This was such a cute read! Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity.. it really had all the tropes packed in. It dealt with a lot of heavy themes (so proceed with caution!) but I genuinely feel like it's not only a great read but also a necessary one <3

This book is practically pulsing with heartfelt emotion. It's fast-paced, raw, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once. The characters are messy, flawed, and make lots of mistakes but everyone is so vibrant and lovable.
I didn't know much of anything about organ transplants and that was a fascinating and humanizing force in the book.
I think this book is truly something special. I've only read one other book by this author, which I also enjoyed, but this book just glows with life and emotion. It made me cry, it kept me captivated right up until the last page.
This is truly a project of the heart and Laura Bradbury has shared hers with her readers in this book. This book deserves all the praise it will get and will hopefully reach a huge readership.
Bravo!

This book touched me and opened my eyes in more ways than I ever could've imagined when I first picked it up. Jules is so fearless and brave throughout the whole book, taking a deep dive into what she's gone through was heartbreaking. It made me realize I do not appreciate my health enough, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about all I've taken for granted. Jules is truly the warrior Tom calls her.

Now Tom, do not even get me started on this man. SWOON. He gives me Mr. Darcy vibes (which are the BEST vibes) and now I want a Tom all for myself. I loved everything about this book and I was so sad to see it end. I'm so thankful to Netgalley and Laura Bradbury for this rollarcoast of an ARC, I know I will be thinking about this for days to come.

This book had a strong heroine who didn’t put up with bullshit, male lead not afraid to show his emotions, and the most supportive friends.

Jules the main character is the most badass boss bitch. While being CEO of the company GoodGuides she is suffering from PSC a incurable Illness.

Tom the hero of this book is the CEO of Silobase is a sweetheart. He holds him self to high standards to make his company stronger and more valued.

If you like the tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace romance, opposites attract, or close proximity you will love this book and all the ups and downs that come with it

This book was an emotional roller coaster from that to finish but I loved every second of it

Honestly I loved this book so much. It’s a book that no matter what I was doing I couldn’t stop thinking about it and just wanted to keep reading. I loved how there was some humor in it despite the serious topic. I honestly enjoyed this book so much and it’s quickly become one of my favorites ♥️

When I read the world's Transplant love story I was instantly really intrigued by the book and was excited to read it - it did not disappoint!

CEO of tech start up GoodGuides Jules is sick, like really sick. She needs a liver transplant but her time is running out. And when her start-up wins a spot in a co-working space she is thrown into the path of tech start-up Silobase and their COO Tom who could not be more different to her.

This book is a rollercoaster - you think, okay there is a bit of happiness coming Jules way, I can feel it and then it completely flips on you and gives you the complete opposite. And while there are moments of despair that give you that free falling feeling in your tummy, the feeling of hope and living life for every moment is the most powerful thread through the whole story.

Jules and Tom are really terrific characters. Jules is so strong but you can feel her vulnerability and the exhaustion that comes from not only being sick but also isolated and feeling like your life is on pause. And I really enjoyed how Tom wasn't just a knight riding in to save her but in fact had plenty of flaws that he needed to work on too….it would have been so easy to write him as perfect. These issues gave an added layer to complexity and authenticity to the story.

This book is raw and really eye opening for me, given that the author has personal experience in this I found the section of the book after Jules op incredibly fascinating, and way more intense and thought provoking than I had really anticipated. And because the happy ever after didn't really kick in when you would expect it to, or I think when most Rom-Coms would write it in, the timeline and response to Jules' illness felt genuine and real.

This book was an utter joy, and I walked away thinking about how I need to live life a little bit bigger because it’s not a dress rehearsal.

Ever wondered what it's like to have a rare Liver disease and your only salvation is a transplant?

Well, Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury captures exactly that. Jules is a fun and bright girl who shares her workplace with Tom who is interesting but can be quite obnoxious at times. Jules also happens to be suffering from PCS (a chronic liver disease that affects the bile ducts) and needs a liver transplant immediately. Tom unknown of the realities of each other has silly office banters with her and soon they start liking each other until reality comes smack in their faces.

