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The Unmatchmakers
From the author of DONUT FALL IN LOVE comes a perfect summer love story set in the forested paradise of Canadian cottage country that asks the question: can love beat the odds when the odds are two mothers dead-set against it?
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You’d think my mother would be trying to set me up with architect Neil Choy, the unmarried son of her best friend. But you’d be wrong.
My single mother has always been fiercely independent. Since I was a small child, she’s always told me not to believe in fairy tales and that I don’t need a man. So she’s failed to mention that Neil is a total hottie in glasses. When I see him for the first time in a decade, on a multi-family cottage vacation, I’m in for quite a shock. (In fact, I nearly fall in the lake, but let’s keep that a secret.)
He sure can grill a mean steak and mix a killer cocktail, plus he’s pretty impressive in a kayak. Yes, he’s a little stern and grumpy, but that just makes him more fun to tease—and makes it more satisfying when he quirks his lips in my direction.
Even though my mind is spinning romantic fantasies, I’m not entirely sure how he feels. And I’m afraid that if anything happens between us, it’ll screw up the friendship between our staunchly anti-relationship mothers. Especially since they’ve been acting increasingly weird since we arrived—I will never forgive them for the S’mores Incident. In fact, I think they’re trying to sabotage my love life, and I’m starting to worry that I won’t make it through this bizarre summer vacation…
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Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang’s THE BRIDE TEST and THE DONUT TRAP by Julie Tieu, THE UNMATCHMAKERS is a forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy that explores finding the balance of meeting expectations and being true to yourself, and how even the best of intentions can sometimes backfire.
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You’d think my mother would be trying to set me up with architect Neil Choy, the unmarried son of her best friend. But you’d be wrong.
My single mother has always been fiercely independent. Since I was a small child, she’s always told me not to believe in fairy tales and that I don’t need a man. So she’s failed to mention that Neil is a total hottie in glasses. When I see him for the first time in a decade, on a multi-family cottage vacation, I’m in for quite a shock. (In fact, I nearly fall in the lake, but let’s keep that a secret.)
He sure can grill a mean steak and mix a killer cocktail, plus he’s pretty impressive in a kayak. Yes, he’s a little stern and grumpy, but that just makes him more fun to tease—and makes it more satisfying when he quirks his lips in my direction.
Even though my mind is spinning romantic fantasies, I’m not entirely sure how he feels. And I’m afraid that if anything happens between us, it’ll screw up the friendship between our staunchly anti-relationship mothers. Especially since they’ve been acting increasingly weird since we arrived—I will never forgive them for the S’mores Incident. In fact, I think they’re trying to sabotage my love life, and I’m starting to worry that I won’t make it through this bizarre summer vacation…
----------------
Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang’s THE BRIDE TEST and THE DONUT TRAP by Julie Tieu, THE UNMATCHMAKERS is a forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy that explores finding the balance of meeting expectations and being true to yourself, and how even the best of intentions can sometimes backfire.
183 pages, ebook
First published June 28, 2022
12 people are currently reading
1,735 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Lau
42 books779 followersJackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
July 5, 2022
A spectacular Canadian cottage country setting, two mischievous mothers trying to matchmake their kids and a lighthearted friends to lovers theme! I’m sold!
This book is quick, unputdownable, feelgood read! First you fell for its fantastic cover and then you get lost yourself in entertaining, sweet, soft, swoon story!
I loved main character Leora from the beginning. Hottie in glass Neil: for childhood friend was so reserved and it took a little time for me to like this character. The way Leora realizes she has feelings for him was a little instant but this book is fast paced, quick read so insta love perfectly fit in the execution.
I absolutely recommend to all feelgood romance lovers! Definitely great escape from reality and enjoy Canadian sightseeings!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kobo Originals for sharing this lovely digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
This book is quick, unputdownable, feelgood read! First you fell for its fantastic cover and then you get lost yourself in entertaining, sweet, soft, swoon story!
I loved main character Leora from the beginning. Hottie in glass Neil: for childhood friend was so reserved and it took a little time for me to like this character. The way Leora realizes she has feelings for him was a little instant but this book is fast paced, quick read so insta love perfectly fit in the execution.
I absolutely recommend to all feelgood romance lovers! Definitely great escape from reality and enjoy Canadian sightseeings!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kobo Originals for sharing this lovely digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Read
June 16, 2022A short novel that takes the classic "Asian matchmaking mothers" premise and flips it: Neil and Leora's mothers will do anything to prevent them from getting together, because both mothers were badly burned by their own romantic failures.
This is treading a difficult line between funny and serious. On the one hand the unmatchmaking mothers are ridiculous and their schemes an entertaining way to frustrate the MCs, but there's also a very heavy background issue here about damaged lives and controlling parenting. Leora's mother would take away dolls given to her as presents because romance was unacceptable, paid a boyfriend to leave her and scared another one off, and now hides Leora's bikini in case Neil finds her attractive. It's abusive, whatever the intent, and has obviously had a damaging effect on Leora, who is alarmingly prone to romantic fantasies and desperate to meet her prince, and has got into bad relationships because of it. This is written with compassion and understanding of difficult, complex cultural issues and intergenerational difficulty and indeed the fact that hurt people hurt people.
Leora is a lighthearted heroine, very consciously embracing her feminine romantic side in opposition to her mother's rejection of it all, and good for her. She is very prone to romantic fantasy, and it's slightly unnerving how quickly she starts dreaming of a happy ever after with Neil, but she does also know that she's prone to do this, and stops to weigh up real concerns (in some respects, the parental interference forces her to think harder about not jumping into the relationship, which is no bad thing). I really liked it whenever we got Neil and Leora on page together and actually saw them interacting--he's a serious, nurturing sort, she's a joy-finder, which is a delightful pairing--and it was deeply frustrating how much they were kept apart by the parental shenanigans (although not as frustrating as it was for the characters). It's pretty much a no-internal-conflict romance, which is the right decision what with the background, though I'd have really liked more on page Neil and Leora just to see them connect that bit more, and also as more balance for the heavier parental relationships storyline.
Loved the well drawn sense of place, and the sense of community and long friendships among the older women. Also I have finally found out what 'smores are after reading about them for years although I cannot say I will be putting this knowledge into practice.
This is treading a difficult line between funny and serious. On the one hand the unmatchmaking mothers are ridiculous and their schemes an entertaining way to frustrate the MCs, but there's also a very heavy background issue here about damaged lives and controlling parenting. Leora's mother would take away dolls given to her as presents because romance was unacceptable, paid a boyfriend to leave her and scared another one off, and now hides Leora's bikini in case Neil finds her attractive. It's abusive, whatever the intent, and has obviously had a damaging effect on Leora, who is alarmingly prone to romantic fantasies and desperate to meet her prince, and has got into bad relationships because of it. This is written with compassion and understanding of difficult, complex cultural issues and intergenerational difficulty and indeed the fact that hurt people hurt people.
Leora is a lighthearted heroine, very consciously embracing her feminine romantic side in opposition to her mother's rejection of it all, and good for her. She is very prone to romantic fantasy, and it's slightly unnerving how quickly she starts dreaming of a happy ever after with Neil, but she does also know that she's prone to do this, and stops to weigh up real concerns (in some respects, the parental interference forces her to think harder about not jumping into the relationship, which is no bad thing). I really liked it whenever we got Neil and Leora on page together and actually saw them interacting--he's a serious, nurturing sort, she's a joy-finder, which is a delightful pairing--and it was deeply frustrating how much they were kept apart by the parental shenanigans (although not as frustrating as it was for the characters). It's pretty much a no-internal-conflict romance, which is the right decision what with the background, though I'd have really liked more on page Neil and Leora just to see them connect that bit more, and also as more balance for the heavier parental relationships storyline.
Loved the well drawn sense of place, and the sense of community and long friendships among the older women. Also I have finally found out what 'smores are after reading about them for years although I cannot say I will be putting this knowledge into practice.
July 17, 2022
3.5 rounded down - cute story with AAPI representation & a Canadian setting - but perhaps a bit predictable.
June 14, 2022
This bite-sized novel was just what we were looking for for summer vacation! It's got Jackie Lau's trademark Canadian setting and Asian-Canadian characters, a super fun rom-com set-up, and an all-around perfect couple. Leora and Neil grew up around each other. Their mothers are two of a threesome of single mom BFFs who just went in on a vacation house together. To celebrate, all of the families are invited for a weeklong vacation. That's where Neil and Leora see each other for the first time in years. You'd think that two best friends would be over the moon that their adult children are falling in love - but instead, Leora's and Neil's mothers are doing everything they can to sabotage the relationship. Leora and Neil will have to decide if a budding connection is worth family disapproval.
Leora is a cheerful, social, romance-novel-reading second grade teacher, while Neil is a serious architect. Although the novel is short, the background from Neil and Leora's shared childhood makes their connection believable. Even the inevitable third act conflict feels in-character on both parties' parts. The book is also hilarious! Leora knows just how far she can push Neil, while he knows that her teasing is based on years of acquaintance. Their mutual respect really shines through.
And, in case you were wondering (cause we were), this is a real romcom in that it is real funny, but it's also a real romance in that it is sexy! Neil knows his way around the bedroom and Leora knows what she wants and how to ask for it. And if they get interrupted a few times by their moms (which, totally plausible and totally cringe), they make up for it later.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Leora is a cheerful, social, romance-novel-reading second grade teacher, while Neil is a serious architect. Although the novel is short, the background from Neil and Leora's shared childhood makes their connection believable. Even the inevitable third act conflict feels in-character on both parties' parts. The book is also hilarious! Leora knows just how far she can push Neil, while he knows that her teasing is based on years of acquaintance. Their mutual respect really shines through.
And, in case you were wondering (cause we were), this is a real romcom in that it is real funny, but it's also a real romance in that it is sexy! Neil knows his way around the bedroom and Leora knows what she wants and how to ask for it. And if they get interrupted a few times by their moms (which, totally plausible and totally cringe), they make up for it later.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
December 21, 2022
3.5-4 stars!
This is a family friends to lovers romance set in Canadian cottage country! We get a sweet summer romance and loud, opinionated, ridiculous moms here who do everything they can to interfere with their adult children’s lives. It’s silly and I had fun with the romance!
