This book made me feel something that I haven’t felt in a while from reading a book. The struggle the main character is overcoming is so raw and real and painful. It has truly made me think about how I can help other struggling with life ending diseases. I really enjoyed that part of this chick lit novel. The part I didn’t love was the reference to the PNW so many time and not acknowledging where they actually were - maybe I missed it. Come to find out they were on an island? I hope I missed it. There were also many reminders of what the illness was that Sparks was battling. By the third time that PSC was described again, I definitely wasn’t forgetting. That aside - this book was a delight. I really did enjoy it!

Rarely do I like medical romances, because as a survivor of a traumatic heart surgery, Lyme and Bell's Palsy, medical related books make me a bit anxious because I think, what if I have this crazy illness? BUT I was drawn to the cover and the pot so I gave it a shot and I am so glad I did! THis book was SO good. I did cry 2 times but it was worth it!

This was a kinda enemies to lovers/ workplace romance trope feature a boss babe and a slightly arrogant man. I was so intrigued with the story which made me both so happy and so sad together. I really loved this book, I am going to order a physical copy to keep on my shelf so I can re-read in the future! It's a 4.5 for sure but rounding up to 5 for Goodreads and NetGalley!

OMG. I feel really lucky to have received this book. This was such a gem! Though a long read, I was so invested. The plot, setting, characters, everything was so perfect. This surly is one of my best reads this year.

Thank you to Negalley and Laura Bradbury for this e-arc. I read this book in less than 24 hrs while still adulting so thats saying a lot. I loved this book I hated Jules family and I loved Alan and the support he gave to Jules. I loved that this was not only a rom-com but also celebrated friendship and especially how it showed Dr's in a different light loved Dr. Abebe as well.

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and the wonderful Laura Bradbury for this digital copy of this gorgeous, heartwarming, heartbreaking, beautifully written, deep, story 💖.

I LOVED this book with all my “liver” (taking a page from the Babylonians). Jules is the CEO of a startup company and she finds out she has to share office space with yet another startup. Enter Tom, who, is the reserved, grumpy CEO of the startup that Jules has to share space with.

Let’s just say that Jules first impression of Tom was horrible. He completely deserved all the heat he got. However, they get to know each other and let’s just say that “Sparks” started flying. If only their road could have been as easy as that… Jules has a fatal liver condition in order to live, she needs a liver transplant. Time is running out and if a donor doesn’t come forward soon… she’ll run out of time.

I wish I could continue telling you what happens but I don’t want to ruin it for you because this book is just that good. I love that the author used so much of her personal experiences in writing this book because it made it so much more real. There are so many lessons to be learned from this story. Sometimes family is not those who share our DNA with us, but the ones that are there for us for better or for worse; Where we come from does not define us, our actions do; we are all works in progress but that does not mean that we should deny ourselves the opportunity to be happy because we don’t feel “perfect.” Life isn’t perfect, “a happy ending” is simply a collection of perfect moments in this beautiful, uncertain chaos we call life.

Read this book, it’s truly a collection of perfect moments in chaos. I could not have loved this book more.
5⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Read if you enjoy:
💕 Enemies to lovers
💕 Pierogi (Ukrainian here 😅- Yani)
💕 Badass heroine, transplant survivor
💕 Office romance
💕 Grumpy/Sunshine Trope

“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to collect perfect moments.”

Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury is the story of Jules, a strong and relatable heroine combating a chronic illness and in need of a liver transplant. She is forced to share the space of her new start-up business with a stuck-up and arrogant CEO of a tech company, Tom. Loved the immediate banter between these two!

This book is not light reading at times. Laura did such a good job in bringing to perspective the reality of having a chronic illness and the process of a transplant. A trigger warning if you pick this one up. However, I believe Laura wrote this in such a fantastic way that it didn’t feel heavy on me as a reader. I rooted for Jules throughout the book, celebrating her accomplishments despite the family she comes from.

Tom, although at first seeming arrogant, was such a positive light for Jules. I loved unraveling the mystery behind his persona and even more so how he took care of Jules., especially his pierogi deliveries 🤗.

This eye-opening story is one to make you appreciate how lucky we are to be healthy. Definitely a make-you-feel good type of book!

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Jules is facing a less than positive outcome due to her illness when an opportunity from an angel investor lands in front of her. If Jules is successful, not only will she take down her competition, but she will also set her best friend and co-founder up to continue running the business should the worst happen to her.

Unlikely Match took an enemies-to-lovers troupe and made it more unpredictable than I anticipated. I also had my eyes opened to how difficult navigating every day is with such an illness; including trying to think through how one person’s illness impact others.

Posted to Goodreads and Amazon Sept 3, 2022

Great, emotional read. This story of Jules life is heartbreaking. Many many emotions. The story was a rollercoaster but had a great ending that didn’t traumatize me. The characters are so great and I would want to be friends with them. Recommend this!!!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the novel in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel - perhaps in part due to having a parent with a chronic illness which will hopefully lead to a transplant (fingers crossed!) I think it was so nice to read about the realities faced by patients and the catch-22 areas they are often placed in when transplants are possible. You have to be ill, really ill, but not too ill otherwise you’re past the point of transplant. The inclusion of the hope vs reality of a transplant was also refreshing - a lot of stories with similar focuses in the past have presented transplant as a magical fix all where the character is perfectly fine after, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

I enjoyed reading Jules’s perspective on the medical, emotional, familial and relationship challenges she was faced with. It made a change to see a character who wasn’t defined by her illness.

