A total fun summer beach read that I ate up in two days. It can sometimes be a bit too self aware, and a lot of NYC insidery stuff that may be a turn off to some, but it moved fast and was a fun world to escape into.

What an absolutely fun book this is! I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this novel and it did not disappoint. Sasha Goldberg is a matchmaker for an elite dating service, one that specializes in customized connections. The thing is, her own life is riddled with disconnections, resulting in a rollicking good read as Sasha tries to make sense of the various relationships that have turned her life topsy-turvy. It's a fast moving, romantic tale with interesting and complex characters, pop-culture to color the page and a contemporary NYC backdrop to cement it together. Playing with Matches is a perfect gift for your best girlfriend or an excellent addition to your own summer beach bag.

Sasha Goldberg has it all: a successful boyfriend, a New York apartment, and an NYU education. Now she works for Bliss, a personalized matchmaking company. This is quite a unique job. Her clients (mostly women) are too busy to seek Mr. Right, so they pay someone at Bliss to do it. So Sasha spends her days cruising through dating apps and web sites and setting up people. Her match rate is vital if she wants to keep her job. But then the not-so-surprising thing happens: she's attracted to a dating candidate she meets on Tinder. An affair with this guy would be career suicide. Plus she has her boyfriend... until he betrays her. Now all bets are off, including her job.

This is an interesting novel. Do dating services like this exist? I find it difficult to believe men (or women) would entrust their love life on a stranger, and that they'd allow themselves to be set up on a blind date, but I guess anything is possible. Hanna Orenstein is a great voice in Women's (New Adult?) Fiction, and I enjoyed this light and quick read from start to finish. This novel will be out just in time for summer, perfect for the beach. I give it four out of five Strawberry Sweet Teas.

First of all, the cover is absolutely fantastic. I found this to be a fun and light-hearted diversion from the more dark and depressing books I've read of late; a perfect pick-me-up for the middle of winter. I went into it expecting the average love-triangle plot, but it turned into something so much more. I LOVED the ending. I think there is some serious crossover appeal into YA territory here, as the protagonist is 22 and a recent college graduate. This is chick lit for millenials at it's very best.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.