Neil and Leora’s moms are best friends, though Neil and Leora themselves haven’t seen each other in a long time. So when they reunite for their family vacation together, Leora is shocked by how hot Neil is now. They form this sweet summer romance that they know can lead to something more, but their parents are not exactly happy about it. You would think that with the moms being best friends, they’d want their kids to end up together, but they want the complete opposite – they want to unmatchmake them. It’s very much a rom-com, with a lot of silliness and over-the-top drama, but I thought it was cute and a super quick and easy read. If you’re feeling like reading a summer romance during winter, I would say try this one!
This is a family friends to lovers romance set in Canadian cottage country! We get a sweet summer romance and loud, opinionated, ridiculous moms here who do everything they can to interfere with their adult children’s lives. It’s silly and I had fun with the romance!
Neil and Leora’s moms are best friends, though Neil and Leora themselves haven’t seen each other in a long time. So when they reunite for their family vacation together, Leora is shocked by how hot Neil is now. They form this sweet summer romance that they know can lead to something more, but their parents are not exactly happy about it. You would think that with the moms being best friends, they’d want their kids to end up together, but they want the complete opposite – they want to unmatchmake them. It’s very much a rom-com, with a lot of silliness and over-the-top drama, but I thought it was cute and a super quick and easy read. If you’re feeling like reading a summer romance during winter, I would say try this one!
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 19, 2022DNF @ 65%.
i've been incredibly eager and excited to get my hands on a book by jackie lau. as an asian woman from toronto, and an avid romance fan to boot, i felt that her #ownvoices stories seemed precisely my jam.
i was immediately intrigued by the premise of the unmatchmakers. it seemed so fresh and novel - you often hear about matchmaking parents conspiring to push their kids together (especially in stories by/about [chinese] immigrants) that it was a refreshing change to see exactly the opposite!
unfortunately, the execution of this idea truly fell flat for me. i didn't realize that the romance plot would be based so heavily on insta-love, which made leora and neil's chemistry utterly unbelievable. i didn't find myself invested in - let alone rooting for - this pairing because it all seemed so fast as to be flatly absurd. i also personally had a hard time connecting with leora's narration; her voice seemed a trifle juvenile, if earnest.
overall, although this book was not the one for me, i did enjoy reading a romance set in ontario's cottage country (a criminally under-used setting). i always love supporting stories by/about women of colour, and i hope more of these stories will be published.
many thanks to the author, netgalley, and kobo originals for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
i've been incredibly eager and excited to get my hands on a book by jackie lau. as an asian woman from toronto, and an avid romance fan to boot, i felt that her #ownvoices stories seemed precisely my jam.
i was immediately intrigued by the premise of the unmatchmakers. it seemed so fresh and novel - you often hear about matchmaking parents conspiring to push their kids together (especially in stories by/about [chinese] immigrants) that it was a refreshing change to see exactly the opposite!
unfortunately, the execution of this idea truly fell flat for me. i didn't realize that the romance plot would be based so heavily on insta-love, which made leora and neil's chemistry utterly unbelievable. i didn't find myself invested in - let alone rooting for - this pairing because it all seemed so fast as to be flatly absurd. i also personally had a hard time connecting with leora's narration; her voice seemed a trifle juvenile, if earnest.
overall, although this book was not the one for me, i did enjoy reading a romance set in ontario's cottage country (a criminally under-used setting). i always love supporting stories by/about women of colour, and i hope more of these stories will be published.
many thanks to the author, netgalley, and kobo originals for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2022
(Thank you Valentine PR & Literary Management, Netgalley and the author Jackie Lau for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
This is my first book from Jackie and I requested for the arc because it was described to have an Asian representation from the blurb and also because of the tropes (friends to lovers, forced proximity).
Given the length of the book (180+ pages) I didn’t expect a heavy romance and it did fulfil a quick, light read. I read it in about 2 hours.
But I found the book quite difficult to stay interested in. The pacing was slow and fast and the side characters had so much emphasis I felt the main characters couldn’t develop their connection. Their chemistry seemed to be more insta love than childhood friends to lovers. Both the main characters were a little boring and bland. I really didn’t like the mothers’ plotline because it felt too controlling and unnecessary, although relatable.
I gave this book 2 ⭐ because there was a lot of telling through the words but nothing really happened, the actions didn’t match up to the telling. I couldn’t find the romcom aspect in the book as well.
Thoughts
This is my first book from Jackie and I requested for the arc because it was described to have an Asian representation from the blurb and also because of the tropes (friends to lovers, forced proximity).
Given the length of the book (180+ pages) I didn’t expect a heavy romance and it did fulfil a quick, light read. I read it in about 2 hours.
But I found the book quite difficult to stay interested in. The pacing was slow and fast and the side characters had so much emphasis I felt the main characters couldn’t develop their connection. Their chemistry seemed to be more insta love than childhood friends to lovers. Both the main characters were a little boring and bland. I really didn’t like the mothers’ plotline because it felt too controlling and unnecessary, although relatable.
I gave this book 2 ⭐ because there was a lot of telling through the words but nothing really happened, the actions didn’t match up to the telling. I couldn’t find the romcom aspect in the book as well.
June 29, 2022
3 ⭐️
I was really excited to read this and I actually own Donut Fall in Love and haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet.
