Customer Reviews

Rematch (Lauren Holbrook Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The enchanting matchmaker Lauren Holbrook is back, better than ever in the sequel to the brilliant Missmatch!

Riding the wave of her successful pairing of her work colleague and Bible Study leader, Lauren sets her sights on her hapless single friends, confident she can lead them into their happily ever after.

While consuming copious amounts of coffee and cheesecake, Lauren plots to bring her favourite barrista, Shawn into both wedded bliss with newcomer, Hallie and belief in God, preferably in reverse order!

Lauren's life is suddenly complicated when her widowed Dad announces he is off to a singles retreat, Meet Your Match in Michigan, construction worker Ryan Palmer causes flutters in her stomach when he smiles and then there is Brandon Knox, her best buddy in the whole world without a girl of his own ~ what's a girl to do?!

Erynn Mangum has done it again! Rematch is wonderful, replete with sparkling wit, gregarious and uplifting characters and a story that will leave you with a happy heart. Lauren's stellar voice continues to shine brightly and despite her meddling, you can't help but love her. Her naivety in her own love life is delightful and I can't wait to see how Erynn resolves that. Lauren's friends and family are just as appealing each epitomising integrity yet with enough foibles to be realistic. The final scene is a treasure ~ a secret mission with code names Vizzini and Inigo was the icing on the cake! All that was left for me to do was close the book and watch Pride & Prejudice, which I did. Read Rematch and you will understand why! This is one of those unique books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone, from the teen years and beyond!

"It began with a scowl," and so it should, it would seem, as the coffee supply has mysteriously disappeared. Coffee, the reader will quickly discover is the life giving for Erynn Mangum's alter ego Lauren Holbrook. I have never seen the word coffee used so many times in one novel.

I approached this novel cautiously. It is a Chick Lit novel and there are many of the typical things that you expect to find in the genre. Knowing that some people enjoy the genre more than I, I took this into account as I opened the cover. As supper sizzled in a skillet on the stove I began to read, making it through three chapters by the time I sat down to eat a hamburger and Pringles.

Four hours later, I finished the book. Most of the book is dialog. Other than that, the book is written in first person present tense. Overall, the book is very believable and I even laughed at a few things. In this book, Laurie continues her quest to unite singles into couples, but she becomes concerned about the possibility of her nearly fifty-year-old father getting married. That issue is the major conflict in the book. The rest is straightforward. Laurie sees a couple that needs to be matched up and she gets them together with little to no conflict. So, in looking at how the main character is changed by the events of the story, it is an internal struggle for Laurie and her view of her relationship with her father.

There is one thing that this novel does very well. It does not go out of its way in an attempt to make it a Christian novel. Yes, there are Christian elements to it, but the reader is not left with the feeling that the author wrote a non-Christian novel and then added the Christian stuff to it.

The book isn't perfect. There were a few actions by some of the characters that seemed to be used more frequently than they should have been. I won't ruin the book for everyone by saying what they were. Other people may not be a nitpicky as I am.

I can't be too hard on this book, there were some very marked similarities between this book and my own book, Searching for Mom. Lauren and Sara have both lost a mother, though they have different opinions about this. Both are matchmakers, of sorts. Even some of the book and movie references are the same. So it I go too far with my criticism I will probably just end up criticizing myself.

Review by Gigi Hoffman

Rematch, the second novel in the Lauren Holbrook series, is just as full of coffee and chocolate as book one. Yum!

Lauren Holbrook is at it again. Laurie's matchmaking track record keeps increasing; she's got two couples married so far. Now she's up for a challenge, trying to set up her two best friends. Brandon, her boss and best-friend-since-fourth-grade, and Hannah, the new Christian who's gorgeous both inside and out, are the perfect couple and Laurie knows it. But how is she to set them up subtly, without their knowledge? Then there's Shawn, the owner of Laurie's favorite coffee and desert store, and Hallie, the new girl at the singles' Bible study. So many matches, so little time!

As if there weren't enough love in the air, Laurie's dad, a widower, announces he's going to a singles' retreat. Laurie doesn't know what to think. Is she ready to see her hypochondriac father return to the dating scene?

And what about Ryan, Laurie's sort-of boyfriend? Laurie started off pretend-dating him to get people off her back, but now the relationship is becoming more real. What's with the weird feeling in her stomach every time he's around? Are they really "just friends" or is there something more?

With even more chick-flicks (Anne of Green Gables, plus more Pride and Prejudice and The Princess Bride) in book two, it's hard not to love keeping up with fast-talking Laurie and her crazy schemes.

If you read and enjoyed book one, Miss Match (Lauren Holbrook Series, Book 1), you've got to read this one!

I read this book in one day. It was great. I just couldn't put it down. I got absolutely nothing else done that day because all I did was read. Erynn Mangum's characters in the book are so intriguing and funny. I absolutely loved the character of Lauren. I think I liked the character so much because it reminded me of myself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes some good chick lit!

I loved this book. Erynn Mangum is such an awesome author. She is definitely one of my new favorites. I can't wait for the third book in this series to come out!

I'm not usually a fan of romance/chick lit; but, I found myself entertained by Erynn Mangum's books. The characters are quirky & funny-there's just enough romance to keep you interested.

Rematch by Erynn Mangum is another fabulous book that keeps you laughing throughout. Laurie continues with her match making skills. She is hysterical. Her father is a hoot. I love the images that the writer creates. You know it is good, when all the words unfold into a movie in your head. The author did another great job.

I love this series by Erynn Mangum! I love her witty dialogue and the characters in these books. I read the first one because it was a free ebook on kindle and I am so glad I discovered here. She is my new favorite Christian chick lit author!! Keep up the great work!!!

This second installment in the Lauren Holbrook trilogy has Laurie focusing her match-making talents on her life-long best friend Brandon and his secretary Hannah. The story picks up the day after Nick and Ruby's wedding. If you didn't already meet the cast of characters in the first installment, Miss Match (Lauren Holbrook Series, Book 1), you will quickly become acquainted with them in this installment. You will also find that coffee and chocolate addictions run rampant in Laurie's daily life as she struggles to come to grips with changes in her life. The major struggle evolves as her widowed Dad suddenly takes an interest in pursuing a relationship and goes off to a singles retreat in Michigan. Her relationship with Ryan also continues to evolve. However, it is interesting that she is so naïve about her own growing relationship at the same time that she has such strong perceptions regarding those of the people she is working to match. The author beautifully blends in Scripture and aspects of living a Christian lifestyle throughout the story. This is a fun easy read filled with lots of quirky humor that had me laughing out loud at times. I am looking forward to book 3, Match Point (Lauren Holbrook Series, Book 3).

Coffee override!!! I love Lauren!! Highly recommend this book and author. Great characters, plot and theme. Can't wait for the next installment!!