Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC

The culture and exploration of Vietnam was really the strongpoint of this novel. I loved learning more about the country and their culture. The book was deeper than I expected and explored themes of grief and trauma. The enemies to lovers relationship was good as well. Not the fun summer romance I was expected, but a good story

I was hoping for a light-hearted summer romance from Adam and Evie's Matchmaking Tour, but I was a little disappointed. I think this is a great debut novel and I would be interested in the author's future projects, but unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters enough to be invested in their story, so I DNF'd the book at 60%.

The setting and premise were fun, and I enjoyed reading about Viet Nam's history, culture, and nature. The familial pressures and work stress that both Adam and Evie deal with, alongside processing trauma, served as a deeper, more meaningful backdrop for the romance, but I felt that they weren't expanded upon properly. I also generally struggle with romance books written in the third person because they make the story feel impersonal, and I have a harder time connecting to the main characters, their motivation, and their emotions.

My main problem was that I didn't enjoy the two main characters, they were a little flat and inconsistent, and I downright disliked Evie. The contrast between her and Adam was interesting, but the emphasis was overwhelmingly on the physical aspects of their relationship. They barely had meaningful conversations, instead, they shared endless, immature banter that didn't endear me to either of them and certainly didn't help them get to know each other. I tend to prefer books that read more romantic and swoony, and sadly this book didn't give me that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I can totally see why people might love this book, especially with all the heritage and cultural stuff. It’s definitely got some beautiful themes, and I really wanted to like it. But honestly, it just wasn’t my vibe. 😅 I tried to keep going, but I ended up DNFing it at 10% because I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it’s just me, but I wasn't connecting with the characters or the story. Not my cup of tea, I guess. But I’m super grateful to the author for giving me an ARC! 🙏💖 Thank you so much—I wish I could have loved it more!

When I first saw this cover I knew it was a story I had to read. I loved the illustration and how it pulled me in without giving anything away. But once I opened it and began to read I experienced a story I couldn’t put down.
The way this book takes you on an adventure across Vietnam and the love story of our 2 leading characters while touching base on more heavy topics such as loss shows the talent and dedication the author put into their book. Nora uses her own personal experiences to help sell the story, drawing us in to the location as if seeing it with our own eyes. As for the characters, I loved that we received a background story for everyone, pulling me in as I felt their emotions, completing the journey along with them. Overall this was an easy read and I really hope we can see more of the secondary characters in future books. If your are looking for a close proximity romance, then look no further!

Two very different lives, at home with grief stricken mum in middle America then the summer in San Francisco with her Vietnamese Aunty.
Finding her place as a published poet and the academic world for validation Emmie is stuck.
The death of her beloved Aunty and losing her academic contract spurs Emmie to accept her aunt's wishes on go on a matchmaking tour of Vietnam.
Culture clashes as well as personal ones, friendship and enlightenment are found.
A wonderful story about finding your place and where you fit in.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

What a beautiful story! As much a romance between two very different people, as it is a book about family, legacy, and grief. A journey through Vietnam with rich descriptions that made me feel like I was there on the tour with them. Now I want to go on a holiday!
Evie was a really interesting and relatable character. She struggles in relationships, she feels everything deeply, and she feels like a failure professionally. Her relationship with her mother, and also with her homeland, were thoughtfully explored, though perhaps not deeply.
I can't say I related at all to Adam, as I have a very different relationship with my parents and my siblings, but I'm also not Vietnamese. My family doesn't have a strong connection to legacy, or even culture, if I'm honest. Some scenes with Adam interacting with his parents or his sister, Ruby, were hard to read. But I think they were necessary to explain his character and his motivations.
The cast of side characters were memorable and fun, so it was easy to remember who was who. Fen was particularly a favourite.
Also, I love the cover! It's gorgeous.

This was a sweet romance that had me wanting to go back to Vietnam!

The writing was beautiful and described the setting and the love story between these two characters wonderfully. I'm not a fan of insta-love, so this part of the story wasn't my vibe, but I did enjoy it overall. I wish the side characters had been fleshed out a bit more, too.

This is a great romance, and different in that it's set outside of the usual American/European locations that a lot of books tend to be these days.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't hugely connect with Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour, unfortunately. I struggled to push myself to read it. The plot was interesting, I can say I haven't read anything like it before. But it wasn't really enough to keep me hooked.

I will say, the second half of the book did pick up and I found it easier to get through. Adam and Evie as characters I did find to be quite bland and they felt like they went from not liking each other to being in love too quickly for my taste.

All in all, it was fine. It just wasn't for me and I probably would've DNF'd it if it wasn't an ARC.

3.5 stars actually.

This was an easy, fun read. There were moments that had me laughing out loud which I always appreciate in a rom-com.

Not sure what to write as I think it was a fine romance debut. I had slight problems with the flatness of the characters sometimes and would have liked maybe for the ending to be slightly different but the Vietnam parts and everything about the food really brought the story up and made it interesting.

I was expecting a light, easy read from this debut novel and that's exactly what I got.

I loved the descriptions of locations and food in Vietnam - it's one of my favourite places to visit and this book made me want to go back again.

This starts out as an opposites attract, I think. Adam is described as grumpy, but he came across practical and maybe a little disillusioned. Evie describes herself as an introvert, but her behaviour doesn't really track with that. I couldn't quite get a handle on who these two really were, so the romance aspect fell a bit short for me. I could see that the characters were attracted to each other, but not really why.

The pace was also a little slow for me, but that could be because Evie's Aunt's gift had to be set up.

It was a nice read overall.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this book!

Evie and Adam's story had me laughing, smiling and feeling a whole host of other emotions. It was cute and hot.

It was a nice dive into Vietnamese culture and the different sights around Vietnam whilst keeping it quite light-hearted.

I loved it and I would definitely read more from this author.

Chapter 1-4
I found the beginning a little slow, more telling then showing us readers but I understand that it’s to build up the world and story we’re starting

Chapter 5-9
The story is easier to follow from this point on, the main characters have a nice tension between them. It doesn’t feel forced, they genuinely feel attracted to each other and as a reader I can feel it.

Chapter 10-14
The suspense is building nicely, we’re getting to see our characters now now including our side characters which really adds to the story. Ruby feels dislikable especially with how she’s describing Evie and Adam isn’t standing up for her but I get that it’s a slow burn and he has inner turmoil to work through before he can really open up emotionally.

Chapter 15-19
A lot of back and forth, Adam isn’t really sure of what he feels while Evie is more in-tuned with her emotions. I found the push and pull a little repetitive but it only makes the reward so much sweeter, we get to see Adam start to give in and it’s very satisfying.

Chapter 20-24
The first spicy scene! It didn’t feel rushed to get to this point, the actual scene was pretty short and not too descriptive which I personally like but I am expecting more in depth scenes later on.

I felt like the conversation about Lana was far too short to pack a punch, we’re supposed to feel like Adam really had this connection with Lana and that the cheating really ruined his view on relationships like we’re told to believe earlier on. It feels a bit like we’re being told instead of shown. Adam’s and Evies connection still feels a little too much like lust rather than an genuine like.

We didn’t really get a proper read of the parents, they feel a bit flat and I’d want Adam to cower in front of them to show the dynamic between more. They feel like the stereotypical strict parents, slightly 2D

Spicy scenes sure are tricky, I found the second one a bit too quick paced. I had to pause multiple times and try to figure out what positions they were in, I would like just a bit more description of what exactly they were doing.

Chapter 25-29
The meeting between Adam and his father was well written, felt fully flushed. The tension here was what I wanted at the first impression of the parents, controlling, slightly possessive and demanding.

The conflict felt realistic, not some third act breakup that leaves us more irritated than wanting more. And although it’s quite stereotypical for Evie and Adam just to miss each other in the nick of time after his conversation with his grandmother, it still feels fully flushed and realistic. Props to Nora, you have to be talented to take a common trope and still make if interesting and feel like a repeat of another book.

Chapter 30-33
I like the insight of her present life, fulfilled even without Adam. It’s a part most romance books miss, that everything isn’t about romance and love despite the genre. And though she might not be satisfied and got everything she wants, she’s still content to a level.

The ending didn’t feel rushed, I liked how they both had time to think and evaluate their emotions even if it wasn’t on purpose and completely due to ruby’s choice to hid evies letter from Adam. I did however feel like the marriage wasn’t necessary, I can see them staying engaged for a while as they’re content with just each other without the title as husband and wife. But that’s more so an personal opinion than an critic.


Overall the book was pretty good, 3,75 ⭐️. The writing is not the best but definitely impressive since it’s a debut novel, I see potential in Nora’s writing and will be keeping an eye on any future releases

I wanted to give this one a read mostly because of the tour part. A matchmaking tour in Vietnam sounded dreamy and it really was. I would LOVE to attend one myself.
I thought the characters felt a little flat, maybe immature. I allow this was so especially at the beginning of the story, and I understand that for them to be able to grow throughout the narrative, the starting point had to have some room to grow for them. However, they felt a little flat as a result. However, this was a very enjoyable read.

3.5⭐️

I thought this was a really good debut romance. I really enjoyed this. This is an easy to read grumpy sunshine romance. I felt that I was able to relate to the characters and felt that the setting was accurate and it wasn’t just there to add to the story and the descriptions were respectful and helped me enjoy the story even more. This is such a good romcom. If you are looking for a quick, easy, romcom that is hard to put down then this is the one for you. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

REVIEW
cw: grief, bereavement, racism, misogyny, cancer
When thirty-two-year-old Evie Lang's beloved Auntie Hảo dies, she inherits her San Francisco home with one condition: she must first go on 'Love Yêu's' matchmaking tour in Việt Nam. Having been humiliated by her ex, and lacking inspiration for her poetry, it might just be the escape she needs, even if love is firmly off the menu. Adam Quyền is the chief marketing officer of his sister Ruby's newly established tour. After a failed proposal, he's love averse, so when Ruby insists he experience the tour himself to be able to market it, he reluctantly agrees. But can Adam and Evie learn to trust their hearts again?

This was such a lovely debut, that has only increased my (already huge) desperation to visit Việt Nam. ! I loved Evie immediately. She was such a fun character, as well as lovably fallible. I loved her recollection of her last drunken night out and was crying laughing at the mirror incident. I also loved her friendship with her cousin, Lillian. The only thing that annoyed me was her lack of self-awareness while travelling. Luckily Adam was usually there to avert disaster. Still, I felt for her, especially when she described how her mother grieved, and the repercussions of medical debt, as well as how that affected Evie's outlook on love. But I found c.30 so cathartic. Adam was the seemingly grumpy, aloof guy with a hidden heart of gold. I loved their meet-cute. It was hilarious, and their banter sizzled with snark and chemistry from their first interaction and continued throughout. I also enjoyed Adam's rediscovery of his country, as well as Evie's delight as an Asian American. The descriptions of the sights and cuisine were so rich and lyrical.
On the surface, Adam and Evie couldn't have been any more different. But despite their distinct childhoods and backgrounds, they shared core values, and I loved the development of their relationship. I felt for both Adam and his sister, Ruby at different points in the story. Both were weighed down by family expectations. But I ADORED the way Evie dealt with Adam and Ruby's parents, and Adam's reaction. And, though Ruby was often meddlesome, my heart broke for her as well. I would love to see her get her own HEA.
Some of my favourite moments involved the other guests on the tour. I loved Fen. She was a good friend to Evie, and I felt for her when she spoke about why she was on the tour. She was also very, very funny, and gave GREAT advice. I also liked Talia and Pin. They were so stinking cute together. I particularly appreciated how the author broke down the group's perceptions of each other, slowly revealing their insecurities. The karaoke night in Nha Trang was hilariously vivid, and I loved the simmering tension between Adam and Evie. I also loved the gifts from the aunties (IYKYK). Meanwhile, c.18 made me cackle laughing. I also LOVED Adam's grandmother. She was so wise, but also kind of sassy and hilarious. I snorted laughing when she sent his mother outside.
In amongst the humour, there are plenty of sweet moments. I also loved how openly brave Adam was with his feelings for Evie. They were cute together when they allowed themselves to be vulnerable, and the ending was perfect.
The only thing I would've changed was the use of 3rd person POV, as it distances the characters from their emotions in my opinion. That said, I still really enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.
A lot of fun.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Adam and Evie's Matchmaking Tour is published on 24th Sept*

A wonderful summer read, full of romance and sun. I absolutely adored the description of the scenery and felt there was great chemistry between Adam and Evie. I believe this book is due for release in September so will be a fantastic way to extend summer vibes!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

This book reminded me a whole lot of The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. So if you liked that one, you might like this.
Also special thanks to Google Translate for helping me understand the pronunciation of these Vietnamese names. Very much appreciated.

This book was surprisingly funny. The insane amount of sexual tension nearly made me want to rip out my hair. And the swoon! Oh my god the swoon!! And this ending! OH MY LORD!! I wanted to throw my Kindle to the other side of the room and just cry my eyes out for a bit.

"Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour" by Nora Nguyen initially charms with its stunning Vietnamese backdrop and the potential for a delightful romance, but ultimately falters due to inconsistent character development and predictable plot elements. While the chemistry between Adam and Evie should shine, their relationship feels forced and lacks the depth needed for genuine connection.

Nguyen beautifully captures Vietnam's culture and scenery through vivid descriptions. However, the overreliance on typical romcom tropes—like chance encounters and instant attraction—detracts from the authenticity of the story. The dialogue often feels scripted, making it hard to fully engage with the characters.

Though "Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour" offers a fun summer read with its cute premise, the uneven character arcs and clichés limit its overall impact. It may appeal to fans of light-hearted romance, but readers seeking a more emotionally resonant story might find it lacking.

A special thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

When the house you inherit comes with the condition that you have to go on a matchmaking tour in Vietnam first…you go, right?
This is the situation Evie finds herself in at the beginning of the book. From there, the story takes us on a beautiful trip through Vietnam. The imagery of this book was fantastic, I have never wanted to visit a place more!
Nguyen’s writing is fantastic, she weaves the characters together beautifully with a combination of witty banter, romance and vulnerability. The chemistry is palpable between Adam and Evie, and the grumpy/sunshine trope is always a winner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for e-mailing me with ARC opportunity.

This is such a wonderful debut that I think a lot of people are going to love.

- love the scenery, I was looking up something in nearly every chapter
- the banter between Adam and Evie is great and I was laughing out loud
- the exploration of your country and heritage when you were born in a different place, as someone who lives outside of her homeland I related immensely to this
- of finding what you want rather than what others want for you
- parental expectations in a cultural family and finally being shown that it is okay to break some of those generational curses and look after yourself while still being respectful of tradition
- siblings really getting to know each other and not just assume they know what the other has been through
- there wasn't a lot of spice but what was there was great! Amazing dirty talk and it was a great way to further their relationship after all of the tension-building

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book when it comes out on 24th September, mark your calendars!