Georgia Beers' "Playing with Matches" is a charming and witty romance that explores the complexities of love and the surprising turns life can take. Set in a vibrant community, the story follows two women whose lives intersect in unexpected ways, sparking an undeniable attraction that neither was looking for.

Beers is skilled at crafting realistic and relatable characters, and her dialogue sparkles with authenticity and humor. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, making their evolving relationship both compelling and endearing. "Playing with Matches" is beautifully balanced, combining heartfelt moments with light-hearted banter, making it a delightful read for fans of contemporary romance looking for stories that both entertain and resonate emotionally.

OKAY so to start with, I wish I would have read this book MONTHS ago. This is such a cozy holiday-adjacent romance and thinking of reading it cuddled up with my favorite blanket while snow falls out the window makes me miss winter already.

Playing With Matches tells the story of Liz Bennet, returning home to work in the family B&B in her hometown of Crimson Falls, after being laid off from her fancy-schmancy job in the big city. As she enters town, she finds a spider in her car and goes careening ALMOST into a gift shop where she meets Cori Stratton, who she went to high school with but doesn't quite remember.

There is instant chemistry that neither of them are ready to act on, until a sticky situation forces Liz to announce a "fake" relationship with Cori.

Overall it was a very cute low-stakes story but I did feel like the pacing was a little off and the characters felt a bit flat. I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning (hence it taking me months to finish) but once the fake relationship started up, I found Cori and Liz to be such a cute couple with with hilarious banter and I could not put it down!

This is such charming example of a sweet small town sapphic romance!

Once again Georgia Beers delivers in this cozy sapphic romance. Definitely what I have come to expect, insta lust/great connection between the love interests with a slow burn romance, low stakes, a touch of family drama and of course pets. Really enjoyed the element of fake dating, the small town B&B setting, and the romance between Liz and Cori was sweet.

Cracking story well told, loved the complex back story of Cori that emerges and takes attention away from the artificial set up of the relationship with Liz. Liz has some good back story too, returning to her parents after dreaming of finding success away from the small town. There is much to enjoy in this book, alongside a believable and enjoyably paced romance. I also really enjoyed the creativity of Cori and the vivid descriptions of her candle making.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While the novel is a delightful read, some readers might find the plot predictable, especially those familiar with the fake-dating trope. The story also takes a slower pace at times.

Playing with Matches is a charming and heartwarming romance perfect for curling up with during the holidays or anytime you need a feel-good escape. With its relatable characters, small-town setting, and festive atmosphere, this book is sure to leave you with a smile.

If you enjoy lesbian romances with second-chance themes and a touch of small-town charm, then Playing with Matches is a book you won't want to miss.

This is a story about Cori Stratton who grew up and has lived in a small town her entire life. Now at 34 she owns a gift shop in this small Adirondack town. Cori loves making candles and other decorative items. She’s always been an introverted loner and is happy with her life.

Liz Brennan is the opposite, she’s outgoing and popular and couldn’t wait to get out of the small town and live in the city. After 15 years she’s lost her job and comes home for the holidays to help out at her family B&B. Liz’s mom is recovering from surgery and her dad is the town relator. Her dad wants to sell Cori’s shop to out of town developers.

Cori has always had a crush on Liz but has kept it a secret. Suddenly they are thrown together in a fake romance to fool Liz’s ex who’s getting married at the family B&B.

I’m a big fan of Georgia Beers writing style, I find it very cozy and familiar and have enjoyed all of her books. I wish that we could have seen more of Liz’s popular girl younger life, I didn’t get that vibe for her in what I read. I think if we would have had some flashbacks to their high school years it would have been a more emotional and involved book. I would have liked to have seen more of Cori’s upbringing and family dynamic to understand her feelings of isolation. So another 100 bags of back story would have made this 5star for me.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest review.

This was such a cute, wholesome story, I liked that it reminded me of a hallmark type movie. The main characters are in a fake dating relationship, but at times you could see that they wanted to be together all along. There's some really funny moments throughout this book, also some satisfying drama. The main characters know each other, so this could be considered a second chance romance as well. I would definitely recommend this book too my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

SMALL TOWN
FAKE DATING
SAPPHIC!!!

