3⭐️
Thoughts:
I’ve stopped reading dystopian novels lately as the more I read, the more they seem to blend together; this one on the other hand, did not do that. Although it has the cliched dystopian beginning, it also has an original concept that is unlike any other book I’ve read before. It had an unputdownable feel to it that kept me reading to see just how the many pieces fit together. Although interesting, the plot wasn’t very well executed. I found the ending to be rushed and the plot twists to be very confusing. I think that with a bit more world building and character development, it could be much better. I do really like how this book is a standalone as we don’t see many in the fantasy/sci-fi genres. I really didn’t like the lack of numbered chapters, but that might just be me.

Genre: sci-fi, dystopian
POV: first person, present tense
Trope: love-triangle, soulmates, forced proximity, slow burn, chosen one, found family

Age rating: 13+
Violence: a lot of talk about death, murder, suicide, fighting, a character gets shot
Romance: a few semi-descriptive kisses, some innuendo, talk of a fling between two side characters, a fade-to-black scene at the very end of the book (non-descriptive)
Drinking/drugs/smoking: the main character and others drink champagne (they’re all of age)
Language: 41 f**k, 1 d**k, a character gets nicknamed D*ckella, 3 pr*ck, 41 sh*t (often with ‘holy’ before it), 4 a**hole, 8 a**, 13 d*mn, 48 h*ll
Other: a side character uses they/them pronouns, the plot involves reincarnation

Trigger warnings:
- death
- murder
- suicide
- grief

Publish date: 29-July-2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am offering my honest opinion of this book voluntarily.

What can I say about this book!? I was phenomenal!

Soulmatch challenges the idea that death is the end. What if reincarnation offered not only a second chance, but also required you to face the consequences of your past lives? Rebecca’s imaginative take on this concept is both vividly written and deeply thought-provoking, making this a book that’s as entertaining as it is reflective.

Set in a dystopian world shaped by the aftermath of WWIII and laced with dark academic undertones, this YA romantic sci-fi delivers on every level. The world-building is immersive and multi-layered, and the premise feels refreshingly original. We follow Sivon as she enters the Institute for her kirling—a life-defining rite that reveals her past incarnations, predicts her societal role, and determines whether she is soulmatched. Haunted by fear over the unusual color pattern of her aura, Sivon worries she may be judged as having a bad soul. When her results are revealed, they spark a public uproar and thrust her into a future she never anticipated—and may not be able to survive.

The slow-burn romance is handled with subtlety and care, complementing rather than overwhelming the gripping plot. Rebecca expertly balances emotional tension with fast-paced action and unexpected twists. The result is a story that moves with purpose and keeps the reader fully engaged. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent will find familiar echoes here, yet Soulmatch carves its own compelling path.

Filled with well-loved tropes presented in a fresh and meaningful way, the book features rich character development, breathtaking turns, and emotional depth. Though written for a YA audience, it has more than enough substance to captivate adult readers as well.

And yes—judging by the stunning cover, I had high hopes going in. I’m happy to say, I was not disappointed.

I want to thank Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Rebecca Danzenbaker for the advance readers' copy of this imaginative novel.

Fast paced dystopian romance

Dystopian books really aren’t my thing, but the concept seemed so good so I wanted to read this book.

I’m glad I did bc the tropes are all in my lane

🏫 College setting
⚔️ enemies to lovers
🔺a tiny love triangle
🐢 slow burn

This books is really nostalgic to the first time you read Hunger Games or Divergent.

A sci-fi dystopian with soulmates, past lives, high-stakes secrets, and a bodyguard dynamic that already has me hooked? Yes, please.

Soulmatch is set 200 years after WWIII in a world where every 18-year-old must undergo kirling, a terrifying ritual that reveals your soul’s history. Good souls walk away with careers, soulmates, and a future. Bad souls? Not so lucky.

Sivon is a chess prodigy who’s always felt… different. But her results don’t just shake her world, they make her a global target. Throw in an off-limits protector, public scrutiny, soul-based politics, and a deadly game with no rules, and this one is a banger.

If you love:
♟️ Smart, complex heroines
🛡️ Grumpy/golden bodyguard tension
🔥 High-stakes sci-fi drama
💔 Unrequited yearning and found family
🧬 Soulmate twists and government conspiracies

This one’s for you.

Thank you to the publishers for an early copy of this book. I really enjoyed the dystopian setting and thought this was an original concept I hadn’t seen done before. There were a few points where I was confused and didn’t fully understand what was going on. I didn’t love the characters or the romance. Some of this worked for me and some of it didn’t. Overall I was entertained and enjoyed this, just not my favorite in this genre.

Buckle up for this one. Super interesting idea and storyline, and honestly one of the most original fantasy novels I have read in a long time. There were quite a few twists and turns, and if you aren’t paying 100% attention, you’ll need to reread. The name switching gets confusing throughout, I almost made a list of who was who, just to try and keep up. A tree or diagram at the end would have been really helpful. I loved the idea that soulmates could be platonic, and that you can romantically love someone without being their soulmate. Overall, good story, bonus points for originality.

I was not able to finish this book, unfortunately. I put it down about 20% in and just wasn’t interested enough in the story or the character to continue.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I’m thankful to be able to give feedback on books before they release so it can help readers find the stories that they’ll enjoy. I think this book will still be modestly successful but for a different audience than myself.

3.5

not going to lie, this book pissed me off several times while reading it. at the same time, I could not put it down because I so desperately needed to know how it ended. I don’t know where this leaves me in terms of enjoyment.

this is a dystopian book where your soul lingers across lifetimes and is scanned to make rewards and punishments follow you as well. our protagonist is fairly transparently being used as a pawn by a very bad man to retain power, but she remains oblivious to him being evil even as he repeatedly blackmails her.

so I was really frustrated with how naive (read: stupid) the main character was. there were also a lot of transparently bad policies in the world like giving people prison sentences for suicide that I was hoping she’d clock at some point. but she’s just floating through the world, powerless but not resisting the people who are controlling her, for over half the book.

the ending got a bit convoluted and had to pull the trick of a character explaining it to others so the reader could understand. but at the same time, it was pretty satisfying. I had put some pieces together along the way, but not all of them, which I think is the best way for a mystery or twist to feel.

at the end of the day, this is decent teen dystopia. it’s no hunger games, and the villainy is not very sophisticated, but the world is interesting and the plot is fairly fast paced. I would have loved more commentary about whether the soul system is just, but at least it was addressed some.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster publishers for providing me with the arc of Soulmatch.

Rebecca Danzenbaker takes reincarnation in a dystopian world and delivers a unique premise that keeps the reader turning the page.

The idea of a post WWIII world, where your past lives impact your future is extremely unique. The world building was quite immersive. I love the definitions at the beginning of each chapter. There were times where the definitions came too late and the reader had to use context clues instead. Much of the book is spent world building, but there is this underlying mystery that keeps the reader hooked.

Another thing that I loved about the book was the found family aspect. Really seeing them work together was when things started to amp up. As the plot unfolded, there were times where I found things obvious and other times I was somewhat surprised. Nevertheless, the reveals still felt satisfying.

The romance was not the focal point of the story. While it enhanced the plot, it did not overshadow the importance of the overall mission. The political maneuvering was truly my favorite part.

While the novel succeeds in many areas, I felt a little underwhelmed by the ending. I was pleased with how it ended but getting there felt a little rushed and not as high stakes as I had hoped for.

Overall, it was a great read for a certain type of reader. If you enjoy YA dystopia that feels nostalgic, light on the romance and heavy on the world, you will enjoy it. I, for one, found myself reaching for my Kindle often with this one!

Let’s start off with a big thank you to Libro.fm and Simon Teen for the ALC and ARC of this book! I went back and forth reading and listening because that’s basically all I can do with a toddler and a newborn these days but I can say that both mediums are really enjoyable. I really can’t say I had a preference.

The narrator was great and she really fit the age of the character. I also loved that it was written in first person because that makes audiobooks more enjoyable for me.

The romance in this story was really cute. It was definitely suitable for younger YA readers but as an adult reading YA, I enjoyed it too. The idea of soulmates and fated love was really interesting in this world.

The world building was great too and it would definitely be a good fit for someone who enjoys Neal Shusterman’s books.

Two things that I wasn’t crazy about were the lack of chapter numbers (that’s a personal preference 😂) and the ending. It was a lot to digest all at the end of the story and was a little confusing.