Things I enjoyed in this book were the reality of what living with a chronic illness such as PCS can be like. I loved how the author portrayed the truth behind transplants and how life is after a transplant. I enjoyed this book a lot. It was super quick and fun. The character development was lovely. Though I will admit that Tom was not my favorite in the beginning.

Read this book if you like:-
1) Office Romances
2)Enemies to Lovers trope
3)Grumpy and Sunshine trope
4) Books with a take
5) The Hating Game

When I received the ARC and saw that Laura herself explained a bit about the origins of it I knew I was going to enjoy the ride.

Jules' battle with PCS was sad to read, especially her not being able to get a transplant all because her family are inconsiderate ugh hate people like that.

However her strength and willingness not to let her illness get the best of her was awe inspiring.

Now to Jules and Tom OMG I am just a sucker for enemies to lovers type of romance and these two didn't disappoint, they had me hooked and rooting for them from the get go.
Loved it.

Thank you Laura Bradbury and NetGalley for the ARC.

𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 26, 2022
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Laura Bradbury
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ☆☆☆☆☆/5
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶.5/ 5 (1 or 2 descriptive scenes)
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
♡ enemies to lovers
♡ office romance
♡ terminally ill heroine
♡ witty banter
♡ strong FM lead
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
❗️𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: PTSD, off-page foster care discussion, discussion of medical trauma, toxic families, terminal illness

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Jules Kelly is the CEO of her best friend Alan's new tech company that just won subsidized office space that will also be shared with database company. She immediately clashes with the CEO of the database company, Tom Davenport. Even though she despises him, he is also able to inspire her fighting spirit while trying to live with an illness that is actively trying to kill her. Jules has a rare liver disease called PCS that will kill her if she doesn't receive a liver transplant. As time goes by, Jules and Tom start discovering new things about each other, making things more complicated. The complications worsen when Jules's health starts rapidly declining, and now the two companies are being forced to compete against each other for funding. 
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
I was super excited to be approved for this book, and it definitely didn't disappoint! I really loved Jules's character and how strong she was. I admire Jules and how headstrong she is. I think Laura did a beautiful job portraying life with a chronic illness, especially an incurable one. She did an excellent job portraying the mental health/trauma side of illnesses that you don't see unless you have them or are close to someone who does. She writes about so many different aspects of living with illness; it was truly inspiring to read. I love how she incorporated romance into the story as well. Jules and Tom's relationship is so intense and real. Side note, the way she describes bro dudes in tech is so funny! I was crying reading the banter in the beginning. Even though this book mainly focuses on how the MC is dealing with life with her illness, it also depicts a beautiful love story that will have you CRYING from joy, laughter, and sadness. I honestly loved this book and definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grape Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! ⭐️

Unlikely Match have a cute book cover, It is a rom com with many subplots.
It takes time for me to warm up for the MC's Jules and Tom. But I really like the friendship between Jules and Alan.
But overall I enjoy the book because of the romcom and the heartwarming plot.
Thank you NetGalley and Grape Books for the ARC in exchange of may honest Review.

Wow. Just, wow. Let me start off by saying Unlikely Match might be my favorite book of the year so far. I found it browsing through NetGalley and the reviews were incredible. I was so happy when I was granted access to an ARC and I devoured it in two days.

The story follows Jules, a tech start-up CEO who is living with a rare liver disease that has no cure, her only hope at a future is a transplant. When she meets Tom, the CEO of the other tech start-up sharing the co-working space, it is clear that they are very different people. Their animosity is delicious, but soon Jules is swooning at the sight of him. There’s only one catch - Jules is dying without a transplant and she desperately doesn’t want Tom to find out and change how he looks at her.

