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mischievous_monkey's review
3.0
This is a fairly simple and straightforward story of two young women making a connection and falling in love. What makes it different from everyday life is that while one is a college student, the other is a tennis superstar. That, of course, made for some interesting situations and the author did a good job of making it all seem plausible.
I really liked how caring and sweet the character of Dani was written. For example, when Ari was anxious because of the surprise aspect of their date in Florida, Dani told her the plan for the day and said, "My mission today is to make you happy. No point in hiding the date if that's only going to stress you out." And later, when she makes a mistake, she owns up to it and takes responsibility for her actions.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and worth the time spent on it and I am considering reading more by the author.
I really liked how caring and sweet the character of Dani was written. For example, when Ari was anxious because of the surprise aspect of their date in Florida, Dani told her the plan for the day and said, "My mission today is to make you happy. No point in hiding the date if that's only going to stress you out." And later, when she makes a mistake, she owns up to it and takes responsibility for her actions.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and worth the time spent on it and I am considering reading more by the author.
sapphicbookfae's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i really enjoyed this sweet sapphic romance and how it developed quickly! despite the quick pace i still feel like i got to know the main characters well and i got to grow with them as they navigated their relationship and different lives. some dialogue parts did feel cliché but i would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a good time and witness some cute sapphic kisses and brief couple of NSFW scenes. i do think Dani is the primary main character and that we got to see more of her growth in the pages
OH i will say i particularly enjoyed this book because i love tennis and like to play it badly but don't let the tennis terminology dissuade you from reading haha because there's suspense throughout the matches
OH i will say i particularly enjoyed this book because i love tennis and like to play it badly but don't let the tennis terminology dissuade you from reading haha because there's suspense throughout the matches
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
booksandfomo's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was so sweet! Daniela and Ari’s relationship development was *chef’s kiss.” There were many moments where I would verbally “aw” at their email or Tumblr conversations. They were so supportive of each other’s dreams and aspirations. Despite Ari being super shy and timid, her relationship with Daniela allowed her to come out of her shell and experience life. Her best friend was hilarious too.
This was also my first time reading a tennis sports romance, and I hope to read more. Daniela was such a beast on the court! I actually felt like I was watching something on a sports network, if that makes sense lol. We really got to watch her evolution as a player, even though she was already established as a superstar tennis player. As someone who is a big fan of sports in general, I loved following a story like hers. And then she was able to find the person to balance herself out…I mean you really can’t get any better than that.
If you’re interested in reading actual tennis plays, this is a great read!
buchherz_eva's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.5
althea's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
Match To Love is a really fun debut novel from Johana Gavez that I was really excited to read after loving her novella Leap To Love earlier this year, and I was not disappointed! I'm a sucker for sapphic sports romances so I jumped at the chance of reading an ARC and it was a lot of fun after reading some heavier fantasy and horror novels prior to picking it up! Dani and Ari's friends-to-lovers romance was so sweet from it's online relationship start to it's adorable ending and their dynamic was definitely the star of the show - consent was such a big part of this book, not only in regards to sex, but to all parts of their relationship and I was so happy to see that. There was also a part where Dani takes Ari on a surprise date but after Ari says she hates the not knowing of surprises and how much they stress her out, Dani gives her a run down of what they're going to do - and as someone who is both autistic and has clinical anxiety, that scene made me so, so happy to read! Of course, the sports aspect was also a lot of fun and I also really enjoyed all the side characters, from Ari's hilarious best friend Tom to Dani's coach and manager, Arantxa and Igor!
As someone who reads quite a lot of romance, though, I did feel like the plot was nothing that I haven't seen before - but that's not necessarily a bad thing, I'm just not a huge lover of the whole third act breakup thing - however, sometimes your classic romance is exactly what you need at a given moment, so I'm looking forward to returning to this story when I'm really in the mood for that - maybe after a fantasy novel binge! I do wish there had been a tad bit more depth to the main characters, maybe seeing them chat about what brought them together on Tumblr throughout the book would've been nice, or on the other hand turning this into a novella. Regardless, this was a really fun read and I'm looking forward to picking up Johana's future works!
Thanks to the author for sending me an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Match To Love is a really fun debut novel from Johana Gavez that I was really excited to read after loving her novella Leap To Love earlier this year, and I was not disappointed! I'm a sucker for sapphic sports romances so I jumped at the chance of reading an ARC and it was a lot of fun after reading some heavier fantasy and horror novels prior to picking it up! Dani and Ari's friends-to-lovers romance was so sweet from it's online relationship start to it's adorable ending and their dynamic was definitely the star of the show - consent was such a big part of this book, not only in regards to sex, but to all parts of their relationship and I was so happy to see that. There was also a part where Dani takes Ari on a surprise date but after Ari says she hates the not knowing of surprises and how much they stress her out, Dani gives her a run down of what they're going to do - and as someone who is both autistic and has clinical anxiety, that scene made me so, so happy to read! Of course, the sports aspect was also a lot of fun and I also really enjoyed all the side characters, from Ari's hilarious best friend Tom to Dani's coach and manager, Arantxa and Igor!
As someone who reads quite a lot of romance, though, I did feel like the plot was nothing that I haven't seen before - but that's not necessarily a bad thing, I'm just not a huge lover of the whole third act breakup thing - however, sometimes your classic romance is exactly what you need at a given moment, so I'm looking forward to returning to this story when I'm really in the mood for that - maybe after a fantasy novel binge! I do wish there had been a tad bit more depth to the main characters, maybe seeing them chat about what brought them together on Tumblr throughout the book would've been nice, or on the other hand turning this into a novella. Regardless, this was a really fun read and I'm looking forward to picking up Johana's future works!
Thanks to the author for sending me an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
timireads's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0