This was a solid debut and if you’re looking for a standalone sci fi book with some romance and action, look no further than SOULMATCH.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the review copy!

I went into Soulmatch so ready for soul-bonding angst, and while the premise totally hooked me, the execution left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Let’s start with the good stuff: the idea of souls reincarnating across lifetimes? LOVE. Give me all the doomed, fated, eternal lovers. And the world building? Super interesting. I just wish we had dug deeper into how this world came to be. It felt like the bones were there, but I wanted more meat on them.

As for the romance? I came for a slow burn. I stayed for a kind of slow, kinda speedy burn. The pacing of the relationship was a little all over the place. It was fast, slow, fast again which made it hard to fully sink into the emotional payoff.

And if I’m being honest, the book could’ve been shorter. There were moments I felt like we were meandering, and I found myself wanting less of some scenes… but also more of others. It’s complicated.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) — Soulmatch had a super cool concept, and I’m intrigued by the ideas it’s playing with. I just wish it had settled more confidently into its rhythm. Still, if you love reincarnation, fate, and high-stakes connections, it might just speak to your soul.

Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker is one of those rare reads that felt like nothing I’d ever picked up before—and I loved every page of its bold, thought-provoking brilliance.

This book completely surprised me. The premise—a post-WWIII society where people undergo “kirling” to discover their past lives—hooked me from the start. It’s wildly imaginative but also scarily plausible in that what if we actually did this? kind of way. The world-building is rich and immersive without being overwhelming, and the soul-identification system was so original and unsettling that I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I closed the book.

But what really sealed this as a five-star read for me was Sivon. Her journey is powerful—she’s smart and intuitive but also deeply human as she navigates the shocking results of her kirling and the fallout that follows. Watching her evolve, question, resist, and ultimately grow through unimaginable pressure was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Her strength isn’t loud—it’s layered and earned, and I was rooting for her the whole way.

And then there’s the soul-deep commentary woven throughout. Soulmatch may be set in the future, but its themes—identity, morality, justice, connection—feel deeply relevant to our world today. The emotional beats are perfectly placed, and the stakes only grow as Sivon is forced to figure out who to trust in a world where one wrong move can ruin lives across generations.

Also, shoutout to the bodyguard dynamic. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say: tension, banter, and a whole lot of feelings. 🖤

If you’re looking for a genre-defying story that blends sci-fi, mystery, dystopia, and soul-searching in all the best ways, Soulmatch is absolutely it. It’s fresh, unexpected, and completely unforgettable.

2.75 stars
This book was okay.
…Or maybe it just wasn’t for me… but I’m very grateful that I was able to read this early!

The concept of this book was very intriguing, but the execution fell flat. It read more like Younger YA novel, so around early high school or middle school. This book just wasn’t what I was expecting it to be and I feel like the characters are lacking to jump off the page. And the romance element to this book was hard to believe at first…

But the mystery element to this book was interesting, and the concept. I would recommend this book for younger teenagers in high school.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Rebecca Danzenbaker for providing me with an eARC of Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker! I read this for free in exchange for my honest review, before its release.

I absolutely flew through this book. I really enjoyed it, and it has a super cool concept! Danzenbaker delves into reincarnation and atonement in a way that I’ve never seen before. We’re introduced to a flawed political system in a dystopian, post-World War III USA. It has a really fun romantic connection, some heartbreak, and found-family working together.

This reminded me of dystopian fiction/romance that I loved back in middle and high school, so it was fun for me. The story is fast-paced with solid character development. This is YA (which I don’t mind!) and it’s worth it to keep that in mind while reading!

Overall, this was a fun one that I ate up!!

The year was 2010 and I devoured every dystopian novel I could get my hands on (Hunger Games, Matched, The Selection, Birthmarked, etc etc). And then they just went away? In the words of Joey from Friends - I'm back, baby!
Two hundred years of peace after WWII, Sivon enters an Institute for her kirling where she'll learn about her past lives, what her destiny is for a job and if she has a soulmate. Her results shock everyone and she leaves with both excitement and derision from the public and bodyguard she unwillingly accepts. With her future out of control, Sivon does her best to make the best choices possible.