Bradbury’s personal touch on what it feels like to live with the knowledge that you are dying is incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking. All of the main characters felt fully human, imperfect, and like friends I wanted to wrap my arms around. I laughed and cried my way through this lovely, lovely story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Bradbury, and Grape Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury is a phenomenal, heartwarming enemies to lovers workplace romance that’s also an emotional rollercoaster of a beautiful transplant love story. If you liked The Hating Game, 10 Things I Hate About You &/or just great romance novels, then do I have an ‘Unlikely Match’ for you! (I pretend I’m clever.🤓)
Within reading a few pages of this book, I could already tell it was going to be 5 stars!
The main character of this book is Jules Kelly, who is a badass CEO of a startup with her wonderful best friend Alan. Jules also has Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis or PSC, an extremely rare liver disease with the only way to save her life being a liver transplant. In the midst of her end-stage liver disease misery, she feels fire in her soul for the first time when meeting & verbally sparring with her shared working space rival CEO, Tom Davenport. Their relationship is extremely unique, intense, full of banter & pierogi, what more could you ask for?!
I laughed out loud. I teared up. I related & nodded yes to so much of Jules’ journey as a chronically ill person myself. This book covers the plethora of things chronically ill people must deal with including the work-life balance along with being a constant patient, the numerous phone calls to get medicine & adequate care, all the blood work, unsympathetic family/friends & so much more.
This book also vividly shows the complexity of recovery from a major surgery & the realities of the life long adventure that is a chronic disease. It even mentions medical trauma & how often those of us that have gone through a lot on our medical journeys experience it & in turn, medical PTSD, it was just phenomenal that it was conveyed accurately. & I hope non-chronically ill people can read this & see a glimpse into our unique & complex lives of being chronically ill people. I always say everyone deserves to feel seen in the stories they read & I am so grateful to relate to this one.
Thank you to Laura Bradbury for taking the time & energy to write this book! You made this fellow chronically ill person proud to be apart of our community & seen. I hope everyone enjoys this love story as much as me. Laura, you are an absolute rockstar. I am wishing you & this story all the best & more.
Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury comes out today!!!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Laura Bradbury for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review!

The author’s note in beginning offered trigger warnings ahead of their work, which I always applaud & appreciate when authors do that!

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains medicinal trauma, PTSD, hospital scenes, parental abandonment & foster system (mostly off-screen).

When I post a review on TikTok, I’ll add a link to it!

Jules Kelly and Tom Davenport are creating beautiful, perfect moments captured between the cracks of thunder and the sparks of a love so pure and endearing. I laughed and I cried, my heart turned to putty at the vulnerability, and I broke for the ugly battles so many of us never see. The heart and depth that Laura Bradbury has captured is strong, the emotion powerful between these two fiery opposites as tension and chemistry collide in a thunderous clap. And I loved every second of them!

Outspoken and vibrant, Jules Kelly makes for a perfect sunshine character. But even the sun can’t flush out all of the darkness. The isolation and the judgment she had to battle behind the scenes hurt to read, the constant pain she masked, a continuous ache. Beneath the weight of her secret and looming health my heart cracked, and, with each painful stitch, each tender moment and show of love and support to match, Bradbury pieced it back together in a moving and authentic display. And then there was Tom! Driven, toughened but oh so sweet, Tom. I grew to love him so much, and his story and his growth were just as beautiful and heart rending; Bradbury certainly knows how to breathe their characters to life.

I was captivated by this raw glance into the realities of PCS and life beyond a transplant. The honesty and the ongoing challenges as displayed by the ‘after’, and the addition of Bradbury’s care and attention to detail drawn from their personal experiences with PCS and a living transplant made for a story that will resonate with many hearts and represent the unspoken experiences of many, and the beauty of this is just something so incredible. From the moment Bradbury grabbed my heart with their dedication, they didn’t let go and they still haven’t. It was then I knew this would be a stand out story, and it’s no surprise I’ve found a new favourite.

Sweet and savoury, Unlikely Match proved to be the perfect match for me. With its opposites attract workplace rivals energy it’s giving off Hating Game vibes but with a heart unmatched, and I cannot recommend this heartwarming, honest tale enough.

