Customer Reviews

Miss Match

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am not a reader of this genre in particular, but I saw this book and it seemed different from the standard "romance". Which it is. I found this book to be a delightful read. It's hilarious (i.e. the VFA - Very Famous Actor- chapter is hysterical. And I live in LA, I should know!) and really intelligent. Not many authors can successfully get away with lines from "Taming of the Shrew" in a lighthearted comedic bok. But Ms. Carroll does it. And very well. I have already recommended this to many of my friends who will get a kick out of the many bad dates (haven't we all dated a Glen?). GET THIS BOOK! It's the perfect summer read!

Wow, what fun...I couldn't put this book down! Now, let's be realistic-I'm not saying that I couldn't put it down because I thought it was an important novel that will now belong to the Ages...I just couldn't put it down because it was just so breezy and fun. I'd liken it to having a good, witty friend telling you all about her misadventures in the dating world over a pint or two of Haagan Dazs. I swear, I could picture the entire story and characters immediately jumping out of the book and onto a movie screen...it was like having my own, personal Nora Ephron movie playing in my head. Each and every one of Kitty's dates was like a little novella within a novel; as they unfolded I kept holding my breath wondering how they would (inevitably) end in disaster. I also appreciated how we also get to see the perspective from the man's point of view as well-rare in a "Chick" book...and even rarer still is the fact that he isn't portrayed as an ignorant Neanderthal; just a good guy with flaws.

Again-let me be clear: DON'T do your doctoral disseratation on this work, DO take it with you to the beach this summer. I also suspect it will get a lot of single girls (and guys) through some long, lonely Saturday nights (along with the aforementioned Haagan Dazs). I won't be suprised if I wind up reviewing the movie version of this story on DVD/VHS here on Amazon in a year or two.

"Miss Match" is a funny romantic comedy about the lengths some people will go to find a significant other. Kitty has just been dumped by her fiance who'd rather look in the mirror than at her. She reluctantly signs up for a dating service owned by her neighbor after much cajoling, and feels an immediate connection to the person running the agency, Walker Hart (the owners millionaire son).

Walker is also intrigued by her, but because of the many, many marriages of his eccentric mother, he doesn't believe in a happily ever after that includes in matrimony. True to his commitment to his new client, he sets her up on five dates. He has conveniently ensconced himself in her apartment when his roof leaks due to a storm. Sure he could have gone to a hotel, but instead he crashes with her.

Each is a disaster in its own right - whether she is fending off the advances of a married man, or mistaken as a hooker; at the end of each date, Walker is there to lend an ear. Feeling guilty about one date, he offers a sixth date free.

He has a strong attraction to her, and the story never makes it clear if he's purposely picking all the wrong men for her. I loved his klutzyness too. He was always banging into stuff and breaking things. The story is chock full of sophisticated banter, show tunes, and literary quotes, not something you see everyday, thus making it a refreshing change of pace. A great beach read of escape from mundane office work.

The Pros: I thought this was a great comedic romance. The witty reparteé between the main characters was refreshing. The hero was true to his nickname, Bear. He seemed like such a love-able, huggable man. His clutziness made him seem more "real". How many of us know men who are perfect anyway? He was sensitive and caring and funny. The heroine was like-able too. The author gave her a great sense of humor as well - the banter between Kitty and Bear showed the chemistry the two were supposed to share. The dates that Kitty was set up on were hilarious. It was a hoot to guess "what's wrong with this one?" It was a fun read, no great literature - but do we expect that in our romance? Nahh....I'm glad I picked it up.

Cons: Like most romances the ending was tied up too neat and quick. Plus the mushy talk gets corny once the lovebirds have sealed their fate (also a downfall of most romances, but both are mostly forgivable.) The Brownie incident was kind of dumb and contrived to boot. I think the author could have come up with something better - like making Bear Kitty's bachelor #6. (May be predictable, but it would have been sweet!) And I would have LOVED to have had an epilouge. I always want to know what happens after "happily ever after."
Other than those nitpicky points - I was a thoroughly satisfied reader!

I really enjoyed this book. I dont think i can wait until next year for Leslie Carroll's next book. This romance's plot differed from others in its category. Kathryn gets involved with a dating service called Six in the City, where she goes on numerous dates with vivid characters, until she ends up where she started and falls in love. It is a great book and i would recommend it to everyone, even to those as young as 14! I highly suggest reading it.

MISS MATCH is a fun read. I may not be the best judge of this as I rarely read contemporary romances, but I found the plot to be fairly original. I loved reading about the different disasters that Kitty has on her dates. My favorite character is the VFA - very famous actor - who seems to jump right off of the tabloids. There were some interesting comic scenarios.

Complaints: 1) The author was trying too hard to seem hip. Every other sentence was a comic quip, making the book seem like a sitcom episode. After a while, it became too much and started to lose its humor. 2) I didn't find Bear to be that interesting a character. Kitty says that she has chemistry every time they touch, but it doesn't jump off of the page for the readers. I am told they are attracted, but I don't feel the attraction when I read it. 3) The last fourth of the book started to become a little cliched in the plot, which made me start to look forward to finishing it.

To wrap up, this book is light, breezy, fun...but rather like a Sex in the City one-night stand. Easily forgettable in the morning.

I read "Miss Match" on a transcon flight from New York to Los Angeles and never did a flight speed by so quickly! The lead character draws you in right away and I was rooting for her before we were over Philadelphia. It wasn't that long ago that I was 35 and dealing with Dating Disasters! Leslie Carroll deals with the complications of "romance fiction" with humor, and brings new twists to an old format. This was a really FUN read!

In New York, to shut up her nosy neighbor "Yenta", Kathryn "Kitty" Lamb agrees to try the woman's matchmaking service. At Six in the City, Kitty meets Walker "Bear" Hart, a successful financial guru, who is filling in for his mother Yenta as she travels in Wales on her latest honeymoon. Bear and Kitty are immediately attracted to one another especially their shared warped sense of humor, but she wants love and marriage while he avoids commitment.

Kitty begins dating the men that Bear provides to her, but none seem to compare with her host. He, in turn, is jealous of each date he arranges for Kitty. However, though he wants her, Bear knows that relationships are fleeting as he learned observing his mother. Kitty knows who her true match is, but expects to miss out on the love of a lifetime because he cannot escape the lessons of a lifetime.

MISS MATCH is an engaging amusing contemporary romance that contains a serious undertone on what parents leave with their children including those grown up. The story line is fun due to the lead couple's reactions to one another and the antics of the five dates. Though done many times before, readers will enjoy Kitty's trip through the looking glass of singles dating in Manhattan because Leslie Carroll uses the eccentric cast to provide freshness to the scene. The ensemble thoroughly entertains the audience.

Harriet Klausner

MISS MATCH is a frolicsome adventure through New York Citys dating scene. Using the Six in the City pun as a springboard, Leslie Carroll launches us into the hilarious world of New Yorks premier matchmaking service and the scintillating encounters of single, thirty-something drama teacher Kathryn Kitty Lamb.

Kitty Lamb is an endearing heroine. At times we nod our head with empathy pobrecita, other times we just want to hug her; and are at all times rooting for her to find true love, commitment, and ultimately happiness in a city of possibility.

Carrolls witty dialogue is lush with literary and cultural allusions, but is never alienating. Rather, there is a delightful playfulness throughout the novel that is always inviting and welcomes the reader to venture further into the unknown of what one more date may bring. Each scenario is a delicious romp and the character names have a distinctive camp quality, like Kitty Lamb and Bear Hart. Carroll skillfully plays within the genre, even her phrasing has the texture of a tickle.

Imbued with rich ambience, this romantic-comedy creates a vivid and realistic portrait of various New York City locales; from the penthouse apartment, complete with leaks; to a downtown dive-bar; to the sidewalk café and street scenes. Carroll has a flair for capturing those only in New York moments; like the bystanders confusing actual police activity with an episode of Law & Order. These insightful details will be enjoyed by all and especially appreciated by New Yorkers.

MISS MATCH hits on many levels and effectively examines the inherent conflict of contemporary life versus romantic ideals.

Intertwined with the humor of the novel is an underlying element exploring issues of identity: who we think we are, who we think we are supposed to be, and who we really are. Through this struggle the characters find freedom from self-imposed notions, family expectations, and career pressures; and eventually find what they had all alongLove.

MISS MATCH is a cinematic, fast-paced page turner --- so, maximize the fun and `save a date for every night of the week!

MISS MATCH
by Leslie Carroll
Ballantine 2002

Leslie Carroll's Miss Match is charming and witty; the perfect book to take on an airplane or cruise ship -to the beach or resort or to curl up with by the fire on a cold night. Her characters are often eccentric, always complex and are so clearly drawn you see them in your mind and feel you actually know them as they are brought to life on each page.

The leading lady, Kathryn (Kitty) Lamb, a high school drama teacher, has been touted onto Six and the City ( a dating service) by a flamboyant, nosey neighbor. She takes the bait...fishing for marriage material. Instead, she meets five guys who provide unpredictable situations...none of which spells c-o-m-m-i-t-m-e-n-t. The dating game's interim manager (his Mom is the nosey neighbor, owns it) Walker "Bear" Hart, in "real life" a financial whiz, sets the dates...but won't consider setting THE date.

Expecting the perfect mate, Kitty is foiled when each of Six and the City's video prospects propel her in the wrong direction...not to the perfect romance, but to a prospective bigamist, to jail, to a necrophiliac, to Hades, and to a double cross. Every episode is a delicious scenario all by itself. But the question remains...will Kitty ever find happiness with the man of her dreams?

During this truly fanciful New York journey, we meet Kathryn's upper east side MBA sister; Johanna, her two year old niece and "Bear" Hart's oft-married mother. All of whom contribute deliciously to the ever evolving plot.

The comedic repartee is a delight to read. It reminded me of those marvelous screwball romantic movie comedies of the 1930s and `40s. At [this price]it's the "feel good" bargain of the year!