Review: “The Match”
I grabbed a copy of this from an ARC program because I was interested in reading a trope-filled romance.
The Premise
In need of a sperm donor because the right man doesn’t seem to be showing up, Rossi selects “Ambitious Athlete” for the deed. A couple of years later, a clinical error reveals his name to her, sent in error to the recipient rather than the donor. As the fertility clinic fumbles to cover its tracks and make a settlement payment to protect their business, Rossi meets said donor — now no longer ambitious, but a world-renowned athlete: tennis player Fabian. Though she has reservations about including him in her baby’s life, she decides to give it a try by allowing him to move in to live with her temporarily. But will his past relationships and jet-setting lifestyle be a good match for this down-to-earth mama?
The Pros
The story was very well-written and kept me engaged all the way through. I thought the premise was quite interesting, because the decision to be a sperm donor in your youth can come back to bite you in the ass later down the line — especially if become famous. I also liked the theme of the glittering social media life vs. what lies beneath. The “mommy blogger” scene was hilarious, as were other snippets when Fabian revealed what a relationship with a famous person was really like. I enjoyed the side character of Rossi’s sister, who breathed life and comedy into their arrangement with her teasing comments and over-the-top behaviour, but the sisterly love was still there. Though I saw it coming a mile away, the plot arc with Frankie was also a great one, and I thought Rossi’s job as a genealogist connecting families was perfectly executed here. The sexy scenes were also beautifully done — racy, but believable and not overkill at all; just right!
The Cons
While I liked the writing style, I was perplexed at some of the characters’ choices. Rossi jumped into sperm donation readily at 33 as a “last resort” though she was fertile and seemed to have had some kind of dating life after her divorce. To me, it felt way too early to “give up” on finding a man and decide to go the sperm donor route, particularly when your life’s work is to connect families linked by DNA. Also, Fabian apparently didn’t want children with an ex, and then suddenly wants to fit into his child mother’s and baby’s life, and Rossi’s swift pivot from not needing a man *at all* to inviting her child’s sperm donor to live with her — it felt very sudden.
The setup of all of this just didn’t seem likely at times — not to mention her parents that seemed to have no reservations at her having a child via sperm donor (I repeat — at 33! — was this really the only option?), and later on uprooting their entire lives at a moment’s notice. Finally, “heroic” macho violence with no repercussions (or confirmed proof) also felt oddly placed in a romance. Beyond those general feelings, I also found there were few surprises (at least to me) and the ending felt a bit rushed — the conflict was resolved quickly, before it slides into a happily-ever-after.
Conclusion
I feel conflicted because I enjoyed it and read through it quickly, but there were parts that didn’t sit well with me. The timeline to “have-a-child-now-because-I-can’t-find-the-right-man” may be the root of my unease. While necessary for the set-up, it doesn’t send a great message to women. There are many kinds of families being created in various ways between all types of partners or those who choose to go it alone, and I am grateful to live in a world with so many options; but donor sperm should not be presented as such a light-hearted alternative to finding a partner — again… at 33!!!
Maybe I expect a bit too much from my fiction, but it didn’t seem like she had gotten sufficient psychological counselling before embarking on creating a child that would be (or was supposed to be) fatherless. This serious issue needed a bit more delicate treatment around the role of ethics at (reputable) fertility clinics. Nevertheless, the book itself was pretty enjoyable, and if you can suspend your belief and judgement a bit, you will laugh, cringe and smile with the characters and their adorable baby. I would recommend to others who want a romance, and I look forward to more by this author.
