This book had me awkwardly wiping away tears on an airplane. It gave me Hating Game vibes, but this time that dynamic actually worked for me! Overall, the premise of the book worried me because it’s so difficult to properly execute. I would defer to reviewers with chronic illnesses or transplant experiences for the accuracy and how that part was written and addressed. I highly recommend this book, while understanding the content may be difficult for some. I can’t wait to read more by Bradbury!

First of all, thank you to Netgalley, Laura Bradbury and Grape Books to providing me this book.

I loved how realistic this book is. I think the reason is the writer has also got a liver transplant. That's why she can understands how does that feel.

I really liked the main character. She doesn't let her diagnosis to redirect her life. Grumpy x sunshine troope was also well written.

Another thing I liked was it wasn't a cliche romance. I loved how it's different it is and gives awareness about this topic.

Everyone should read this book. You won't be disappointed!

"You're like the rest of us, Jules. You've earned your black belt in surviving; the hard thing is remembering how to live.”

Such a good book with a lot to tell and so many emotions to make you feel. I couldn’t put this down until I finished it. This got me out of my reading slump, i do recommend it!!! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book took me a while to get to because I have been in quite the slump. HOWEVER, this is what I needed to get me out of this slump.

Jules is quite literally the main character we all needed. She doesn't let her diagnosis or her disease define how she's going to live her life, and I'm living for the grumpy x sunshine that was in this book.

Full Review to come but I will be on the lookout for any new stories from Laura Bradbury!

This book had an amazing chronic illness represent in this book was so well done. It's hard to find a book where such a rare illness is done so well. Just the depiction of chronic illness and we go through as a community the author was able to capture that so well. The romance for me the way the characters communicated it to each other wasn't very believable, to me it seemed very rushed. It seemed like it lacked for me. Thats where it seemed like it was missing for me. Where everything else was great, the doctor's appointments, inner monologue as a patient, the exhaustion, the chronic pain, the familial and friendship relationships, the self-discovery was perfect. The relationship just felt like it was lacking something it felt so rushed otherwise it would have been perfect.

𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖: Unlikely match
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣: Laura Bradbury
ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥: 348 pages
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

Such a brilliant story. The main character, Jules, has been dealing with incurable hereditary disease and the only way out of it was a transplant, at a time when her family and hope seem to abandon her, she learns to fight and live in the moment. She grew from her trauma. She learned to embrace the situation and go on, move forward.

𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘
Hospital scenes. Dying. Mention of abandonment and abuse.

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤
🫧 First time for me to know the blood type of a character in a novel felt like a really unique way to get to know the characters.

🫧The humanity I see shiny through Jules’ interaction with all those around her. She’s very selfless throughout the book.

🫧 The feelings, and the growth of the characters throughout as they learn to accept and relish in every moment of their life

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤

🫧 I don’t like it when in a book all the single characters find a way to get together with all the other single characters. I mean I’m not against people finding love but it seems highly unlikely that every single person who meets an unexpected person transfixes in place by a conveniently single person when they’re meeting only because of their relation to the main character.

🫧 At some times the characters felt more childish than old independent adults.

Unlikely Match is a book about Jules suffering with a rare disease and powering through the corporate world as CEO of her own company who manages to pick a fight with another CEO Tom in the same workspace. Its your good old enemies to lovers trope. There were few things quite predictable like the moment Tom and Jules have their first fight, you just know they are going to get together with each other! Laura, having gone through the same disease, has really done an amazing job in creating awareness for PSC. I really loved Alan who was Jules best friend and stayed with her through thick and thin. Jules and Tom were also a very cute couple. They had their weird quirks which I could never imagine but need to agree that it is there for the sake of the story.
Reasons why you should read this book:
• One strong female lead
• Enemies to lovers trope
• Cute friendships
• Awareness about a rare disease called PSC

This book is a cute read with a nice plate of pierogi (dumplings/momos) with a black coffee (I know weird combination but try it!) and go crazy in the world of Jules and Tom in Hubtech!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review! I loved this book, it was nice to read about a new illness (you mostly see books that have cancer) and refreshing to have it come from someone’s point of view that experienced it. The fact it was based Canada (where I live) was great as there was no need for unanswered medical expense questions

(Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review)

Heartbreaking and beautiful. Really liked how this book was more than just about happy endings and happily ever afters where everything fixes itself. There are somethings beyond our control and not everything has to be perfect for you to find perfect moments in life that you can hold on to while they last and while you live. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions from rage, tension, fear to pride and joy - definitely recommended!

