2.35⭐

It always makes me sincerely sad to give a less-than-stellar book review.

Hestia Strikes a Match was an especially surprising disappointment to me, as the publisher's description was intriguing. There are a couple of main sources of this disappointment. Firstly, after years of increasing polarization in real life, the second civil war aspect of the story sounds too much like our real sociopolitical environment—it's not at all inconceivable. Both sides claim to be the patriots. [Twelve states have seceded in the story, whereas fewer have threatened in real life, and none have followed through . . . yet.] Secondly, there's way too much time (for my tastes) devoted to Hestia's string of bad dating decisions. Her affairs arise both from using a dating app and from people she knows already or meets in her daily life. In most cases, the dalliances are short-lived, superficial, and unsatisfying (in that she's not thrilled with any of her choices, usually finding more faults than positive attraction).

Not unlike another recent review of mine, the elderly characters are pretty much the only redemption to the story. In particular, 84-year-old Mildred is interesting, wise, and supportive, if a bit ornery. Mildred—one of Hestia's writing students in the retirement village—takes Hestia under her wing, and seems to be Hestia's only true friend. [Hestia considers one of her coworkers a friend, at least eventually, but if she is one, she isn't a good one.] Others of Hestia's students are quoted throughout the book, in the form of their responses to writing prompts. These responses are, overall, the most interesting parts of the book.

Between the treatment Hestia receives from her college-professor parents, her abandoner husband, her sexual partners, and her “friends,” Hestia comes across as a bit of a doormat. Truthfully, though, she doesn't treat others terribly well, either. Too, she doesn't seem appropriately mature or competent for a well-educated person in her 40s.

As I often remind you, your mileage may vary. This just isn't a book for me, at least at this time.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected April 18.

I loved this book. I love dystopian fiction but this was the first lighthearted/comedic one I've read and I really enjoyed it. I like the world building a bit more than the main plot, but I did enjoy the humor throughout the novel.

Heartbreaking and sharply funny, Hestia Strikes a Match is the perfect story for anyone who feels like the world is falling apart around them while they have to keep existing as normally as they can. Friendship and romance and familial relationships are all examined along with biting political commentary. I highly, highly recommend this read!

4.75/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Hestia is forty, newly single, and making the most of her retirement home job. While her story is interesting on its own, the book is set against a new American Civil War in 2023. Unionists and Confederates are battling against each other once again, and it feels alarmingly plausible.

The world-building and attention to detail were incredibly well done. The tensions between family and friends, the uncertainty of having gas for your car, and the constancy of checking public safety apps are just a few of the routine changes in this version of the US.

Despite that, the book still captures the day-to-day normalcy. People still gossip, complain about their jobs, and look to carve a connection with others. Overall, I really enjoyed this part speculative fiction, part romance novel.

I took a chance on this one. I am so glad I did. It was a funny and engaging book I love getting a unique perspectives and Hestia’s inner voice is entertaining. The audiobook is a well done multicast production.

Hestia is living in 2023 but not in the world as we know it to be. In this dystopian novel The United States of America is split in two countries as they are in the second Civil War. The north is referred to as the Union and the south is home of the Confederates. The war has raged havoc on Hestia’s life, her husband has left her to go fight in the war and her parents have moved to the south. Hestia was working in journalism in Baltimore but with the war it is incredibly dangerous, so she has taken up work at a retirement home.

Even during the chaos of the war, Hestia yearns for a relationship but she quickly learns dating is hard, really hard. We meet several interesting people in Hestia’s life that offered some flavor to the story.

This book is hard for me to rate. There were parts that were enjoyable and then there were parts that seemed drawn out. I think the story line was a unique perspective of how life as we know it currently could be if we were to be involved in the second Civil War.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t think I would like this but oh my gosh what a unique tale that was well crafted and hooked you from the jump. A funny engaging conversation about modern American!

This is a contender for one of my best reads of 2023.

America has been cut in two by Civil War 2.0. Except instead of full on battles there are terrorist attacks against the union from the confederacy and covert operations by some of the more militant unionists. This part of the story seems eerily plausible tbh.

Hestia, our protagonist, is working at a retirement village with the elderly trying to encourage them to write their stories and experiences for posterity.

But she’s also steadily looking for love. Her parents seems to view her as a failed experiment. Her husband left to fight against the confederacy more than a year and a half ago when we start the story. She goes through fling after fling always getting hit with the ick sooner than you can imagine.

The true love of Hestia’s life is Mildred, a resident at the village. Their relationship (along with a few other standouts) is what makes this book so touching.

Freaking Fabulous! It's 2023 and in a parallel universe there has been a civil war. The states below Kentucky have split away to become a confederacy. There's quite a bit of terrorism and general anxiety as the infrastructure continues to be attacked by the confederacy. Our heroine, Hestia quits her job as a reporter (dangerous!) in Baltimore to work in a local retirement home.

We slowly become more and move invested in Hestia's life as she tries to make friends at work, make headway with the seniors and find a romantic partner. She is so likeable! Will she find love in the middle of complete chaos? If you like dystopia, offbeat heroines and romantic interludes Hestia Strikes a Match for you! #MacMillan #HestiaStrikesaMatch #ChristineGrillo

First, I am so thankful to Christine Grillo, FSG, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for granting me advanced listener access to Hestia Strikes a Match before it publishes on April 18, 2023! We love a post-apocalyptic scenario, especially one that feels like it might sometimes happen due to America's rocky political climate.

Hestia lives in an alternate reality where North America is experiencing its second civil war. The north is still called the union, and the south has made its own country and still identifies as the confederates. Her parents have split off with the south but grow offended when Hestia labels them as privileged. Also, Hestia's husband went off to support the war efforts and defend the Union's side somewhere up north, leaving Hestia behind at her journalism job to write obituaries left and right.

So that's happening, but the worst part about the war is dating, and Hestia is having a rough go at it. With each passing day, she meets a cast of unique partners who are greedy, giving, and bizarre. What are the odds that this potential lover is a shitty racist who supports xenophobic values??? This hyper-terrifying yet comedic read is good-natured at heart and wildly eye-opening into a future that I hope we never encounter.

Hestia Strikes a Match is a unique and compulsively readable novel about the title character living in a present-day civil war in the United States. Hestia is a 43 year old divorced woman living in Baltimore and working at a nursing home. Though the backdrop is a new civil war and America has split into two countries based on political beliefs. The red states have seceded to become their own new country following the death of the 46th president, when the female vice president is inaugurated into office.

It seems possibly inspired by the pandemic, how things are very different, though we still persist as if everything is normal. Things may be happening to people we know, but it still feels like our lives are basically the same. The imagined new reality is fascinating to read about and seems possible at times. Hestia is relatable and the humor made me laugh out loud at times. There are beautiful, poetic and philosophical ruminations about life and love sprinkled throughout. The characters, especially Mildred, a resident of the nursing home, are incredibly charming. The story is a little slow as it seems to largely be about Hestia's dating life during a civil war, but I loved the entertaining and relatable writing style. The audiobook narration is perfect and sounds just as I imagined while reading the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.