I loved the setting and I loved the characters. This was such a delightful and charming read.
Many thanks to Entangled Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Allie and Ryan. They meet on the beach when Ryan’s dog tackles her. There is an instant attraction. Allie is a writer, she has come to the island to see her BFF Sofia. Ryan works at his family’s restaurant, Sofia is Ryan’s sister. They begin dating. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Allie is a travel editor and stay truthful with her story. However this doesn’t go down well with her bosses. Now, she need to write a story that is good enough to save her job. So she decided to visit her best friend Sofia at Crescent Island. She find herself attracted to the quiet small town and its community. She found herself to be increasingly attracted to Ryan, Sofia’s brother. Ryan works in his family restaurant and Ryan is content with his life. He have his family around him and his focus is on his family business. He is not looking for love but meeting Allie seem to change his view.

It is a romcom story about 2 individual meets and fell in love when they least expected it to be. Allie is a pessimistic person who only think of negative perspectives and i love to see how this change in Allie as the story developed. Their chemistry were there from the time they meet and it grow as the story develop. Overall it is a feel good and delightful read to me.

Her Unexpected Match is written in an uplifting, heartfelt way.
I went into it understanding that it could be like a Hallmark romance and was not disappointed!
This story gave all the feels, and more!
You can tell the Author loves to write sweet romance.
Well done!
Thankyou to author Lacey Baker, Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!
Charlene 🌸📚🤗 @lastnownext

I am a sucker for small beach town settings and this one did not disappoint. Such wonderful characters and great descriptive writing. The story flowed easily and ended nicely. I’ll definitely check out Lacey Bakers other books.
Overall rating 4.5

Get ready to get whisked away on this relaxing island in the first book of Lacey Baker’s Crescent Matchmaker series, Her Unexpected Match. Filled with a beautiful setting, family, friends and romance, this was a nice beginning to the series.

Allie Sparks is currently facing a dilemma. With the backlash from her last viewed articles creating a negative buzz with subscribers, she is challenged with the task of finding the heart of a new destination to bring to her column. With her job on the line, Allie is determined to find that “it” story that will save her career. While she’s visiting her best friend, Sophia, Crescent Island with its beautiful beach and growing interest in the promise that love will find a way for those who visit the island, what better place to find the heart of her story than a place where there is everything to love. Tell that to cynical Allie.

You never know when love will find you. After his heart was broken by his ex, Ryan Parker never gave up on the idea of love. One day when a beautiful gal caught his eye, the possibility was desired but it just wasn't the right time. In a time crunch, trying to secure an opportunity to expand on their family business, Ryan is trying to do everything he can to prove to his father that he can turn his idea into fruition. That’s all good but the stars aligned have another plan.

While it’s hard to resist the absolute charm of this beautiful island, the growing attraction to Ryan seems hard to escape. While her focus is supposed to be on writing the article and catching up with her best friend, there’s something brewing behind the scenes that these two can’t escape. With love being a promise of anyone that comes to this island, Allie finds herself capturing more than her story. Will this unexpected match be the answer to finding her heart?

I didn’t dive in right away. The book had a gradual pace considering the plot which was nice. The vibe was relaxing and fun. I had a really nice time with Allie and Ryan. These two destined characters just worked so well and gave us something to look forward to as well as the other characters that made this overall a nice read. Crescent Island had an endearing charm that makes you want to go again. I'm looking forward to what’s next.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was completely charmed by Lacey Baker’s enchanting small-town romance, Her Unexpected Match.

Travel writer Allie Sparkes has only one objective in mind: she needs to find a story that will save a career that is in the doldrums. Her search for a story leads her to visiting her best friend in the idyllic small town of Crescent Island where the sun-kissed beaches, invigorating sea air and rumors of a secret astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees ever-lasting love quickly has her falling under its spell. Allie doesn’t believe in astrology or in the matchmaker’s ability to find her The One – however, little does she realize that on Crescent Island anything is possible…

Ryan Parker is a romantic – however he is not looking for love. He has far too much on his plate with expanding the family business, finding investors and keeping his adorable but rambunctious puppy from jumping on everyone – including his sister’s pretty best friend, Allie. This is definitely not the right time for Ryan to fall in love, however, Allie manages to get under his skin and has him experiencing things he has no business feeling. And besides, Allie is a tourist with no intention of settling down on Crescent Island whilst Ryan cannot imagine living anywhere else. A future for the two of them is out of the question – or is it?

Allie is determined not to fall for Ryan – or Crescent Island! Fate, however, seems to have other ideas in store for her. Will she realize that everything she has always wanted is within reach for her – but only if she has the strength and courage to grab this unexpected chance at a happy ever after with both hands.

Small-town romance fans will love Lacey Baker’s Her Unexpected Match. Witty, heartwarming, emotional and a delight from beginning to end, Her Unexpected Match is a gorgeous contemporary romance with a terrific heroine, a gorgeous hero, a beautifully rendered setting and plenty of drama, humor and warmth to keep readers turning the pages until the very last word.

