An Overdue Match
(Checking Out Love #1)
By Sarah Monzon
Christian Contemporary Romance, Rom-com
Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback & eBook, 320 Pages
February 18, 2025 by Bethany House Publishers
Summary
Can a librarian's matchmaking mischief lead to a love that rewrites their stories?
If the covers of every romance book ever published didn't convince librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn't heroine material, her fiancé calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what's a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that's what. Armed with library patrons' check-out histories, she's determined to make at least one love connection--even if it's not her own.
Tattoo artist Tai Davis is used to people judging him with a single glance, so it doesn't surprise him when the town's quirky new librarian believes his bad-boy reputation without giving him a chance. He can't help being intrigued by her, though, so when he discovers Evangeline's secret matchmaking scheme, he's not above striking a bargain with her. She just has to agree to one date with him for every time she uses his hometown knowledge to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous. The deal is made, but in the process, they both might learn you can't judge a book--or each other--by the cover.
"With a uniquely heartfelt message, lovable characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, Sarah Monzon's novel is a delight!"--MELISSA FERGUSON, bestselling author of How to Plot a Payback
This is a sweet he-falls-first, opposites attract, matchmaker romantic comedy with disability representation. Perfect for fans of books about books and kisses-only romances.
(Affiliate links included.)
My Review
AN OVERDUE MATCH is about a woman with alopecia (where your body loses all its hair) who thinks her future doesn't include love. It's also about a man who appears rough on the outside but who had his own battle with asthma and an overprotective parent to find himself and God. She wants to match others in love and he wants a chance with her even though on the surface they're opposites and she's opposed. It's classic good girl/bad boy/opposites attract on the surface, but these characters aren't so simple, and neither is the situation the heroine is trying to work through. There's plenty of swoon-worthy moments and humor mixed with moments that will deeply resonate with readers as they cheer on this couple. If you're a sweet contemporary romance or Christian romance fan, then I definitely recommend grabbing this one!
Read this book if you like:
📕Books about librarians and books
📕Opposites attract and bad boy/good girl tropes
📕Themes about being worthy and loved
📕Great main and side characters who are relatable
📕Sweet romance with humor and banter
📕Books that involve atypical characters or situations
📕Strong female friendships
This was a great read from the start! I loved Evangeline and Tai! Evangeline was fairly prim and proper as a librarian, except for her nerdy book tees. She even owned a cat. Her love of books was easy to relate to, but she also was a very vulnerable character who was doing something she loved and trying to find joy in others' happiness. She would make a fabulous friend. Tai was this fun, tattooed, a bit of an adrenaline junky, super nice guy who loved to tease. The banter between Tai and Evangeline was great and made me smile (and swoon a bit). Evangeline had all these walls and Tai kept getting past them. I also liked all the other side characters who added their own to the story. The romance was sweet and fun with plenty of humor, but it was more so about Evangeline and her struggle with seeing herself and feeling deserving. Tai was perfect in showing her how beautiful she was and that God saw her that way too and loved her.
I did have a few issues with the story. The religious element felt a bit out of left field. I would have liked that worked through a bit better, maybe leading up to it better. I whole heartedly agreed, but it just felt like I got hit with it. The other thing was that Tai was supposedly supposed to help Evangeline with the matchmaking, but that part of the plot never happened even though it was introduced and that's the only reason these two were supposed to be spending time together. The last thing that bothered me a bit was how mean Evangaline was which didn't feel consistent with her character, especially since she wouldn't even tell her grandparents about her ex.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This story had all the feels with a sweet romance, humor, great characters, an inspirational element, and some difficult struggles the heroine had to work through. Definitely a book for Christian romance and contemporary romance readers!
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Have you read any other books by this author or where a character has alopecia?
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.