Sometimes the joy of reading is the adventure to new places and experiences. Instead of devouring “Unlikely Match” I found myself dragging my feet to finish this book. Partly because of the cliche you expect to read next “it was just so good” but also because part of it was so close to reality.

I work with many patients who are waiting for transplants. Kidney transplants, liver transplants, lung transplants, even heart transplants. The genuine way Bradbury is able to annunciate some of the battles and insecurities of just plain living is divine.

Jules and Tom are a delight. The character development is well curated. Their story is carefully unpolished.

Really enjoyed the story and the author’s writing. Loved that the story connected with the author’s life as well. I’d like to thank the author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

”Unlikely Match” is a book that starts at a medium paced, almost too slow for me because I wanted to give up, until the seventh chapter. Once I figured that the first chapters existed to let us know more about Jules Kelly back story, I couldn’t let go of the book (for real!!).

Jules Kelly, one of the main character and narrator, is the CEO of GoodGuides, a start up connecting travelers with local guides throughout the world. She works with her best friend forever, Alan.

The company has been given the opportunity to access offices at Hubtech only if shared with an other start up: Silobase, who’s CEO is Tom Davenport. Immediately, we have the feeling that the two of them are antagonists. For Jules, Tom is tech start up guy only obsessed by his work and driven only by his arrogance and ambition.

Both of them can’t help themselves but to comment each other way of working.

Tom doesn’t know a thing about Jules but he sees her as a hippy girl using her rich parents’ money to create her startup. What he doesn’t know is that Jules is extremely sick and her days are counted if she doesn’t found a dead or living donor. They really don’t know anything about each other except for what they’re both willing to show the world.

This part is one of the thing I liked the most in this book! Both main and secondary characters are real, struggle and are wounded by life. Nevertheless, we never feel like it’s a burden. They manager to make the most of every day and handle their issues one step at a time.

The characters are well written and most of all super strong, I wouldn’t imagine the same book with a shy Jules who doesn’t like to mingle or reunite her colleagues for a champagne break every Friday afternoon! Jules also looooves her vintage clothes, the world and people living in it and most of all: pierogi (and so do I since I’ve finished this book). Tom on the other hand appears to be more mysterious and maybe a bit arrogant but once his shell is cracked we truly see him as a gentle and kind man who’s having a tough childhood.

I really liked this story so much, the change of atmosphere at Hubtech, then at Jules’ place and finally a colder and yet so real atmosphere at the hospital. I enjoyed seeing two ways of handling work with Jules and Tom.

We witness the change in everything once Jules and Tom finally learn to know more about each other, the habits they’re making and the relationship slowly blooming to be so strong.

But what I liked the most in the second part of the book is the understanding of how lucky we are to be alive and well. How lucky we are to be able to live through those moments of life even the most meaningless, everything starts to count when you survive a transplant.

I really fell moved by the reality described by Laura Bradbury of life post-transplant for both the donor and receiver, the hours spent in therapy sessions to understand more about this generous gift of life.

This book moved me a lot and I’ll cherish the memory of it for a long long time! I really had zero expectation when I requested this book, I didn’t know much about the author, the cover was just so nice and I’m clearly not disappointed. I will get my hands really soon on all the others books written by Laura Bradbury!

Thank you to NetGalley and GrapeBooks for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange of my honest review ✨

This book had me in tears - multiple times! This is just such a beautiful story of hope and love! I have never read a transplant romance before. I REALLY enjoyed this book - it truly opened my eyes to the whole transplant process and the importance of organ donation! I could feel the real life, raw emotion that Laura put into this book based on her own experience with having the same disease as the main character, Jules!

I did feel that at times it seemed to drag a bit. Honestly, I think a good chunk of the office part of the story was not needed. The transplant story…the process, the recovery was definitely the star part of the book! I felt like I went through the journey with her!

The supporting characters are amazing with the exception of Jules' family…I really, really disliked her family!!! I was so mad at them and wondered if there was a family secret there - maybe Jules was adopted or something? Dr. Abebe, Alan & Tarun are such wonderful people!!!
Tom was the knight in shining armor! I didn’t like him in the beginning but he truly won me over. Jules was fierce and deserved her happy ending!

