This book is adorable, hilarious, inspiring, reflective, and more. Jules is a twenty-something year old CEO of the startup that she co-founded with her best friend. One of my favorite things about her is that she despises bro culture and startup culture. She values empowering women, maintaining a solid work/life balance, and celebrating her employees. Can we take a moment to celebrate Jules too?

There were some parts of this book that felt slow-paced, but it always picked back up before too long. The romance is a slow burn that’s a little bit grumpy/sunshine and a little bit enemies to lovers. I really enjoyed reading this one.

Sometimes my three-star reviews are like a normal person’s three-star review (i.e. “liked it,”) sometimes it’s my meh, I didn’t hate it, it-was-fine category, and sometimes it’s my mathematical average parts of it were 1-2 stars, parts of it were 4-5 stars review.

This is one of those reviews.

I’ll start this out by saying the transplant aspect of this “transplant romance” was the main reason I picked Unlikely Match up, and it does not disappoint. In her author’s note, Bradbury says the book is “deeply personal, but at the same time not at all my story,” and the passages when Jules talks about life with PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) are the most honest and raw parts of the book. They are, as advertised, “deeply personal” and help the reader understand some of the things Jules–and maybe Bradbury to some extent–has to face thanks to her liver.

While I don’t have a rare orphan disease intent on killing me if I don’t get a transplant (mine is common enough and leaves my organs well enough intact, thank you very much,) I was surprised by how much of the story resonated with me.

I have entire chunks of text highlighted, paragraph after paragraph about navigating the healthcare system, popping prescription pills, and just living life as a sick person marked for easy access so I can come back to them again and again. Bradbury writes that, “this story is for all of us who has experienced an acute health crisis” and know “how isolating and disorienting it can feel,” and I think the PSC portions of the book do a good job of that. Again, not everything in the story was necessarily something I could relate to. The parts about intubation, for example. Super interesting to read but not something my virgin lungs have ever had to experience thank goodness. Still, I really appreciate Bradbury’s attempts to throw a little autoimmune rep into her romance and think, overall, she did a pretty good job.

And now for the bad news. Buckle your seatbelts, cause there’s a lot.

The plot is basically a chaotic liberal version of a Hallmark movie. Jules is the bohemian CEO of an (almost) all-woman start-up with a secret illness who butts heads with the misogynistic Tech Bro next door even before she discovers they’re competing for the same funding. When she realizes their verbal spats help her feel ✨alive✨, she finds herself seeking him out because she desperately needs to feel normal (and definitely not because she wants to see his “good butt.”)

Guess what happens next.

The rest of the story is a weird conglomeration of scenes that don’t flow well together at all. (I did really want to eat a pierogi by the end of it, though.) As much as I like Hubtech as a setting (brb, adding a trip Kwench Club to my fictional-inspired bucket list,) I had zero interest in the whole business side plot. Maybe it’s because I’m the least business-minded person you’ll meet, but it all felt a little Hallmark movie-ish to me.

There are a bunch of overly conveniently run-ins between Jules and Tom that really stretch the limits of believability. I was willing to go with the blood draw one because hi, it’s a rom-com. Plus, when you live at the lab, you’re bound run into someone you know sooner or later. But the family dinner with the Kellys and multiple doorstep appearances just push it over the edge. There’s also one scene with Ghastly Gary that serves no real purpose and seems horribly unprofessional?

For the most part, the characters feel like ridiculous caricatures of your generic romcom roles. Jules is a fine enough protagonist, but unfortunately, her diagnosis is the most interesting about her. (Sorry, Jules.) She comes on too strong in the beginning, introducing herself as a fierce feminism in a way that’s kind of grating. Look, if you want to use your book to encourage people to dismantle the patriarchy, that’s your prerogative, but if you’re writing a novel, can you not force me to sit through your character’s Ted Talk about it? Write a good story and weave it into the narrative. If you wanna lecture people about it, write nonfiction. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Tom is a rather unoriginal version of the uptight and repressed businessman/love-interest. He has no real personality and comes across as ridiculously naive. And not even in an endearing himbo kind of way. The man is just a buffoon, and it’s not remotely attractive. Even the revelation of his tragic backstory wasn’t enough to evoke any kind of sympathy from me because he’s just so boring.

The Kelly family members, who are cast as the one-dimensional villains of the story, are supposed to be “a combination of what some of [Barbury’s] PSC friends had to deal with plus a solid dose of imagination.” It could’ve been an interesting exploration of unhealthy familial responses to serious health diagnoses, but they just came across as over-the-top and tropey. (Probably should’ve scaled back on the imagination for this one, Laura 😬)

Fulfilling yet another cliche as the gay best friend, is Alan, a strangely endearing character who probably has the most personality in the entire book, but even then, it’s barely a teaspoon. I’m a big fan of character-driven stories, and sadly, Unlikely Match did not deliver.

The romance is a bit of a mess. It starts out as a slow-burn-ish which lasts for all of one second before Bardbury hits the accelerator and goes all the way to love.

Or lust.

(It’s hard for me to believe the romance when it seems like the only thing the love interests know about each other is that they have a shared love of pierogis.)

I, personally, don’t find the whole “enemies” aspect of their supposed enemies-to-lovers relationship particularly believable. (Though to be fair, neither did Tom.) Jules and Tom have one disastrous meeting when she suddenly decides they’re mortal enemies and that the hatred is mutual. And the whole verbal sparring bit is short-lived and very obviously one-sided. I think it could work, but it needs to be developed a lot more to be convincing.

Anyway, this is the foundation on which the romance is built, and it doesn’t get much better after that. Jules spends an inordinate amount of time obsessing over Tom’s various features including, but not limited to his perfectly trimmed nails, his arm which have the “perfect amount of dark hair,” by the way, his wrist bones, and his forearms. (What is it with romance writers and forearms? Is this a physical feature that women actually care about? Please comment down below and help me understand this.) At one point we’re his body contains “so much unleashed strength and just sheer maleness,” and I just lost it. What does that even mean?? (Again, please comment down below and educate me.) Apparently, he has “powerful thighs” and “powerful arms,” so maybe it’s some kind of reference to those? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Regardless, it feels like more time is spent on his physical appearance than on his character or personality, so I had a really hard time believing this was True Love™.

Also, as a very minor side note, I’m not a huge fan of the nickname “Sparks” which kind of detracted from the overall reading experience for me. (Call me crazy, but pet names that can be mistaken for a dog’s should probably be avoided in romantic relationships.) Suffice to say, I was not a huge fan of the romance. The only part I really enjoyed was their initial meeting which felt like a nod to Pride and Prejudice, but I’m always looking for P&P references, so that doesn’t really mean much.

ANYWAY. If you’re looking for some autoimmune rep in your fiction or a fun way to learn about Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for a romance (enemies-to-lovers, workplace, or otherwise,) you’re unlikely to find a match with Laura Bradbury’s latest book.

(3.75⭐️) Taylor Swift songs: “the way I loved you (tv)”

I think we really needed a book about people with potentially terminal illnesses and transplant recipients!! The way that this book handled all of the emotional challenges that came with being ill was well done, it was raw and honest. I found that part of it very interesting. I didn’t love this book, something about how it was enemies to lovers then straight to instant love was a little off for me. I’ve never been a big fan of instant love. I felt like there were a lot of moments that could’ve been explained better, but also that comes with the characters being human and imperfect. I loved the focus on figuring out your purpose after a big life change, and that it’s not always rosy and perfect on the other side of an I’ll was like this. I also hated her biological family with a burning passion that would rival the sun. I thought this was pretty good, and it brought some great illness representation to romcoms. I would be interested in other books by this author in the future.

Age rating: 15+ (not closed door, a few brief spicy scenes but nothing too crazy. Spice level is 1.75/5🌶️)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Laura Bradbury for sending me Unlikely Match in exchange for a honest review!