Perfect for Virgin River addicts, Lacey Baker’s Her Unexpected Match will steal every reader’s heart and have them eagerly anticipating another visit to Crescent Island.

An enjoyable read of finding love when you least expect it. Allie is a blogger and has arrived in Crescent Island to find the secret astrologer matchmaker who guarantees love. Her best friend, Sofia also lives there, whom she will stay with. Sofia has the perfect family that Allie never had and a brother, Ryan who has eyes for Allie right away. Neither Allie or Ryan were looking for love at this point, but soon they can't deny the chemistry that they share.

Loved these characters, especially Sofia's family a closeness that we all find needed. Love the family restaurant, now I have a taste for barbecue! The Great Dane, Optimus had me laughing out a few times. Allie and Ryan were perfect for each other, love how their relationship developed slowly. Wonderful prescriptive writing about the island.

This is the first book that I read by Lacey Baker and will not be my last. I read through my kindle unlimited.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the gifted copy of this book. It was such a cute little small town romance and everything I'd imagined it would be. Allie was a likeable character and I felt for everything she'd been through, and Ryan was incredibly sweet and swoon worthy, especially his love for his family and his dog. I loved the concept of the old ladies running the town and everyone knowing everyone, and the redemption Allie found with her family. I'm a sucker for the beach and anything in that setting and I loved imagining the landscape and views. I highly recommend this one!

3.5 stars

There was a lot I enjoyed about Her Unexpected Match by Lacey Baker, but it was not without some problems one of them being that it was repetitive and that got old very quickly. Set on Crescent Island a small island off the coast of Maryland, the scene was set the moment the heroine exited the ferry that brought her over. I could actually envision the waterfront and this was when this author shined, we just didn’t need to hear about the character’s eye color repeatedly, the hue of their skin repeatedly, their hairstyles repeatedly, or what they were wearing repeatedly. It’s never a good thing when I start to skim paragraphs because it’s all about physical appearance instead of letting me get to know them as a person. That said, there were enjoyable moments in this book and the town and its residents were quite quirky, and while I do enjoy a slow burn romance there wasn’t enough time with these two really getting to know one another for me to feel something building between them.

Allie’s job as a travel writer/blogger is in jeopardy unless she produces a story that has more heart and less snarky. Traveling to the island where her best friend from college resides, she hopes that it will give her the story she needs to save her job. The fact that the island has become known as a magical place where people fall in love makes her think there’s something fishy going on, and while she intends to figure it out she also has to figure out how to spin it in a positive way. What she doesn’t expect is to be trampled by a large dog almost as soon as she’s off the ferry or for the dog’s handsome owner to catch her eye.

Ryan knows right away that the woman his crazy puppy, Optimus, knocked over is a tourist but one he can’t seem to forget even after they part ways. Finding her sitting in his family’s bar-b-que restaurant leads him to believe she’s there to talk about the financing of the expansion he wants to do, but he’s surprised to find out Allie is his sister Sofia’s best friend from college making her way off limits.

This book was really busy with a lot of moving parts and honestly I enjoyed getting to know Ryan’s family, the history of the island, and some of the more colorful residents. Despite Ryan showing Allie around the island as Sofia is on bed rest because of a foot injury, I never really felt the heat between them. They seemed to have a comfortable friendship and that did turn into more but it was such a slow burn that it lacked passion.

I loved watching the interplay in Ryan’s family and I think it fascinated Allie as her family was not close, you could feel her longing for the love, respect, and even the teasing bickering she was witness to throughout this story. It was interesting to watching her change and grow throughout this book and see her attitude towards so many things shift. That was probably my favorite part of this book.

While I was a bit disappointed in some aspects of this story, Her Unexpected Match was a sweet and entertaining small town story filled with family, food, and a bit of matchmaking magic.

If you're a fan of Hallmark type movies, like I am, then this is the book for you.  It will give you all of the feels as you're reading and puts you right there in the midst of a movie.  I loved most of the characters (as you know, there always has to be someone you're not going to stand) as well as some hilarious elders that will probably remind you of some of the elders in your life/family and such a loveable and rambunctious dog. The flow, character development as well as growth were enjoyable.  And there were lessons sprinkled throughout the story, which was just icing on the cake.  Such a great start with the series, and I'm hoping all of the siblings will get books.

TITLE: HER UNEXPECTED MATCH
SERIES: Crescent Matchmaker Book 1
AUTHOR: Lacey Baker
PUB DATE: 02.21.2023 Now Available


I love reading first books in the series, so when I received this perfect feel good read, I was so excited to get lost in Allie and Ryan’s world. Lacey Baker writes a romance with so much heart and soul. I loved every character, and was completely transported to Crescent Island - I felt the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the breeze, the smell of the food, and the tingle of that magic in the air.

This wonderful book is easy to read that I found comfort in. I really enjoyed it.

Travel writer Allie Sparks has one goal: to find the story that will save her career. So here she is, visiting her bestie on picturesque Crescent Island—with sun-warmed beaches, the briny smell of the ocean, and rumors of a secret astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees love. Of course, Allie doesn't believe in any of that stuff. If anything, she'll prove it's a total scam.