It was very interesting to read this as a Chinese woman from Toronto. I liked the small little details she put in about the city. Leora our fmc loves Timbits and she basically goes on a vacation with her mom and bumps into her childhood friend Neil. This was supposed to be childhood friends to lovers but felt way more like insta love from me. (A trope I don’t like.)
Leora and Neil’s mothers meddle in their relationship and the further I read on the more frustrated I got. I understand the stereotype of Asian parents wanting to lookout and protect their children. But this plot point just really annoyed me and I started to get tired reading about this. Overall, a decent and cute fast paced read which was set in a small town here in Ontario.
I was really excited to read this and I actually own Donut Fall in Love and haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet.
It was very interesting to read this as a Chinese woman from Toronto. I liked the small little details she put in about the city. Leora our fmc loves Timbits and she basically goes on a vacation with her mom and bumps into her childhood friend Neil. This was supposed to be childhood friends to lovers but felt way more like insta love from me. (A trope I don’t like.)
Leora and Neil’s mothers meddle in their relationship and the further I read on the more frustrated I got. I understand the stereotype of Asian parents wanting to lookout and protect their children. But this plot point just really annoyed me and I started to get tired reading about this. Overall, a decent and cute fast paced read which was set in a small town here in Ontario.
Read
June 18, 2022yeah this is a dnf. sadly i wasn't vibing with the book and story. you don't know how much i WANTED to love this, the synopsis sounds great and it seems like the plot is going to give lots of romantic content... but i think i have to finally acknowledge that i just don't really like how jackie lau writes. it's been happening to me for a few times since one book of hers i felt it fell flat for me. too much saying and not enough doing, you know? yeah... it's sad because her books all look and sound so cute and romantic, but they're boring to me, personally.
it can be a book for you definitely! it just wasn't for me.
it can be a book for you definitely! it just wasn't for me.
June 30, 2022
The Unmatchmakers was a cute contemporary featuring a childhood friends to lovers romance.
Growing up, Leora's mother always told her not to believe in fairy tales and that she doesn't need a man in her life. But Leora ended up turning into a complete romantic much to her mother's chagrin. When Leora arrives at her mother's new cottage for a summer vacation, she's surprised to see one of her childhood friends, Neil Choy. As the two become reacquainted, Leora quickly starts to fall for Neil. But with both of their mothers being so anti-relationship, could any relationship between them work?
Leora struggled with her mother's anti-relationship attitude as it extended beyond just relationships and Leora wasn't allowed to do things considered stereotypically feminine. Despite her mother's attitudes, Leora is a romantic and loves the idea of love. Neil is more practical when it comes to romance and simply hasn't had the time to devote to relationships due to his work. He's also quite serious in general which made him a fun match for Leora's more whimsical nature.
Leora is immediately attracted to Neil although she's determined to ignore her attraction as she doesn't want to cause issues in the friendship their mothers share. But when her and Neil strike up a friendship, their mothers are immediately threatened by them spending any time together and try to keep the two apart. Leora and Neil are somewhat annoyed by this and find time to sneak away leading to their eventual romance. The romance is definitely a slow-building one with the steamy scenes coming near the end of the book. I did enjoy their romance overall but I definitely got frustrated with their mothers and how interfering they were. Eventually they manage to work things out but if you're not a fan of interfering families then this may not be the book for you.
Overall The Unmatchmakers was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it if you're looking for a cute contemporary.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Growing up, Leora's mother always told her not to believe in fairy tales and that she doesn't need a man in her life. But Leora ended up turning into a complete romantic much to her mother's chagrin. When Leora arrives at her mother's new cottage for a summer vacation, she's surprised to see one of her childhood friends, Neil Choy. As the two become reacquainted, Leora quickly starts to fall for Neil. But with both of their mothers being so anti-relationship, could any relationship between them work?
Leora struggled with her mother's anti-relationship attitude as it extended beyond just relationships and Leora wasn't allowed to do things considered stereotypically feminine. Despite her mother's attitudes, Leora is a romantic and loves the idea of love. Neil is more practical when it comes to romance and simply hasn't had the time to devote to relationships due to his work. He's also quite serious in general which made him a fun match for Leora's more whimsical nature.
Leora is immediately attracted to Neil although she's determined to ignore her attraction as she doesn't want to cause issues in the friendship their mothers share. But when her and Neil strike up a friendship, their mothers are immediately threatened by them spending any time together and try to keep the two apart. Leora and Neil are somewhat annoyed by this and find time to sneak away leading to their eventual romance. The romance is definitely a slow-building one with the steamy scenes coming near the end of the book. I did enjoy their romance overall but I definitely got frustrated with their mothers and how interfering they were. Eventually they manage to work things out but if you're not a fan of interfering families then this may not be the book for you.
Overall The Unmatchmakers was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it if you're looking for a cute contemporary.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
June 13, 2022
The Unmatchmakers is about a group of childhood friends reuniting for a week of vacation at their newly purchased home. Leora and Neil haven't seen one other in a long time, but things have changed since their previous encounter. They end up falling in love, but their mothers are the main issue.
