HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

The Matchmaker's Playbook

by Rachel Van Dyken

Series: Wingmen Inc. (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
1188230,875 (3.69)None
Wingman rule number one: don't fall for a client.After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus--and he's ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he's putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin' hot, Ian realizes he's in danger of breaking his cardinal rule....… (more)
None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

English (7)  Italian (1)  All languages (8)
Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
3.5 stars

This was fun, I did enjoy it, but I have to say, the main character is really unlikeable through most of the book. With that being said, I didn't put it down or throw it against a wall. As a reader, you know the author has to show his growth, and she delivered. Giving the rakish hero a virginal heroine almost seemed cruel, especially while he displayed such contempt for women as a whole, but the author also did a good job of showing the way the heroine was drawn into the hero's vulnerability, could see through to the man inside. There was a point in the novel when she makes that observation, and I would have liked to see how she figures it out rather than just saying "Oh, I get it," but again, it all worked for me when it was said and done. Having one of the hero's best friends as a roommate provides a vehicle for her to say something like "Gabi was right about you..." and maybe I missed that.

The other thing I guess I didn't realize was that this was a "Kindle in Motion" book. My first adventure with that. I found it somewhat distracting (this is no fault of the author, just a personal preference).

Worth the read? I'd say yes, but be prepared to hate the hero. He really does give off a "what a jerk" vibe. It's in knowing the author has to redeem him that I was able to keep going. She gives them a happy for now rather than Happily Ever After that made it at least somewhat believable. Not sure I give this particular hero confidence to make it for the long haul.
( )
  Karla.Brandenburg | Aug 1, 2023 |
Ian is a guy. A player. But he wants to save “nice” girls from ending up with guys like him. So he and his friend Lex make a business out of it. They train and coach women on attracting the men they desire. They help the women get noticed by the guys they want. But Ian breaks the biggest rule of their business: he falls for a client.

I tried this book because I found out it was going to be made into a Passionflix movie. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but I turned out to enjoy it. It was tough getting past the beginning. Ian was thoroughly unlikeable. He actually made my skin crawl. But it was kind of nice watching him fall and end up much like his clients. Another drawback for me was that these kids were still in college. So they were pretty young and I don’t have much patience for young people in books. But I got past that, too. The story was compelling and interesting and I really liked it. The ending was a bit overblown drama, but where else can you have overblown drama? My final rating did drop a bit because of Ian’s behavior towards the end. He was part of that overblown drama. But overall, a good read. ( )
  NickyM96 | Nov 21, 2022 |
Beauty is a state of mind. We all have our own opinions and see things in a different way, that explains why there are so many varying opinions on subjects such as life, politics and parenting. Freedom of speech and all that. The image projected is what draws the attention not necessarily the way a person looks. I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of The Matchmaker's Play Book in exchange for an honest review. Was not familiar with Ms. Van Dyken as an author before reading this story. Had read one book by her in the past, Upon A Midnight Dream and found myself fascinated with her blend of fantasy, reality and enchantment, I wanted to read more. So I requested a copy of The Matchmaker's Playbook from NetGalley and knew I was right. This author is a true original. She puts her own spin on stories and characters that are appealing but she also picks subject matters that are of interest to readers. I have become a fan. ( )
  Lashea677 | Feb 16, 2019 |
Full review at:https://thequirksandquills.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-of-matchmakers-playbook-by.html?m=1

This is a classic tale where invisible girl meets the hot player; he transforms her inside out and falls for her in the process. It is a funny, passionate and captivating story. It is well written and had the perfect blend of humor, sweetness and passion in it.

The characters are the main strengths of a book and here they were presented like that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to anyone in mood for a light read. ( )
  Sakshi7591 | Aug 2, 2018 |


I just want to briefly touch on the "dating service" Ian is running. I don't want people to focus too much on the "makeover" aspect of the synopsis. It makes it sound like he makes these girls into a set mold that guys find attractive and in turn, the girl becomes someone she isn't. Rather, Ian works on building her self-confidence by making her see her self-worth.

I did want a little more out of the romance in The Matchmaker's Playbook. I just wanted their relationship to evolve a little more. It seemed a little to "insta-love" to me even though no one is spewing "I love you" super early. I just wanted their connection to be teased out a bit.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1Kp
Actual Rating: 4/5
( )
  seriesousbooks | Feb 7, 2018 |
Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
This is a classic tale where invisible girl meets the hot player; he transforms her inside out and falls for her in the process. The story was told from male POV, which is my personal favorite. It added to the spice of the book. It is a funny, passionate and captivating story. It is well written and had the perfect blend of humor, sweetness and passion in it.

For the first time in my life, I wanted a girl that wasn’t mine to have. And it sucked.

Blake

Blake is the typical girl in this story. She is the new roommate of Ian’s friend, Gabi. She is a small town girl, who came to the big city to catch attention of her man, David. He’s her childhood friend who always saw Blake as the tomboy, nothing more. She wears oversized sweatshirts, old age flip-flops and basketball shorts.

Come hither, Ian Hunter…. And Whoaaaaaa!!! Transformation of the geek and nerdy to the hot and irresistible.

Ian

Ian is a former NFL player, who after a career-ending accident starts THE WINGMEN INC. with his best friend Lex. They provide dating service to women to help them get the men of their dreams. They even have this software designed by Lex that calculates the compatibility of women with their love interests.

In our world? Every woman is beautiful. Every woman has a purpose. Every woman has one guy she’s been after, one unobtainable piece of man art.
Just think the two of as the brokers.
You’re welcome world.

Arrogant.. right? That’s exactly what we love.

Ian “God” Hunter’s is a feast to the eyes. Chiseled? Check. Caramel-blond hair? Check. Dimple on those sweet cheeks? Check. Rugged bad-ass scar near the chin? Check. Smoldering hazel eyes? Check. He has got it all—drool worthy looks, humor that has you rolling on the floor, heart that makes you want to just grab him and a kind side to it all. And he’s a GoT fan. Oh! a guy after my own heart.

Blake wasn’t staring, but she was texting.
During GoT.
Which was equivalent of falling asleep during a marvel movie.

I wholeheartedly agree.

There were times when I had to fight the urge to wring his neck. He was like a self certified genius who acted like he has written a hundred-page thesis on woman and knows them inside out. Although it was true too many times, it still irritated the hell out of me.

Coming back to the story..

Blake has an instant hate for Ian. From his cocky exterior to his high-handed attitude, she has an instant dislike for him. So, Blake comes to him as a client and he acts as her love coach. He changes everything for her; her looks, her thoughts and eventually her heart.

Their interactions were always interesting. I particularly loved how their connection was build-up. They had fierce chemistry. And I loved how the characters warmed up to each other. They carried the story forward with their charm and kept me hooked on to it. Their witty bantering kept the story rolling. It was fun how Ian always pushed her buttons and her reactions were equally hilarious.

Their love was sweet and hot at the same time. One moment you are laughing and next moment you are doing ooh and aah.

“You’ll have moments of doubt, especially considering the type of business I’m in. At the end of the day the only thing that will really be on our side is us, and the fact that we love each other. We aren’t promised time. We aren’t promised it will be perfect. And I can’t promise I’ll get it right on the first try.
But it will only ever be you, Blake, who I take home at night, who I want to wake up to every morning. I love you. And if you give me time, I’ll prove that. Every minute of every day that you allow me to be with you.”

Now ain’t that sweet?

It was amusing to see how the guy with the “God complex” gets insecure with his girl. After conceding to their decade long attraction, things finally kick off for them. But, Ian has his lingering thought in his head; whether he is better than David for her or not. This obviously leads to their undoing.
But soon came the words of wisdom:

“Screw David. You’re mine.”

There were some parts that frustrated me. I get it that she was a little unpolished in the relationship department. But who doesn’t own a bra other than the sports ones? Who doesn’t know what Kama Sutra is? I mean cut the crap. I get sick of it.
At one point, I questioned Blake’s decision making skills very strongly. She pissed Ian off by kissing another guy—who insinuated Ian by saying he and Blake were intimate. The very next day, she walks hand in hand with this guy. I wonder was she just a plain idiot? It rubbed me off so wrong that I was having trouble finishing the book. But thankfully, the absurdity ended soon.

And the side characters were just hilarious. Lex and Gabi have this “I hate you more” relationship. I already know the next book will be about them.

“If you ever” —he swore violently—“and I do mean ever, send me to the store to get tampons again, I’m going to have sex in your bed with a complete stranger, take selfies, blow them up to poster size, and plaster them to your ceiling.”

Get my point?

The characters are the main strengths of a book and here they were presented like that. Add to that, the continuous bantering of Lex and Gabi and it makes a complete package. It can hold the interests of the readers till the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to anyone in mood for a light read.
 

Belongs to Series

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

Wingman rule number one: don't fall for a client.After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus--and he's ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he's putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin' hot, Ian realizes he's in danger of breaking his cardinal rule....

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

LibraryThing Author

Rachel Van Dyken is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.

profile page | author page

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.69)
0.5
1
1.5
2 3
2.5 1
3 13
3.5
4 11
4.5
5 9

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 204,447,023 books! | Top bar: Always visible