The chemistry and banter was amazing in this enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine book. I also love books that deal with the medical field, but give you an actual look at that world instead of just glossing over it. This book definitely does that- I learned so much about liver disease as well as the transplant process and that trials and tribulations that take place after. I thought the author put a great amount of care on the mental health of our two main characters and I really appreciated that element.

Enemies to lovers and opposites attract I knew that his wild be a winner for me, throw in the added emotion and I was done for! I feel absolutely in love with this story. While it deals with some heavier topics regarding chronic illness it gave me exactly what I was looking for and so much more!

When they say first impressions are everything Jules and Tom did not start off on the best terms. Both have start up companies and share an office space. Jules now believes that Tom is like ever other guy in the tech world.

They couldn’t be more opposite Jules is outspoken and vibrant where as Tom is driven and focused. Both have their own secrets they are trying to work through. I LOVED these two and the banter was amazing. Fate tends to step in when you need it the most and these two need one another! Jules and Tom grow together as they work through the baggage they have to create a beautiful story of love.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Laura Brabury for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was nervous that this would be too heavy and although it was it was still so cut and I really do feel like I needed this at the time I read it. I couldn't get enough.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

3,5 stars

I gotta start this review by confessing that transplant romances don't usually catch my attention - I'm kind of scared of suffering too much by reading. But when I saw the summary of this book on NetGalley it immediately got me. It just felt like such a funny and sweet story, that I had to read it. And the book didn't disappoint,

Overall, this was a joyous book, that made me laugh more than it made me cry - but it did made me cry. I read it in 2 days and in the first one I went to sleep crying afer a scene where Jules talks to a very pessimist doctor. The "before" part of the book felt more emotional than the "after" part. In the second one, the book lost rythm to me and just felt slow at some points.

I quite liked the romance, it was cute and sweet, and I specially loved that the characters understood 1. that they had to work a bit on themselves before jumping headfirst on a relationship and 2. that they weren't responsible for 'saving' one another emotionally. My favorite thing, though, was Jules' journey. It was beautiful to see her getting her transplant and understanding that, although she was alive because of it, it wasn't her source of happiness. The message of the book is really beautiful, and it's even more touching to discover that it's Laura's story in way. If you like sweet, emotional novels, I recommend this book. It's very different from many other romances out there.

a steamy contemporary romance about a grumpy/sunshine pair who are rivals in their workspace- um yes please!

as shown by the cover be aware that this book follows FMC Jules as she is fighting a liver disease and searching for a living donor to save her life so it's definitely heavy at times. the heavy was perfectly balanced with witty banter between FMC Jules and MMC Tom who couldn't seem more opposite in the workplace.

i laughed, i cried. i squeeee'd. i wanted to eat perogies, drink coffee, and travel.

Tom was such a great book boyfriend and i loved all of his scenes so much. i'm interested to read more by Laura Bradbury in the future!

The Ups and Downs:
1st person POV of FMC
Epilogue
Guaranteed HEA
Trauma/Mental Illness- PTSD
Long term illness
Shitty family dynamics
LGBTQIA+ representation (multiple characters)
Workplace romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites attract
Terrible first impressions
Well rounded characters

How do you live, when you spent so much time trying to survive? This was beautiful story of finding love in the most unexpected way possible. I loved Jules, she is so sick but wants no special treatment, this is so rare and makes her even more lovable. The author did a great job with character development, all her friends and even her very annoying family.

This story is relatable, we are all trying to live our best lives, because our time here is too short. You will laugh, cry and celebrate with Jules and Tom. Cozy up and read this heartwarming story.

Jules has a up and coming tech company she could not be prouder of, the only thing standing in her way is a rare liver disease. The other issue is database company sharing the company's space and its handsome CEO. But don't let handsomeness fool you, he is judgmental and worst male ego.

Can Jules make amends with Tom for the sake of her company or does Tom have softer side she didn't see coming? What happens when the least expected person saves your life and fills your heart? Is it too good to be true?

Thank you to NetGalley and Grape books for a copy of this book for my honest review.

The title may say "Unlikely Match" but for me it was the perfect match! The cover is absolutely gorgeous and what drew me in, in the first place and it also did not fail in the romance department. Will definitely be checking out the author's other works! Highly recommend this 10/10!

A cute read of enemies to friends to lovers with honest details of chronic illness personally and socially.

This was such a lovely book with a strong female taking on extreme challenges. She leads you through her path fighting proud, and knowing when it's okay to take offered help. She learns a little bit about accepting that help and finding someone to count on and lean on, with a few funny moments, along the way.

Loved this book! Love the enemies to lovers and close proximity trope. Super cute story. I loved the writing style and the characters and the plot in general

Thanks to Grape Books and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book as I recently have experience with my dad needing a Stem Cell transplant, so the idea of a transplant romance intrigued me, especially because I have experience with the waiting for and post-transplant experience after witnessing my dad's.

