Three friends upcycle their exes through London’s most popular boyfriend recycling website, but haven’t bargained on the consequences of the exchanges they make.
Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk.
Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can recycle their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen.
Rachel's office romance James was a big fat mistake and she's more than happy to upcycle him… Or is she? Homebody Sarah hasn't had a date in years but when her transformation finds men falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making? And Catherine falls asleep more often on her desk than on a man, so when she builds the perfect partner who ticks all her boxes, surely it's a recipe for love . . . not disaster?
There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out for themselves ...
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match
- Fiddler on The Roof
Catherine may be a divorcee, but she is a successful matchmaker. Her silent business partner is her ex husband - he considers Catherine his best (platonic) friend. She shares a ramshackle house with Rachel, a competitive architect, and Sarah, a wedding card artist. Catherine convinces them to join her new venture, recycleexes.com, where former execs provide feedback to each other to join the dating website. While Rachel and Sarah throw themselves in the challenges of online dating, Catherine walks a fine line with her ex husband who sells his shares in the business to his fiance.
Gorman gives us a glimpse of the modern woman navigating London living in MATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Each housemate has fallen into a funk where their careers have overtaken their love lives. Can recycelexes.com bring passion back to their lives? I enjoyed each housemate's individual journey of finding the right balance between work, family, friends, and dating. Gorman delivers an easy to read Brit Chick Lit which focuses on personal growth rather than romantic relationship. I could not put this book down and I did not want it to end. It reminded me of my first assignment in the Air Force where I shared a Victorian home in Boston's suburb with two other single lieutenants. We had different personalities, yet we came together at the end of the day to share a glass of wine.
I have read 7 books from Gorman - I believe each book includes something from Gorman's personal life. In MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, Catherine follows her then husband to the US for an extended stay in Washington, DC. Gorman herself grew up in the US, but now lives in London. I appreciated that she included Catherine's perspective of living aboard as a British ex pat in the US.
Gorman weaves pop culture into the plot, including cell phones, new age, and reality TV, reflecting upon how social mores shape our lives. Gorman adds humor with the ongoing renovations to the ramshackle house (again, something from her personal life. She has shared her own "flat" renovations on her author Facebook page). The unreliable builders destroy just as much as they repair during the daily battle to modernize their home. Think Eldin the painter from the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown. Murphy Brown, a single woman herself, would find MATCH ME IF YOU CAN an entertaining read.
I am a long time fan of Gorman's books and jumped at the chance to review MATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Avon Romance provided a print copy for my honest review.
I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,
1. Do you have a favorite "single woman" character from books, TV, or film? My roommates from Boston watched Murphy Brown with me! Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown delivered humor while still touching upon sensitive subjects, such as recovering alcoholic, glass ceiling, and single motherhood.
2. Comments are open through Saturday
3. I'll post the winner on Sunday,
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
