Definitely a book for fans of a Married at First Sight, although I missed some of the compatibility matching story that would have made this premise work. Although this took a while to settle due to the different points of view, I did enjoy the large family dynamic and tension of Bridget/Cooper storyline. Some other threads were a little too loosely tied up for my taste but that’s the payoff for having a large main cast of characters and a relatively short read.
Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion. This book felt very “Hallmarky” which I think works for some, but just didn’t work for me. The switching points of view was hard to follow at times and there were so many sub-plots and additional characters was a lot to keep track of at times. I did enjoy the family and their meddling Italian mother.

The premise of this book sounded really promising with loads of potential. I thought it may be along the lines of a marriage of convenience with the main characters getting married at first sight based on a compatibility project, which turned out not to be the case.

Whilst I found the characters well thought out, with some very deep emotional drama and strong conflicts, I found that all together this didn't gel well and didn't make for a flowing narrative. The book hops from first person for Emma to third person for Cooper. I initially thought they were the hero and heroine, but whilst I suppose technically they are, they're not a couple in the traditional sense. The other characters in the book were less secondary characters and in fact had their own sub plots.

This book left me feeling flat and disappointed because it wasn't what I thought the blurb suggested it would be and whilst Cooper eventually got his romantic happily ever after, Emma didn't.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new author to me. I enjoyed the characters. I thought that the main characters were well developed and interesting.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. A good feel good read, great characters and an enjoyable storyline. Would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thought this book was really sweet. I am a big fan of Hallmark Channel movies and this story definitely had that vibe. The story is told by Emma and Cooper - the chapters alternate between their voices. Emma is from a large Irish-Italian family and Cooper has no family. Emma and Cooper both sign up for a matchmaking experiment in which they have a few weeks to get married. The book takes you through their journey.

This book is definitely worth the read.

„Take a Chance on Me“ introduces us to 5 Donovan sisters – 3 of them are married, one is about to get married, and Emma, the oldest one, is still single. She’s not desperate to tie the knot, however, eventually, after one date that went wrong too many, she agrees to blind marry a man in her sister’s neuroscience project. She doesn’t know the man, the man doesn’t know her, it is the Compatibility Test matched them together. And they should stay married for at least one year. She knows that there are so many things that can go wrong, but maybe, just maybe, could it potentially work?

I didn’t get quickly into the book, and it already was the first alarm bell as it has never happened with Beth Moran’s book before. I was confused with the subject, for a moment I thought it’s going to be some kind of a sci – fi story, to be honest, and till the end I didn’t warm to this idea, it didn’t sit with me so completely. What also bothered me was the huge number of characters – there were simply too many of them to follow because the book wanted to tell stories of them all and it was too much. I didn’t have a problem with the multiple points of view but I had a problem with the fact that there weren’t main characters in the end, the book didn’t know on whom it wants to focus – there were so many problems, subplots and threads and in the end all of them felt a bit too superficial – maybe focusing on one sister would be a better idea, and then writing another book about the other ones. Yes, I felt a little lost and uninspired, it all felt too choppy and not too well intertwined.

Beth Moran has already got me used to her brilliant characters. Sadly, this time, I didn’t feel like caring for any of the sisters. Not sure why but I couldn’t so completely got into their stories and into their heads. There are 5 of them and in the end I didn’t feel as if I knew them enough. Also, the author gives a lot of detail about them, their lives, challenges and their own families and it is really not easy to see what the main point of the book is. Emma is the oldest one and she’s not married, which seems to be a huge problem for her mother, especially as the youngest sister is just about to get married. Each of them have to face many obstacles and problems in their lives that are sometimes really heart – breaking, but they are always there for each other and in the end this is what counts. Mamma was sadly very annoying, though Papa Bear was a lovely character.