On the first introduction to Tom I thought it would be a struggle to find him likeable, but as the plot progressed and more was revealed about his past it was hard not to find him to be sweet in his own way.

Alan and Brian were great supporting characters and the kind of people we all wish we had in our corners on difficult days. The found family trope is something I also really enjoy, but again this novel presented the reason behind this as very different - the different types of parental abandonment and their impact were interesting.

One of the only issues I had with the start of the book was the lean into stereotypes of opposites attract (hippie and tech-bro) - even down to language, style, etc. I think the characters could come off as slightly too stereotypical to less patient readers.

That was a great journey !
I laughed out loud, cried and sympathized with the main characters and some of the secondary ones.
I loved the FMC and her strength, i understood the MMC and his difficult background and i was impressed by the setting !

Format - E-ARC Netgalley

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Sick romance, work place romance, Enemies to lovers

CW- on page near death illness

This was my first book from Bradbury, and omg I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It draws you in right for the first page, Jules first POV is so engaging. With her being so sick and yet so stubborn. The tension between our Heroine Jules and her hero Tom is electric from the off, with their banter and sexual chemistry.

Tom himself is enigma with his past still hunting him, his future uncertain and now this woman who he can’t seem to stop thinking of or stay away from. But she’s keeping things from him, big things.

I read all of the before in a day, just unable to put it down and stop thinking about it.
Its safe to stay I loved this book. It’s high stakes all the way though, but such is life. I will be reading more from Bradbury!

Thank you NetGalley and Grape books for this preview of Unlikely Match. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is clear that Bradbury’s strength and wisdom from personal experience elevated this story. It was the perfect amount of technical/detailed, weaved with light hearted and emotional narrative. Well done and would love to read more from Bradbury!

This was such a beautiful ode to life during and after a life threatening disease.
I could feel the author pouring her soul Into this story and how she described the main character and her whole experience.

This is my problem though - the book deserved so much better. The pacing is all weird - you have a super slow start and a super rushed ending. The side characters are all unnecessary and completely unrealistic, it took away from the tone of the book dealing with such stereotypes.

The H acted more like an alien than a child who grew up in foster care. He . Knew. Nothing. Also - zero romance. It was all just skipped and it just didn’t fit Into the story.

I wish this was just a first first draft so that this book could be worked on more and really brought to its full potential . It was such a unique plot and again, so much emotion and detail behind this. My heart aches for people who have or continue to live through health issues like these.

Thank you to the author for being so enlightening and also just vulnerable in putting all of this out there.

This was a sweet enemies to lovers romance. I liked it a lot, but it wasn't perfect. I enjoyed the journey of it, though.

3.5/5 ⭐

I laughed a little, I cried a little, I learned a little.
Tom and Jules could not be more different but are somehow perfectly imperfect together.
Loved the development of the characters from beginning to end. Would totally read sequels with Tarun and Alan or Tessa and Dr Abebe.

Laura Bradbury is one of the kindest people! I was so honored to be able to read this one! Oh man, this book was full of so much goodness. The way that Laura incorporated her own experiences as a transplant survivor made this one even more realistic and impacting. I was rooting for the MC from the very first page, but seeing her connect with Tom even in the middle of her trials was beautiful. I wont spoil too much for anyone else, but PLEASE go read this one!

A really enjoyable romance. I liked the dynamic between the two main characters and how they both had their own insecurities that they worked on together. I love how it looked into how not all families understand or care about you when you are unwell. A solid 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Laura Bradbury for the copy of Unlikely Match. I would rate this book 3.5/5 stars. I thought the whole premise and storyline were overall good. I thought the medical aspect of the story was really well written, tugged at my heartstrings, educational, and really detailed. The other aspects of the story felt a little disjointed, in my opinion. I couldn't really consistently get behind Tom and Jules' chemistry. It was on, it was off, it was on again...a little wishy washy for me. I also could not stand her family. They were AWFUL and hung around WAY TOO LONG. There was not one redeemable character in the lot and she should have ditched them way earlier in the story. Despite the terrible family, I thought the story was good. I was glad to have read something that allowed me to learn about organ transplants and wasn't just total fluff!

I loved this book to a different dimension. Such a heartwarming and swoon worthy read. I have always been a fan of stories with terminal illness. But this one might be my favourite of all. The protagonist of this story is Jules, who is a patient of terminal liver disease and in need of transplant. Her counterpart, Tom, who works in the same space as Jules. This book is a slow burn and enemies to lovers, and I'm so in love with these tropes. And they were beautifully done here. The pace was perfect. And Laura hooked me with her writing and characters really fast, I finished this book within a few years. One of the best reads of this year. 5/5

Can't wait to read more from the author.

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy about this book but I throughly enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it. I’m so glad Jules had a strong support with her friends.