Read for:
Dystopian Fantasy
Coming of Age
Bodyguard Romance
Love Triangle
The Thrill of the Chase

I can't say enough good things about this book. It really brings back my long ago love for the sub-genre. It's fun with the perfect amount of angst. This debut knocked it out of the park and my hopes are that the season of all things dystopian is long with Rebecca in the middle of it all. Her writing is easily bingeable and, while I guessed quite a few things correctly, the excitement of the unexpected twists kept me turning those pages.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

I am but a simple-minded person with simple needs. I’ve always loved dystopian novels, so I was eager to throw myself into this one.

On their eighteenth birthday, every person undergoes government-mandated kirling, a process in which their soul is identified and linked to their past lives. Some souls have lived extraordinary lives and amassed fortunes; others have committed crimes and must now serve the consequences. Some leave their kirling with riches. Others leave in handcuffs.

Our story follows Sivon, who receives an unprecedented result: she’s a new soul, with no previous lifetimes. Thus begins Sivon’s journey of self-discovery in a world where everyone else has history but her.

This story is very firmly YA, and while I will always be young at heart, I do think the characters showed a level of immaturity that might resonate more with a younger audience. Much of the plot was told to us by Sivon, rather than shown through the action, and there were some heavy info dumps that left my simple little brain working overtime.

That said, I think the plot is brilliant. Not in multiple lifetimes (see what I did there?) would I have guessed how this would all unfold. The concept is wildly original. I just think the execution could be a little tighter.

Sivon, girl, GO GET YOUR MAN. #TeamDonovan

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Rebecca Danzenbaker for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Soulmatch gives us a compelling concept that explores souls and reincarnation in a futuristic setting. From the very beginning, the writing drew me in with its easy flow, making it effortless to lose myself in the words.

The romance in Soulmatch was well executed. The characters had chemistry, and the idea of soulmates added depth and intrigue to their connection. This leaves s wityh a HEA and a smile.

The world-building did leave something to be desired. As there were aspects that were confusing at atimes even though definitions were provided they often came too late. These gaps made it difficult to fully immerse myself and picture this futuristic universe. Also the double names sometimes were confusing.

The pacing was mostly FAST although it did reach a slow part until it picked up again. Then, keeping me on edge until the satisfying conclusion.

Overall, Soulmatch is an enjoyable read with an intriguing romance and strong writing. While the world-building and pacing faltered at times, the story’s strengths made it a worthwhile journey!

DNF’d at 36% but it really isn’t you (the book), it’s me.

Soulmatch is honestly one of the most unique takes on both reincarnation and dystopian societies that I’ve read. 200 years after World War III, you must report to the government on your 18th birthday to learn about your past lives. Based on who you were, you may have career opportunities, inheritances, or a prison sentence for your past crimes waiting for you. Our FMC, Sivon, faces her kirling with a ton of anxiety, worried she may have been a bad soul and certain that whoever she was in a past life, it’s not going to go well for her. Only it turns out, she didn’t have a past life, and that presents an entirely new set of problems.

It’s such a fascinating setup, the world building is easy to get into, and the characters are really interesting, especially some of the side characters. But dystopian as a genre can be hard to read with everything going on in the world, and can give me anxiety on a good day, but the fact that one of the laws regarding souls in this world is the criminalization of suicide and that this is relevant to the story quite a bit made it hard to continue.

I really look forward to this book’s release because I know that it’s going to find it’s audience and be really big and I can’t wait to watch a spoiler video or read spoiler reviews because I was definitely engaged in the story and want to find out what happens to Sivon. I genuinely believe so many people are going to love this book and if you’re nostalgic for the dystopian ya boom of the 2000s/2010s, this will definitely scratch that itch!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC- all thoughts my own!

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Wow! This was such an original concept that truly hooked me from the blurb, to the title, to the cover, and kept me engaged the entire book.

I haven't been reading to many dystopian books as of late and this really thrilled me! This is a YA book, people will need to keep that in mind, however it is truly a YA and I loved it.

Soulmates, corrupt gov, slow burn romance, stand alone book (I can definitely appreciate that!), past lives/ reincarnation story. I found so many tropes that I personally love and it was wrapped up in this story extremely well. There's a bit of something for everyone in the best way possible.

I will be highly recommending this book and I will be looking out for it to grab a copy for my shelf.