I have to say – sadly – that it was my least favourite book by this author. This one has, somehow, lost this magic and sparkle, it didn’t feel like reading Beth Moran’s book, it was sad. I was not so sold on the idea of this scientific experiment where you blindly agree to marry someone you have never met. But, despite all my problems, I stuck with the book, as I really love Beth Moran and her stories. In the end I started to appreciate the unique plot, although it was a bit too late to save the story. Nevertheless, the novel had it moments and one of the strongest messages is about family, about staying together no matter what. The „SisterApp“ was a brilliant idea and really, always when I read books that feature siblings in them I wish I had more than one sister – their antics and meddling in each other’s lives was so lovely written, there was this overwhelming feeling of love and acceptance and I liked it so much.

I wanted to really like this one, but the whole sister thing wasn't really for me.
Too many points of views made this one kind of confusing as well.

Take a Chance on Me is a new romance with a Married at First Sight plot line. There are 5 sisters in the Donovan family and they are all super close. Emma is the oldest, and looks to be the last to be married. Her youngest sister Bridget just got engaged, which brings her singlehood into stark reality. Enter Patrick Cooper, Bridget's best friend, who also loves her. He knows Bridget is off limits to him, but wants to remain in her life. When their work decides to put on a Married at First Sight experiment, Emma puts herself forward and Cooper does as well to marry her.

This book was more serious than I expected it to be, in the best of ways. I expected a light, easy contemporary romance but this book really tackled some serious issues with relationships and romance and it was a really great story to read. I really resonated with each Donovan sister and by the end was SO invested in the family. It made me wish I had a bigger and closer family. I even really like Cooper, though his intentions and behaviors weren't great through the book. I think the best part of this book is there are two "main" characters - but the "side characters" are just as important and are each given their own story arc.

The only critique I can give it is the ending. I wanted more. I won't spoil anything, but it left me wanting an epilogue or a one year later... type chapter that I didn't get. I understand and respect the ending, but wanted a follow up. But, that is my singular critique and I loved the rest of it so much.

**Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Take a Chance on Me by Beth Moran is an amusing read told from a few different perspectives. Emma Donavan is the oldest of five sisters and the last to be married. Her youngest sister Bridget is soon to be married and this causes her to make a few unorthodox decisions. Emma decides to marry a literal stranger based on a compatibility study. It turns out the stranger, Patrick Cooper, is actually the long lost love of her sister Bridget. As you may imagine drama and tension ensue.

The side stories of the other sisters and their romantic struggles were intriguing. They were shared in great detail but made for interesting character arcs. The other four half Irish and half Italian sisters were actually my favorite part of the book. Their tales of escapades, love, family and friendship were enlightening.

As mentioned, the book has an enjoyable cast of characters who add to the emotional dynamics in an amusing way, This book has a fantastic mix of joy, connection, and dramatic interest. The main story fell a bit flat but overall the book had multiple redeeming qualities.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Boldwood Books in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

I loved this book by Beth Moran! Emma hasn’t had much luck in love and wonders if she will ever find true love. Signing up for a getting married at first sight project might just be the answer for her. Sometimes we don’t see what is right under our nose.

Can two strangers make a marriage work?

Take a Chance on Me by Beth Moran is a story about the challenge of balancing career, romance, and family and how far a person is willing to go to achieve it all.

Some years prior, Emma was abandoned by her fiance weeks before their marriage.

Since then, she had dedicated herself to learn how to bake and build her baking business from scratch.

Being the eldest of five sisters, it was tough for Emma to learn her youngest sister was getting engaged, leaving her the last unmarried person in the family.

When her sister started a 'blind wedding' project at the neuroscience institute she worked for, Emma decided to take a leap of faith and join in agreeing to marry a complete stranger chosen for her based on data analysis and DNA samples.

It reminded me of Married at First Sight, a reality show that in a way emulates the experiment described in the book. I was curious to find out how it would play out in the book.

The story turned out to be quite different from what I was expecting, but not in a bad way.

I enjoyed the family vibe, especially the overprotective Italian mom and the lovely Irish Dad. The sisters also seem very real and easy to relate to.

Cooper was a sweetheart. He was shy, insecure, but loyal and lovely.

Emma had a sweet nature and a scarred heart. She was so brave to put herself out there and take that chance.

The story is not very romantic, but it deals with the character's inner struggles in a fascinating manner. It shows that nobody is perfectly happy and that happiness is a choice one has to make every day, whether single or in a relationship.

Take a Chance on Me is less of the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting and more of an inspirational read about life's purpose and happiness.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 02/04/2021 as part of the book's blog tour*

The premise of a "blind" marriage is not a new one in fiction. Nor is one person being in love with another, only for the other person to see them as a friend. This plot involving two sisters got very messy and I thought it in bad taste for that reason. I liked all the characters. The sisters could each have had their own books - there was certainly a lot packed in. I can't help thinking that if the ending had been done differently, then this book would have had something different to say. Loved the family camaraderie, and ME is highlighted. So plenty of good points but something doesn't quite gel. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this novel.

I enjoyed the relationships between the sisters, but the premise of the novel really didn’t sit well with me and made me deeply uncomfortable - and didn’t fit well with the characters themselves either. It seemed too slow in parts and just didn’t have the flow it needed.

It almost felt like it was trying too hard to be a Marian Keyes novel - and coming up short. A real shame as I would like to read more by this author.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The book started off slow so like always I read the last 2 chapters to see the ending.
I firmly believe if I like an ending then I will like the journey to that point.
I am so glad I read then ending because it was a disappointment.
This book just wasn't for me.

I struggle quite a bit with how to rate this book.

Emma is a baker and has been single for a long time after having her childhood love get caught making out with her enemy 2 weeks before their planned nuptials. She also has 4 younger sisters that she is extremely close to.

Cooper has been in love with Emma's youngest sister, Bridget, since their university days. The problem is that she is now engaged to her childhood love.

Cooper and Bridget's boss, a professor of neuroscience, makes an extremely terrible bet with a psychology professor at a banquet, saying that he can manage to find 2 people to get married and fall in love so easily, just like the psychology professor does on her famous TV show, demonstrating the lack of rigor in psychology as a science. This, of course, becomes a problem for Cooper and Bridget to actually figure out. After getting tons of terrible applicants, they're very stressed. Because Emma has had many terrible dates, she decides to sign up for the matchmaking program. Cooper wants to get over Bridget, so he signs up too, making his answers align with Emma's so they get matched.

So they get married, which is, of course, a terrible idea. Emma tries really hard to fall in love with Cooper while dealing with a ton of family drama and Cooper tries to fall in love with Emma while forgetting about Bridget. Throughout this all, Emma's sisters are all dealing with their own drama and we see the struggles they're going through and how they try to support one another and figure things out.

All in all, this book isn't really a romance, despite how it's marketed. It's really a women's fiction novel, with the focus of the book being on Emma and her sisters figuring out their lives. I think I could have enjoyed it more if I went into the story expecting it to be about the Donovan sisters, not about Emma and Cooper falling in love (spoiler alert: they don't). The marketing just really through off how I thought this story was going to go and made me question a lot of the choices being made throughout.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I won't lie. Take a Chance on Me started slow. It took a little bit to grab me, and by a little bit, I mean nearly halfway through. Once I hit the halfway point, the story really began to develop. I liked the main character of Emma and her dynamic with her sisters and family, but I found Cooper annoying. In fact, I pictured him as someone a bit whiny in real life.

Overall, the story was fine. I felt like I was reading an episode of Married at First Sight. It moved slowly, but it was still a light-hearted read.

Loved how all the members of the family were interested in each other lives and made there opinions heard. I just wish the ending was thought out differently.

The story was not what I was expecting based on the blurb. Not the author’s fault probably my own for trying to predict how the story would progress. It was well written with interesting enough characters but I did struggle with this one. Would suit readers who enjoy twists and an unpredictable outcome.

Hmmmm I didn’t love it. I just can’t get into it when a character uses another to get over their crush especially when the person they use is the sister. It felt icky and I couldn’t connect with it