An adorable modern love story of a smart, rich, software nerd and an elite matchmaker. All she is supposed to do is find the perfect mate for her friend's attractive but somewhat naive and socially awkward brother. She shouldn't like spending time with him. She should be appropriate and professional. She isn't even looking for a relationship herself.

But Dylan Parker is totally adorkable, funny, kind, handsome, and charming. He is easy to spend time with for "research". Evie is sassy, quirky, outgoing, observant, and as competitive as he is. They are more alike than they initially thought and a connection starts growing despite the best intentions. They are not supposed to be interested in each other...but they are. And they're hesitant to show it or be the first to admit it. She's not even looking for a love connection, and and he is and doesn't want to waste his time on something with no long term benefits.

But sometimes the best laid plans go awry. And there are circumstances pushing you in unexpected directions. 

There are fun cameos from some old friends and various little connections for Lauren Blakely fans, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. It packs a punch for being a short novella and it felt like a full story on its own. 

This was a cute, funny, flirty, novella with lovable, sweet characters, and a fun modern fairytale-ish feel. I was totally sucked in Dylan and Evie's story and their quest for new experiences. I am looking forward to more with the side characters like his twin brother, Flynn (yes, there is another hot, successful, intelligent nerd man!), and Mia Summers who has the been the sister and sidekick in a couple of books so far. Their time must be coming!

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Evie is focused on building her matchmaking business and prides herself on the matches she has made. Her clients are typically women and she works to find the perfect man for them. When her best friend’s brother posts an atrocious online dating ad and is swarmed by gold digging women, Evie knows she can find him a better match, faster than he can find on the internet.

Dylan trusts technology. He knows electronics and math, so when he decides it is time to start dating, he is sure he can find a match online. He is nerdy and a little socially awkward, so when Evie offers to help, he jumps at the chance.

Evie has never had a problem keeping things professional with a client, until now.

It felt like the perfect match from the beginning -- the classy, put-together matchmaker and the goofy nerd. Each had personalities that were more than their job titles, but fit their chosen professions to a T.

I loved the fun feeling throughout this story. This read more like a novel than a novella in it’s details and pacing. I never felt like the story or characters were rushed and enjoyed every minute of this story. It was different without being outrageous and fit so comfortably into Lauren Blakely’s world. Previous characters make cameos, so it is a great return for those who have read her before. But the storyline stands alone completely without any need for backstory, so newcomers can get a great introduction to this world of stand-alones. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In October she'll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter!