Book Title: The Match (Goodreads)
Author: Sarah Adams
Narrators: Rusty Mewha & Leanne Woodward
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Match is a sweet and easy rom-com with service dogs, a quirky lead, and a bit of Southern charm.
Summary:
This book follows Evie, an upbeat, optimistic woman with epilepsy, who’s been working at Southern Service Paws, matching people with service dogs. She’s got her own service dog, Charlie, so she knows just how much these dogs can mean to people. Enter Jake, a single dad who’s barely hanging on between his demanding architecture job, his recent divorce, and trying to manage his 10-year-old daughter Sam’s epilepsy. Sam, determined to have more independence, sets up a meeting with Evie on her dad’s behalf, even though Jake’s been dead set against getting her a service dog.
When Jake arrives at a meeting about Southern Service Paws his daughter set up without telling him, he's not thrilled, and he takes off his frustration on the lovely woman from the company, Evie. But over the next few days, as he reflected on how withdrawn his daughter is becoming, he finally comes around and gives in to the idea of a dog for Sam. They match her with Daisy, a dog who instantly connects with her, and soon, Evie finds herself spending more time with Jake, too. Their chemistry is undeniable, and they start to move from flirty banter to something more serious.
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Evie’s past includes an unlovable ex her family tried to push on her, and Jake’s got his own baggage, with an ex-wife who can’t resist stirring up a little drama. Misunderstandings pop up as they try to work through their issues, playing off the miscommunication trope so common in modern romances. By the end of the book, they certainly find their happily ever after.
My Thoughts:
I loved seeing service dogs in a romance novel! As someone with a medical alert dog, I felt pretty seen, and it was nice to read about a character dealing with the same kind of issues. There were a few raw moments for Evie, like questioning if she’s dateable with her condition, or if someone would find it a dealbreaker or even just look at her differently if they saw her having a seizure—those hit home. I do wish the book went into the raw emotion of this more than it did.
On the flip side, the Charlie and Daisy could have had a bit more personality. They came off a little too perfect; in real life, at least from my experience, service dogs aren't perfect and need constant training, so I would have loved to see more of that. For example, mine gets excited if she sees another dog and gives me side eye when I give her the command to leave them alone. She has to be told 3 times to get off the bed in the morning because she thinks its too comfortable to wake up. And she runs away when she hears the whirring nail clipper because she doesn't like it.
The romance itself is classic rom-com material. It’s got the meet-cute, the flirty banter, a couple of misunderstandings, and a happy ending. Nothing revolutionary, but sometimes it’s nice to know you’re getting a sweet, cozy love story with no big surprises. The story’s predictable but in a comforting way, kind of like watching your favorite rom-com for the 100th time.
Narration:
This is my first time hearing Leanne Woodward, and I really liked her! She didn't necessarily have a southern tinge as Evie might, but her delivery nailed the sassy side-comments which really helped to Evie some real personality. I think without hitting these side-sasses, Evie might have been more of a flat-perfect character, so I was happy with my choice listening and not reading this book. Rusty Mewha as the male narrator did a solid job, too. There were no cringey moments, which can be a relief in romance audiobooks! He didn’t stand out in any big way, but honestly, that’s perfect for a cozy, cookie-cutter read.
Overall Impressions:
The Match is lighthearted and pleasant, the kind of rom-com that doesn’t ask for much but delivers a nice story with some feel-good vibes. If you’re into service dogs, small-town charm, and romance that feels familiar and cozy, this one’s a solid choice.
Unnecessary rating explanation:
My rating system will usually start out at 3 stars, and stay there for what I call, pleasant, cozy, and/or cookie-cutter reads. I add stars depending on if the story adds memorable parts to it: could be scenes, relationships, something that's described, quotes that resonated, a way a character was developed to be complex, in some fantasy books the worldbuilding, etc. In any other instance, this book might have been a 3-star for me, but since service dogs just mean that much to me, it got bumped up to a 4.5, rounding up to 5.
