CameraReality: (Matched), Lights

Matched was published in 2015. We've been the grip of reality tv shows for a while and it looks like the trend is here to stay. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to enjoy a book featuring 16+ characters since I didn't think I was going to be able to keep up with who was who. I was mostly wrong about that.

Out of all the characters and possible pairings, I was able to keep about 80% of them straight. I really couldn't be bothered about the mean girls, so other than not liking them, I really didn't pay much attention to them. I also have to say, I loved that even though the cast of this book is varied, the story was mainly told from a single point of view. I especially liked and loved how the other characters were able to share their thoughts by way of "confessions" directly to the "producers"/readers.

The majority of the characters are really likable and easy to relate to. The story is always interesting. There weren't very many surprising plot twists, but there were a few that dropped my jaw. And S.E. Hall and Angela Graham's writing is seamless. It's not easy to mesh two different writing styles, but these ladies do it flawlessly.

In the end, I loved the drama and angst, because I could not put this book down. I absolutely loved it!

I have just this minute finished reading this book and I absolutely loved it! I read a lot of books, but this is one which stands out as a definite favourite.

The concept is one which yes has been done on TV before. Get celebrities together in an ideal setting, give them tasks to do, have them vote others off. Whether or not this exact concept has been used I don't know. What I do know is that the book is a brilliant read.

As you would expect, when you get a group of people together, there are a lot of antics going on. Some we read about straight away, others come out later in the book. It was the ones which came out later in the book which really got me. I honestly wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns the authors gave me.

My favourite characters were the girls - Emma, Callie, Jasmine and Harlow. The bond they made, which lasted after the show and beyond, was a very special one. I know the authors are really good friends, and I'm sure that some aspects of their own relationship feature in this story. The way each of the girls looked out for the others was just what friendships should be. We should all hope we find friendships such as those sometime in our lives. It also goes to show that the friends we end up with are perhaps not the ones we would expect.

The guys in the story are, obviously, all hot. But I must admit, regardless of his attitude at times, I kinda fell for Cruz straight away!

All in all this is a story I am very glad I read, but also one I wish I hadn't finished already! It had me in tears at the end on a couple of occasions.

A definite favourite, and a highly recommended read in my opinion.

Harlow and her high school sweetheart just reunited, only for him to drag her on a reality dating show where you find your soul mate after taking a test. Harlow isn’t keen on the idea, but will do anything for Oakley because she really does love him.

I ended up really loving this story. At the beginning I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel. You’re not sure how the many relationships in the story will pan out. It’s told from the POV of one contestant, Harlow, but we get other people’s POV’s sprinkled in confessional style. Which is pretty cool honestly. It is an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. I was laughing, crying, angry, swooning. All in all I think the outcomes were pretty perfect, even though some of them were hard to accept at first. It’s like you as the reader can really feel Harlow’s struggle during this reality show. At least I could. I think it was extremely well written, and even though there was a bunch going on it had good flow and didn’t feel like it was dragging.

There isn’t any cheating in this book, but there is sex/relations with other people. If you enjoy shows like Are You The One on MTV, you will be fine reading this book.

Throughout the book my favorite couple was Emma and Court. I love that she got her happy ending and what court did for her was something that nobody can never repay. Now for Harlow and crew the chemistry was hot. Right from the beginning they had a connection that we all knew they would end up together. I feel bad for Oakley but he had his happy ending with you'll have to read a friend out but it was kind of surprising but sweet. No Miranda I love that she got her happy ending and that everyone treated her better then they did in the beginning. And she has her happy ending which I was excited for. Now I can't really talk much about the story because I'm literally giving away everything but you should read it it was really good and entertaining. Last but not least I love that the girls grew a bond Emma, Callie, Harlow, and Miranda. Oh and Miles how could I forget about him God I love him LOL. What a bomb shell his surprise was. Be wearing there's some catty bitches in it but what's a book without some snobby women.

Wow. Date, Mate, Fate. Sixteen people, friends, family and couples, with different personalities and expectations sent to a tropical island to find their sole mates. All there to raise money for their chosen charities but also hoping to find "the one" chosen by a computer. They have to compete in lustful, sexy and provocative team and individual challenges and avoid being voted off by their competitors. Easy right. Think again. You get to know the good, the bad and the ugly. Will they find what they came here for?

Once again I was not disappointed by SE Hall and Angela Graham. I was a bit worried at first with all the characters to remember but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to follow along. You get to know who is cheerful, sexy, lovable and not so lovable. I fell in love with Cruz the moment he came into the picture. My admiration goes to Harlow who deals with the issues arising like a strong hereon.

