REVIEW: Met Her Match by Jude Deveraux

In Met Her Match (Summer Hill #2) by Jude Deveraux *HQN 9/17*, Living in a small town has it pros and cons. And it seems like Terri Rayburn has seen both sides of that coin, living in the tiny community of Lake Kissel, right outside of Summer Hill, Virginia. She usually stays lakeside and only goes to town when absolutely required. Her past–and the gossip locals have spread about her over the years–makes Terri a wee bit cautious when it comes to outsiders. Especially men. So when she finally gets home after a short trip and finds a handsome behemoth of a man staying in her house, she thinks her family is toying with her. But after the miscommunication is cleared up, she’s left with a house guest she could totally fall for. The fact that Nate is engaged to the mayor’s perfect daughter throws a huge wrench in the works. Although the summer is just getting started…

“Don’t fall in love with a man who’s already taken. That’s the way to get your heart broken. Just wait. Give him time to decide what he wants to do.”

Staying at Lake Kissel is just what Nate Taggert needs after years of working abroad in what could be very tense situations. The small town of Summer Hill, next to Lake Kissel, is where his fiancee Stacy grew up and where her father is still the mayor. When Nate learns that he’s to share a house for a short while with sassy Terri, he’s not sure it’s a good idea where they get along famously and are similar in many ways–and have an undeniable attraction. As he spends his days working at the lake alongside Terri, Nate becomes more and more confused about his feelings toward the beautiful local woman who keeps everyone in check. And about what he really wants to do with his life. It’s when he starts to unravel a mystery involving the Rayburn family that Nate gets led down a path that is bound to change everything.

“Nathaniel, you don’t need to decide which woman you want, you need to decide who you actually are.”

You can always count on Jude Deveraux for an entertaining novel filled with unique characters. And in Met Her Match, we also had a family mystery to go along with the ill-timed romance our hero and heroine found themselves falling into.

‘They knew that the future belonged to them.’

I should caution readers that this did feature a love triangle and while there wasn’t any actual physical cheating, it might be too close to “emotional cheating” for some. There were a few moments that it almost crossed the line for me but, all in all, it didn’t end up going past the point of return in my humble opinion. That being said, I did think Jude Deveraux spun a fun tale that captured my attention right away. I love the slightly offbeat yet realistic people she creates for her stories, and where we got to revisit with some of the Taggerts and Montgomerys, I think readers will enjoy everyone they run across here.

Terri and Nate were the main focus but we did get a couple other POVs as the story moved forward. I liked them both and thought they fit in well in the small community at Lake Kissel. And how fun a setting it was where this mainly revolved around the lake during the summer with a host of locals and visitors adding to the mayhem. Terri was a capable, independent woman who ran the show at her family’s lake rental business. But without giving away her past, she was, let’s say, a bit scorned when it came to love. And Nate was just a big, likable, charismatic guy who was in the midst of some huge changes in his life. I had a tougher time with some of his choices than I did with Terri’s overall. But I did think the ending was pretty much perfect and felt it worked out in a way that was genuine for all involved.

With lively bantering that was a riot to behold and a small-town feel that I adored, Met Her Match is sure to keep readers on their toes and flipping the pages–as you would expect from a romance by Jude Deveraux.

Book Info:

Publication: September 17th 2019 | MIRA | Summer Hill #2

In small towns, no one lets the facts get in the way of juicy gossip…

Terri Rayburn is a girl with a reputation. She doesn’t deserve it, but having grown up on the outskirts of Summer Hill, Virginia, she knows how small towns work. The only way to deal with vicious gossip is to ignore it. So she keeps to herself as she runs the summer resort on Lake Kissel.

When she returns home from a short trip to find a handsome stranger living in her house, she smells a rat. Someone is trying to fix her up, and she has to admit that Nate Taggert is just her type. However, Nate is engaged to the daughter of the mayor and strictly off-limits.

Nate and Terri form an unlikely friendship while he throws himself into life at the lake. As Nate starts to hear rumors about Terri he’s confused. Knowing how smart, beautiful and strong she is, he’s determined to discover the source of the gossip. Terri doesn’t want to revisit the past, but Nate won’t stop until he discovers the truth—even if the truth might be more than either of them can handle.

Set in the beloved fictional town of Summer Hill, Virginia, Met Her Match examines the tensions between the wealthy townspeople, the summer vacationers and the working-class people who keep the town and resort running. Told with humor and heart, Met Her Match is the perfect summer escape.