I adored this book. I knew very little about PCOS before reading but I know a lot about the Canadian medical system and other diseases. The system is slow and painful and you pretty much have to be on your death bed for anything to happen. And that is exactly what happened to Jules. Her liver is failing and she needs a new one to continue living her life. Who swoops in but a mysterious, bossy coworker who works in the same building.

This book is about second and third and forth chances with a side of romance. The adversity that Jules and Tom had to face in the book is outstanding. I loved this story, I will recommend it to everyone!

I was immediately pulled into the book within the first few pages. It wasn’t fast paced but it certainly was not slow either. I’d say it was more medium paced. There was enough happening plot wise to always keep me invested but it never went 0 to 100 or dragged. I really don’t want to spoiler anything but I want to say that even though some of the plot twist was easy to figure out they still packed an emotional punch. Even at times when the plot was slowing down, the delightful characters were plenty entertaining. Jules is one of my new favorite protagonists. Even though she’s struggling with PSC she refuses to be placed into a box. She isn’t an easily defined and messy at times but isn’t that realistic? The same could be said for the rest of the characters. They were mostly well defined even if they were minor or side characters. The one complaint I have about the characters is that Jules (incredibly) insufferable family was very one dimensional. But at the end of the day I was okay with that—I would much rather spend extra time getting to know Jules, Tom, Alan, and everyone else.

I loved the research that went into Jules' illness. It wasn't just glossed over and it really gave you a sense of what it would be like to be sick. But I wasn't a fan Tom. His character wasn't that interesting and it felt like all his personality traits were only given to him to create drama.

Overall, this is a well written and enjoyable read that had me reaching for the tissues at some points. I think it would have been a 4 star read for me if it featured Alan a bit more!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

Was interesting....I went in with zero expectations and literally feel in love. Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, literally everything was in this book. This was the kind of book that you couldn't do anything until you finished reading this.

Unlikely Match is an awesome mixture of humor, sadness, love, and friendship. I absolutely loved Tom and Jules love story but the friendship that Jules and Alan had was amazing. Jules is such a warrior, i loved that she didnt let the disease define her.

Book review:

💖Unlikely Match by Laura Bradsbury is a sweet romantic story with lots of humor, misunderstandings , pain of serious illness but with a spark of living life and enjoying it. It was funny, relatable, honest, adorable, and heartbreaking.

💖Jules Kelly is CEO and cofounder of GoodGuides, a company that focuses on providing traveling guides. She runs it with her childhood best friend Alan and, on the outside looking it she is seemingly living a perfect life. That is exactly what Tom Davenport thought. He’s CEO of a Silobase and is temporary sharing office space with GoodGuides. Right off the bat the two gets off on the wrong foot which kicks off this intense game of back and forth. Think The Hating Game but better.

💖Tom thinks Jules is this overindulgent hippie while Jules thinks Tom has a stick up his…well you get it. But Jules secretly loves this little game that she has with Tom because it finally gives her this spark that she was desperately missing from her life since she was diagnosed with PSC — primary sclerosing cholangitis. Jules needs a liver transplant fast and this need only increases as she gets sicker and sicker. Along with juggling her sickness, she also has to juggle her budding feelings for Tom, work, her toxic family, and her own mental health.

💖The author has well penned the feasiblity of the characters giving a spice in the storyline and the narration is lucid and vivid. The storyline is quite intriguing and riveting. Jules with her illness and Tom with his past. The banter and chemistry between these two was AMAZING. They found one another at just the perfect time in their lives and I loved seeing their romance grow and evolve as the characters worked through their traumas.

💖I loved reading this book immensely. I am thankful to the publisher and the netgalley for providing me this book in return of an honest review.

Happy Reading!

Tom and Jules share a co-working space as CEOs to their respective companies. When Jules overhears Tom talking about her behind her back, she finally realizes that the animosity she's feeling from him is not just her imagination. But Jules has too many other things to worry about such as her rare disease that's slowly killing her and the only option she has is to get a donor for a transplant. When they are forced to compete for money for their companies, Jules and Tom's relationship becomes even more complicated.

