Unlikely Match

I was approved to read this ARC yesterday (May 19) and I sat down to start reading before bed and wound up staying up till almost 2am to finish it. Time literally did not exist when I was reading, that is how good this was, if you were on the fence at all I am telling you you need to go buy it and read it you will be so thankful!

This is certainly a tear jerker so have them tissues ready! Jules Kelly, our female MC, was one of the most well developed and strong willed characters i've read in the genre this year. I was sucked into every page of this book and I would without a doubt read more from Laura Bradbury!

Slow Burn Romance 🌶 🌶
Frenemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Excellent Banter

Story: 4.75/5
Cover Art: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

❗️CW: discussions of medical trauma, PTSD, hospital scenes, toxic families, discussions of parental abandonment and foster care system off page.

👏 Thank you to Laura Bradbury and Netgalley for the absolute pleasure of reading this novel!

Can we just take a minute and sink into the loveliness and realism that is this romance novel, please? Excellent, thank you.

To start with, Laura Bradbury sent the ARC approval herself and introduced the fact that she has lived experience with the rare liver disease and transplant storyline her MC lives. As someone with a chronic illness and pain condition, knowing the author understands in some way always makes me more excited to read a book.

Then, the dedication. Just trust me, it's brilliant and if all spoonies don't feel as seen and acknowledged as I did I will be shocked.

Jules has PCS, a rare liver disease that will kill her if she doesn't get a transplant. Meanwhile, she is kicking butt as CEO of a mostly female run startup (except for her brilliant best friend Alan) and they have just moved into a shared space with what seems like the typical bro dude start up. She immediately clashes with their CEO Tom but they are forced to work both as competition and collaboratively to achieve funding. Then something unexpected happens and Jules gets her liver, which changes everything.

I loved this story! I haven't read anything by Laura Bradbury before but am definitely going to check out her backlist now. Though I don't have the same experiences she does, there are some universal traumas, stresses, and emotions that come with the territory of living with an illness and going through the medical system.

I haven't said this in a while but I think this could make a great movie! Thank you to NetGalley and Laura Bradbury for the advanced copy. I look forward to reading the final version when it comes out on May 26/22. A condensed version of this review will live in my ARC Reviews highlight on Instagram @chronically_KD.

A heartwarming tear-jerker transplant romance. I mean, the moment I saw the dedication I almost cried; that's when I knew that this book would be a 5-star read for me.

Jules Kelly maybe one of the best female lead I know, her way of thinking on both timelines deserves recognition. The women empowerment she showed from the first part of the book, even when at the time she lost hope about her illness.

I love the banter of this couple and their slow burn romance. I saw the hesitation Jules had in entertaining her feelings for Tom especially the after part of her surgery. They both have acknowledged their faults and acted upon it to make better versions of their selves.

I like how the book shows the realism of the medical world and the before and after experience a patient goes through, especially in this case a transplant. I even like the way Tom fought his way into success after what his past was like.

I didn't notice the time when I was reading this book, that's how amazing it is. This book has a soft spot in my heart knowing I have a glimpse of what Jules has gone through🥺❤️

“not that long ago we were enemies.”
“that was fun too.”😏

tropes: workplace romance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and more that i don’t want to spoil😁

when i tell you i started this book last night and it is now 3 am because i read the entire thing in one sitting… THAT IS HOW AMAZING THIS BOOK IS!! wow i genuinely loved every single thing about it!! this book made me laugh, cry, and smile like a lunatic!😂 i absolutely loved this story between two imperfect people who were perfect for each other!!

jules is an absolute sweetheart! she was handed such a rough card in life but she never let that get her down. she was always there to help someone if they needed it and always put others before herself. she’s such a kind, badass, and incredibly strong woman and anyone would be lucky to have someone like her in their life🥺

and then tom… wow i love him so much!! he also had such a hard life but he worked his booty off to be where he was and it was so admirable. although in the beginning he was a bit of an “asshat” (as jules would say lol), he really is such an amazing guy and i can’t emphasize that enough! he also puts others before himself and wants the best for everyone❤️

overall, this is definitely one of my top books of the year and i’m so grateful for netgalley for sending me an early copy! YALL WILL LOVE THIS BOOK I PROMISE!!! i literally could not put this book down!! it makes me want to reread it all over again! i 10000% recommend this book if you love enemies to lovers with a twist!💗

I ABSOLUTLEY LOVED THIS. what a brilliant and unique concept. As someone with a chronic illness i related to so much of this book and it was so heart-warming to see parts of my world reflected in this book. Jules the protagonist was so strong and beautiful. there was a lot of focus of the emotional/mental side of medical problems, the trauma and anguish associated with it. It was evidence a lot of research and though has gone into this book - i believe the author is a transplant recipient herself and her knowledge in this subject shows. The romance was exquisite, there was a lot of brilliant humour, especially from the side characters. overall i absolutely loved this and would recommend to everyone, especially those with chronic illnesses.

SO. GOOD. There needs to be more books like this in the world. I burned through this book so quickly because I could not wait to see how it ended. I feel that this book is different from other romance books in that this one is so gritty and realistic. Loved it. I would wholeheartedly recommend. As soon as I finished this book, I was looking for any more books to read from this author. I hope that she continues to write books like this.

This book follows Jules Kelly, who is a confident CEO for a startup with her best friend Alan. Jules is also struggling to manage a rare disease that is causing liver failure. Her company scored an incredible work space that is exactly what they need to continue on the path to success. The only catch is they share the space with another company. When Jules overhears the CEO of this company, Tom Davenport, expressing some disdainful comments about her company, she is quick to enter a verbal smackdown with him. She also quickly notices that arguing with Tom makes her feel as closer to normal than she has in a long time. The work styles of Tom and Jules are polar opposites, which fuels the fire of their constant arguments. As they continue to work in the same space though, things get more complicated when each discovers their is a lot they don’t know about their work enemy. These complications exponentially expand when Jules’ health continues to decline and an opportunity of investor funding turns into a competition between the two companies.

When I first picked up this book, I was unsure how an intense romance could eventuate when the main character was very ill, awaiting an organ transplant. However, I was truly mistaken. When Jules is diagnosed with liver disease, she always hopes that she will receive a transplant, but after time, reality sets in and she is uncertain what the future holds for her. When she meets Tom Davenport, the gorgeous judgmental CEO of the tech start-up firm sharing her office space, she is initially taken aback. She questions her feelings for him, resenting his opinion about the start-up company she has with her friend Alan, but feeling alive when he is around. Yet Jules soon realises that Tom is not the person, whom she thought he was, and soon she feels that when she is with him, she can truly be herself. But life has a wife of complicating matters, and soon Jules is facing the biggest battle of her life and wondering whether the fledgling relationship she has with Tom can go the distance.
This was an amazing romance between two delightful characters, who have both faced tremendous challenges yet still find in themselves to love. Even when I stopped reading one chapter, I had to quickly go back and keep reading, as this book was all I could think of. Definitely 5+ stars.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Grape Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's not m crying right now. I'm just sweating from my eyes. This romance was a rom-com with a heart. I loved Jules and her dynamic personality. she has a great backstory and the more I discovered the more I loved her. I was not too fond of Tom when we first met. He had the best redemption story from that first meet-cute.

I enjoyed this book so much! I laughed, I cried and I reflected. It was way deeper than I was expecting but so cure and awesome all around.

I mean the other characters even had great stories to go along with Jules and Toms's story. The amount of research into the donor process must have been insane. it seemed super realistic and well throughout.

A wonderful read! I loved it

dang !! i just have to say this author has to send me a hard copy of her book i wont mind walking around evryday with it just rereading it ,Their love story is beautiful saying this with hope there is a possibility someone like him is out there.To think my sister thought i was sleeping i spend the whole night reading this book and i loved every second thanks to the author and her wonderful team..

I absolutely loved this book so much, I could not put it down. I started reading this book right before bed thinking I would just read a few chapters and ended up staying awake till 3am reading it. The characters were so dynamic and there was clear tension between the main characters. There was so much emotion packed into this story and it is definitely a slow-burn romance. My main takeaway is that Jules Kelly is an absolute girl boss and an amazing character. I highly encourage anyone to purchase and read this book!

