Miss Match

I"m not sure how many book reviews I'll post - probably not a lot, but focusing on books that are amazing yet seldom-read.

Erynn Mangum published Miss Match when she was twenty-three, and calls it semi-autobiographical. I'm always cautious of first-time authors, but in several cases (such as Shannon Hale) have felt shamed afterward for doubting. I did this time too.

Lauren Holbrook is twenty-four, living at home and working at a photography studio owned by her best friend from first grade. Besides being alarmingly addicted to sugar and caffeine, she might be considered fairly normal save for her unusual hobby.

She is a matchmaker.

Lauren subtly arranges matrimony for her friends while not seeing marriage in her own future. Then she meets Ryan, the younger brother of one of her co-workers. They agree to pretend to be dating, to encourage his sister (one of Lauren's victims) to continue her relationship with Nick, the singles' pastor.

Lauren doesn't count on her relationship with Ryan to switch from fake dating to real.

I can't do justice to this book with a review. It is hilarious, and packed with all sort of things girls know to be true about guys. (Sorry to the guys who may read this, but you know it's true). Obviously, the main theme is romance, to a degree, but the most un-mushy laugh-out-loud way possible. It's written in first-person, present tense. I was wary of the tense at first, since most books are past. Erynn Mangum handles present tense without blinking. It is amazing.

I know, dropping twelve bucks on a book may make some of you pause. Don't. Rush headlong. While you're at it, pick up the sequel, Rematch, and later this summer, Match Point. The first chapters are online at http://www.erynnmangum.com/ .