Cover Image: You Have a Match

You Have a Match

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

You Have a Match was such a fun read - definitely a perfect summer beach read.

Abby and her friend Leo sign up for one of those DNA services. Leo, who’s adopted, hopes to find out more about his biological parents. However, it’s Abby who finds out more about her family than she expects.

The DNA test matches her DNA to an older sister - one that she didn’t know she had. When Savannah (Savvy) reaches out to Abby to meet, things get interesting.

I really liked Abby - I felt she was very genuine in her feelings. Savvy, on the other hand felt a little 2 dimension as a character. She’s described and an Instagram influencer and a rule-follower but never really grows beyond this. Readers see glimpses of other dimensions of Savvy but just glimpses.

I loved any scene with Finn - he was definitely a fun character and stole scenes he was in.

This was a fun, feel good YA read that would be perfect for summer reading lists.

Was this review helpful?

If TWEET CUTE was Twitter, then YOU HAVE A MATCH is Instagram.

TWEET CUTE was my first 5 star read of 2020, so I had high expectations for Emma Lord’s sophomore novel. YOU HAVE A MATCH is about Abby, a girl who accidentally discovers she has an older sister her parents never told her about…a FULL blooded sister at that!

Abby follows her sister, and accidentally her biggest crush Leo, to summer camp, where all the secrets are bound to come out.

The book is fun and cute and I would really love it if Finn got his own story.

4 starts because I felt the romance was lacking as the story mainly centered around sisterhood and friendship.

Emma Lord is my newest auto-buy author when I’m wanting Contemporary YA.

Was this review helpful?

You Have a Match is a story about relationships. This book follows Emma as she and her best friend Leo send their DNA in to be analyzed and Abby gets the shock of a lifetime when it turns out she has a sister she never knew about!

Emma Lord does an incredible job navigating so many different types of relationships in a couple hundred pages. From Abby's relationship with her parents, to Abby's relationships with her besties and her new, secret sister Savvy, you will go on a roller coaster of a ride figuring out life as a teenager.

Was this review helpful?

So so so cute! Emma Lord does not disappoint. Love a good high school love story. Love how much both girls grew & learned about themselves.

Was this review helpful?

5 STARS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such a cute YA romance novel. I absolutely loved that this story wasn’t just about romance, but was also a story about family and having courage.

Our MC Abby goes through so much. She is already dealing with; 1) The death of her grandpa and 2) Crushing hard on her best friend Leo (who, according to their other BFF Connie, does not like her back).

On top of these stressful situations, Abby, Connie and Leo each take a DNA test to be supportive of Leo who is adopted and wants to know more about his biological family. I’m doing so, Abby discovers that she has a full-blooded sister-Savannah, who is an Instagram influencer.

Reeling from the shock of this gigantic secret her parents have kept for 18 years, Abby and Savannah decide to go to the same summer camp to be close and get to know each other.

This book pulled at my heartstrings, and gave me all the feels. It also had some laugh out loud moments. I loved that the story centered around family, and what to do (and what not to do) when put in difficult family situations. I am very close to my crazy family, so I love when I read a great family centered story.

Aside from the story, the timing was great on this one, and I zoomed through it with no problems. This is a very quick, fun, light read, but a really great one. Emma Lord does not disappoint!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an DRC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It takes place during a high school summer camp. My fondest memories are from summer camps and this story resonated with me greatly.

Lord includes great characters realistic problems and the ever present teem need of being understood.

I loved the friendly tone of the story and will likely read it again. I highly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Was this review helpful?

Starring the hilarious Abby and Savvy, side characters that spring off the page and make you melt, SHENANIGANS that deserve the caps lock, and the warm fuzzy feelings that Emma Lord is rightfully well known for delivering, You Have a Match is sure to delight Tweet Cute and new readers alike. (And, like, it’s Reese Witherspoon approved. What are you waiting for?)

Was this review helpful?

Emma Lord has crafted a fun spin on summer camp when Abby finds out she has an older sister her parents never told her about. The growing interest in at-home DNA test kits in the real world means that something is bound to come up to shake up families, and it's interesting to see it play out in Lord's story.

The plot twists and reasons for this secret sister keep you on your toes throughout the chapters--when you think you know truth, new information pops up! The parents, as well as the teens, are well-crafted and fleshed out, so you feel just as engaged in their scenes.

Some of the hijinks Abby and her friends get up to will give you a good laugh and an, "oh boy..." and keep you turning and swiping the pages until the very end.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute story of family and friendship, and was a quick read. Abby and her sister Savvy couldn't be more different, and I enjoyed reading their story unfold. It had the perfect mix of teenage angst for a YA novel, and I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. Definitely would recommend this one to anyone who likes YA!

Was this review helpful?

Abby signs up for a DNA testing service mainly because her best friend, aka her secret crush, Leo, is doing it as well. Big shocker when the results indicate she has a sister named Savannah.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp 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.

This wasn't bad. In fact, some parts of the story piqued my interest—particularly the deepening bond between Abby and Savvy, the unraveling of the mystery behind their past, and Abby’s reckoning with herself.

If you are headed to the beach or pool this summer, be sure to toss a copy of You Have a Match in your bag!

I enjoyed this book, and I think you will too!

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review!!

Was this review helpful?

This was a super-cute YA book, perfect for a summer beach read! When Abby agrees to submit her DNA sample with her two best friends, she isn’t expecting much more than to win a bet about who is more Irish. It comes as a complete shock to find out she has a sister, a little more than a year older than her. How is it that her parents had another daughter that she doesn’t know about? The two meet, and the scheme is hatched – to go to summer camp together and try to learn exactly what their family secret is.

I love the film The Parent Trap (the original starring Hayley Mills), and this book gave me that summer camp vibe as well. Two teens who have discovered they are sisters, trying to sort out their relationship and family secrets at camp. There’s also some teenage love angst going on to throw some extra drama into the mix.

All-in-all a fun read that made me smile. If you are headed to the beach or pool this summer, be sure to toss a copy of You Have a Match in your bag!

Was this review helpful?

4/5 stars

POV: Abby
Pacing: average
Steam: YA and sweet, romance is not the center of the story
Tropes: summer camp, found family, friends to lovers

<u>Overall</u>
I really loved Abby's story that was full of summer feels, growing up, finding family that was lost and a bit of friends to lovers romance. The romance while YA, sweet, and a lovely addition was definitely not the center of the story. Abby's story focuses on relationships between herself, parents, best friends and newly found sister Savvy. I loved how most of the story takes place at summer camp that gave Abby growing room and gave us sweet summer feels. I really enjoyed this one mostly due to Abby's growth from start to finish as a character, the theme of sisterly bonds between friends and true sisters, and the light romance. This author is now a favorite and I would read anything else they wrote! I can't wait for more YA stories and to re-read this one every summer.

*Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to love this book. There were several elements that I thought were really meant for me. I loved the Parent Trap! Long lost siblings, coupled with the modern whims of technology and DNA matching. All elements of summer camp. AND Instagram and influencers! I should have loved this book. But it fell short for me. I am sure there are those out there who will adore the characters and relate more than I did (though, the IG parts I still did love--I found them pretty fun).

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED Tweet Cute but really struggled with this one - the tone felt much more immature and I just couldn't see myself relating or really caring about the characters. I highly encourage YA fans to give this one a try as I've heard of others who liked it!

Was this review helpful?

Emma Lord continues to impress. Her writing and characters bring the story to life, are well done, and fun to read.
"You Have a Match" is the perfect read for fans of "The Parent Trap."
Lord is clearly a very talented author, and I am looking forward to reading what she writes next!

Was this review helpful?

This book was interesting as a premise but didn't hold my attention very much. I liked the fast pacing but there didn't seem to be any clear directions the book was moving towards.
I was hoping for more focus on the family dynamics but instead there was more importance given to the love triangle, which wasn't bad, but neither of the characters involved got me rooting for them and it really put me off of the whole book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

You Have a Match is a story of family, friends, summer-camp, with a bit of romance twisted in. From second-chances, to secret siblings, to s’mores, this YA contemporary was high on my TBR.

Emma Lord’s debut, Tweet Cute, is one of my favorite YA romances, so I was very excited to get my hands on this!

I liked the setting, recipes, and Filipino + LGBTQ representation, but that’s about where my likes end.

The characters felt very immature and were unlikeable. Abby and Leo were awfully flat, and they didn’t have distinct personalities. Savvy was my least favorite character, she was just overbearing and annoying. Mickey and Finn weren’t too bad, and I liked their personalities overall.

The plot was just too much. I liked the concept of the secret siblings but other than that I was bored to death. The romance was unnecessary, the pranks and tantrums and everything was just like a slap in the face, and every other page was over dramatic.

I hated basically every relationship in this book. Leo + Abby = Ugh immature. Savvy + Mickey = Just not a right fit. Every other character’s relationship = garbage.

And that’s it for my rant. This was a huge disappointment and that’s the tea.

Was this review helpful?

Emma Lord is now OFFICIALLY my favorite YA Contemporary Author! Yes, yes, yes! Auto buy, auto read, auto love! I just can't get enough of her work. I wish she can give birth to books 10 times a year! I remember screaming about how I loved Tweet Cute so much that it is still my most liked Goodreads review until today.

Anyway, let's just jump into You Have A Match! (As always, thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the advance copy. My heart is yours forever!)

You Have A Match tells the story of Abby and how a DNA-test moment with Leo, her friend-slash-crush, changed her life. Because Leo is adopted, he really wanted to learn more about his heritage, so Abbie (and Connie, their other friend) decided to jump in. Abby gets the surprise of her life when she found out she has a sister through the DNA website.

Now, the story turns it up a notch when the summer camp Abby is going to has Savvy, her sister, as one of the counselors. Here we have a Parent Trap moment! The sisters will have some trouble getting to know each other and that's the fun part of the story.

Aside from this, we have a romantic subplot. Obviously, Abby has a crush on Leo. But does he like her back? I love all their moments and how their story blossomed. I forgot how much I love the pining involved with the best friends-to-lovers trope, so having it here was awesome.

There are other plot details I can't dive into now but will be a delight for you to experience. In some keywords, here are other things you can expect in You Have A Match:
- Photography enthusiast
- Social media
- Pop culture references
- Family drama and parents with secrets (!!) and juicy pasts (!!)
- Finding your identity
- First love
- Forgiveness
- Filipino characters
- Coming of age
- Future

Overall, I just love everything about this and I am super excited to read more works by Emma Lord. Her writing style is just the perfect one for me!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

I liked this book way more than I thought I would! I already loved the premise of the story - a DNA match to a sibling that you didn't know existed. Most of the story takes place at a summer camp where the sisters make arrangements to meet in hopes of coming to the bottom of the story involving Savvy - the older sibling who was adopted. The whole book gave me Parent Trap vibes - and that is a good thing; I love that movie (the original most). I'm also a sucker for a good conclusion with a bit of a time jump. All in all - such a fun book. I binged it in a day and it was perfect!

Was this review helpful?