original edition, and his little girl Sam was so sweet.

Let's chat about the differences in the new vs the old editions for those interested:
One of the biggest differences is the language. The original book had very little, with maybe one or two mild words. However, in the republished edition, words that were once softer (like "butt" or "dang") were replaced with stronger curse words, and additional profanity was added where it wasn’t before. While this may not bother every reader, I felt it wasn’t necessary and changed the tone of the book. [butt changed to a**, dang changed to d***, bull was bulls***, s*** was added randomly etc.]

Another area that shifted was the romance. While both versions remain closed-door, the newer edition leans more into lustful descriptions. For example, the first kiss scene was originally brief and sweet, but it was rewritten to be more drawn-out and passionate, with mentions of hands under shirts, groaning, and heightened physical desire. Additionally, small wording choices....like changing "kiss-induced" to "lust-filled" gave the romance a different tone.

I was also surprised to see that certain traditional values expressed by the FMC were softened or removed. In the original, she mentions being an “old-fashioned, ring-on-her-finger kind of girl” which was taken out in the new version. It’s a small change, but it stood out when I was doing the comparison.

Another significant shift was the removal of any type of faith-based references. While this is not Christian Fiction, in the original, a mother-figure character expresses that she feels the “Good Lord” brought her and the FMC together, but in the new edition, that phrase was removed. Also, a simple statement about praying for another character was changed to “sending good vibes.” While these may seem like small tweaks, they did take away some of the heartwarming elements that I loved. It especially changed the tone between the mother-figure and the FMC - it just didn't have the same meaning behind it.

I want to be clear.....I don’t think these changes make the book “terrible.” If I had only read the new version, I might have still enjoyed it because I love a good single dad trope and disability rep....but because I had the opportunity to compare, I personally prefer the original. If you’re looking for a sweet, mostly squeaky-clean read, the first edition is the one I’d recommend....IF you can get your hands on it.

Unfortunately, only the revised edition is currently available in print, eBook, and audiobook formats. I wish the original were easier to find, but if you do come across a used copy, I think it’s worth picking up. Check Pango Books for the used editions if you are interested.

She has had 4 of her backlist indie books revamped by her new publisher, which I own all 4 of the originals, so I will try to compare to the new ones again to help others. It is just hard for me to write a review on this and rate it, when the one I read isn't widely available, but I felt like I needed to compare to let you know the differences if you pick up the new one, so you can make your own decision.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay!! Sarah writes a good contemporary! Gah contempory is so hard for me and I get so nervous when my favorite authors go there. This was a sweet story with all the feels! I loved that she wrote about someone with a disability but didn't go into a victum place. Evie was strong, indepediant and working on herself and I loved that she was in a good place, but still had to deal with the epilepsie. I have daughters who are working their way to a good place with their disability and it was so awesome to see her handling it. We are trying to get them to a place they can adult on their own and this was just a hopeful book for me to read right now. Plus! JAKE! Dang! Sarah write me up some more men to Love! Geez girl! I was fanning my face over this beautiful man:} Such a good love story with some real life obsticals and situations keeping these two on their toes. Really enjoyed this fun, sweet romance!!
This has no religion, is chaste but with some longing looks, some inuendo like he is looking her up and down, a long time couple smack each others butts. Not squeaky clean but not crass in anyway. Everyday modern life but clean enough I would totally give this to my teen to read.

[Jess Massey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie works for Southern Service Paws (SSP) helping many match their service dogs to offer safety and independence for people with certain medical needs. Evie would know, since she was one of their clients, and was matched with Charlie, her seizure assist dog.

Evie meets the ever so handsome single dad Jake and his ten year old daughter Sam who was diagnosed with epilepsy.

The characters were so endearing and had their hearts in the right place. This is a closed door romance that had plenty of swoon and a great romcom too!

I highly recommend this book for a nice escape read.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book and the other by this author that i’ve read have given me similar vibes… kinda not like other girls with some tearing other girls down too. i just want to read a book without calling other women skanks and hussys or slut shaming.
alright
•the mmc is afraid of having his “man card” revoked when he does stereotypical feminine things like grocery shopping and being happy he can do that without worrying if his daughter is having a seizure
•he also tore a pillow in anger
•the mmc was rude to and flirting with the fmc at their first business meeting together
•the fmc dragged the server at the restaurant into her family drama with her parents
•the utter lack of chemistry between the characters
•she was seriously going to fire her caterer bc she worked with her mom
•the mmc said he should be noticing what exactly the fmc is wearing bc he’s a man but he did
•the fmc snuck into his bedroom to snoop around which was WEIRD
•i think im also supposed to love that he is reading twilight but it’s okay bc it’s not bc he likes it he’s just reading it to make sure it’s appropriate 🙄
•the fmc said she looked like a “hussy” bc she was wearing a big shirt, shorts and no bra as pjs…. okay???
•she’s also sooo crazy and different and special for wearing christmas pjs in july
•i think i’m also supposed to give him points for watching gilmore girls?? that’s just called having taste??
•the mmc YANKED the fmc’s phone out of her hand
•we’re also supposed to love that he’s not grossed out by periods. the bar is on the ground
•also body shaming his ex wife for getting plastic surgery and calling her a skank and a hussy