Thursday, February 19, 2015

Review: When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill

Release date: February 24, 2015
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 368
Format: Egalley
Source: Published provided for review through Netgalley
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
Ellie Cahill is poised to coin the term “sorbet sex” with her charming twist on the age-old ‘friends-with-benefits’ story.

Dating can be fun, but it can leave a nasty taste in your mouth. For Joss, ever since her longtime boyfriend cheated on her, she doesn’t want her last memory of a guy to be that jerk. Enter her college friend, Matt. They come up with a theory: after a bad break-up, a person needs to cleanse the palate with a little sorbet sex. Lovers for a night, but always back to being friends in the morning. The two can handle it because they have a contract: rules they wrote, rules they follow and rules they can sometimes bend. The arrangement works: everyone needs a little sorbet now and again … until it starts to be the only thing you want. And then Joss breaks the one rule they never wrote down: don’t fall in love.
I was so excited to read When Joss Met Matt because I've loved Liz Czukas' (Ellie Cahill is a pen name) YA books and the fun personality in them. I figured a new adult book might have a similar vibe, but with more adult themes. And while that's somewhat true, I think a lot of the charm I've seen in her other books was missing.

The best part of When Joss Met Matt is the no-holds-barred friendship between Joss and Matt. As the book goes on, you see more and more of their friendship, and it's pretty darn clear they're meant for one another. It's what kept me turning pages. But while their banter and general closeness is definitely charming and very enjoyable, it just never at the level I guess I've come to expect. Maybe pitting this book against an author's previous books isn't necessarily fair--and certainly something that wouldn't come into play so much for someone without any experience with her work--but it still diminished my enjoyment.

And really, in a way that can actually be measured, my comparison to other books is all I've got. Though When Joss Met Matt is enjoyable and light and fun, it's not necessarily something that's going to stick with me. It was fun in the moment, but rather fleetingly so. This isn't exactly an objective or backed-up review, but that's how I feel. Sometimes it's hard to put into words.


About the author:

Ellie Cahill is a freelance writer and also writes books for young adults under the name Liz Czukas. She lives outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband, son, and the world’s loudest cat.

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