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
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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“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.

if you're looking for a book that's full of substance but can be read in one sitting, 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 is your book, no questions asked.

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𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐ [4.5 Star Rating]
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 🔥💥 [1.5 Star Rating]
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 : May 26th, 2022
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
💌 great banter
💌 office romance
💌 diverse characters
💌 a spark of enemies to lovers
💌 terminally ill heroine x PCS representation
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 : please be kind to yourself and read author's note at the beginning of the book for content & trigger warnings🥰 :)

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I like to think of myself as someone who can compartmentalise, especially under pressure. this book proved me horribly wrong though, since I spent the night before a fairly important exam binging it instead of studying🥲.

honestly though? no regrets. I loved this book — there's nothing like a romance that can explore heavier topics with a lighthearted vibe, & this book is definitely the queen of them all✨

with our fierce female protagonist 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬, our broody but adorably awkward male protagonist 𝐓𝐨𝐦, their dislike at first sight start and all the passion in between, this book was an absolute treat🥰

𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 makes for a firecracker, and I loved every second of her story. the distinction between her no - nonsense business persona and scared, vulnerable medical patient is a bit of a tear jerker, and I wouldn't have it any other way, considering just how much I've managed to learn from her incredible character🥺

our male protagonist has his own set of issues to be addressed, and I absolutely love how he managed to retain his cinnamon roll personality despite all that had happened. his love for 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 is just the cherry on top, and I can now safely say that I have a new favourite book boyfriend💗

I'm also in incredible awe of the representation Laura Bradbury has put forth, not just in terms of our female protagonist's terminal illness, but also the ethnically and sexually diverse bevy of additional characters, each of which has substantial substance to provide to this story.

𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 is vulnerable, raw, heart wrenching and incredibly sweet, and I can't wait for more people to pick this gem up💘

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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.

After that Author's note, it was impossible for me to rate this book any less than 5 stars, guys. I was just 22% into reading it and by then, I experienced so many emotions. This book definitely made me cry because it was beautiful, raw, with great friendships, some strangers being angels but it also was real, heartbreaking, painful and tragic. While it showcased that there is good left in the world, we cannot ignored the fact that there's bad too. Sometimes mere strangers show you more compassion and understanding when your own family can't. I am at a loss of words and I'm feeling kind of numb after finishing this story but at the same time so happy with the ending because it was just very wholesome! I absolutely loved the kind of relationship that developed between Tom & Jules. Initially, I admit that it was kind of hard for me to feel the chemistry between them but the things that transpired in the second half definitely had me feeling all kinds of butterflies! Overall, it was a really great plot and most importantly the struggles that people with a serious illness go through was portrayed in such a realistic way that got me (a person who doesn't like to show her emotions) teary eyed. That should tell you just how real and heartfelt this book was! And yes, kudos to the authors for writing about a topic that is so personal to her.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the ARC

“I guess that’s the ironic thing about facing death— there’s no better crash course in learning how to live.” Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury

📚REVIEW📚

Jules is the sassy, no nonsense CEO of a startup travel guide, her company has been given the opportunity to share free space for a year with Tom's company. On first meeting they really get off on the wrong foot but something about Tom's chauvinist attitude sets fuel to Jules and breathes new life into her already deteriorating body. You see Jules suffers from a very rare disease PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) and in order for her to buy more time she needs a liver transplant and with the way things are going for her, she needs one as soon as possible.

This story stems from the authors' own personal experience. This was such an interesting read from the medical impact, their respective backgrounds and the love interest angle.

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Huge thanks to the author @laurabradburywriter
and @netgalley for the ARC.

Fantastic! Amazing! Beautiful! These are the words I would use to describe this adorable, realistic transplant romance. The way Laura Bradbury instantly pulls you into Jules and Tom's world and will not let you go is magnificent. When you decide to start reading this make sure you have a block of time (and tissues), because you are not going to want to put it down. There is so much I loved, but I can't share, because it will spoil the journey. I will recommend this book to all my friends and family who love romances.

Thank you to Laura Bradbury and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Unlikely Match in exchange for my honest review.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed, I finished it in one sitting. I went in a bit hesitant; unsure of how all the aspects of Jules health, her new start-up business (and it’s grumpy competition) and romance would all come together. Watching the main characters on their roller coaster ride while laughing… and also tearing up sometimes was amazing.. While trying to launch her business Jules is fighting and trying to hide her illness while dealing with the company of “tech-bros” sharing their space and competing against them for an investment. Somewhere along the lines bickering and competing turns to something else. Jules and Tom were most definitely the definition of opposites attract. Jules the who encompasses sunshine and Tom the clinical type. The author using her personal experiences for this book Helped Jules feel very real; all the good, bad and downright ugly moments someone from the outside doesn’t always see. If you’re looking for a book that is funny, pulls at the heart strings and with a strong FMC this is it.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and Laura Bradbury for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect with a donor romance / workplace romance, but this totally set the bar for any I read going forward. I loved the tension between Jules and Tom, even when deciding to just be friends. I love the side characters. I love the story. It's not just a romance, it's so much more, and that is what makes this book worth reading.