Jules was an inspiration!! She was running a business while dealing with a life threatening disease. Oh and a pesky CEO. She somehow perseveres through family that doesn't believe that she's sick, a tight deadline to get money from an angel investor and the aforementioned pesky CEO. This story is more about believing the best in people rather than the disease Jules had. It was about love and kindness.

I thought that this book was going to be a downer, but it was somehow upbeat and a page turner. Once I started, I couldn't stop reading this book. I just had to know what happened with Jules and Tom. I definitely recommend checking this out if you're in the market for a good read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Wow! This book spoke to me in a way I didn't quite expect. Trigger warnings: a very unfiltered look into someone dealing with hospitalization,illness and all that it entails. I felt like the author had been reading from a diary I had yet to write in. Hats off to Jules for being so strong and sticking up for her rights and those around her! The romance with an enemy to lover's vibe was so charming and even more meaningful due to the turn of events. I truly loved this book and really wish I could follow these characters through more of their journey.

Took me a little bit to get into this book. I felt like it was a little predictable, but there was some suspense wondering what was going to happen.

I love when books give me a glimpse into someone else's lived experience and this was a wonderful glimpse into the ups-and-downs that come with being on an organ transplant list. This book explored the messy and the beautiful and felt so very real.

I would have loved a little more tension between Jules and Tom but this was a great read that I highly recommend. I laughed and cried throughout the entire thing.

"Only friends give each other nicknames." "You started it, Sparks."

A great romance focusing on the hardships on relationships whilst suffering from long-term medical hardships and trauma.

I loved the dynamic between the characters and the main romantic lead in this story. It was so comforting to see a mixture of long-lasting and short but strong friendships and all the different dynamics that the reader was able to see the female lead interacting with. I enjoyed the personality of the male lead; it was fun to see the slow shift in his personality from one of a cliché grump to a softie.

I would have loved to see more of a peak into the backstory of the male lead, just to help the reader understand some of his choices and emotions. I feel like it would have been a nice addition to the story.

It was interesting to read a romance with a more in depth focus on a medical condition; the medication, the side effects, surgery and mental health. I liked how as a reader we didn't just get a romance surrounding an illness and then the happy ending afterwards, but how a romance continues as someone rediscovers their life after major illness.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When first I saw this book I was a little worried that it would be a very heavy book it wasn't at all. Yes, the book had some serious moments but most times I was laughing or giggling. Laura Bradbury wrote a great romance that also had some tough topics about a disease that many didn't know about but not just that she took the time to explain in a great way for the reader to understand and to shine a light on some of the issues we might have never know in the transplant world. I loved the relationship between Tom and Jules the banter between them and the way Tom takes care of Jules but also can forget Alan who I think is one of the greatest friends anyone can have. I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars was just at some parts I had been a little bored but all in all this book was a fun and easy read that I would recommend if you want a quick read.

Slow burn romance until about 60% through, then it went full on and everything happened at once. Reminds me of the millennial adult version of the fault in our stars, It will really pull at your heart strings, I cried a few times! A totally emotional book, I loved Jules' attitude. Tom was iffy at first then I liked him.

I’m going to start by saying that make sure you have tissues nearby when you decide to open this book. It will really tear at your heart strings.

There were just so many emotions and while I typically don’t enjoy those types of books I really did connect with this one. I found myself identifying with Jules and I was able to see a lot of myself in her. I wasn’t sure about Tom at first but eventually I end that I’m falling for him too. He’s definitely on my list of book boyfriends now!

Overall this book is not about the disease but about people and how they interact with each other. It might not be the easiest read for everyone but if you do decide to check it out it’s 100% worth it.

This book made my heart melt in so many ways. I loved the enemies to lovers vibes as well as the heart felt story that went with it💕 I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good enemies to lovers romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet romance and was a great heartfelt read.

given by netgally in exchange of an honest review
unlikely match is a lovely book, i like how the author put all her thoughts and experiencies from her own transplant in the story. it feels so real jules' journey; What didn't entirely convince me was the romance. it didn´t click for me.