Matched by Design (No Match for Love, #12)

Lindzee Armstrong
Narrator: Tiffany Williams
Genre: 
Audiobooks

Aspiring designer Jasmine devotes herself to learning as much as possible about fashion and now has the opportunity to work on a celebrity wedding, earning extra pay during a week on a private island off Florida. But when the bride catches her fiancé hitting on Jasmine, she bans single women from the wedding. Jasmine needs this opportunity, so she quickly invents a fake fiancé, though she’s estranged from the only man she wants. Dr. Isaac Sloan is wracked with guilt over his inability to save Jasmine’s older brother, his own best friend, after an accident. He avoids Jasmine, until he bumps into her, and she presents him as her fiancé. Isaac’s pain is still unaddressed, but Jasmine needs him, so they maintain the façade of happy couple while their feelings grow increasingly real.

Those seeking something light will enjoy this story, though its sweetness is certainly heavily curbed by descriptions of intense grief and survivor’s guilt. This depth does feel quite out of place in the story, but the diva client and the eventual thawing of the hostility between the main characters evens this out. The pacing of this story will engage the reader with entertaining antics from the client and the snarky boss which Jasmine must handle. Unfortunately, these encounters also distract from any romance between the main characters. Their previous relationship receives only brief allusion, so readers aren’t given much foundation to establish much connection, making their transition from fake to real relationship feel rather abrupt. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable story that will appeal to many readers.

Narrator Tiffany Williams does an excellent job of animating the story. Readers experience Jasmine’s frustration, hope, and excitement through the narration. Williams’ portrayal of male characters was not quite as strong, but her pacing and intonation served the story well.

Niki Price