Both of their mothers have had disastrous relationships in the past. They have made it a point to ensure that their children's partnerships do not survive long. Which, in my opinion, is wrong. Just because your love life has taken a turn for the worse doesn't mean you have to drag your children down with you and become enraged that they desire to fall in love. They act as if they don't want their children to fall in love with anyone! They’re own kids don’t have a say in their own relationships. I mean Leora mother payed a guy $200 just to break up with her???
It's okay if they didn't want to fall in love and marry, but their mothers are making this decision for them, which isn't acceptable. Please, for the love of god, listen to your children and set your own feelings aside. That part irritated me tremendously. And these mothers will go to every length to ensure that Leora and Neil do not fall in love and keep away from one other.
If I'm being honest, the two of them were a little boring. It's as if we don't know anything about them and they're just... blah.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
Both of their mothers have had disastrous relationships in the past. They have made it a point to ensure that their children's partnerships do not survive long. Which, in my opinion, is wrong. Just because your love life has taken a turn for the worse doesn't mean you have to drag your children down with you and become enraged that they desire to fall in love. They act as if they don't want their children to fall in love with anyone! They’re own kids don’t have a say in their own relationships. I mean Leora mother payed a guy $200 just to break up with her???
It's okay if they didn't want to fall in love and marry, but their mothers are making this decision for them, which isn't acceptable. Please, for the love of god, listen to your children and set your own feelings aside. That part irritated me tremendously. And these mothers will go to every length to ensure that Leora and Neil do not fall in love and keep away from one other.
If I'm being honest, the two of them were a little boring. It's as if we don't know anything about them and they're just... blah.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
June 28, 2022
3.5 stars
Really liked the found family/community built by the three single mothers, but the shorter word count was detrimental for the romantic ship and mother-daughter conflict.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Really liked the found family/community built by the three single mothers, but the shorter word count was detrimental for the romantic ship and mother-daughter conflict.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2022
Thanks to Kobo Originals, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
This is the first book by this author I have read and I really enjoyed it. This is a contemporary grumpy/sunshine romance but I think it's the complicated family dynamics that make it something more. Lenora's mother has had a bad romantic experience in the past, and despite Lenora being a complete romantic, actively discourages her from falling in love. So when Lenora reconnects with Neil, her mother's best friend's son, things get a little complicated.
Neil is so dorky it's cute. Initially Lenora comes across as a bit of a ditz and I found myself sometimes sharing her mother's opinion that she could be less easy-going. But in the end I appreciated the strength of character that it took for her to own her personality and attributes unapologetically.
There's some pretty funny moments in this book - I particularly identified with a bunch of older relatives and family friends bringing up embarrassing stories about one's childhood without reading the room.
Overall a fun read. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
This is the first book by this author I have read and I really enjoyed it. This is a contemporary grumpy/sunshine romance but I think it's the complicated family dynamics that make it something more. Lenora's mother has had a bad romantic experience in the past, and despite Lenora being a complete romantic, actively discourages her from falling in love. So when Lenora reconnects with Neil, her mother's best friend's son, things get a little complicated.
Neil is so dorky it's cute. Initially Lenora comes across as a bit of a ditz and I found myself sometimes sharing her mother's opinion that she could be less easy-going. But in the end I appreciated the strength of character that it took for her to own her personality and attributes unapologetically.
There's some pretty funny moments in this book - I particularly identified with a bunch of older relatives and family friends bringing up embarrassing stories about one's childhood without reading the room.
Overall a fun read. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Shelved as 'life-is-too-short'
August 15, 2023I think this is my third attempt with Lau, and though I want to love everything about this, I can't get past the writing style. I want to feel, see the characters feel and not be told.
Probably my last attempt here, bc the set up should charm me to no end.
Probably my last attempt here, bc the set up should charm me to no end.
June 11, 2022
Such a fun opposites attract summer romance between two childhood friends who reunite when their mothers buy a vacation home in Ontario's cottage country. If you're looking for an entertaining beach read this book is the perfect fit!
Leona and Neil haven't seen one another in years but when they find themselves spending a week together with their families they can't help but feel the chemistry. Unlike many Asian mothers though, theirs aren't trying to match them up and instead are actively trying to keep them apart.
The couple have to decide whether it's more important to make their mother's happy or give in to their feelings. I really loved the antics, the banter, how real Neil felt as a neurodiverse man who loved to bake. The author should also really get paid for endorsing Timbits in the book lol!! I was fully on board for all the Canadianisms though.
Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy. Perfect for fans of Jesse Q Sutanto and Jayci Lee. This book looks like it's going to be a Kobo Original and might not be out in hardcopy for a while unfortunately which is a shame because the cover is so cute and I want a copy for my shelves!!
Leona and Neil haven't seen one another in years but when they find themselves spending a week together with their families they can't help but feel the chemistry. Unlike many Asian mothers though, theirs aren't trying to match them up and instead are actively trying to keep them apart.
The couple have to decide whether it's more important to make their mother's happy or give in to their feelings. I really loved the antics, the banter, how real Neil felt as a neurodiverse man who loved to bake. The author should also really get paid for endorsing Timbits in the book lol!! I was fully on board for all the Canadianisms though.
Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy. Perfect for fans of Jesse Q Sutanto and Jayci Lee. This book looks like it's going to be a Kobo Original and might not be out in hardcopy for a while unfortunately which is a shame because the cover is so cute and I want a copy for my shelves!!
