Jules has a rare liver disease and needs a transplant I order to have a chance of survival. She is CEO of a start up company that shares an office space with another start up. Jules and Tom start off on the wrong foot, but butting heads with Tom brought new excitement and life back to Jules. She keeps her disease from almost everyone, but is slowly dying and definitely not looking for a love interest. Tom has a traumatic history that makes him closed off to others. Feelings develop between the two of them even though Jules tries to keep Tom at arms length.
She eventually gets a liver after nearly dying. She then has to figure out life that she never let herself hope for.

I loved this book and bawled! So many emotions. I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot!!!! The ending got more predictable and was lacking angst and spice for me.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

I couldn't get into this book the description of scene I was a bit confused and the banter of the characters I just didn't understand while reading not a good fit for me.

I really loved this book! It starts off a bit slow but once it gets going, you can't put it down. I admire writers who take a tough topic and tackle it with humor, grit, and grace. Jules is an unwilling tech start up CEO who doesn't seem to know what to do with her life because se may not have much life left. Her enemy (we are her because we love the trope!) is named Tom and he appears to be a pompous ass, but then plot twist, he's amazing!

Unlikely Match is as delightful as it is humbling. A sick lit hit for sure, but way less over dramatized like the fads of the mid 2000’s.
I enjoyed Jules’ relationship and found family in her friends. Everyone needs an Alan or five in their lives; he is the consummate supportive best friend and no one could have seen her through her trials any better.

Her biological family is positively despicable and I’m thankful they didn’t take up any more of the narrative than they did. I’m relieved that the author didn’t try to make space for a redemption arc—they are not deserving of such a gift.

Tom’s character is blessedly well rounded and offers some nuance to the typical romantic hero.

Their banter and antagonism was pure spice and joy. I did think it was an interesting choice on the author’s part to use that animosity to fuel Jules’ will to live and ultimately love.

This was amazingly written and kept my attention from chapter 1. I loved this and would tell everyone its a must read

The book was pretty funny and had good banter…was definitely fun to read. I would’ve loved if there was more chemistry between atom and Jules but their romance was sweet and super touching. This book definitely gets you in your feels!!

Laura Bradbury shared light into her own life's journey through Jules who is dealing with PSC. Enemies to lovers trope that is sure to capture your heart. The emotional roller coaster you go through and the the hardworking STEM aspects are sure to make this novel a top-list read!

This book has me torn between four or five stars. I love the originality and concept behind it. It made me cry and educated me about transplants and PSC. I got to know Sparks and Thunder and understand them, however, it got wrapped up real quick and cute. I wish there was more after, because I feel like we spent so much time reaching the point of after but missed the post struggles. You cannot help but fall for Jules, Tom, and even Alan. You hate her family and gasp at their interactions. Such a great read and this definitely encourages me to read more by Laura Bradbury.

Funny, romantic and thought provoking

I am a huge fan of Laura Bradbury, starting with her Grape books and her Winemakers' romances. This book, Unlikely Match, is different, but such a great book from many aspects. It has the typical romance and the humor, but from the point of view of a young woman with a rare incurable disease who needs a transplant to live. The book reveals so much of the mental exhaustion and anguish of living through severe medical stuff, which is incredibly timely given the number of people who have survived ICU and intubation from COVID (as well as all the other severe medical issues that happen). I am totally in awe of Laura for pulling back the curtain on these feelings, thanks to her own diagnosis with liver disease and eventual transplant. All that being said, the book is a wonderful romance and not a downer at all. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgally. This review is optional and my own opinion.

4/5 stars! Loved the chronic illness representation! We also LOVE LOVE LOVE to see women in STEM fighting the fight against annoying STEM bros! The build up from the enemies to lovers trope was amazing! I loved how it was also a little grumpy-sunshine element in there too! All around an amazing book! 10/10 would recommend! Thanks NetGalley for providing me with and ARC to read this amazing book! :)

Laura Bradbury takes you on a life changing journey of Jules who is dealing with the same deadly condition that Laura dealt with in real life, PSC. Basically Jules is dying and without a living organ donor her chances of dying young are very high. Laura Bradbury’s own life experiences with this can be seen through Jules’ honest portrayal of a woman trying to survive and be the best version of herself. Insert a love interest named Thunder and it was a perfect book read that I just couldn’t p down.

Enemies to lovers with believable chemistry is the backbone of this romance. I will admit it has quite the emotional punch and I may have shed more than few tears. It wasn’t really surprising to see that the author had her own experience with the protagonist’s disease and journey because it was perfect and realistic. Jules is launching a start up in a grant funded shared space with another start up. She has thrown herself into work despite struggling with a rare disease and being in pretty desperate need of a liver transplant. The CEO of the other start up sharing the space immediately pushes all of Jules’ buttons and the two of them have sparks flying with their charged fighting. Tom is hard working and a bit of a perfectionist and struggles with Jules’ much different leadership style. It was a sweet story with likable characters. A bit less light than your typically romance but it was still a fun ride. I give it 3,5 stars rounded up for the well written emotional punch to the gut.

This story will bring about tears of happiness and sadness. This story is so unique and wonderfully told. As someone who has been personally affected by a loved one going through a transplant, it is refreshing to read such a well-told and accurate depiction of what the process can truly be like. Highly recommend!!

This book was sooooo good. I had never come across a romance like this, but I am so glad that the author got this story out. It is based on her own experiences with a rare liver disease and liver transplant (at least the medical part is) and as a nurse that knows what happens from my view, it was absolutely riveting to hear the medical part from her point of view. She perfectly portrayed that there is all kinds of medical staff, good and bad, like every profession (although if that social worker was real, I would want to take her on in a cage match, WWE style 😠)

Jules is our main character, and like I mentioned above, is suffering from a rare liver disease. She and her best friend Alan started a tech company called GoodGuides. We enter the story when they are moving into a new office space, shared with another, completely different tech company. Jules is in the bathroom trying to gain control of her symptoms and make sure it’s not too obvious when she hears a loud conversation insulting her company and her coworkers right outside the bathroom door. She storms out and runs into the CEO of the tech company they are sharing space with, Tom. Tom and Jules are complete opposites. He wears nothing but black and white, she leans towards the 70’s boho chic style. She is the type of CEO that encourages fraternization, even having champagne on fridays to celebrate a good work week. He does not, thinking work hours are for work only. Tom looks at everything in black and white, while Jules lives in the gray area. When they start butting heads, the sparks are tangible. But don’t they say opposites attract?

And then, Jules health starts failing quickly. With her disease there is almost no way she will get a deceased donor liver. And all of her close friends aren’t a match for a living donor. Jules doesn’t want to acknowledge the sparks between her and Tom because she is literally dying, and he doesn’t know because she hasn’t told people at work so they don’t look at her with pity. That is totally gonna work out in her favor, huh? I couldn’t put this one down!

Title: Unlikely Match
Author: Laura Bradbury
Pub Date: 26 May 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got to know this book through NetGalley. As you know, I’m a sucker for pretty book covers, so this one caught my eye. I immediately signed up for the eARC right after I read the description.

Jules, you made me cry to the highest level, and I adore you to the core❤️you are such a fantastic woman, and I am so proud of you. This story made me fall in love, emotionally broken, believe in friendships, and realize that anyone could be called a family, but not everyone can become a true family.

The author did an excellent job in writing this book based on her own experience. The writing style is easy to follow and got me engaged from start to finish. She is so brave to share her story, and you will love her as I do❤️

Unlikely Match is a high-stakes and steamy workplace romance that will leave you feverishly turning pages.

If you or someone you love is fighting a medical battle, going through a transplant, and wants some transplant romance and inspiration, this book is for you❤️

Or maybe you are looking for a perfect summer read about love, emotional intensity, loyal friendships, insane chemistry, and forced proximity in high medical stakes; Unlikely Match is for you.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC.

QOTD: Do you prefer medicine injection for immediate relief or oral medicine but slow progress?

#unlikelymatch #netgalley

I think this book was a little slow to get into. The second half was much better than the first. I have no experience with the medical field like this but I feel like it was so easy to understand all of the terminology. I can honestly say it was nothing like what I usually read - the plot of the liver transplant turned into romance was so cute. There were parts where it definitely tugged at my heartstrings and I can’t even imagine being in Jules’ position or even Tom’s. It was kinda predictable but I did like that it wasn’t as smooth as some romance stories can be - it had a little will they, won’t they type of feel that I enjoyed because it feels realistic. I also loved the friendship between Jules and Alan and I think we all need a friend like him. Beautiful story!!

Really charming! The character dynamic is great and the story is really interesting. Seeing someone struggle with illness is never fun, but Jules is so great it’s hard not to immediately fall in love with her. And her dynamic with Tom is so cute in its enemies to lovers glory. Her best friend, Alan, is an absolute delight and everyone involved in her story is totally fleshed out and lovable (except her fam).

I will start of with saying thanks for letting me read this book and in exchange here is my honest review of it.

At first I didn't really felt like I would get in to it but after not giving up I did and I am glad.
I ended up liking this book a lot so much that for me this became a 4 star read.

One of the things I liked was that this has a trope I really like, enemies to lovers, who doesn't like this trope these days.
I also liked the main characters Jules and Tom but also Jules BFF Alan.
I liked how Jules and Tom could relate to certain feelings and the relationship between Jules and Alan.

What I didn't liked was basically Jules whole family and the back and forth feelings between Jules and Tom (it was a bit too much).

Here are two quotes I liked from the book and my thoughts about them:

From chapter 12:
I chose Ten Things I Hate About You, a classic I could never get tire of watching, and curled up under a soft white blanket. - I could never get tired of watching this movie. I was so in love with Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger when watching it the first time.

From chapter 26:
"I thought with you I'd found the home I've been looking for my whole life. Are you telling me I was wrong?" - I was so heartbroken while reading this. My heart really went out for him.

Jules suffers from a condition where her liver is killing her. She needs a liver transplant, but her options are dwindling. She hides her condition from most of her start-up organization, where she co-habilitates with another company, headed by Tom. Her journey with her health, her company, and love all culminate in this one novel.

I loved this story a lot. I thought Tom was so sweet and loved his and Jule’s journey. This is the first story I’ve read about transplants and I felt like I learned so much about liver disease, the process of donating, as well as recovery.

My only slights against this book, and why it’s a 4 star read as opposed to a 5 star, is that I felt like some of the characters, especially Jule’s family, were one dimensional and side relationships were thrown in without really explaining it just because these two characters were side characters of the gender they each are interested in pursuing.

I also felt like the back and forth of Jule’s and Tom’s feelings in the final 1/4 of the book was drawn out and I had a hard time tracking why they couldn’t both agree to be together.

I also dislike stories where it immediately becomes an “I love you” moment, although in this instance, it did feel warranted after Tom’s gift.

i really liked her other book and was hooked so this one didn't disappoint. I loved it as well. Her stories are different and this was great.