A review by bribreez
The Match by Sarah Adams

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️

*Check Content Warning ⚠️

A sweet, lighthearted romance written by the lovely, Sarah Adams. This story highlighted the unsung hero’s of service dogs and all they do to help people with different disabilities. Alongside this story also showed a romance between, Evie and Jake. Evie’s life had changed when she was diagnosed with epilepsy, but thankfully with her service dog, Charlie she was able to regain her independence. Jake on the other hand was struggling trying to help his daughter with her epilepsy and how she wasn’t as engaged in life anymore. Through the help and support of Evie and the dog service she was part of, Jake’s daughter had a newfound passion to her, and Jake was equally happy to see his daughter blossoming once more. A bit of grumpy/sunshine, single dad, forced proximity, and a lot of cuteness from the furry friends, it was all a wonderfully written story. 

Evie’s life wasn’t the typical one of a twenty-six year old, but regardless she didn’t let her disability get in the way of her life, she accepted and moved forward. Evie was likable, kind, sweet, and motivated to help others find the help and support she got from Charlie, her service dog. Evie was also optimistic and a souther sunshine who shined, but wasn’t naive to see the reality of the world around her. Sarah Adams always knows how to write warm and sweet characters, but also like Evie, who have a deep understanding and emotional warmth that was highlighted throughout the book. 

Jake was a single dad! OMG! Among one of my favorite tropes! Being a single dad, running an architect firm, and raising a ten year old daughter was a lot of juggling responsibilities, but Jake did the best he could. At first, Jake struck me as kind of grumpy because, of the way he acted towards Evie when they first met. I still think there was some grumpiness to Jake, but too much where he was constantly rude throughout the book. Jake was wholeheartedly devoted to his daughter, Sam, and despite his initial reluctance to get Sam a service dog, he finally caved in when he saw how much joy and help it brought to Sam’s life. As any parent, Jake wanted to protect his kid, but over the course of the story, he learned to let go a bit in order for Sam to gain some independence and learn to be her own person. 

Evie was use to doing things on her own, but with Jake, she not only found love, but also someone who wanted to take care of her. This might be a new microtrope for me, but the scene where Jake discovered that Evie didn’t have food in her fridge made him want to take her grocery shopping because, he wanted to make sure she was well fed and taken care of. This may not seem like the biggest thing to people, but the fact that Evie didn’t make much money at her job (which she loved) and was dealing with paying bills, and her health insurance being raised again, homegirl relied on cereal and not much else. Jake was already protective over his daughter, Sam, but very quickly those protective tendencies also went to Evie, and I thought it was sweet. 

I think when the book is so straightforward and easy to follow along is when it’s a good book. The way Evie and Jake seamlessly went from acquaintances to their romance was great, and it didn’t feel rushed. Seeing the way Evie and Jake gradually became close and affectionate with each other was sweet. I also liked seeing the lighthearted side of Jake as opposed to the one who was always worried about Sam and trying to juggle all his responsibilities. Even seeing Evie find someone who was comfortable around her, but understood her, and helped her from the smallest things like getting her groceries or sending her messages of how much she was missed really brought out the happiness that was missing from Evie’s life. As far as the romance went in this book, it was really cute, light, but also tackled on Evie and Jake came to understand what they wanted in a relationship. 

Overall, Evie and Jake’s story was really sweet, easy to read, and I really loved how Sarah Adams wrote about service dogs like, Charlie and Daisy. Sarah Adams has become that author I gravitate towards when I want an endearing, meaningful, cute romance, and once again she nailed it with Evie and Jake’s romance. I thought Evie and Jake were likable, kind, and loving. Service dogs such as, Charlie and Daisy are the unsung heroes who truly do deserve more recognition for all the help and support they provide, and I really respected learning a bit about them from the way Sarah wrote about  them. I liked how the story ended from Jake and Evie solidifying their relationship to the epilogue showing Evie and Jake happily married, their family growing, and being together with Sam, Charlie, Daisy, and their newest addition to the family. A sweet, lovely book that I enjoyed, and as always would recommend any Sarah Adams book if you want an easy read with sweet romance.