I didn't think I would love this book so much. Going in I thought this was going to be a very predictable RomCom, but what I got instead was a book that I could not put down.
This book is way more than just your traditional RomCom. The book follows Jules, a tech startup CEO, struggling with an incurable chronic illness. This was a beautiful story that allows the reader to follow her journey of survival and the emotional struggles that come with it. Throughout the book you get to experience different stages of the illness with Jules and see how it effects her body and mental state, as well as the relationships in her life. We get to see the struggles of wanting to feel "normal" and hiding the daily struggles of illness. We get to experience the pain of feeling removed from the world, while still being part of it. What I found the most eye opening was seeing the struggle after the transplant. Seeing Jules learning how to live again and regain a life she never thought she would have.
This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time.

🩺BOOK REVIEW🩺

Unlikely Match: A Transplant Romance by Laura Bradbury
Release Date: May 26, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺

Meet Jules Kelly, a super bohemian girl boss CEO of a startup tech company that just won a subsidized space to work side by side with another up and coming tech company. A company polar opposite of hers, run by the cold yet superiorly handsome Tom Davenport. From the minute they meet, it is on. There is a spark of annoyance that takes over. However, no one knows Jules’ secret. She has a rare, terminal illness, and if she doesn’t get a transplant soon, her days are even more numbered than she thought. But there is something about fighting with Tom that makes Jules’ fighting spirit live again. Will this man she hates ultimately become the man that she needs?

⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️⚕️

Man, oh, man guys. Get ready for this one. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK. I cannot scream it any louder. The way Laura Bradbury describes the life that a person with a terminal illness has to tip toe around life sometimes; grappling with the grim possibilities but also with the extreme desire to live is more than accurate. The relationship between Tom and Jules is so raw and real. A true enemies to lovers. This book is sweet, and tragic, and hopeful, and all around just wonderful. Please, friends, do yourself the favor and read this one. It is just amazing.

🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺

✨Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this before it is published!✨

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#romance #contemporaryromance

“You know what they say, life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

I don’t know if words can do justice to this multi-layered, all encompassing, page turning story. Not only was it a funny, witty, enemies to lovers/workplace rom-com, it was also an emotional, heartbreaking story that sheds light on just how fragile life can be. Jules encapsulates the definition of an independent girl boss but is slowly losing hope at the bright future she could have as a rare disease is stealing that future day by day! While she is in need of a little hope and a miracle, Jules is trying to understand the little spark of fight she has left that seems to be caused by a dreamy tech-bro “Tom”. Is she feeling hate or chemistry and what does this mean when she’s preparing to say goodbye. Thank you Laura Bradbury and Netgalley for this Arc!

This story spoke volumes to me personally. I was lucky enough to spend the few years that I did with my best friend because of a liver transplant. Her bravery was just as powerful as Jules’ bravery and this is the kind of love story she deserved.

This book made my heart melt in so many ways. I loved the enemies to lovers vibes as well as the heart felt story that went with it💕 I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good enemies to lovers romance!

Unlikely Match is an awesome mixture of humor, sadness, love, and friendship. I absolutely loved Tom and Jules love story but the friendship that Jules and Alan had was amazing. Jules is such a warrior, i loved that she didnt let the disease define her.

Tom and Jules share a co-working space as CEOs to their respective companies. When Jules overhears Tom talking about her behind her back, she finally realizes that the animosity she's feeling from him is not just her imagination. But Jules has too many other things to worry about such as her rare disease that's slowly killing her and the only option she has is to get a donor for a transplant. When they are forced to compete for money for their companies, Jules and Tom's relationship becomes even more complicated.

Jules was an inspiration!! She was running a business while dealing with a life threatening disease. Oh and a pesky CEO. She somehow perseveres through family that doesn't believe that she's sick, a tight deadline to get money from an angel investor and the aforementioned pesky CEO. This story is more about believing the best in people rather than the disease Jules had. It was about love and kindness.

I thought that this book was going to be a downer, but it was somehow upbeat and a page turner. Once I started, I couldn't stop reading this book. I just had to know what happened with Jules and Tom. I definitely recommend checking this out if you're in the market for a good read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

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⭐️

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!!!