"You Have a Match" fell a little flat for me. I think part of me unfairly compared it too much to "Tweet Cute" which I loved. But the other part just found it to be a little too unrealistic. I mean...[the dad was so horribly sick with an unknown heart condition and severe pneumonia they they thought he was going to die but was well enough to have sex (without dying) to produce a child? And then he took a magical experimental pill that "cured him" but his kids never knew anything about his heart defect and near death experience that caused his parents to get married? (hide spoiler)]. Too much over the top drama that all tied together nicely with a big red bow. I did like the camp premise. I'm a sucker for a good camp, coming-of-age story. And the author continues to show her talent for writing witty and humorous narratives. I will definitely pick up her next book. I think she's a fantastic young adult author. This book just wasn't a perfect fit for me.


***Advanced copy obtained by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley***

I loved Emma Lord's Tweet Cute, and I was expecting another light-hearted, fun story. Instead, I got something more, and I liked it. You Have a Match explores what happens when the life you know is unraveled. There is a surprising depth that counteracts the teenage angst that can sometimes be overpowering in YA novels. You Have a Match was a compulsively readable book with a rich storyline. Go read it!

After Abby discovers the existence of an older biological sister via a genetic test, a summer at camp reveals secrets that were meant to stay buried forever. This is less a rom-com and more about the newfound sisterly relationship. Not gonna lie — I cried like a baby during a couple scenes. There are a few plot/pacing issues that I didn’t like, but Emma Lord’s voice is strong enough that I hand-waved most of it away. When the voice works, everything clicks into place and other issues be damned.

Caveat re: rep. Abby’s love interest Leo is a transracial adoptee (his white parents adopted him and his sister from the Philippines). Clearly I’m not an expert in gauging the rep here, but: 1) the entire book is from Abby’s POV (which is a smart choice and I think the author stayed in her lane), 2) in general, I’m fairly frustrated with the popularity of “white authors writing biracial/adopted BIPOC characters that have little-to-no connection with their heritage” (Leo is unfortunately the latest example of this trend), and 3) Leo has a close Filipino friend Mickey in the camp (I really liked their friendship and how Leo wanted to become closer to his cultural roots). The romance is peripheral; we don’t get much insight from Leo since we only see him through Abby’s eyes.

One thing that I thought was odd: the reason Abby even takes the DNA test in the first place is because of Leo. He doesn’t know anything about his birth parents and (because there’s a discount if you buy several tests) bought tests for the friend group. Abby’s test results in a surprise sister and kicks off the story, but I’m puzzled by the discussion surrounding Leo’s DNA test. There’s a minor plot point where Leo reveals that his DNA test didn’t yield any results (his parents haven’t used the service, obviously) and he says that it’s probably for the best (he’s not prepared for what he might dig up).

And this isn’t BAD or anything, but I was surprised that the book never discusses how faulty/useless DNA services can be for BIPOC. The algorithms, the overly white sample size affecting bloodwork analysis, and more. If Leo’s birth parents still live in the Philippines, the odds of them taking the test are lower than if they live in the USA (I assume that these services tend to be American/Euro-centric). The lack of discussion re: DNA service flaws felt... odd. Like a glaring omission that needs to be remedied. I expect a book about DNA services to at least touch on the issue; they are controversial for extremely good reasons! I mean, the book never even discusses the security/privacy concerns of handing your genetic material over to a private company! That seems relevant, but what do I know?

Anyway: I enjoyed the book! I had a fun time reading it. But there is a lot to critique and I’ve barely scratched the surface. I would be interested in reading criticism from someone who didn’t like the book as much as I did, especially re: the DNA test aspect.

This was a story about a girl who discovers that she has a sister she never knew about and the path she takes to find out what happened. Throw in a BFF romance and summer camp and you have a nice summer story.

Sometimes a person comes into your life and you never expected her or him to make such a big impact on you. Abby, Connie and Leo are the best friends you could have but as summer approaches this trio’s friendship is about to get tested.

Super cute, relatable teen story. I enjoyed Emma Lord’s first book a lot more, but this was a good, quick read.