Laura did an amazing job with getting her message out to the world via Unlikely Match! I will definitely read more of her books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley & Laura Bradbury for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read…there is such an important message within these pages!

I so enjoyed this book, and it definitely won't be my last from Laura Bradbury. I didn't expect to enjoy this story as much as I did, but I was intrigued by the premise, which was what made me even request the book in the first place. It also has some of my favorite tropes in a book - workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers, and force proximity. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future!

Unlikely Match hit my emotions from the very start, and by very start, I mean the dedication page. Unlikely Match deals with the difficult reality of rare illness and organ transplant . The story follows Jules as she suffers from liver disease that is quickly taking her life and without a liver transplant she will die. A fighter in all ways, Jules doesn’t let this stop her, she pushes back against family who only see her as “broken”, a man who belittles her and she starts a company with her best friend. This girl is fierce! This story had me so emotional, watching as Jules isolated herself from her peers in fear of being treated differently if they new about her illness, gutted me. No one should have to feel alone when they are sick but thankfully she had Alan who is the best friend everyone needs. He is sweet, compassionate and there whenever she needed him. And then of course there is Tom, the hot, brooding egomaniac who at the end of the day is really just misunderstood. This book had everything, raw fear, sadness, love, friendship, loss and love. It was so beautifully written and touched on the health issues and impacts with compassion and care.

Diagnosed with a rare liver/bile duct disorder, Jules Kelly is balancing her difficult journey and need for a liver transplant with GoodGuides, a tech startup she co-created with her best friend Alan. Their business just moved into a brand new space, shared with another tech company. From the minute they first met, Jules and Tom (CEO of the other company) *hate* each other - but life and rom-coms always have more in store for us. ;)

At the beginning of the novel, I really kind of hated Jules. Yes she had a devastating illness, but she was bratty, spoiled and overly woke. I might have stopped reading had I not been gifted an ARC e-book. But she did grow and change through the novel and I mostly liked her in the end. The sparkling cast or supporting characters helped keep it going too.

A book shouldn't make you cry this much. Laura Bradley opens up a world of vulnerability as Jules struggles with illness, looking for a transplant, running a business, and keeping so much from everyone. Tom brings a spark to her life that was missing and much needed. The emotional rollercoaster is perfection.

holy hell,
this may be one of my fave books ever. everything was just so good. even though the after part wasn't my favorite but still, this book had my heart in my mouth and it made me cry endless tears.

the way the struggles of Jules are portrayed along with that of Tom a.k.a Thunder is so beautifully portrayed that was like I was going through all of this myself. the book is a gem and this deserves so much more.

the tropes are great, workplace romance, grumpy, and sunshine, and the humor is also great. I would totally recommend this book but please read triggers before because this can be too much for your heart

3/5 ⭐️
Going into this book initially, I really struggled to get into it, but about 20% in, I began to have that interest sparked… sadly the hype and desire to finish the book died down around the 70% mark as it became incredibly predictable and “fan-fiction-like”, but I respect the characters and I respect the story behind this book.
The one thing that really irked me was the fact that Tom was so fast to assume things, and Jules was completely indecisive and changing her mind every other day. I found it frustrating.

“Unlikely Match” is set in Victoria, British Columbia, in which two polar opposite companies are forced to work together in a shared space. Jules, the CEO of GoodGuides is dealing with PSC and doesn’t have much time left as her liver continues to fail, but she doesn’t like sharing that fact as she doesn’t want it to be a burden to the way people perceive her. Tom, the CEO of Silobase is a complete asshole to Jules upon first meeting her- but he can’t help but continue to be drawn to her… As they build a friendship, Jules gets even more sick… Leaving Tom… just completely in the dust.

It was a really cliche and predictable read but it was interesting to read the perspective of someone who is really sick- so I appreciated that and still pleasantly enjoyed it!

Book received as an ARC on behalf of the publishers and NetGallery in exchange for an honest review! Thank you :)

Very original plot! I loved the male protagonist. The female protagonist could be a bit frustrating at times. It accurately depicted the transplant experience and I’m glad a looked over group of people are finally getting their chance to shine in romance!