July 12, 2024
Boring for most of the book.
But the ending was good...
🦚
But the ending was good...
🦚
June 20, 2022
It was okay, a short and quick novel about Leora & Neil who knew each other since their childhood because their mothers were friends. They reconnected at a vacation home which their mothers bought in Ontario and were instantly attracted to each other, that was partly because they thought that the other person had a "glow up" and not enough connection was developed between them which I wasn't a big fan of. The concept of the mothers not wanting their children to get together was really fun when I read the blurb but turns out it had more depth because both of their mothers had real bad past relationship trauma. But that shouldn't have given them a reason to sabotage their own children. Leora's mom especially got on my nerves so much when I got to know that she didn't let her play with dolls and lots of other horrible things she did behind Leora's back. On top of that I felt like I knew nothing about Neil. In fact both him and Leora's characters didn't have much depth. The plot line seemed well constructed and I loved some banters between Neil & Leora but other than that everything was a mess and so different than what I had been expecting tbh.
Thank you Netgalley and Kobo for providing the ARC in exchange of an honest review
Thank you Netgalley and Kobo for providing the ARC in exchange of an honest review
July 1, 2022
If you liked Dial A For Aunties I'm sure you'll like too The Unmatchmakers!!!
Jackie Lau brings in this book a funny story with heart-eyes romance in it and mothers/aunties that are crazy when the theme is romance. Even though these old foxes are asian, they don't defend marriage or love so how can their sons be together when their mothers aren't supportive? Just reading to see what will happen!
Jackie Lau brings in this book a funny story with heart-eyes romance in it and mothers/aunties that are crazy when the theme is romance. Even though these old foxes are asian, they don't defend marriage or love so how can their sons be together when their mothers aren't supportive? Just reading to see what will happen!
November 2, 2023
please don't project your trauma on your kids 🫣
I loved the setting, I liked the fact that it was in Canada but mentioning Tim Horton and Timbits like 50 times in a 180 page book is A LOT lol
Also what person likes RAISINS in butter tarts like that's criminal lol
The romance itself was good, I wish it would have been more childhood friends to lovers rather than insta love. The moms did ruin the romance a lot for me which sucked
I loved the setting, I liked the fact that it was in Canada but mentioning Tim Horton and Timbits like 50 times in a 180 page book is A LOT lol
Also what person likes RAISINS in butter tarts like that's criminal lol
The romance itself was good, I wish it would have been more childhood friends to lovers rather than insta love. The moms did ruin the romance a lot for me which sucked
June 30, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review!
Usually I am not one for a shorter story but this one was cute and I really enjoyed it. Obviously, one of the reasons for requesting this one was because of the cover. Haha, I’m predictable at this point when it comes to that!
The book follows one point-of-view and it comes from Leora. She is meeting her mom and childhood friends for a week long trip on a lake. There isn’t much character development and what we do get is about growth. There are quite a few characters that have growth and it was nice to see how each one dealt with the situations that were handed to them for the growth to happen. I feel like her mom and auntie had the most since they really don’t believe in love.
The families reminded me a lot of Dial A for Aunties. Leora’s mom and aunties were hilarious. I never thought I would read a book where the moms will do anything to break up their children. It was insane the lengths they would try to go. It definitely made the book very comedic.
If you are a steamy romance reader, there are two scenes that take place between the couple and a lot of lead-up to it all.
Overall, this was cute and would be a nice book to take on a summer vacation, especially because it is on the shorter side. I’m not one for friend-to-lovers but this one sure makes me want to change my mind.
April 4, 2023
Cutesy, simplistic, story too far-fetched, and the graphic sex scenes were the only thing in the story that reminded me that the Leora-Neil couple was not in their teens. Everything else, especially the mothers attitudes toward them hinted at a young teenage couple wanting to have sex while vacationing with their moms who happen to be best friends. I guess I might have enjoyed this book if I were 22..
April 23, 2023
2.5-3 stars
June 13, 2022
omg this is now my favorite jackie lau book
4.5 stars rounded up
4.5 stars rounded up
July 6, 2022
A cute fun read for the long weekend
June 19, 2022
thank you SO much to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
first of all, let’s talk about that cover!! it’s just so pretty!!
childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade? so fun!
this book had its funny moments; the meddling was truly something
jackie lau has become an instant buy author for me, her writing is just excellent
very grateful that jackie always gives us epilogues
4.5 because something felt… off? idk but overall the book was very enjoyable! can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with neil and leora as well
first of all, let’s talk about that cover!! it’s just so pretty!!
childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade? so fun!
this book had its funny moments; the meddling was truly something
jackie lau has become an instant buy author for me, her writing is just excellent
very grateful that jackie always gives us epilogues
4.5 because something felt… off? idk but overall the book was very enjoyable! can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with neil and leora as well
July 26, 2022
read July 2, 2022 - July 2, 2022: 2 stars
July 28, 2023
3.5 🌟
cute! think Dial A for Aunties but with more summer vibes and less murder.
cute! think Dial A for Aunties but with more summer vibes and less murder.
June 30, 2022
I’ve been a fan of Jackie Lau for what seems like forever. She has an amazing way of showing the complicated realities of families, especially Chinese-Canadian ones, and always includes delicious food! And this grumpy/sunshine, childhood-friends-to-lovers vacation book lives up to that as well!