This book missed the mark for me and I had to force myself to finish it. Although I think the writing is good and easy to read, I just wasn't drawn into the story.

a sweet book about secrets and what happens when they come out one by one, secret sisters, secret friends of the family, secret crushes, mutual or not, secret dreams and ambitions and how much more love we can expand our hearts to contain.

Abby doesn't expect much from her DNA test - she's just trying to support her friend Leo as he searches for clues about his birth parents. Imagine her surprise when she gets a message from Savannah, whose DNA classifies her as a full sister. How can they get to know each other? In true Parent Trap fashion, they end up at summer camp together along with Leo and Mickey, their secret crushes. Chaos ensues as the girls learn more about themselves and each other and as they try to solve the mystery of their shared parentage.

This is a fun coming-of-age tale, and I know teens will relate to Abby's struggles with being over scheduled and misunderstood by her parents. The camp setting provides good comedy while also moving the story forward. Ultimately, the pacing was a bit off for me - the book seemed to simultaneously have too much and not enough going on. This conflict may be due to the packing of lots of drama into the last 20% of the book, while the middle moved more slowly. As other reviewers have said, this is probably not a YA book for those of us who are "young at heart", but I think teens and tweens will certainly enjoy it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emma Lord for an ARC of this book!*

23andMe was just the beginning of the latest trend: use my DNA to tell me, well, all about me! Abby gets the idea to participate in genetic testing herself when best friend and latent crush Leo takes the same test to find out more about his background. Abby is stunned when she gets her results, however...she has a sister (!) Savvy is the lovely social media-savvy Instagram picture of lovely new age health, and when the two meet for the first time, they decide they have to get to the origin of their mysterious family secrets and subsequent separation. Savvy invites Abby to a camp she is working at over the summer, where Abby gets smacked in the face with another shocking surprise: Leo works there too and has known Savvy for years. Can Abby find the truth about her family's past, learn to get along with her new sister....and WHAT will she do about Leo?

Emma Lord's Tweet Cute was enchanting, sweet, and full of delicious treats, leaving me hungry for more, so I eagerly picked up her newest release, ready for more of the same. Unfortunately, these books almost feel like they belong in different worlds and at the very least are aimed at entirely different age groups. Tweet Cute had such universal appeal, I could really relate to the two protagonists in a cute, nostalgic sense. You Have A Match, however, is a YA book I would strictly recommend to the 11-13 set. The focus on all of the highs and lows of Instagram and social media stardom isn't really a concept I relate to at all. I know social media influencer is an actual 'job' these days, but for Abby to aspire to simply get a hundred thousand followers with her photography rather than focus on creating work she's proud of in her own regard simply plays into the pressure young people already face to get the next 'like'. I liked that Lord wanted to meld family dynamics and a budding love story, but between all of the backstory with both sets of parents, Abby's conflicts with friends, her internal conflict over her crush, and other extraneous characters, there was a LOT going on. The last third of the book is more interesting and cohesive than the beginning, and I wish the whole book had felt as though it proceeded on a more linear track.

Although this concept was a unique mix of the Parent Trap, exploring a first crush at summer camp, and finding a long-lost sibling that I've never seen before, I feel there was lots of unrealized potential here. This would be a good summer read for a preteen, but for the adults who still enjoy YA like me, I would probably move on to the next. 3.5 stars

This was my first book by Emma Lord and I would say it was a very lively, light hearted fun YA read. I do not read much of Young Adults, but this book had me gripped from page 1!

While three besties Abby, Connie & Leo decides to sign up for DNA service, Abby finds out she has a older full sister living very close to her. The story begins with Abby and her sister Savvy figuring out the mystery and why was this kept a secret from both of them.They have their fair share of ups and downs, hurt and betrayal, love and forgiveness!

Along with the sisterhood love their is this cute love story happening in the parallel between Abby and Leo, where they both have feelings for each other and both are in denial.

The writing style was very fresh and lively and this book will totally rock with all those young readers out there! Highly recommended

Thank you #NetGalley, #St,Martin’sPress and #emmalord for the copy of ARC in exchange of my honest review!

