The Match by Sarah Adams - 4 Stars
NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS ON THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED 2020 EDITION SHOWN ABOVE. I WILL BE OUTLINING DIFFERENCES BELOW IN THE NEW EDITION VS THIS ONE BECAUSE I READ IT ON EBOOK ALONGSIDE THE ORIGINAL VERSION.
While I really enjoyed the story in the original edition and would give it a solid 4-star rating, I wanted to share some thoughts on how the newer edition differs, in case it helps you decide which version might be the best fit for you or if you want to read the new edition or not. I know many of my followers here really want to know about the level of detail for sexual content, language etc., in books, so I try to let you know these things.
First, I highly recommend the original edition if you can find it. Unfortunately, with the new release, the older version is harder to come by, but I found it to be a sweeter, more wholesome read. The new edition made some noticeable changes that didn’t work as well for me, personally. (See details outlined below in full.)
This book has disability represented through Epilepsy - I loved the storyline through that because we have our main girl, Evie, who has Southern Service Paws, her business that is dedicated to service dogs to helping people with Epilepsy. She has it herself, so she can relate and share her journey with others. I loved that. She has a client she is meeting, a little girl, Sam, with her father, Jake. Unfortunately, Jake has no idea they were meeting for this purpose and wants nothing to do with her or the dog. He judges her immediately, not knowing her story and is pretty rude in their first meeting. As time goes on, he feels bad about the situation and agrees to meet with Evie. They connect and she shares her story, leaving him feeling even worse about their first encounter. As they work with Sam and her new service dog, they start to care about one another and a romances ensues. Story goes on from here and they are working on everything together and Evie is dealing with her parents constant back and forth intrusion on her life. I loved the way Jake and Evie's relationship was in tone in the original edition, and his little girl Sam was so sweet.
Let's chat about the differences in the new vs the old editions for those interested:
One of the biggest differences is the language. The original book had very little, with maybe one or two mild words. However, in the republished edition, words that were once softer (like "butt" or "dang") were replaced with stronger curse words, and additional profanity was added where it wasn’t before. While this may not bother every reader, I felt it wasn’t necessary and changed the tone of the book. [butt changed to a**, dang changed to d***, bull was bulls***, s*** was added randomly etc.]
Another area that shifted was the romance. While both versions remain closed-door, the newer edition leans more into lustful descriptions. For example, the first kiss scene was originally brief and sweet, but it was rewritten to be more drawn-out and passionate, with mentions of hands under shirts, groaning, and heightened physical desire. Additionally, small wording choices....like changing "kiss-induced" to "lust-filled" gave the romance a different tone.
I was also surprised to see that certain traditional values expressed by the FMC were softened or removed. In the original, she mentions being an “old-fashioned, ring-on-her-finger kind of girl” which was taken out in the new version. It’s a small change, but it stood out when I was doing the comparison.
Another significant shift was the removal of any type of faith-based references. While this is not Christian Fiction, in the original, a mother-figure character expresses that she feels the “Good Lord” brought her and the FMC together, but in the new edition, that phrase was removed. Also, a simple statement about praying for another character was changed to “sending good vibes.” While these may seem like small tweaks, they did take away some of the heartwarming elements that I loved. It especially changed the tone between the mother-figure and the FMC - it just didn't have the same meaning behind it.
I want to be clear.....I don’t think these changes make the book “terrible.” If I had only read the new version, I might have still enjoyed it because I love a good single dad trope and disability rep....but because I had the opportunity to compare, I personally prefer the original. If you’re looking for a sweet, mostly squeaky-clean read, the first edition is the one I’d recommend....IF you can get your hands on it.
Unfortunately, only the revised edition is currently available in print, eBook, and audiobook formats. I wish the original were easier to find, but if you do come across a used copy, I think it’s worth picking up. Check Pango Books for the used editions if you are interested.
She has had 4 of her backlist indie books revamped by her new publisher, which I own all 4 of the originals, so I will try to compare to the new ones again to help others. It is just hard for me to write a review on this and rate it, when the one I read isn't widely available, but I felt like I needed to compare to let you know the differences if you pick up the new one, so you can make your own decision.
Love yall.
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