Leora is a born romantic, despite all her mother’s best efforts. After being abandoned by Leora’s cheating father, her mother Hen put her all into her career and raising Leora, along with finding a likeminded group of single Chinese-Canadian moms. Now years later, her mother and her friends have purchased a lake cabin and have invited all of their children to spend a week with them. Imagine her surprise to realize that Neil, the studious uptight boy she once teased by adding a flamingo to his super hero drawing, is hot. Like, ridiculously hot. Even better, it seems like, beneath his stern exterior, he might just be interested in her as well. But both of their parents believe that romance can only ever lead to heartache, so strange coincidences keep happening to keep the two apart. But is Leora’s attraction to Neil enough to possible break up her mother’s longest friendships?
Unlike many of the author’s previous books, it’s told solely from Leora’s point of view. Leora loves pink frilly shirts and romance novels, much to her mother’s chagrin. To her mother, nothing is more important than being self-sufficient, and Leora’s romantic dreams are a surefire way of being disappointed. That’s a sentiment that’s also shared by Tanya, Neil’s mother, though the third woman, Dee, is now happily remarried. A good chunk of the book is Leora’s frustration with her mother’s expectations and how they differ from traditional matchmaking Asian mothers (get married! have grandkids!). After struggling as single mothers after their own romances crashed and burned, they want to protect their kids, but they can’t see how forcing them into their own molds is just as harmful. It’s a complicated and serious issue, enough that I personally wouldn’t label this as a rom-com, but true to her other work, the author handles it with a deft touch.
As for the romance, it’s pretty much love at first sight for Leora. That’s not my favorite trope, but Leora is rather self-aware of how overly romantic she’s being (it’s gotten her into bad relationships before), and, frankly, it’s kinda cute. Neil is the strong, silent type, though very nurturing. He’s the sort to offer to cook omelets or bake butter tarts (yum) because he thinks Leora might be hungry. Leora, on the other hand, is a pure sunshine and frills social butterfly, the sort to playfully tease Neil in the hopes of getting a little smile-twitch at the corner of his mouth. The time they spend together on page is absolutely adorable, which sold the relationship for me.
As for cons, this is a very short book, especially given the subject matter. I would’ve liked more time spent on recovering the mother/daughter relationship and more time with Leora and Neil actually dating. While it all wraps up nicely, it felt a bit too neat.
Overall, a lovely summer read, perfect for reading in an adirondack chair near the lakeshore, though I’d recommend having some s’mores handy!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Valentine PR. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Content notes:
Leora is a born romantic, despite all her mother’s best efforts. After being abandoned by Leora’s cheating father, her mother Hen put her all into her career and raising Leora, along with finding a likeminded group of single Chinese-Canadian moms. Now years later, her mother and her friends have purchased a lake cabin and have invited all of their children to spend a week with them. Imagine her surprise to realize that Neil, the studious uptight boy she once teased by adding a flamingo to his super hero drawing, is hot. Like, ridiculously hot. Even better, it seems like, beneath his stern exterior, he might just be interested in her as well. But both of their parents believe that romance can only ever lead to heartache, so strange coincidences keep happening to keep the two apart. But is Leora’s attraction to Neil enough to possible break up her mother’s longest friendships?
“Love was a lie, and I could only count on myself. I was supposed to be strong and independent, in the way she defined those things.”
Unlike many of the author’s previous books, it’s told solely from Leora’s point of view. Leora loves pink frilly shirts and romance novels, much to her mother’s chagrin. To her mother, nothing is more important than being self-sufficient, and Leora’s romantic dreams are a surefire way of being disappointed. That’s a sentiment that’s also shared by Tanya, Neil’s mother, though the third woman, Dee, is now happily remarried. A good chunk of the book is Leora’s frustration with her mother’s expectations and how they differ from traditional matchmaking Asian mothers (get married! have grandkids!). After struggling as single mothers after their own romances crashed and burned, they want to protect their kids, but they can’t see how forcing them into their own molds is just as harmful. It’s a complicated and serious issue, enough that I personally wouldn’t label this as a rom-com, but true to her other work, the author handles it with a deft touch.
“You make me feel like a s’more inside.”
As for the romance, it’s pretty much love at first sight for Leora. That’s not my favorite trope, but Leora is rather self-aware of how overly romantic she’s being (it’s gotten her into bad relationships before), and, frankly, it’s kinda cute. Neil is the strong, silent type, though very nurturing. He’s the sort to offer to cook omelets or bake butter tarts (yum) because he thinks Leora might be hungry. Leora, on the other hand, is a pure sunshine and frills social butterfly, the sort to playfully tease Neil in the hopes of getting a little smile-twitch at the corner of his mouth. The time they spend together on page is absolutely adorable, which sold the relationship for me.
As for cons, this is a very short book, especially given the subject matter. I would’ve liked more time spent on recovering the mother/daughter relationship and more time with Leora and Neil actually dating. While it all wraps up nicely, it felt a bit too neat.
Overall, a lovely summer read, perfect for reading in an adirondack chair near the lakeshore, though I’d recommend having some s’mores handy!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Valentine PR. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Content notes:
June 12, 2022
thank you netgalley and kobo for an earc of this book!
rating: 2.5 stars
maybe i need to lower my expectations, because this book was honestly a massive disappointment.
given the length of the book, i didn’t expect an in depth plot line or anything beyond the romance, but the entire book just felt very off. the pacing was a mess, the establishment of the romance wasn’t done well (for the fact that it’s meant to be a quick, short romance), and the author tries to establish a plot line and conflict that misses.
leora and neil are childhood family friends who reunite for a summer vacation and end up falling for one another, but there’s a small issue–her mom doesn’t want her dating him, nor does his mom really want him falling for her. sounds cute, right? here’s where it goes wrong.
from the get go, neil’s introduction isn’t done well. leora just sees him, thinks he’s hot, and then suddenly realizes he’s neil…what? you’d think for being childhood friends there’d be some early recognition or something but i don’t know i didn’t particularly like it. into neil’s actual character, he’s SO bland, he’s meant to be a stoic, kinda grumpy esque character but he genuinely just comes off as boring and a little weird, if i’m being honest. and then he has this sudden jump to wanting to make out and have sex with leora, and it’s just like… huh??
the mother plotline is also just odd. it gets properly introduced around 70% in, which is kinda weird considering the length of the book, and all in all it’s just odd. it builds a conflict that’s just too BIG for a less than 200 page book, and then the resolution is done in such a random way that you’re left feeling like the ending payoff of the book isn’t worth it.
all in all, this was just a big miss for me. i was really hoping for a funny, quick romcom, but this honestly just read as nothing like that. i would have DNFed if we’re being honest, if not for the length of the book.
rating: 2.5 stars
maybe i need to lower my expectations, because this book was honestly a massive disappointment.
given the length of the book, i didn’t expect an in depth plot line or anything beyond the romance, but the entire book just felt very off. the pacing was a mess, the establishment of the romance wasn’t done well (for the fact that it’s meant to be a quick, short romance), and the author tries to establish a plot line and conflict that misses.
leora and neil are childhood family friends who reunite for a summer vacation and end up falling for one another, but there’s a small issue–her mom doesn’t want her dating him, nor does his mom really want him falling for her. sounds cute, right? here’s where it goes wrong.
from the get go, neil’s introduction isn’t done well. leora just sees him, thinks he’s hot, and then suddenly realizes he’s neil…what? you’d think for being childhood friends there’d be some early recognition or something but i don’t know i didn’t particularly like it. into neil’s actual character, he’s SO bland, he’s meant to be a stoic, kinda grumpy esque character but he genuinely just comes off as boring and a little weird, if i’m being honest. and then he has this sudden jump to wanting to make out and have sex with leora, and it’s just like… huh??
the mother plotline is also just odd. it gets properly introduced around 70% in, which is kinda weird considering the length of the book, and all in all it’s just odd. it builds a conflict that’s just too BIG for a less than 200 page book, and then the resolution is done in such a random way that you’re left feeling like the ending payoff of the book isn’t worth it.
all in all, this was just a big miss for me. i was really hoping for a funny, quick romcom, but this honestly just read as nothing like that. i would have DNFed if we’re being honest, if not for the length of the book.
June 24, 2022
Thank you NetGalley Jackie Lau, and Valentine PR & Literary Management for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Unmatchmakers is a fast-paced book about two Asian best friends' children, Leora and Neil. They haven't seen each other in a while and only reconnected when they all get together for a week for vacation. But, here's the catch: unlike other Asian mothers, Neil's and Leora's mothers are anti-relationship so Leora and Neil try to hide their romance from their mothers because they wouldn't approve.
I really didn't like the style of writing. Despite how short the book was it took me two days to finish it, usually it'd take me one sitting to finish a book like this. The dialogue, especially in the beginning, was very meh. The main characters, Leora and Neil, were so bland. They didn't have much chemistry, either.
Another thing that I didn't like was the inner "thoughts" of Leora, the whole romantic fantasies and such. Yeah, I have them too, but it just felt way too over the top with the amount of times she kept mentioning it every other line.
The whole mothers-hating-their-children-together plotline wasn't really developed well, in my opinion. The conflict just seemed to happen so quick and they also resolved it so quickly.
Overall, the writing style isn't for me and the plot and characters fell a little too short.
The Unmatchmakers is a fast-paced book about two Asian best friends' children, Leora and Neil. They haven't seen each other in a while and only reconnected when they all get together for a week for vacation. But, here's the catch: unlike other Asian mothers, Neil's and Leora's mothers are anti-relationship so Leora and Neil try to hide their romance from their mothers because they wouldn't approve.
I really didn't like the style of writing. Despite how short the book was it took me two days to finish it, usually it'd take me one sitting to finish a book like this. The dialogue, especially in the beginning, was very meh. The main characters, Leora and Neil, were so bland. They didn't have much chemistry, either.
Another thing that I didn't like was the inner "thoughts" of Leora, the whole romantic fantasies and such. Yeah, I have them too, but it just felt way too over the top with the amount of times she kept mentioning it every other line.
The whole mothers-hating-their-children-together plotline wasn't really developed well, in my opinion. The conflict just seemed to happen so quick and they also resolved it so quickly.
Overall, the writing style isn't for me and the plot and characters fell a little too short.
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