Summary

Jules and her best friend have a tech start-up that shares a space with another group. Jules first interaction with the other groups CEO, Tom, was not positive. But it fired Jules up. Jules has a rare liver disease that requires a liver transplant as a cure. She hadn't felt a spark of much of anything until her fight with Tom. She begins to live for their interactions because those are the times she forgets she is sick. A chance encounter when Jules is getting bloodwork done to check her numbers has Tom coming in and needing to get bloodwork for insurance. She hides her disease and helps Tom through his fear of needles and something shifts between them. A tentative friendship is born, but slowly Jules notices her attraction to Tom and he seems to be reciprocating. Problem, Jules doesn't want Tom to know she is sick because she doesn't want his pity. But Jules health continues to go downhill the closer she gets to Tom, and as they have to compete for an investment. Are these two less of an unlikely match in more ways than one?

Review
This was a beautiful story. There are lots of other layers in there. Jules comes from a well-off family that she does not fit in with, in fact they are vapid, self-centered, horrible people. Tom has come from the foster system and has a lot of trauma that influences his life in present day. Jules journey was tough. I appreciate the fact that the author has used her own transplant experience as inspiration for the story and to give realistic depiction of the experience. From my experience with my dad, I truly understood Jules and how she felt post-transplant because I saw that firsthand.
I enjoyed seeking both their growth. Tom's backstory was very helpful in understanding his change and growth over the story. Both of their experiences growing up shaped the adults they have become and was something they had to overcome to move forward. I really enjoyed and appreciated this story.


Grumpy/sunshine
Workplace romance

This is a first time read for me by this author. The cover is cute and the blurb was interesting, so I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. While being a fun and cute story, it is also an emotional one. Jules and Tom are forced to share a subsidized office space for a year. Tom is the CEO of a tech start-up and Jules is running a travel start-up with her friend. Tom does not make a good first impression on Jules, but that's also partly because Jules has her own perceived views on guys and their tech culture. But as she is forced to share space with him, she begins to realize first impressions are not always accurate. Her and Tom start to get closer, but Jules is keeping a secret. She is dealing with a liver disease, and her only hope of survival is a transplant. As she grows closer to Tom, her illness is getting worse, and she is left juggling it all at once.
The story pulled me in from the very start, and I couldn't put it down. The plot twists kept me turning the pages and the story really tugged at my heart. The characters were well-developed and it was easy to get pulled into their story. A cute and fun, but heartbreaking story and I absolutely loved it! I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I was invested in Unlikely Match! I enjoyed the story and plot, especially when it comes to such a real and sensitive topic. 5/5 stars!

Loved this book so much! The enemies to lovers and close proximity trope was just amazing 🤌. It is such a beautiful novel and had me in tears a few times!

Super cute story. I loved the writing style, the characters and the plot in general. Would definitely recommend.

First of all, I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now, where to begin? Ah, yes. The representation. To be honest, I didn't know anything about the disease until I read this book. However, after reading it, I was able to learn a lot about it and how people with such disease are incredibly strong and brave people. This book was honestly educational and eye-opening as well. And, the romance? I loved it so much.

𝕃𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕒 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕪
𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 : 𝔸 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕥 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

This book reminded me a lot of the tropes of "The Hating Game". Only that I liked this book a lot more to be honest.

To create this book, get the following recipe:
• Rivalry between offices
• An unconventional heroine who swims against the current
• A competitive and workaholic hero
• A whole range of emotions (prepare a tissue in advance and a friend on speed dial. don't say I didn't warn you!)
• Tough and very realistic life story
And you got here a super exciting romantic novel, with an unusual love story that will conquer your ❤️

Jules, CEO of a start-up company (GoodGuides) that she founded together with her best friend. She is dealing with a serious disease (PSC) that affects her liver function and urgently needs a transplant because she is already in the final stage..
Tom, CEO of another start-up company (Silobase) and he is competing against her.
To say that they started off on the left foot would be an understatement..😂
Tom judges Jules from the first moment - thinks she's rich and spoiled that behaves and dresses like a hippie.
Jules thinks Tom should get the stick out of his arrogant ass and chill 😂

The rivalry between Tom and Jules makes her fire come back to life, every friction, every quarrel makes her feel alive and that's why she looks for a fight with him at every possible moment.

Along with all this rom-com moments there are also the uneasy parts - life alongside the disease. This book made me appreciate the patients who continue to fight even after the transplants and realize how fragile life is and that it should not be taken for granted.
Jules' doctors were very humane, her best friend made sure to strengthen her, she fought again and again, with all the difficulty, with the hopelessness and the physical and mental pain she was going through. I adore her so much!
A kicking, funny, romantic, unconventional book, it has a touch of reality and a touch of a slow burn🔥!
Highly recommend to those who are looking to get out of the routine and dive into a book that is no less than a roller coaster of emotions ❤️

(I own the edit, not the pictures)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a refreshing read. I have not read a book from this author before so it was something new for me to try and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Huge thanks to Grape Books and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Bradbury, where have you been all my life. This book was fantastic. I love my romance with some emotional depth and great character development and this novel hit all the points. The plot was gripping, complete, and made me run through a range of emotions. The characters were four dimensional with well thought out character ARCs. The couple was wholesome and had me rooting for them the entire novel.

I smashed through this book in 24 hours. This is an author that I will continue to checkout and a novel I'm going to continue to recommend. It's five stars from me.

(Note: Check out trigger warnings for this novel before reading. Medical situations, chronic illness and familial abuse are prevalent in this novel.)