Thank you netgalley and laurabradburywriter for the advanced copy of this book, and thank you to the author for sharing such a big part of your heart and yourself. 5⭐️

Wow, enemies to lovers mixed with office romance? This has been my favorite mix of tropes lately. The chemistry between Jules and Tom.. let's just say that I could not put this book down and it kept me wanting to read more. This book has not gotten the attention that it deserves yet but I hope it will very soon!

Unlikely Match
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— — — — — — — — — —
“Is there ever a right time for love? From what I can tell, it happens when we’re busy with other crises.”
— — — — — — — — — —

Jules, the CEO of her start up tech-firm is suffering a deadly liver disease. Her only chance is to receive a liver transplant. But where does one get a new liver when nobody you know is willing or able to give part of one up and you are not on the list for a deceased organ?

And then there is Tom, the CEO of a tech-firm working in the same building as her. Tom who is utterly infuriating and somehow Jules is drawn to him in ways she can’t even begin to understand.

What happens when the time seems to be running out and life knocks you straight out of your shoes?

— — — — — — — — — —

This book made me so sad, yet so happy at the same time.

Jules was an incredibly strong and positive character who, despite having so many problems, still looked on the bright side of things. Her determination to make the best out of the limited time she has is a quality that I admire very much.

Tom is the classic grumpy and negative workaholic with a golden heart. He lives fir his job and his job only. Still, he somehow managed to walk straight into my heart and just stayed there.

If you are looking for a realistic and upbeat story filled with hope and positivity, this is a book for you. I honestly loved the book and even though it evolved around a topic that is so serious it was still a lot of fun to read.
I loved this book so much.

— — — — — — — — — —
Ratings:
Smut: 🌶🌶🌶 /5
Story: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Writing style: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ (5/5)

I absolutely devoured this book in less than a day. From the moment I picked it up I could not put it down. I was initially intrigued to read this one since I am a nurse and this book had romance and a medical aspect. What I absolutely loved about it was the author herself is a transplant survivor and a lot of it came from her own personal experience. It truly made what Jules is going through seem even more real & the emotions while reading it hit me hard. Our main characters Jules & Tom were everything I love in a romance book. Jules is a strong FMC who is also going through so much with a disease called PSC & needing a liver transplant while also being the CEO of a tech start up company who has to share an office with Tom’s new start up as well. Tom is also a CEO and both start off strong with dislike for one another. If you love ‘the hating game’ you will love the aspect of workplace romance in this one, as well as enemies to lovers and great banter between the main characters. I laughed, I cried and I appreciated the representation this book had for people with serious illness and how it impacts their lives. This one definitely pulls at the heartstrings and was one of my favorites so far this year.

Thank you so much to @laurabradburywriter and @netgalley for the opportunity to read & review this book. 🥹💕

Unlikely Match had a really interesting premise. We meet Jules, a woman whose health is quickly declining, but even though all odds are against her, she’s a fierce CEO willing to do anything for her company and employees. I really liked the very first chapters of this book but halfway through I completely lost my interest.

For the most part, I enjoyed everything about this book but the relationship between Jules and Tom. Don’t get me wrong, their relationship was really cute but it took me a while to warm up to both of them because I couldn’t feel their connection at all. It was like, one moment they were enemies and next thing you know they start having feelings for each other. In my opinion, their developpement felt a bit too rushed. I probably would have liked it more if Jules and Tom had stayed as friends.

But overall, this book was a really interesting read with some heartwarming moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grape Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Der Klappentext hörte sich faszinierend an, auch weil ich zuvor noch keine “transplant romance“ gelesen hatte. Nach dem Lesen muss ich festhalten, dass nicht alles im Buch für mich perfekt funktioniert hat, ich das Lesen des Romans aber auch nicht bereue.

Jules fand ich sympathisch und interessant. Sie zeigte eine große Stärke und es war faszinierend mehr über ihr Leben mit einer lebensgefährlichen Krankheit zu lernen.

