You Have a Match by Emma Lord

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The publisher kindly provided me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord’s You Have a Match, a YA novel of family, friendship, romance and sisterhood …

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie … although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents — especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

You Have a Match Review

After reading Tweet Cute last year, I immediately added You Have a Match to my TBR. Unfortunately, it didn’t really live up to my expectations and because of that, I’m really disappointed.

You Have a Match follows Abby, who takes a DNA test and finds out she has a sister. The two decide to spend the summer together at camp because they want to figure out their family history.

While this book is a bit disappointing to me, I want to talk about what I did enjoy. I loved the writing, which is something I loved in Tweet Cute. Emma Lord’s writing flows so nicely and is extremely easy to read. The time passes because you’re enjoying the overall flow of her words.

I also really enjoy the humour. Emma Lord is really great at adding in pop culture references and a lot of humourous moments that you can’t help but giggle. There’s nothing better than having a nice laugh, especially when real life is chaotic.

While I enjoyed the writing and the humour, the rest of the book falls flat for me. The plot just wasn’t as enjoyable to me as Tweet Cute. The premise was perfect, the influence of The Parent Trap is clearly there, but the execution just wasn’t for me.

The characters really drive a story for me and I just really didn’t feel a strong attachment to these characters. While I enjoyed their overall story, and am pleased with how things ended, they just didn’t grab my attention as much as I wanted.

I also found the romance to be extremely underwhelming. Even if the romance isn’t supposed to be the main focus, it still needs to make sense. And while I’m all for slow-burn romance, it just didn’t work for me in this book. I just really wanted more.

Overall, You Have a Match is not a bad book, it just wasn’t for me. Maybe it’s because my expectations going in were so high since Tweet Cute was one of my top 10 books of 2020. But, I do plan on picking up any future books by Emma Lord.

I think if you’re a fan of young adult contemporary romance, outdoor settings, The Parent Trap, and finding family, then you should give this book a try. While it didn’t work for me, I still think it will be enjoyable for a lot of people, and I recommend picking it up to see for yourself!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Favourite Quote
If you learn to capture a feeling, it’ll always be louder than words.

About the Author

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising.

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