You Have a Match | ARC Review

My Rating: 4/5 STARS

Title: You Have a Match

Author: Emma Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/05/21

Categories: Young Adult, Identity, Family, Friendship, Romance, Coming of Age, Adoption

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

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.

My Attention: read in one day

World Building: Washington State – mostly at camp

Writing Style: easy to read and relatable

Crazy in Love: friends to lovers 

Creativity: Abby’s life gets a bit tangled and she learns to unravel some of the things tying her up in knots.

Triggers: adoption

My Takeaway: Sometimes when you try to find yourself…you find a sister along the way.

• Emma Lord is becoming a must-read author for me. I love how she writes young adult contemporary that is filled with relationship problems, whether it be between a romantic interest or issues that arise with family and friends.
• Abby’s not doing so well in school, her parents have her scheduled with tutoring. But her grandpa passed away, and she’s in love with her best friend – then on top of that she finds out her parents have been hiding a secret all her life. Talk about trying to manage all her emotions at once! It’s rough and she isn’t one to confront things happening in her life, but she learns how to when Savvy comes into her life, since Savvy is all about putting herself out there.
• The story is heart-warming. I love her friendship with Leo but she wants more and she doesn’t know what he wants. And when Abby and Savvy get to know each other, watching their relationship grow after a few rough spots…I wanted them to be in each other’s lives forever by the end of the story.
• The secret that Savvy and Abby’s parents share and hide is just so unfortunate, but I can see it as being totally realistic in adoption cases. I felt Abby’s mother’s pain and Savvy’s adopted mother’s as well.
• Not only is Savvy adopted but Leo is adopted too. He and his sister was adopted from the Philippines (love the rep!) – and he starts to open up about wanting to know his roots, and his people, through food dishes. I thought that was so fitting because as a Filipino myself…food is everything, it’s so connected to our family/history/culture/memories.

• It takes awhile for Leo and Abby to get together haha – lots of back and forth of not knowing where the other stands, but I did adore their friendship. Abby is a Junior so the angst is expected.

You Have a Match is a heartwarming story about finding yourself and family and friends along the way. Abby is grieving her grandpa, wishing she was “better” at everything so her parents could stop trying to fix her, and she’s in love with her best friend. In the end, she realizes her parents support her, and that the boy she loves, loves her back – she just had to open up and tell them what she felt. I enjoyed this story about Abby Day finding herself and also finding a sister.

💕 ~ Yolanda