Get a good night’s sleep before starting this book. When you start, you are not going to want to put it down. Loved this book. It captivates you from the beginning. You fall in love with the characters and will be cheering for them all through the book.
Jules and Tom are both fighting for their lives but while Jules is actually fighting to stay alive Tom is fighting to succeed with his company. They are total opposites and their backgrounds might be different but when they get to know each other they begin to realize they have more in common than they think. Eventually they figure out that they cannot fight their attraction. Both of them have secrets they are hiding. Will things change when they are revealed? Will they get their happily ever after or will it be too much for both of them?
The chemistry and interactions between Jules and Tom were superb. The author did a remarkable job explaining Jules’ illness, the procedures and the emotions the patient goes through. You really felt all the feelings that were involved. From laughing out loud to crying like a baby, from putting your fist in the air saying "Nooooo!" to clapping and jumping up and down for joy. Join Jules and Tom on their journey of learning new things about themselves and seeing how a big challenge in their lives will change them for the better.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing my to read this book for my honest opinion.

4.5 ⭐️
1🌶

T R O P E S
- Own voice
- Work place romance
- Opposite Attract
- Enemies to lovers
- PSC rep
- Swoony MMC
- Found Family
- Diversity rep.

** All CW are included at the beginning of the book. However, here are some of the CW: medical trauma, PTSD, parental abandonment and foster care system.

T H O U G H T S
WOW WOW WOW WOW
I devoured this book in less than a day! I was hooked right from the start. It's so much more than just a love story. You can feel the personal touch from the author in every word found in this book. You can how Jules is feeling is based on personal experience and that why it makes this book so much more precious. I don't know many books that can make you cry and feel helpless 25% in.

This was such a sweet, swoony story about healing with a small touch of romance. Once you start to read this book, you'll want to know more. You'll want to know what happens with Jules. It's been so eye-opening on PSC. I loved all the small things about the characters that makes them who they are... except for the Kellys !

I swear, you will enjoy this book!

It was a roller coaster of feelings, I laughed, had fun and cried with this book to the point of talking nonstop about it
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This is the first Laura Bradbury book I've read and I really enjoyed it. It was very informative about organ transplant, especially living donors and the life of a person with a degenerative disease. I learned so much as I watched these two cute characters go from hating each other to friendship and to more possibilities
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Jules is in the final stages of her illness, PSC, trying to keep up with work and the medical check-ups. With little hope of finding an organ donor, she finds new energy on a feud with the CEO of the competing company with whom she must share office space.
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Arguing with Tom gives her a sense of normalcy she thought lost and a spark to go on. But sharing spaces and getting to know each other little by little, this enmity makes a truce and grows into something more.
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I love the way they both developed their feelings and how they manage to find their own way through everything in they way. Her friends and the people she finds on her way make this book so heartwarming and hopeful that I kept me marking several pages
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This is a slow burn, Enemies to lovers in a same workplace between two ceo's who are competing for a special investment opportunity
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Thanks to Laura Bradbury and Grape Books for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion

If you liked the hating game you'll love this book! Jules Kelly and Tom Davenport are the main characters in this beautiful story. They absolutely despise each other from the moment they make eye contact for the first time. Tom has created this version of Jules that she is lazy and doesn't work hard for the things she wants but we know Jules' reasoning for not being at work giving her effort 100% of the time. Jules is struggling to get the transplant she needs and the only motivation she has to get out of bed is to challenge Tom while working in the same space he is. After some time Tom actually isn't that bad on the eyes and he's actually really really sweet. This story was so cute and pulled at my heartstrings so much. I thoroughly enjoyed it even with all the tears it brought me. Definitely check this out when it comes out May 26, 2022! I will be going to get a physical copy at my local bookstore!!
Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌸 Book Review 🌸

Do book covers ever convince you that you need to read a book? I could ✨feel✨ the enemies-to-lovers rage/vibe on the cover of this novel and knew immediately (even before reading the premise) that I had to put myself on the roster on @netgalley to get an ARC of this book!

A story about love, illness, and transplants, UNLIKELY MATCH follows Juliette “Jules” Kelly — she is the CEO of a startup company that she formed with her best friend, and their company has just won subsidized office space from one of the coolest co-working spaces downtown. However, she must share that space with another company, and Tom, the CEO of that company, has proven himself to be an asshat. On top of having to deal with Tom, Jules later finds out that their two companies have to duke it out and compete against each other to win a sizable dollar prize from an anonymous angel investor. Jules is ready for the competition; however, her rare and serious disease has other plans for her body. Will her disease complicate matters at work for Jules? Will her growing relationship with Tom also complicate work more?

I really, really enjoyed this story — @laurabradburywriter did a wonderful job telling Jules’s story. This story did not at any point feel like a tragedy vacuum, but a retelling of Jules’s full life, her day-to-day life as someone who struggles with a serious illness, but isn’t defined by that illness alone. Her struggles are grounded and specific, and similarly, her small joys and feelings of life and optimism are also specific and real. Reading this book was eye-opening, in regards to what happens for those who need transplants and what they go through after getting a transplant.

Also, on a less serious but not less important note — Jules’s relationship with Tom was FIRE. SO GOOD, even I want some magical pierogies now 😂😂

UNLIKELY MATCH will be released tomorrow, May 26! Grab your copy tomorrow and give it a read! Also, congratulations @laurabradburywriter for writing a great story!

PS swipe to see author’s note of encouragement to those struggling with illness 💛