Ryan Parker believes in love—just not right now. He's focused on expanding his family's barbeque business, finding investors, and keeping his too-big Great Dane puppy from jumping on everyone, including his sister's pretty, whiskey-eyed best friend. Besides, falling for a tourist is definitely not in his astrological forecast.

This was a cute read with fun, likeable characters. It is a heartwarming read based in a small close knit town. The review cannot be completed without a mention of adorably rambunctious puppy, Optimus.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I absolutely want all of Lacey Baker's books at this point! Her unexpected match is a best friends brother romance set in the lovely town of Crescent island. Her unexpected match is the story of two people well deserving of love and a break. It follows travel writer Allie who is looking for that one story that will save her job and career so she heads to Crescent Island where she meets her friend's brother on a mission to increase the family's business success. The setting, the plot and the character development was beautifully done and I cannot recommend it enough. Everyone should read this book and anticipate being hungry afterwards.

I really loved this small town read by Lacey Baker I really loved the cute town of Crescent Island Lacey is an amazing author and I really enjoy her books the cover is very cute and sweet as well, thank you net galley and Lacey and Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy.

Allie has been advised that she needs to improve her view or her career as a travel journalist is at risk. She has decided that Crescent Island might just be the perfect choice especially since it will allow her to spend some time with her friend. She soon learns there is something special not only about the town but also about Ryan, her friend’s brother.

Ryan is content with his life as he is surrounded by people he cares about and is focused on the family business. He isn’t looking for love but sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect it.

As we get to know Allie it is easy to understand why she is jaded but Ryan shows her that happiness is everywhere and all you have to do is open your heart to the possibilities.

Her Unexpected Match is a charming island romance story by Lacey Baker. The island is vividly described including scenery, people and food so it takes on a personality all its own. I enjoyed that about this story.

Travel writer Allie Sparks has a bad case of negativity in her blog articles but now the owners are wanting to turn that around. As you get to know this character you understand how she came to be that way. Still, it would be best for her if she could change that around. As the story progresses there is growth in Allie as she tries to do just that. Crescent Island seems the perfect place to do so. Ryan Parker is a local whose sister is friends with Allie. There is also one other character that I adored but then he never chewed my tennis shoe or knock me down. That is eight-month-old Optimus, Ryan’s Great Dane. While not a main character he steals the scene every time.

A charming romance that is an enjoyable read. Need to go to a kinder, gentler place then Her Unexpected Match is the book for you.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lacey Baker's attention to detail is brilliant, beautiful and blissfully matched for this story of love in unexpected places. This sinfully sweet slow burn romance is captivating and refreshing. Authentic and vibrant story telling to a small town on the Maryland Eastern Shore. .

Allie is a travel blogger that needs to be more positive, maybe Crescent Island is just the place. Meddling matchmakers, delicious barbeque, pastries for miles and a peaceful vibe that can sooth the soul.

Ryan has dreams to build his family brand and share his love of barbeque with the world until his ex returns and things get a bit messy. When an ex-girlfriend returns are her intentions sincere or will she cause more hardship and pain that jeopardizes any chance for love?

I'm excited to see what happens in the next installment of this new series and which character will have a happy-ever-after in a town where everyone goes for love and those that are there love deeply you never want to leave.

Small town feel with a best friend’s brother trope. The dialogue was great, not only between Ryan and Allie, but between them and the supporting characters as well. I loved how we got to know so much of Allie's relationship with her family through her conversations with Ryan and Sofia. Her character had great development and went from grumpy to sunshine. There were a couple little unexpected moments and the conflict was realistic. I felt like I was visiting the island and I would love to try the Parker family's food. If you love wholesome small town romances, this one's for you.

Thank you @entangled_publishing @laceybakerbooks @tlcbooktours @tlcdiversity and @netgalley for the gifted copy

This is a gorgeous, contemporary romance, with a touch of the mystic, too,
Where a cynical travel writer has the walls of her heart broken through!
Allie Sparks has to find a new place and write positive reviews
Her editor - and readers - have had enough of her travel blues!

She decides to go to visit her best friend on Crescent Island where
Another writer has said that romance and love is always there.
Once the ferry docks and she's landed, smiles greet her everywhere
The people seem so friendly, helpful and endeavouring to take care.

Whilst walking on the beach she encounters quite a shock
As a Great Dane puppy comes calling and off her feet she's knocked!
Imagine the shock when she eventually discovers
The owner is actually her best friend's brother!

An island where astrology and matchmaking play key parts
In helping bring tourists in, and opening up their hearts.
Will Allie find her visit does more than reconnecting with her friend?
Will it prove decisive in bring her loneliness to an end?

A story of a dysfunctional family, where love is only for a fool
Where praise is in short supply and parent targets rule.
Contrast with her friend's family, where everyone has a huge heart
Can Allie discover a role there, too, and so they'll never part?

A heartwarming read, of community, family and friends,
Of learning the value of all before the story ends.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.