I loved this book, could not put it down and I was said when it was over. A definite must read. Thank you SE Hall and Angela Graham:)

This book was centered around a 'reality show' concept....and I really think this was a neat idea. This book had drama, it had some moments when I was outright giggling and some moments where I was glued to my Kindle awaiting the answers and the outcomes of every challenge presented and every elimination 'unlocked'. The whole premise behind this book just worked. It truly did! As I moved farther along in the book, the way secrets were revealed and 'matches' were found was really intriguing.

When feelings got involved, it got entertaining, but when life stepped in the way, it got emotional. When I say that this book has depth, I'm not exaggerating. I was anxious to see how it the whole 'reality show' part of it played out. I was lucky enough to message my friend as I was reading it since she had already finished it, and I must say that to follow the journey as it unfolded was well worth it. And some of the shocking revelations that came to light....wow! Really interesting. Great read!!!

Full review to be posted during the book tour on HEA Bookshelf. <3

I was looking through books the other day and realized I hadn't read Matched yet. I love Angela Graham's Harmony series, but I haven't read anything by S.E. Hall so I was curious to see how this book would be.

So Matched is not a typical book I would read. It is about a reality show and the people who are on it. It is told from the point of view of Harlow, Oakley, a famous football players, girlfriend. I must say I did not like Oakley right from the start. It is obvious Harlow doesn't want to be on this show and she thought they were going to have an actual vacation, not this. He just...he is not good to her. He doesn't seem to take her feelings into consideration, though he is not as terrible as I thought he would be in the end.

Right from the beginning Harlow makes friends with some of the nice girls on the show. There is Jasmine, the retired adult film star who doesn't think she deserves someone to treat her nicely, Emma who is here with her overbearing brother Cruz, and Callie, a gold medal gymnast. There is also something going on with Cruz right from the start, even though Harlow doesn't want to acknowledge it. I liked Cruz, he was one of my favorites from the start. Him and the girls who Harlow befriends all seem like they would be fun to hang out with.

The whole point of the reality show is that there is everyones soul mate and everyone has to figure out who the others soul mates are. There are games with rewards and then the winners get to say who they think are matches, and if they really are according to some computer program then they get to jet away on a vacation before returning home. The last one on the show wins. It was interesting to read, and I loved how everything ends up. I love who won and what they were all about. I loved who ended up with whom, and it was just a fun read.

There are of course some catty awful girls, and some pretty terrible guys, but it was fun reading a behind the scenes of a reality tv show. I must say I do enjoy watching things like this as it is kind of a train wreck sometimes, so this was a fun read. There is a lot going on behind the scenes which made it a really fun book. Now maybe I will have to check out some of S.E. Hall's books.

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

Matched is probably one of the most entertaining reads for me so far this year. I was completely drawn in from the beginning with my first thought being, "What the hell? That's her guy?"

Our heroine, Harlow, is brought to this island reality show about finding your soul-mate by her boyfriend, Oakley. They have been on and off since high school, with a lot of "off" due t his professional football career. I gotta say, after the first interaction between these two my gut reaction was very Lost In Space; "Danger Will Robinson! Danger!"

Other than the excerpt and teasers here, there is so little about this book I want share - no quotes for sure - because I don't want to give anything away. I am not even going to try to hint at my favorite parts, you're just gonna have to read the book dangit. All I trust myself to do is explain how I felt through the book. OK, here we go.

Throughout the whole book I was like, "Phft, I know what's going to happen." I'm not gonna lie, you kinda do. Emphasis on kinda. Honey, you and I read enough books that we know he general idea of a lot of books. And if you have read any of the Games series from Jessica Clare you probably have an even better idea of this book. So, if you want crazy different, never before though of, heart-stopping twists and turns, this may not be the book for you.

However, pay close attention now, if you can just accept that you have the general idea of the destination, the journey is totally worth taking. You are going to love characters, hate characters, see yourself in characters, guess right, guess wrong; you get the whole nine yards in this book. Ok, now, the really important part:

This book kept me wanting more, and I know it will do the same for you. I could not put it down. Because even if I had guessed correctly all of the time - I didn't and neither will you - I had to see what happened next. There are definitely twists and turns you won't see coming, and I promise, you will not be bored. Ever.

So, let's tie this up with a bow, k? 4 cups goes to this new release.

S. E. Hall and Angela Graham give a great story with characters you connect with on a number of levels. If I watched reality TV I would want a show with this much emotion

Received an arc from Love Affair with Fiction in exchange for an honest review; full post with excerpt/quote(s) can be found in original post:
(...)

Oh my, what a fun story! I've always wanted to write a "Real World" type story, and am writing a "Bachelor" type story. MATCHED gives us a little of it all.

First off? I absolutely love when the cover of the book matches the story -- I know I've mentioned this before (for sure with BRINGING HOME THE BAD BOY because his tattoos match). The cover of MATCHED is straight from a scene about halfway through the book, and as I read it, watching Harlow enter and see him, I smiled real big and maybe said outloud (in my empty apartment, at least) "Oh! That's the cover!!".

I'm typically a book-binger -- I can, and prefer, to read one book in one sitting... And if I can't, I like it finished within 24 hours. MATCHED really isn't a binge-able book with all the characters and events, but I managed.

First off, let's meet our castmates:

Cruz: Motocross racer. Big brother to Emma -- huge protector of her, too. Probably a bit too protective. All-around good guy even though he doesn't always promote that side of him...
Emma: Cruz's "plus-one". She's the one who really wanted to go on the show. She's petite and probably the sweetest one on the show. Cruz likes to think she's a little niave thing and tries keeping her in a bubble.
Jensen: DB. That is all.
Jasmine: Jasmine is the celebrity in the Jensen/Jasmine duo. She's an ex-porn star, and unfortunately, the catty witches of the house don't let her forget it. She's trying hard to change her persona. She's honest to goodness a sweet girl. Becomes a great friend and ally. Real name: Miranda.
Oakley: Football star. Tells his plus-one they're going on the show to rekindle their romance (and for PR purposes) -- they were high school sweethearts and are back on after a many-year break. However, it comes out that his true reason is to be sure that what he and Harlow have is true and will withstand tests.
Harlow: Just your average girl-next-door. Head over heels in love with Oakley. Maybe a little naive but a good person. Stands up for the girls she becomes friends with -- even if that means going toe-to-toe with a super hardheaded big brother. A little bit of a voyeur ;) Your book's narrator.
Callie: At first you want to hate her -- especially when she becomes one of those "other girls" and goes down on Cruz (to which Harlow watches from the shadows and Cruz catches -- let me say, he's really good at the dirty talk that's directed at Harlow but can be easily thought to be said to Callie). But Callie's a sweetheart and you can't help but like her. She doesn't want to step on toes.
Dana: I didn't really get to know her that well. I probably didn't like her.
Peyton: Movie star. Here for movie publicity purposes.
Ivy: See Peyton.
Court: Rodeo cowboy. He's the good twin.
Wyatt: Rodeo cowboy. He's not only the 'bad' twin, but he's an ass to the extreme.
Dalton: Nadia's trainer. I didn't really get a feel for him.
Nadia: I hate her. She and her Russian accent can go and do nasty things elsewhere.
Rachel: Comedien. She and Nadia make a great nasty duo. Don't like her.
Miles: Even though he came with Rachel, he's a good guy. I liked him....even more so at the end.

I have to say -- it's hard enough writing a book about two characters, with sub-characters in the background. However, kudos to S.E. Hall and Angela Graham because there really aren't sub-characters. Every single name in this book has a significant role and their personalities just shine on the pages.

Without giving too much away about the book (because it would be easy to spoil a good bit of it), I enjoyed the friendship that became of Callie, Harlow, Emma, and Jasmine... even Cruz when he decided to tag along. I felt that Harlow was a bit naive when it came to Oakley -- or maybe it's just Oakley who was naive. You don't need a computer program to tell you if what you feel will last the test of time. No relationship is perfect and you have to work for it.

I loved Cruz and his loaded glares/stares/looks. Maybe I just like the brooding type ;) I even found him to be, dare I say, funny. After he catches and talks dirty to Harlow while getting a little attention down there from Callie, he further mortifies Harlow by whispering "Sweet dreams..." to her. Granted, things are a bit awkward between them the next day but I think that was mostly on Harlow.

Some of the challenges were ridiculous. One would be extremely sexy, and the other would make your roll your eyes with the ease of it. Of course, there was always that 'twist' that really made you roll your eyes, but hey, that's what ratings call for, right? I knew name would go here was 'Dimple Guy'! Granted, it's not like he confesses to it, but he does repeat the action. I think, ok, well I know due to his stating it at the end, he had a thing for "her" since the beginning...

Oh! And while not a castmate, can I say how much I loved Producer Adam? I really loved him. A lot. He's a good guy...

Also, I didn't find the 'confessionals' to be true monologue. I would have liked them to be more like the cast member talking to the camera, and not like a book...
...but I didn't like the end! OK, so I liked the end, but I WANT MORE HARLOW & HER PERSON. I heart them a little-lot'a bit.

Review for Rising Indies United.

This is an awesome read! I was laughing for a lot of it. There were parts that had me worried and some parts that had me wanting to slap someone. this story is told from Harlow's point of view. It is a reality dating show. There are a bunch of characters. I loved some, hated some, and liked the rest.

Date.

Fate.

Mate.

The name of the show is Date, Fate, Mate: Celebrity Edition. Each character went though questions that were then sorted by a computer, who said who their soul mate would be. They have no clue who their soul mate it, for the most part, and they don't know any one else's soul mate either. They need to figure that out and then win the challenges so that they can send the others home.

There are 8 celebrities and professional athletes, each of them got to bring someone, a plus one, with them.

Here are the characters and my thoughts on them.

1. Court Callahan, professional bull rider. He is a southern charmer. I really liked him.

2. Wyatt Callahan, Court's plus 1 and brother. He is a man-whore.

3. Jasmine Cox, real name Miranda Miller, retired pornstar. She goes through a lot in this book and I just wanted to hug her.

4. Jensen Hughes, porn producer and Jasmine's plus one. Ugh, he is a complete jerk and I wanted to beat him, in the face, with a steel chair!

5. Oakley Abrahms, professional football player. I liked Oakley for the most part.

6. Harlow McWright, Oakley's plus one and his highschool sweetheart. They were apart for 5 years and are now back together and trying to reconnect. They aren't the same people they were 5 years ago though. Harlow is a character that I love.

7. Callie Cole, an olympic gymnast. I was unsure about her after her scene with Cruz, but I really liked her by the end.

8. Dana, Callie's plus one. We didn't really get to know her well though, but she is kind of slutty.

9. Cruz McCall, motocross extraodinaire, XGames champ. I freaking loved Cruz from the beginning. He loves his little sister. He can come across as way over protective of her though.

10. Emma McCall, Cruz's plus one and little sister. I had a feeling something was going on with her from the beginning. She is another character that I love!

11. Rachel Gardner, stand up comedian. She isn't really funny at all though. She is one of the "mean girls". Yea, didn't like her.

12. Miles Newman, Rachel's plus one and roommate. He is the silent one out of everyone. He watches and listens though. He is a great guy.

13. Nadia Minkin, super model. She is an absolute b****!!

14. Dalton, Nadia's plus one and trainer. Didn't really get to know him.

15. Peyton Price, movie star. He is smart and actually a pretty nice guy. He is basically there to promote his new movie.

16. Ivy Malone, Peyton's plus one and co-star in the new movie. She is the third "mean girl" of the group.

It was fun trying to figure out who was whose soul mate. I think I got two right, well, by what the computer said. But the computer isn't always right.

This is a great read!!

Eight celebrities and their plus ones on a beautiful tropical island. Some brought lovers, some brought friends and others brought family. Brought them where and for what? On a reality television show for charity, which also has everyone's hearts on the line. The computer's have matched everyone with another contestant as their soul mate, but how will they figure out who belongs with who? And who will get hurt in the process?

You know, I'm not a fan of reality TV, at all. I hardly, if ever, watch it, but I sure as hell enjoyed reading this story about it! I am going to be as vague as possible in this review because I really don't want to give a single thing away. There is one couple who came on the show, the football star and his high school sweetheart, feeling confident that they are each others soul mate. But will the show's computer agree with them? And can their love withstand the conniving bitches who will stop at nothing to win?

There is also the sexy as sin motocross star with his cocky attitude and wicked smirk, who I instantly fell in love with, and his sweet little sister who you just want to see happy. Then there are, of course, evil skanks abound spreading their legs and causing trouble everywhere.

There are buckets full of sexual tension between several contestants and watching it all unfold was fascinating. Who will end up with who? Did the computer's get the soul mates right? Does it even matter what a stupid piece of electronics says? Gah! I loved every minute of it and there are some surprises and curve balls along the way. This was a fun and sexy read which is exactly what I expected from this duo.

I will end one final thought: thanks to Ms. Hall and Ms. Graham, I have now added hammock sex to my bucket list. Oh. My. GOD. Yeah... just... yeah.

Read more reviews at www.alustforreading.com. I received an eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Matched by S.E. Hall
Purchased: Kindle - $3.99 [Received as a gift from author]
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Spoilers!

What's it all about:
Do you want to see love in paradise?! Well, Welcome to Date, Mate, Fate where we will be following the lives of 8 celebrities and their plus ones on a tropical island as they play for charity, and their hearts. Stay tuned as we can’t these young adult in the action and watch how they react when finding their soulmate on national TV.

The Best Parts:
This book… how do I even start to describe this book. I have been in a little rut this last week stressing over how many books I still need to read for authors and I started this book knowing that I shouldn’t, but my goodness it was worth it. By the time I left work last night I was at 55% of the way through the book, got home at 4 am and stayed up till 8 am to finish it. Yea, it was that good! This novel literally grabbed you by the ball and kept you there begging for more. The dynamics between the couples and every one in the house was absolutely fantastic. My heart swelled with every emotion that emitted between these people and I loved the story line of finding out what love truly is to someone even though you think you know what it is. [If you have read this book or plan to, just know that the situation with Harlow was exactly what happened with my first boyfriend ever, so I totally understood what she went through and it was beautifully written].

The Worst Parts:
There were certain characters in this book that I didn’t necessarily like, but that is because they were written well enough that even the characters hated them too. The one thing though that made me so angry was the ending. No, it didn’t move too fast or too slow, it was just right, which was the problem! You get to the reunion after every thing happen and you are literally just waiting there. I was confused and hurt and worried, and started to cry and then actually cried because I was so happy, and then everything happened, and then nothing happened and the the BIG things happened and it was a roller coaster of amazing emotions that filled me all at once and it was so worth the not having sleep today for work.

Final Thoughts:
This book is what I needed. I laughed so hard at parts and sighed with love and just thought that even with every twist and turn to this book that I couldn’t stop reading. This book is why I love to read and write. I want people to be able to feel these emotions that are coursing through me right now, and let me tell you all that this book is not a disappointment in any way. It is a book that I will forever remember, and hopefully soon I will read more by S.E. Hall!

When I first read the synopsis of Matched, I didn't know what to expect but I knew that I was gonna love it. I was so excited to read it that when it finally showed up on my kindle, I dropped but I was doing and stayed up until 3 in the morning to finish it. Matched blew me away! It was so well written. Like many of the books I read by SE and Angela, I felt like I was right on the island with the characters.

16 people people (8 men/ 8 women) arrive on the beautiful island for a celebrity version of Date, Mate, Fate. Each celebrity brought a plus one. Some were famous and some were not. The grand prize would be a huge donation to a charity of winners choice. Each day they completed either a mini challenge or the main challenge and each winner would win money for their charity pot and win some sort of dinner/activity for the date. Once the challenges are over, the winners choose a couple to be sent into the Soul Search. If they matched as Soul Mates they would be sent home. If not, the couple remained in the house.

Now this is when I'm going to ramble a little bit so bare with me. First off, I knew right away who were my favorited and who I loathed.. yes I'm throwing daggers your way Nadia, Dana, Rachel, and Jensen. I would have totally been BFF's with Emma, Harlow, Callie and Jasmine. They developed a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Jasmine and Emma were my favorite girls in the house. They were so sweet and genuine and I would deff. want them to be my best friends. Court, Cruz, Miles and Oakley were my favorite guys. Even though they pissed me off a few times, they totally redeemed themselves. And at the end of the day, I could understand why the acted the way they did.

Now Court... My Goodness. To me, he is the perfect book boyfriend. I need to stake my claim on him. He has a southern charm that will make you swoon. I hope he gets his own book, because I really would like to get more of him. Cruz was a very close second. SE and Angela always comes up with the best book boyfriends!

After the introductions are out of the way and the challenges start, the crazy drama begins. Seriously, this book should be a show about this reality show because I would be glued to the TV like I was glued to my kindle. I would be sitting on my couch with a bottle of wine and some popcorn just watching everything fall apart only to have it come back together for the perfect ending. There was one point in the book where I thought my head was going to burst with everything that was going on. I felt like I was on the island with them. The story flowed flawlessly. I honestly don't know how SE and Angela were able to write as many characters as they did. I would never be able to do it and they made it seem easy.

Matched was so unique and such a fun story. I'm so happy with the way it turned out. There were so many funny moments, oh-my-god moments, steamy moments (hammock anyone?) and what in the hell just happened moments. This story is about friendship. finding love. finding yourself. about fate and how it can step in at any moment and send you into a tornado of emotions. If I could give this 10 stars, I would!! Amazing Job, SE Hall and Angela Graham!! Do yourself a favor and get this now!!

I was really excited when I read the description for this book. It turned out to be so much more then I expected. It was a little tough to keep everyone straight in the beginning and it distracted me a little from just completely enjoying the story. Once I did I could not put it down. I love the premise of the reality game show and the mix of characters. When you first read descriptions of the cast you assume they will be certain ways but the authors do a great job developing the characters in unexpected and surprising ways. Just like real life you cant judge people right off the bat. I also had fun trying to guess who was each person's soul mate just like the characters. Harlow is a great narrator and I really liked her. You could relate to a lot of her feelings. There are lots of surprises along the way and not as much sex as I was expecting. I just wish we got more of her HEA. I feel like the ending is kind of abrupt. You read all about life in the house but very little about life after it.
** I received an ARC from the author for an honest review**

Matched is a great read. I loved the whole concept of this book. I haven't read anything quite like it. There are eight men and eight women who enter into a reality show. The produces have put everyone information into a computer and everyone's soul mate is in the house. Many of the characters are semi famous. There are professional athletes, porn stars, and actors in the house.

The story is mostly told from Harlow's POV but we get a little bit of everyone's POV when they go into the confessional. She isn't famous but she her boyfriend's plus one. She believes Oakley is her soul mate.

There are 16 people in the house. My first thought was that it was going to be hard keeping everybody straight but I had no problem remembering the characters. Each character has somethings that stands out and make you remember them. There are many part that are funny. They is also that character or two that you love to hate or just plan what to slap.

Matched is a wonderful written story. I was hooked from begging to end. I was a little surprised on who ended up with who.

A copy was received for a review.

Se Hall and Angela Graham are two of my favourite authors and when I found out they were writing together again I was so excited and let me just say they didn't dissapoint, both authors have written together before but this is their first full length novel. 

Matched is about a celebrity reality tv show Date, Mate, Fate. 8 men and 8 women living in luxury in the Seychelles will they each find their soul mates. This book has a bit of everything romance, angst, love,and emotions running all over the place, relationships will be broken friendships will be forged but will true love provile.

5 fantastic stars for this book definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

Oh, this was such a refreshingly fun book to read. I tend to read lots (LOTS) of romances and I'm highly critical of a lot of them being too predictable, too quick to jump to the physical relationship, containing ridiculous story plots,unnecessarily dragging...well, you get the point. This was none of the above. Sure, you can tell generally where the story is going, but, in my opinion, that is deliberate by the authors. They still left plenty of surprises to keep the story intriguing. The concept of being a celebrity version of a reality show was fun and fresh. There were funny moments, angsty moments, and endearing moments. I really respect the authors for including sound, female friendships in which the girls would never betray each other (another pet peeve in romances). And, even though there were a few things I would have liked to have seen done different (I wasn't completely on board with what transpires between Harlow and Oakley), everyone's story was handled very well. I would highly recommend this book.

I was really excited when I read the description for this book. It turned out to be so much more then I expected. It was a little tough to keep everyone straight in the beginning and it distracted me a little from just completely enjoying the story. Once I did I could not put it down. I love the premise of the reality game show and the mix of characters. When you first read descriptions of the cast you assume they will be certain ways but the authors do a great job developing the characters in unexpected and surprising ways. Just like real life you cant judge people right off the bat. I also had fun trying to guess who was each person's soul-mate just like the characters. Harlow is a great narrator and I really liked her. You could relate to a lot of her feelings. There are lots of surprises along the way and not as much sex as I was expecting. I just wish we got more of her HEA. I feel like the ending is kind of abrupt. You read all about life in the house but very little about life after it.

Reviewed by Cathy

ARC gifted by author in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the whole set-up of this book. It played out like a reality TV show. It made sense, the games were great. Loved and hated the characters. Very well-written. The authors did an amazing job setting the scenes like a real-life TV show.

Harlow goes on a reality show for celebrities as her boyfriend's plus-one. The reality show takes 8 couples or pairs. These people must try to figure out who their computer generated soul mates are. Harlow is sure her soul mate is Oakley. She's been with him forever, so there's no chance it could be anyone else. Or could it? Harlow meets some great friends on the show as well as some enemies. Can she make it until the end of the show with Oakley, or will certain events and nasty conniving players put an end to her game? Or will she learn about who she really is and what she really needs?

This book made me laugh out loud and at times brought tears to my eyes. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that is uniquely entertaining. Any reality show junkies out there would absolutely love it. 5 Stars from me!

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to hear that S.E. Hall and Angela Graham were writing a full like novel and I could not wait to read it. As always I was not disappointed. Harlow and Oakley go to an island to be on a reality show and win money for their favorite charity. They are both happily in love with each other but keep it under wrap to make it to the end. There are 16 contestants in all including Oakley who was is a former football player. As time goes on and the challenges happen with the couples being paired together they both realize the may not be soul mates. I loved the games the couples had to play and how they were seperated into rooms. I would definitely recommend this book especially if you love SE Hall and Angela Graham.

I picked this up as a random read from KindleUnlimited, and I was pleasantly surprised with the story and writing. I enjoyed the friendships formed between some of the females in the house, as well as the evolution with their relationships with some of the men in the house. The characters develop and change as the book continues, and you begin seeing different sides of them, though it is clear that everything is not what it seems when everyone is introduced and the characters begin hanging out.

At one point, you think it's going to end a certain way and then wonder if it'll happen since that seems too easy... and then a major wrench is thrown in. I suspected something might happen like that, but it was a good surprise and broke the mold that you expect from books like these.

I definitely enjoyed this! A great easy summertime read. Would be perfect for a day beside the pool!

Let me paint you a picture ... Nearly two years ago, I was a blogger, reading and sharing the word of amazing books that I had run across ... so, while I was running a blog, a fantastic author messaged my page, requesting that I read and review her book ... of course, we jumped at this, having heard so many amazing things about said book. When we finished, she messaged and asked if we wanted to read and review her friend's book. Again, we jumped at the opportunity.

Now, almost two years later, Angela Graham and SE Hall are staples in my reading pantry. They're a "never leave home without them" kind of authors for me. Read always - sight unseen. Their writing has only grown over the years.

I will admit, I've not had the time to read the quickies they've coauthored together. Now that I write, it's more difficult to get into books, especially while I'm juggling so many projects myself. The moment I saw the first teaser for Matched by this Dynamic Duo, I knew I had to get my greedy little hands on it. Lucky for me, the last two years has forged a great friendship between myself and this pair, the offered me an ARC. I sat on it for a few days, knowing how long it was, worried I wouldn't be able to finish as I've got other jobs to do as well, but this morning, I dove in ... and I leaped, soared and flew to amazing heights.

Matched is everything you'll ever want in a book. A completely original idea, nothing like I've ever read before. A story line that's intriguing, sexy, mysterious and SO DAMN FUNNY. Hall and Graham BLEW ME AWAY with the writing technique in this story. They made me think. Made me remember details. And laid everything out before me like a feast at a Vegas buffet. I wasn't missing anything. I didn't want for anything more. I was full, satisfied and felt that I'd gotten everything I needed plus some.

For a writer to juggle a few characters, mostly a hero, heroine and some secondary characters is a tough job in itself ... when you add in SIXTEEN characters and never for one second make me guess what the hell's going on ... never make me think that you've slacked on some characters ... made me want everything for everyone ... YOU HAVE DONE YOUR JOB ABOVE AND BEYOND.

Thank you ladies for this ARC ... thank you for sharing this fantastic world with me ... thank you for improving your craft and never dumbing anything down for me

Five out of Five #CruzControl stars <3

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

Usually I love Angela Graham's and S.E. Hall's books. I was a little disappointed with this one. I loved the plot, it was really different from most books I've read, and the characters were fun. Also there were some cool twists that I didn't see coming. The problem I have is with the ending. There was so much build up between the H and the h and you have such anticipation for sexy time between them.....then bam the book ends. If the authors had carried it just a few pages farther I would have given this 5 stars.

This is a Purchased book .
Oh my goodness! Wow ladies this is something. I have always loved S.E. Hall's books ,you ladies together is nothing short of making a person love the character's even more.. You need a laugh or a sigh or even. Short cry read Matched. You won't go wrong. 5 stars ~Chris from Two Crazy Bookaholics

I. Loved. This. Book.

Something about the way S.E. Hall and Angela Graham work together is MAGIC. Their characters are dynamic and real - they're lovable (and despicable!), believable, and, for the most part, SWOONWORTHY! (Why did I say "for the most part"? You'll see. Not every guy can be Prince Charming!)

This book is not only perfect for fans of romance, but also for any of you who can't wait for your favorite guilty pleasure reality show to come back from hiatus. In fact, it trumps every reality show ever. Why? Because you find out who wins, who loses, who is sleeping with who, and who GOES HOME right away! No waiting for commercials, missed episodes because a sports game ran long, waiting until next week for the catty you-know-what to finally get what's coming to her. You get it all at your own pace!

This book is unique among everything I've read in the last couple of years. If you're getting bored reading the same old story OVER and OVER, give this one a try.

Who knows - if we all give it enough love, maybe they'll pick it up for a second season!