4.5 stars

To be honest I didn't even really read the synopsis, I just saw the cute cover and that it was from Emma Lord and asked for it on Netgalley. So glad I did. It's definitely A Parent Trap for the new age and I enjoyed seeing the sisters find, stick up and help each other and the families dynamics. I would even read a part 2 if there was one! The side characters is where it lost me a bit, I just didn't basically care if they were there most of the time.

Big thank you to Wednesday Books, Emma Lord and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this Young Adult title!

I really enjoyed this book! As a parent of a teen, I could relate to a lot of the slang terminology used throughout and the way the characters interacted with one another. I thought the plot was interesting and not super predictable which was refreshing. I also liked the diversity of the young characters and the back-stories of their parents. I would definitely recommend this book to others! Thank you.

A fun modern story in the tradition of great friends to loves and the Parent Trap. With enjoyable and inclusive love stories, I found this a lovely read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this advanced digital copy! It’s the first one I’ve ever received and I’m honoured to provide a review for this adorable book.

Emma Lord did it again - she created a YA contemporary with fiercely compelling character dynamics and situations that had me swiping through pages well into the night. Abby has so much going on in her life and it all comes to a head at summer camp - a love interest, parents with secrets, complicated friendships, and a new secret sister to boot! EL excels in creating those warm, gooey YA moments that really make you feel like a teenager in love, with interesting storylines that thrive in their conflicts.

I did feel that perhaps there was too much going on for the length of this book. While the cast of characters would work well for a film (and I’d adore to see this on the big screen, wow! The potential), some of the characters blended together for me, namely the three cabin girls whose names I’ve already forgotten. Savvy’s love interest, the extra attention from Finn and his own back story, the impending sale of the family bakery, a camp under a new regime, school struggles... this book really had it all, but not necessarily in the best way. In trying to build the world and give dynamic supporting characters, Emma Lord actually gave us too much to care about, and so when those plot points resolved more quickly, it felt rushed and a bit unearned.

Overall, this just points to the fact that she knows how to write very engaging plots and I’m already looking forward to reading whatever she writes next!

I was very excited to read an arc of this since I really enjoyed the author’s debut Tweet Cute, but I didn’t like this as much 😬 I found some of the characters super frustrating. Savvy was too Type A when I just wanted her to be the big sister Abby wanted. Leo was similarly frustrating. I didn’t like that he wasn’t clear about his intentions. Did he like Abby? Did he not like Abby? WHAT’S HIS DEAL? Misunderstanding and miscommunication in books is so frustrating to read. Abby’s relationship/friendship with Finn also slightly bothered me since she was sometimes using him to make Leo jealous. Also, both Abby and Savvy’s parents were frustrating. I both do and don’t understand how they went from being so close to being such intense enemies that they can’t even be around each other.

That being said: Even though the book was frustrating, I liked it. I’m continually very impressed with Emma’s ability to write teenagers and make them act/sound/speak like real teenagers. I think she has a great understanding of teenager’s today, their interests, their language, etc. I also liked all of Abby’s pranks against Savvy at camp. They definitely reminded me of The Parent Trap. The end was satisfying because I was relieved that the frustrating drama was finally resolved.

I think this is a solid YA novel. I recommend this for anyone looking for an imperfect protagonist and lots of teenage drama.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for a review!

This one was adorable. I enjoyed Tweet Cute and this one was no different. The characters were adorably loving and as I’m getting older, I find it harder to get into YA, but this story did catch my attention from the beginning and held it throughout. I loved the different kinds of relationships-familial, friendships, romantic-all being played out and each one was just as important as the next. Will definitely read anything else by this author

You Have A Match has a very Parent Trap feel to it when a DNA test reveals an unknown sister to the main character. Off to summer camp they go trying to answer questions about how Abby had no idea she has an older sister. There is also Abby's secret crush on her best friend that comes to camp. This book is okay and I think most YA readers will enjoy it but for some reason it just wasn't for me as the characters were more on the annoying side than the endearing side.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for a honest reivew. These thoughts miss spellings and grammar errors are all my own.

When Abby takes a DNA test, the results blow up her life. An enjoyable read with good character growth.

Thanks Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

due to personal reasons, i was unable to finish this book. however, I would like to say that I have heard a lot of great things about Emma Lord's writing and that I will one hundred percent give this another try, in the future, when things in my personal life get better. thank you again for the arc.