Series: Berkeley Hills #6
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: February 15th, 2022
He’s also my sister’s boss, and I agree to let her set me up with the awkward genius, who apparently has even less luck in the dating game than a struggling artist, aka me.
We’re total opposites, but the date goes okay. We agree to be friends, the kind who won’t become lovers.
Famous last words.
On a series of “friend dates” involving bar snacks, acrylic paint and hedgehogs, I discover that Charlie is nothing like what I expected. Under his hoodie and glasses, he’s handsome and down-to-earth, stuck in a job he hates and afraid to disappoint people by walking away. His heart is as gorgeous as his hidden face.
I’ve always felt like the flaky sister in my family, but Charlie sees me as the artist I want to be. As our friendship deepens, so do my feelings for him. Maybe I’m even falling in love.
But gambling with my heart feels dangerous when all my relationships end in failure–especially if he’s only looking for a friend.
Is it only princesses that get a Happy Ever After? Or is there hope for a hot mess like me?
I’ve been eyeing the Berkeley Hills series by Stacy Travis for a while, thanks to all the attention the books are getting on Instagram. But I hadn’t gotten around to reading it so far. So when Stacy got in touch and asked if I’d like to read an ARC of the last book in the series, I jumped at the chance instantly. And I am so glad I did. Because between Stacy’s fantastic writing, the characters that she’s created and the world that we get to experience, No Match For Her was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life. All the books can be read as a standalone and even though I haven’t met any of the Finley siblings till this point, I felt like I knew them personally already. However, I’m definitely going to pick up the rest of the books because I can’t wait to enjoy their love stories too.
Cherry is the last of her siblings to find love and after giving up on the prospect, she lets her sister set her up on a blind date with her boss. To Tatum, Charlie is a great match for her sister. But to Cherry, Charlie is the complete opposite. Awkward and quiet, Charlie is not the kind of guy that Cherry would usually be drawn to. He’s more comfortable in baggy clothes and talking about work, numbers and other nerdy things; while she’s interested in fashion and art and talking about anything but work. Their blind date doesn’t go according to plan and it really makes Cherry give up hope on anything good ever happening in her life again. Charlie’s been thinking and wondering about Cherry for three whole years since she showed up at the office to meet her sister. The sound of her laugh, the freedom in the way she carries herself and her beauty left him dumbfounded and ever since then, he’s been mildly obsessed with her. So much so that when they do go on their blind date, he shuts down because he’s not sure if he’s fully ready to be himself with Cherry.
An absolute slow burn, Cherry and Charlie’s relationship is so unique and special. It made me so happy to have a front row seat to watch it all unfold. Even though their date went badly, Cherry and Charlie set themselves on a path of friendship when they run into each other in the unlikeliest of places. Dinner, conversation and getting to know each other better and they find that they get along when not put in a situation like they were on their blind date. But the more time they spend together, the more feelings come to the surface. For Charlie, the feelings have never been a problem, because he’s always known how he feels about Cherry. But for her, things surface slowly and it’s so beautiful to watch her fall in love with Charlie.
“I want her. Fully. Completely. Without reservations. The only thing that’s still unclear is whether she wants me.”
I loved their friend dates, because they really sounded like so much fun. They did all kinds of things together, lots of fun and adventurous things that would make anyone fall in love. And through each friend date, you can see how they warm up to each other and the feelings become more than friendship. THE PINING IN THIS BOOK IS EPIC. We already know that Charlie has feelings for Cherry, but to see her side of things was truly so magical. It’s definitely a case of ‘he falls first’, but the mutual pining is so brilliant and absolutely addictive. Their friendship to relationship slow burn made me all kinds of happy and I never wanted it to end. But sure, I was even more excited when their relationship evolved into something more.
When it comes to interconnected standalones or standalones in a series, one of the things I look forward to are the relationships between the characters from all the books. And in this one, we get to see the Finley siblings bonding and having fun together and it’s so beautiful. I loved how distinct each sibling was, but also how when they all come together, they fit. And having met all of them and their better halves, I definitely need to pick up each book and experience their love stories first hand.
Thanks to Stacy Travis for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
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