Recommended for all romance readers 18+

S.E and Angela have yet to disappoint! I literally could not put this down once I started reading! The characters pull you right in and won't let go! I would totally love to see this as part of a series!!! Get it! You won't regret it!!!

I am pleasantly pleased with this book. I honestly didn't think it would be for me. I purchased it because of the authors. I have enjoyed all of their other joint projects so I decided to try this one as well. I have had it on my kindle for awhile now. I started reading it last night and had a hard time putting it down. Normally NA isn't my favorite, but I really enjoyed this book. It fit in perfectly with today's society of all things reality television. There was just enough fun, fantasy, lust & drama to make this book a hit. Loved the way it ended!

14 contestants at a resort filming a reality tv show Bachelor Pad style. But wait! This book will have more twists and drama than we've ever shown you before- If you've ever seen the Bachelor you'll know that say something like that every single episode.
Back to the book...I enjoyed it. A fun light read that kept me interested throughout. It was even better drama than real reality tv. Someone should really film a reality tv show with these rules- I'd watch it!

Matched by Angela Graham and S.E. Hall
Hall & Graham do it again. 5 stars worth of writing. This pair are not only great alone, when they get together its magic. I adore how the writing is seamless. These women are unbeatable.
Matched is a great story. The game is awesome. Can we have one for reals? The interactions between the characters is so raw and feels real in every way.
I love the couple matchups and also the wicked twists and turns.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

LOOOOOVE!!

Funny.
Sweet.
Sexy.
Angsty.
Crazy.

Just some of the words to describe this fun, grab you from Page 1 story!! I love the combined creativity of Angela Graham and S.E. Hall!!!

This will tug at your heart strings..... but in the end, it was all worth it!! :)

Whole-heartedly Recommend!!!!

Tears and Smiles!

I have read everything that SE Hall and Angela Graham have co written and this one was definitely not like any I have ever read. I liked the concept of the book since I love reality TV.

I instantly became a fan of Harlow, Emma, & Jasmine as well as Court, Oakley, Adam and especially Cruz. I knew there would be a good side to Cruz and all that overprotectiveness!

There was so much that I loved about this book.....I'll never look at a hammock the same without imagining Cruz.

I loved how this book brought together the unexpected relationships and especially the great friendships that formed.

I look forward to reading more from both of these authors!

Matched by Angela Graham and S.E. Hall
Hall & Graham do it again. 5 stars worth of writing. This pair are not only great alone, when they get together its magic. I adore how the writing is seamless. These women are unbeatable.
Matched is a great story. The game is awesome. Can we have one for reals? The interactions between the characters is so raw and feels real in every way.
I love the couple matchups and also the wicked twists and turns.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

LOOOOOVE!!

Funny.
Sweet.
Sexy.
Angsty.
Crazy.

Just some of the words to describe this fun, grab you from Page 1 story!! I love the combined creativity of Angela Graham and S.E. Hall!!!

This will tug at your heart strings..... but in the end, it was all worth it!! :)

Whole-heartedly Recommend!!!!

Tears and Smiles!

I have read everything that SE Hall and Angela Graham have co written and this one was definitely not like any I have ever read. I liked the concept of the book since I love reality TV.

I instantly became a fan of Harlow, Emma, & Jasmine as well as Court, Oakley, Adam and especially Cruz. I knew there would be a good side to Cruz and all that overprotectiveness!

There was so much that I loved about this book.....I'll never look at a hammock the same without imagining Cruz.

I loved how this book brought together the unexpected relationships and especially the great friendships that formed.

I look forward to reading more from both of these authors!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a great reality show book that really brought you into the feelings of characters. I think this would be a great movie! :) From the looks of it, I am going to need to read more from this duo!!

Another amazing book by two great authors. The book was set as a "reality show" with a couple twist and turns. The authors have you so engrossed that you begin to "match" the players to see if you are correct. A must read.

Entertaining. An eclectic group of people on a game show to meet their soulmate. There were a couple times where I jumped back to see who was who and what occupation whatever character had. This actually didn't bother me and I was happy to be given the cheat sheet. Lol. I look forward to reading more books by these authors.

I began reading based solely on the reviews and I am so glad I did. I was apprehensive when I saw the first pages were a cast list... But I pushed through and it was amazing.

Such a sweet love story and then break up and then love story... I adored the ending.

Ok so I really enjoyed Harlow and Oakley. The whole reality tv concept as a book is different and I loved it. The back story on the characters and the whole story without the editing and only showing the drama was brilliant. This is definitely something I would read again.