Strike a Match by Fiona Riley

Every date that firefighter Sasha McCray has had in the last year has been orchestrated by matchmaker Samantha Monteiro through Perfect Match, Inc., and she still has nothing to show for it. After a series of near matches, Sasha has all but given up on finding that special spark with someone else.

Accountant by day and reluctant millionairess by night, Abby Rossmore wants nothing more than to be the normal girl she reads about in all those romance novels. But the truth is, once people find out about her family, their interest in her flares for all the wrong reasons.

When Samantha tries to help Abby and Sasha discover they have more in common than being unlucky in love, they have to decide if their shared passion will blaze on or burn out. Could they be each other’s perfect match? Or did the notorious Miss Match strike out?

Book 3
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Bold Strokes Books

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love this series and Sasha is by far my favourite character yet. I absolutely loved the gritty firefighter details. The romance between Abby and Sasha is perfectly paced and full of wonderful grand gestures, magical dates, and tender, intimate moments.

Sasha “there’s more to me than amazing cheekbones and legs for days” is a fabulous leading lady. The Boston firefighter is strong and sweet, funny and charming, and she’s working two jobs to pay her father’s medical bills. She’s a complicated, fiery character and I couldn’t help falling in love with her.

I didn’t warm quite as quickly to Abby. She’s an heiress working for a family charity who attempts to keep her privilege a secret. It takes time for us to see beyond her wealth to her kindness and her humour. I’m not sure she ever fully understands Sasha’s struggles, but she tries and she cares and she’s pretty special in her own way.

I really love the strong and interesting women in this series. This is a pretty sexy read, but it is the relationship between Sasha and Abby that I found really special. Sasha and Abby make each other stronger and they complement each other pretty perfectly. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series, and whilst it involves a new couple, there are lots of references to previous storylines, which means I would suggest reading them in order. In my review I assume that you have.

Both Abby and Sasha had been matched with Shelly, but it didn't work out, now they have noticed each other, and in spite of misgivings on both sides, and complications due to family, they give it a try. The chemistry is certainly there, but the openness is not, and causes more heartache to both of them. Matchmaker Samantha, now a newlywed herself, is determined to give them another chance at getting it right.

Getting the full story, the reader is inevitably drawn to the fact that the secrets will all spill out, but the timing works very well. I also think that the closeness and friendship which was developing is key to the story, as it added the emotional to the obvious physical connection that they enjoyed.

With some great side characters, such as Edie, Sasha's parents, and Burger (!) there is both humour and intensity added to the story. I found this a very good addition to the series – and enjoyed the wedding which kicked off the proceedings.

I hope that Ms. Riley is busy writing the next installment, as I enjoy catching up with the gang and seeing who is next to benefit from Samantha's intuition and skills!

Also Available in the Perfect Match Series

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Bold Strokes Books

For reviews & more info, check out our Unlikely Match post.

Fiona Riley was born and raised in New England where she is a medical professional and part-time professor when she isn't bonding with her laptop over words. She went to college in Boston and never left, starting a small business that takes up all of her free time, much to the dismay of her ever patient and lovely wife. When she pulls herself away from her work, she likes to catch up on the contents of her ever-growing DVR or take a walk with her dog.

Fiona's love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a "real job." Fiona found herself with a bachelor's, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer.

A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.

Connect with Fiona

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Strike a Match (Perfect Match #3) by Fiona Riley to read and review.

Unlikely Match by Fiona Riley

Shelly White is a coding genius who has mastered the IT world but hasn’t quite mastered dating. While she searches for Ms. Right with the help of Samantha Monteiro’s matchmaking agency, Shelly embraces her inner nerd, and when one of her newest ideas turns into a creative goldmine, she hires PR exec Claire Moseley to help her professional dreams become reality. But is Claire the girl of her dreams in more ways than one?

Being raised by four brothers has made Claire tenacious. Her assignment to Shelly’s high-profile project focuses her desire to prove her worth, even though she secretly fears she’s out of her depth. And she absolutely, positively isn’t going to let her growing attraction to Shelly White derail her career.

When passions and ambitions overlap, Shelly and Claire must decide whether mixing business and pleasure can result in a perfect match.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Bold Strokes Books

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

Yes! These are the women I want to read about! Shelly is a Silicon Valley genius. She runs a successful tech company and spends her days inventing technology that will change the world. Her only problems are personal. The qualities that make her successful have also made her socially awkward and perpetually single.

I loved watching Shelly move between her life as a powerful genius at work and her private life where she struggles to care for her father and is plagued by relationship insecurities. Claire is a perfect counterbalance for Shelly because she is much more balanced and confident. Claire is also successful and confident at work, but she is also close to her family and she finds it easier to engage with people.

The chemistry between these two is hot from their first awkward dance. When Claire finds herself working for Shelly, she finds the power balance in the relationship difficult. The result is a workplace romance high on sexual tension with a nervous and sometimes oblivious Shelly and a wary Claire. I enjoyed the courtship these two enjoy and I love the way Shelly gradually lets Claire see her inner geek. And once these two get naked together – they seriously don’t stop. The sex here is imaginative, steamy, and ultimately fun.

There is a miscommunication near the end that causes all sorts of over-the-top emotional drama from two women who spent the rest of the story as rational, analytical beings. I struggled to believe in this plot twist because it seemed out of character for both Claire and Shelly.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the geeky details about Shelly’s company and her inventions. This is a proper girl power story and I loved all of the confident, competent women we get to know in the book.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and although I haven't yet read the first one, I have every intention of doing so, as the relationship that it created is one worth reviewing! I do not think that I was seriously disadvantaged by coming to this fresh.

We get to meet the two leads in ways which give us plenty of insight into their ways, before they ever meet each other. Under the cover of a matchmaker meeting, Shelly's issues and insecurities as well as her passion and her wealth are revealed. She is a very interesting mix of quirky, nerdy, and successful. As we get to know her more, other traits are brought to the fore, but in an organic manner. Her literal way of seeing things is useful at moving the story forward. The help she has received from Samantha is significant.

Claire is a person we get to know through her family and her workplace – and she is conflicted about the work issue from the beginning – even though she met due to her boss, something which she never seems to consider might be relevant. As things progress, in what has to be both a sweet and hot way, the fear of overstepping boundaries is causing her much worry.

Ms. Riley makes sure that we get the story that we want, but works well at ensuring there are some missteps along the way. Thank you!

Fiona Riley was born and raised in New England where she is a medical professional and part-time professor when she isn't bonding with her laptop over words. She went to college in Boston and never left, starting a small business that takes up all of her free time, much to the dismay of her ever patient and lovely wife. When she pulls herself away from her work, she likes to catch up on the contents of her ever-growing DVR or take a walk with her dog.

Fiona's love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a "real job." Fiona found herself with a bachelor's, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer.

A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.

Connect with Fiona

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Unlikely Match (Perfect Match #2) by Fiona Riley to read and review.