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Genre: Romance, Chick Lit, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Match Made in Manhattan is a novel that chronicles a twenty-something-year-old woman’s year of dating using Match.com. It’s not a romance, although obviously there’s a lot of romantic content. People looking for a fun book about modern dating might enjoy this book, but the characters are flat and the story doesn’t go anywhere.
Alison restores old buildings under the eye of a disapproving boss. After a multi-year monogamous relationship that isn’t going anywhere, she and her boyfriend break up and she signs up for Match.com. This leads to a lot of awkward dates, funny dates, and dates that either lack ‘spark’ or that have ‘spark’ but nothing else. All of the conversations felt pretty much the same no matter who was having them, but I did love the fact that while Alison was not great at finding true love on Match.com, she was fantastic at making friends.
This book had two major problems. One was that Alison comes across as a very self-centered person. She dates a lot of men who are thoughtful. They pay for dinner; they set up some very memorable and special dates. They bring her soup while she’s sick. Alison feels guilty for not falling madly in love with these guys, but sometimes the nicest two people just aren’t romantically compatible. What bothered me is that the guys do all the giving and Alison does the taking. Not once does she plan an exciting date. Not once does she drop off the soup.
The other problem is that Alison doesn’t grow. She learns some things about herself but we don’t see her put them into action. She discovers, among other things, that “everyone had their issues” to which I respond, “Well, DUH.” This was a cute enough book, but, like Alison’s first relationship, it doesn’t go anywhere. I never believed in any of these people which is ironic since the story is based on real experiences, and I was frustrated by the lack of character growth.
– Carrie S
After two intense, dead-end relationships, serial monogamist Alison finds herself confused, lonely, and drastically out of touch with the world of modern dating. Refusing to wallow, she signs up for a popular dating app and resolves to remain open-minded and optimistic as she explores the New York City singles’ scene. With the click of a button, her adventures begin: On one date, she’s dumped before the first kiss; on another, she dons full HAZMAT gear; she meets a tattooed folk singer turned investment banker, an undercover agent who tracks illegal exotic animals, and dozens of other colorful, captivating personalities.
Giving them each her signature “pants speech”—her pants aren’t coming off unless she has a real connection with someone—she desperately wants to push past the awkward small-talk phase to find true love, but finding “the one” is starting to feel impossible. That is, until she meets Luke, who is sophisticated, funny, and not to mention, hot. Alison finds herself falling for Luke harder than any guy she’s dated and finally letting her walls down, but will he stick around or move on to his next match?
Match Made in Manhattan is a fast-paced, contemporary story about the struggles of dating in the digital age. Replete with online profiles, witty dialogue, and a super-supportive group of female friends, this all-too-real and relatable debut novel will have readers laughing, crying, and rooting for Alison all the way to the end.
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