Mix and Match (Heaven's Matchmaker, Book 1)

Jasmine Green was burned badly by her ex. Forced to return home after her divorce, she retains the matchmaking service of Oliva Joyner to push through the dating scene. Donovan Boyd is doing well in his career, and after a year living and working in Heaven, NH, he decides it’s time to take the next step and settle down. When Oliva Joyner pairs him with the stunning Jasmine Green, he’s certain hiring Oliva was the smartest thing he’d ever done. Except, the beautiful Jasmine has a different kind of marriage in mind from Donovan’s idea, and she decides friends is as far as they will get. Getting out of the friend-zone will take effort, but Donovan isn’t ready to give up on the woman who could make his future better than he’d ever planned.

A really sweet contemporary romance, “Mix and Match” takes initial attraction, adds in a healthy dose of friendship, and churns out a fantastic slow burn romance. Both Jasmine and Donovan are flawed, and Jasmine in particular has several hang-ups that prevent her from moving forward. However, the story involves the kind of steady build up that engrosses the reader and moves so naturally that the reader finds themselves breezing through the story without realizing it. Further, the romance has a quality that seems so natural and realistic that Jasmine and Donovan’s story feels like it could almost be a retelling of a real experience. While the ending is predictable and the conflict is minor, readers will find that this is exactly the kind of curl up and feel good read they might be looking for.

Sarah E Bradley