Tom war mir in den ersten Kapiteln äußerst unsympathisch, ganz erholt habe ich mich im Verlauf der Romans von diesem ersten Eindruck nicht. Was natürlich folgen für die Liebesbeziehung bzw. meiner Freude daran hatte.

Zwei Start-Ups als Dreh- und Angelpunkt der Geschichte zu haben, hörte sich vor dem Lesen spannend an. Details dazu fand ich allerdings eher langweilig. Es hat sich nicht als Thema herausgestellt, dass mich über ein ganzes Buch hinweg faszinieren kann. Im Gegenteil, ich fand es leider schnell etwas nervig.

Richtig aufgeregt habe ich mich beim Lesen immer dann, wenn Jules Familie auftauchte. Diese war Jules Leiden gegenüber absolut gleichgültig und kalt, das hat mich betroffen gemacht. Ich habe nicht verstanden, warum sie noch mit ihnen Kontakt hatte und ich die Familienmitgliedern als Leserin mehrmals ertragen musste.

Glücklicherweise gab es im Buch auch Passagen, die mich gut unterhalten konnten. Ich muss aber leider sagen, dass meine Emotionen beim Lesen nur bedingt involviert waren und mich auch der Transplantationsaspekt der Geschichte weniger fasziniert hat, als erwartet. 🖤🖤3/4

Für wen?

Schaut in eine Leseprobe rein, findet ihr die Charaktere in dieser und den Krankheits-/Transplantationsaspekt interessant, dann könnte sich das Lesen des Romans für euch lohnen.

Jules has spent her life trying to get out from underneath her families thumb. She's not like them. They are shallow and selfish and, honestly, pretty horrible. Jules is also battling a very rare and awful disease called PSC. Her only chance at survival at this point is a live donor. In the midst of just trying to survive, she is also the CEO of a start up company and she shares an office space with Tom and his company. They immediately start off on the wrong foot when she overhears him bashing her company. They're absolute enemies...until they aren't. Until Tom shows up with her favorite food at her apartment one night. Until they start to realize that maybe it's not the anger towards each other that makes them feel this....but rather it's just THEM. Jules hides her disease from everyone, until one night she can't, and everything comes out. On her death bed, she finally has a live donor come through to save her life. But life after transplant isn't what she thought it would be. Can Jules navigate learning her new life and love?

I loved this book so so so much. I learned so much about a disease I never even heard of, and immediately did a deep dive on the author, who is alive today because of her own hero: her live donor. I had so many tears reading this book. I felt so deeply connected to Jules and I just wanted to reach through my kindle and hug her so tight. This book was beautiful and sweet and taught me so much. Everyone should go pick this gem up!

Free on KU! Happy reading!

An absolutely delightful read!

Going to this ARC (Kinda blind), I never thought it would impact me this much. This book made me happy, emotional, laugh out loud and think.

This had all the interesting tropes, office romance, nemesis to friends to lovers, a great secondary characters, fantastic characterisation, made family, realistic issues, cute pet names for each other, tiny adorable moments and self discovery.

Everyone must give this a try, I would say Unlikely Match is a ‘Wakeup’ kinda book. Sometimes you need those books to wake you up from the slumber you’re in, where it wake you up to the unconditional love your family has for you, to the care your siblings and friends give you, to the unwavering support your partner offers you.
One of the things most of us take granted is our health… till we get ill. The heroine Jules was one fiercest warrior like the hero Tom calls her. She was strong, brave and never lost hope. I was rooting for her from the beginning. There was many many Heart melting moments in the book.
Hero Tom was my absolute favourite! Ugh…. How I love that man. If I could, I would adopt him in a heartbeat. Even though he is stoic, cold and closed he had this child like innocence to him throughout the story.
He was smitten with the heroine from the beginning. Loved how he worked to become for the better version of himself.
I just have one tiny complaint, I wish Jules was little more open and receptive to Tom.
The medical aspect didn’t overshadow the romance like I feared.
This was Tom and Jules story and they completely owned it.
Epilogue was perfect.
Recommended.