8 Letters - My Review of YOU HAVE A MATCH by Emma Lord

Title: You Have a Match

Author: Emma Lord

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Source: ARC from the publisher through Netgalley

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB WINTER YA PICK

A new love, a secret sister, and a summer she'll never forget.

From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord's You Have a Match, a hilarious and heartfelt novel of romance, sisterhood, and friendship...

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents — especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn't writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, lots of love, and a copious amount of grilled cheese.

I absolutely adored Emma Lord's debut, Tweet Cute so when I saw that she had another YA Rom-Com, I knew I had to have it on my list. Her characters are well-developed and the swoon factor is off the charts.

With Match, Lord explored the family aspect a lot more, when Abby and Leo sent off a DNA kit in hopes for find more information about Leo's biological family. Abby is knocked off her feet when she discovers that she has a match, a sister that no one in her family has ever talked about. Abby and the sister, Savannah make plans for her to attend a summer camp where Savvy (and Leo) will be working.

This isn't strictly a story about family as Leo, who is Abby's best friend, is also the object of her unrequited love. She is hoping this time at camp will give her a chance to explore her feelings for him and either move on or finally find the nerve to tell him how she feels.

You Have a Match is full of the typical YA ups and downs and misunderstandings and the camp ensures that the parents have very little interference. However, Abby's parents discover that she lied about failing a class at school and make a trip to the camp there they run into Savannah and her adopted parents, their one-time close friends.

The story is cute and I loved exploring the family drama, but there were several times of suspended belief. Of course, this is something that occurs often in fiction, it just seemed a little larger with this story. Also, the very beginning of the book seems separate from the rest of the story. I know there had to be a setup, some background info, but the tone is totally different, and felt disconnected.

Overall, You Have a Match was a cute, fun story and a quick read. I laughed, I swooned, I re-evaluated my relationship with my family. Definitely add this one to your TBR.

4 out of 5 stars.

8 Letters - Why Don't We