Review: Miss Matched

You all know I love reading Canadian authors. And I love me some romance. So when I came across Miss Matched by Wendy Million, it didn’t take much to convince me I should read it. Plus, it was a second chance romance and those always have the potential to be fun and angsty. Alas, I did not enjoy Miss Matched. The romance didn’t make sense and I was far too distracted by the con of a dating service to find any reason to care about the story. And I hate that!

Here’s the book’s description:

When matchmaking software pairs a woman with her worst ex, she gets a unique second chance to connect with the love of her life.
After years of bad dates, Tayla Murphy has decided it’s finally time she found her ideal partner, so she pays a hefty fee for a cutting-edge “soulmate” matching service. But the infallible algorithm must have a serious glitch, because it pairs her with the one man on Earth she never wants to see Simon―the man who left her heart in pieces when he broke off their engagement six years ago. Tayla would rather cut her losses, but if she’s going to move forward with her life, she needs the money back.
Then Simon shows up on her doorstep, promising Tayla he can get her a refund by showing the service that the match was wrong. But he wants her to really prove they aren’t meant to be―by dating him for the next month. Even though he thinks the service is a fraud, Simon has been desperate for a second chance with Tayla ever since he messed up their shot at happily-ever-after. They still have an amazing connection, but a lot has happened in the time they were apart. So is this a mismatch or a perfect match?

I admit that I was judging Tayla right off the hop for spending all of her life savings on a dating service. Is it because I’m happily coupled up that I can’t understand what someone would do to find their one true love? Sure, I suppose that could be part of it. Million didn’t say how much it cost or how much Tayla was actually putting into the purchase but the way it was described, I had to assume it was a freaking ton of money and I just thought that was so incredibly irresponsible of Tayla.

I also just could NOT buy Tayla and Simon’s previous break up. It made absolutely NO sense and I thought Simon was a total asshole. He barely redeemed himself in my eyes which does not make for a good romance. I could tell he wasn’t actually a dick but he pulled such a dick move that I just had to assume he was one. It can be really hard to pull off a second chance romance well and I don’t think Million achieved it - at least not for me.

And the whole matchmaking service? And that Tayla and Simon were trying to dupe them and expose them? I just…couldn’t. Sure, I wanted them to win. Down with mega corporations that are stealing money from unsuspecting people (especially women)! But even that storyline was confusing and immensely unsatisfying.

I take no pleasure at all in writing this review. I wanted to like Miss Matched. I even saw Wendy Million at this year’s Word on the Street festival and was even more excited than I was before so to be let down so much by the book makes me really sad. I might try reading whatever she writes next but it’ll be a library borrow for sure.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Wattpad, via NetGalley, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*