Sign me up!! This plot reminds me of some other books I’ve read so it started to fall flat for me. The writing was also a tad off for me, but I really felt like Liz & Cori had a great connection.

Solid 3.75

Thank you for the ARC!

Playing with Matches skilfully combines several beloved romance tropes – a journey back home, rediscovered young love, and a faux romance, all wrapped up in a cozy holiday setting. Playing with Matches is a romantic tale filled with lots of family drama for both characters. At its heart are Liz, the prodigal daughter grappling with her past and present, and Cori, a once-invisible admirer now facing the complexities of a fake relationship with her teenage crush. Their evolving relationship, marked by genuine chemistry and emotional depth, forms the core of this engaging story.

The initial slow build of Liz and Cori's relationship allows for a richer, more satisfying connection as the story progresses, navigating through personal and professional challenges with a backdrop of a quaint, picturesque small-town setting. I enjoyed following the complexities of life for both Cori and Liz, and the way they helped each other through them.

Despite a somewhat predictable plot, the novel shines with its character development and the sweet, evolving relationship between Liz and Cori. Playing with Matches is another cute romance from Georgia Beers.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The banter makes this story really cute. I enjoyed the lesbian main character. The part of the story of the ex getting married was a bit far fetched and is what lost a star, but overall it is an enjoyable story. Fun way to get away from reality.

this started really strong for me, i was enjoying both the main characters , the setup and the setting. the wintery vibes were great, and it felt super cosy, i almost wish i'd read it over the chirstmas period!

my biggest issue though, was how clunky it felt. the pacing of the story wasn't necessarily to fast or too slow, but i didn't really have any emotional sway towards either cori or liz and while they didn't feel like carbon copies of each other, i just couldn't get myself to care all that much about either of them. another example of the clunkiness was in the descriptions of the surroundings and the other characters. descriptions of an outfit, someones personality, or items in a shop, felt tacked on, like an afterthought. i'd have preferred if some things had been shown, personality shown through actions of the character or speech.

it wasn't badly written by any means, and for most people i think this would be a cute, cosy romance with low stakes and solid communication and honesty, it just didn't do much for me. i think i'll still check out more of beers work though, to see if it were just a one off!

did not finish or get a chance to download this book but it does remind me of the plot of another wlw story i picked up a while ago.

This book was so good and surprised me so much, loved the character development for all of them made me smile, giggle and just all around have a wonderful time

This should've been a hit for me. Sapphic romance, fake dating, small town setting, preparing for a wedding...a bunch of my favourite things. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me at al.

Despite the small town setting, one of the MC's (Liz) continues to say she does not remember the other MC (Cori) from their childhood...even though they went to school together. The beginning of the book literally said "It was one of the things that Liz both loved and hated about Crimson Valley. Everybody knew everybody. Which meant a lot of the time, everybody knew your business. It could be unnerving, feel invasive. At the same time, there was something comforting about it, about having the people in your town know you and look out for you." And yet, she cannot AT ALL remember the woman she's now lusting after? It was ruining the small town vibes!

My assumption is that Liz was simply a mean girl in high school and that's why she doesn't remember her. I REALLY didn't like her. She admitted being a daddy's girl, her father also owns property, so she was just reading as a spoilt rich girl, who got everything she wanted from daddy her whole life. She literally even described her dad as handsome...which wouldn't be too weird if she didn't also say she loved her friends crushing on him? Weird behaviour? Or is that just me?

Made even more weird by a scene where she walks in on her parents having sex...they laugh and invite her to come into the room to talk??? Sorry? It said her parents were just teasing by telling her to come in, but it was such a weird and icky scene to get through.

She also made a comment about some women in the bridal party of the wedding: "She was naturally attractive and slim but, unlike the other girls, didn't look like a stiff wind could come along and blow her over sideways." Ew, in order to give a woman a compliment, we don't need to tear down other women.

The other MC in the book, Cori, was less annoying to me, but the issue is that there was no chemistry between the two of them? The only comment we got about either of them being interested was when Liz was staring at Cori's ass. A side character kept going on about how Liz and Cori were looking at each other "like the sun rises and sets in her eyes, like she hung the moon" etc. and one side character continually bringing it up was not convincing enough for me...

Plus the whole wedding scene was...weird (that's all I'll say with no spoilers).

Also hard to comment without spoilers, but the storyline about Cori's family was harmful representation based on stereotypes in my opinion.

For characters that were suppose to be in their 30's...they sure weren't acting like it in this book. The read like immature teenagers. I'm SO SAD I didn't like this one. It really was a drag to get through for such a short book.

The one positive I will give the book (and Liz), is that towards the end there was a cute movie scene. That make me like Liz slightly more, but still not enough to redeem the rest of the book.

Loved the connection between Liz and Cori! They were both great on their own to read and even better together!

"Playing with Matches" by Georgia Beers is a delightful and heartwarming sapphic romance that captivated me from start to finish. The small-town setting and endearing characters, Cori and Elizabeth, bring a refreshing twist to the classic fake relationship trope. As the story unfolds, the sparks between Cori and Elizabeth ignites a sweet and charming romance that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying.

Beers's writing is engaging, and the chemistry between the characters is palpable, making this a must-read for fans of contemporary lesbian romance. I was so enamored with the characters and storyline that I devoured the book in less than a day.

When Liz gets laid off from her job in the city, she feels like a failure moving back home to help out at the family Inn instead of using her degree. When she finds herself helping set up for her ex’s wedding that is being held at the Inn, she reaches for the closest person she’s not related to and claims that she and Cori are madly in love. Although they haven’t seen each other since high school, and peripherally at that, Cori and Liz being forced to spend time together find they have more in common than they think. One of those things being true attraction.

I always love a fake dating romance, and this one by Georgia Beers does not disappoint. Its got small towns, and cozy family dynamics, and the cutest little candle shop, and a sweet and steamy romance. What’s not to like! I loved the little bonus romances we got as well, with Liz’s parents and her ex and fiancee. It was a wholly heartwarming book and as always Georgia Beers delivers characters you can't help but fall in love with, as they fall in love.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.
The main characters are Cori and Elizabeth. Cori lives in a small town. She also owns a shop that sells the candles she makes. Elizabeth has just been laid off and forced to move back home to that same small town. She also has to help her mother and sister run the B & B they own.
When Elizabeth finds out her ex (who is now the groom) is planning her wedding at the B & B, she is shocked. The person doing the decorations is Cori. The two hit if off and enjoy spending the time together. When Elizabeth's ex stops to talk to her, she tells her how happy she is in her new relationship, referring to Cori. When the ex leaves, Elizabeth gets Cori to agree to be her fake girlfriend only until the wedding and reception is over with.
If you like the fake girlfriend concept for books, you will love this one!
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Such a good romance book. Absolutely love Cori and how much she cared about her shop and the attention to detail in her candles. Loved Liz's caring side and how she was always there for Cori.

Cori Stratton’s a small-town girl and her little gift shop is her pride and joy. But when the shop’s building goes up for sale, she might lose her home and everything that makes her happy. The worst timing of all? Her landlord’s daughter Elizabeth Brennan—popular, smart, and oblivious to Cori’s existence in high school—has breezed back into town.

Life has not gone according to plan for Elizabeth. Laid off from her job in the city, she’s forced back home to help her mom run the family’s B and B during a week-long wedding celebration…for Liz’s ex. Not wanting the groom to know the shambles her life is, she grabs the nearest person—Cori—and tells him how happy they are together.

A chance to live out her high school fantasy of Liz as her girlfriend is unexpected, but it keeps Cori playing along. And helping her one-time crush survive this wedding? Just for the week? She can do that. Besides, there’s no way this fake relationship will turn into the real deal.

This story is such a cute read with twists and turns and gooey love and family drama and it’s just always exciting. Never was I bored with this one and I just couldn’t put it down! The characters had their flaws and had depth and feeling and I love that about Beers’ writing because she really creates characters that you want to feel for and you identify with them and I find that special because not many writers do. I will be reading as many of this authors books in the near future as I can manage. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for something heartfelt but also with some angst because I feel it hits really good.

Thank you NetGalley and Georgia Beers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.