In The Match, Sarah Adams (The Rule Book) infuses serious subjects with poignant humor and lovable dogs sure to charm rom-com readers.
Evelyn "Evie" Grace Jones is a cheery and optimistic 26-year-old who has epilepsy. She moves out of her snooty, status-conscious parents' Charleston, S.C., home to work for Southern Service Paws, an organization that led Evie to Charlie, her beloved service dog. Evie adores her job, where she matches disabled people with canines that offer them remarkable assistance.
Ten-year-old Samantha Broaden also has epilepsy. Since her parents' divorce--her mother left to pursue acting aspirations--Sam has been doted on and cared for by her overprotective, self-sacrificing single father, 33-year-old Jacob, an architect. Sam loves Jacob, but he's resistant to his daughter pursuing independence by sharing her life with a service dog.
Sam sneakily lures Jacob to a new client meeting with Southern Service Paws, where he locks horns with Evie, who finds him rigid but also romantically irresistible. As Evie searches for a loyal canine companion for Sam, Jacob witnesses Evie's compassion toward his daughter and her disability. When Evie ultimately finds Sam a beautiful service dog, Daisy, Jacob softens and lowers his defenses, and romance blooms with Evie. However, Jacob's insecurity about his marriage and the return of his ex-wife, along with Evie's meddling family, become obstacles to the couple's happiness.
Adams's uplifting romantic comedy delivers positive messaging and feel-good hope. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines