Outmatched

ahhhh yes, another fake-dating trope. this one always gets me. i'm always down to read a good fake-dating to lovers story. this one, while it sounded so promising, didn't quite make the cut for me. it was okay, and i think i really enjoyed the first half of the book, but then... i don't know? it lost me. i love the whole opposites attract because parker and rhys were definitely that from the get-go. and while i actually liked both characters and their backstories separately, bringing them together wasn't my cup of tea, strange as it sounds. 2.5 stars.

UHM.

"like penicillin, the x-ray, the pacemaker, and superglue, rhys and i were an accidental discovery."

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek? It's a TKO for Young and Callihan as they Knocked this one out of the park! I'm a first-timer for both Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan. I'm beyond excited to add them to my ever-growing list of authors that I love reading or listening to, which would be the case for some. Outmatched is a Sports and Fake Boyfriend Romance. Two tropes that I absolutely love. Add in that they are polar opposites, and you are for a ride. Prepare for Parker Brown, who may be wealthy, but she's also a smart and nerdy woman. Now we'll enter with Rhys Morgan (Just his name makes me want to try him on for size.) He's a retired boxer, swoon, and hot as sin. These two together were freaking perfect. I just loved it. This entire story was great and will go into the listen or read again pile as the narrators were okay but a little distracting at times.

confession: okay okay i was kinda bored at first,,,, ((and i dont usually click w/ the authors’ works but this duo y’all,,,, it’s something alright,,,))) ((and yeah (also) at first, w the fake dating thing i thought the fake dating here would not be handled well,, i thought it would be cringey or whatever since theyre strangers,,, but it was still soft?? ))but as i read further things get interesting oh yeaaaah 😎 anyway now that’s out of the way ✔️height difference excellence ✔️ grumpy H but hes a softie no joke it made tear up a few times of just how soft he is ma’am 🤧 ✔️ unlikely couple trope aka opposites attract wee woo always love this kind of dynamic ✔️ the h has pixie haircut and shes smart uwu and hot 🥵 ✔️ the H recycles and watches wildlife documentaries and cries sometimes i think and i think he cooks (it was implied i think) 🥵 ✔️ cute and soft moments that makes my heart go 💘💖💗💓🥺🤧 ✔️ fake dating ma’am ✔️ paintball!Morgan and soft!Morgan is like peak hotness for him i think (and yes im gonna call morgan morgan like parker does lol 🤪) ✔️ when they call each other baby, esp when morgan says it mah heart luv,,,, ✔️ the epilogue’s short yet so uwu yall imma go cry in the corner wait a sec 🤧 need dean’s book please!!! or zoe omg!!! thxx xx

3.5

Parker al fin ha encontrado un trabajo que ama, con lo que no contaba es que su jefe es un retrógrada en todos los sentidos; creyendo que es necesario casarse para mostrar estabilidad. Debido a esto Parker se ve obligada a buscar un hombre que finja ser su pareja, para demostrarle a su jefe que no tiene miedo al compromiso; es ahí dónde encuentro a Dean, el candidato perfecto. Con lo que no contaba Parker es que el hermano de Dean, Rhys está furioso por el nuevo trabajo de su hermanito. Por cosas del destino Parker y Rhys terminan en una relación en la que ninguno puede mantener las manos para si mismos. ¿Es el mejor libro de romance? no. Pero es perfecto para pasar el rato, sobre todo si no quieres drama y simplemente te aparece ver a dos bobos enamorarse. Rhys es completamente un amor, al principio creí que iba a ser súper grumpy pero nada que ver, terminó siendo el más divertido de la relación. Él es el campeón de peso pesado, el box era su pasión hasta que un trágico accidente en su amado deporte le robó la vida a su mejor amigo, debido al trauma Rhys se aleja y se concentra en salvar el gimnasio que le dejó su padre. Fue súper bien tratado el tema de Rhys y su reconciliación con el deporte, me gustó que a pesar de todo respetaran la línea que tenía el personaje; fue un deporte que amó pero que debido al trauma no puede volver a amar. Por su parte Parker es una chingona. Sin miedo a nada, súper eco-friendly, con una obsesión por lo verde jamás se ve superada por la montaña de energía y testosterona que es Rhys, al contrario, ella empujaba justo lo que Rhys le tiraba. La relación de ambos fue divertida de leer, era un ir y venir constante entre un rottweiler y un chihuahua. Disfruté de leer su proceso de enamoramiento y fue más que bien recibido que hubiera COMUNICACIÓN, creo que no existió la parte donde dijera “HABLEN POR FAVOR”, agradezco a las autoras por no extender la falta de comunicación mucho.

Rhys Rhys Rhys

Yes, yes, YES! I haven't stumbled upon a decent enemies to lovers trope novel since "Shortcake" by Lucy Watson and it was well worth the wait. I shit you not. Seriously from the get-go the chemistry between our infamous opposites attract pair has been off the charts and as the fake relationship bit continues, I can't help finding myself falling faster, deeper in love with the broody and rouchy gentle giant of a boxer and the petite size tinker bell. It was crazy how well they fit together and when I got to the end, my eyes almost started sweating because I really didn't want it to end. Needless to say, "Outmatched" is hands down one of the best reads to close the year on.

I really liked the premise since it reminded me of a movie I like, and I love a good fake dating trope, but this one just didn’t deliver. It definitely felt very cheesy near the end, the internal conflict in their relationship was poorly developed and the external conflict melodramatic and over the top. The villain is so unnecessarily horrible, which the book didn’t need if they gave the female lead any personal issues to overcome. The pining didn’t last nearly as long as it should of, making their relationship feel linear, flat and insta lovey to me. My final issue was with the use of the I’m not like other girls cliche, but with a fun environmentalist twist! It felt very heavy handed and unnatural, and really combined with her whole no swearing good girl vibe to create a dull and uninteresting character.

I really really loved this!! The only thing hindering this book from getting a 5 star rating from me was the miscommunication trope. 🤍

To be honest; not what I was expecting when I bought it but I got surprised in a positive way. Fake Dating plus a kind off enemies to lovers (plus a little bit of steamy romance)?! That's literally all my favorite tropes in ONE Book?! I nearly read it in one sitting (but unfortunately got interrupted). I am a very critical reader and it's extremely hard to get a 5 star rating from me but this book nearly managed it. If only the end would have been more to my liking this would probably be my favorite book ever but because I didn't really liked the last 80 pages (so basically the whole end) I can only rate it with 4 stars. Anyway; I would definitely recommend reading this.

4.5 Stars!! Really liked it!!

Parker Brown needs a fake boyfriend to convince her misogynist billionaire investor boss that she's serious about becoming a full team member of the green technology company he's at the helm of. She hires the her perfect match from an escort service, only to have his livid former heavy weight prize winning boxer brother show up for their first business dinner "date." Rhys Morgan is everything Parker is not. Huge to her tiny, gruff to her prim, and extremely adamant that she will NOT be hiring his brother. Plus, turns out Parker's boss is a huge fan of Rhys, so maybe Parker should hire him instead. Their fake relationship quickly turns into real feelings as they realize that opposites do attract and both Parker and Rhys are more than stereotypes. I loved the Boston setting and the chemistry is real and jumps off the page, but some of the rest of the plot fell flat. I wanted to know more about Parker's job and really hated her boss, as you were supposed to, but he's almost cartoonishly "evil." Rhys makes some very harshly judgey comments about sex workers when he confronts Parker about her "whoring" out his brother. I listened to Outmatched on audio book because I wanted those Boston accents, and it took me a bit to get in the groove with the male narrator. I did not care for his "female" voices and his narration was very staccato at times. I did like the female narrator, so a bit of a mixed bag.

This one was probably more of a 3.5 star book for me. Combination of fake relationship trope with a touch of enemies to lovers with a healthy dollop of opposites attract. Despite Parker and Rhys's opposite backgrounds and personalities, they seemed to work well together as a couple. That said, there were a few disconnects for me in the story that detracted from my overall enjoyment. One: is Parker so determined to keep a job where she is treated like crap by the main investor (which is an understatement) as well as some of her peers? A job that requires her to be in a relationship to "prove" she's serious? She has a trust fund and although I get that she wants to make her own way in the world, there's also a time to walk away from serious bullshit if you can, and she can. Two: the investor guy, aka the villain. Man, he was a real mustache-twirling, sinister-laughing caricature. He was a total misogynist and a gross human being, which was rather the point I think to make him very bad-guy-ish. To me, it was a little too much. I really didn't get his obsession with Rhys. Like, there's being a fan of an athlete and then there's this guy. Overall despite those couple of issues, I still enjoyed the story. Hoping it was set up for a spin off for Dean and maybe Carlos. We’ll see.

What a great romance! I totally LOVE the fact that for once, they talk. Like, they don't stay on misunderstanding, they talk, they communicate. And that is really refreshing because I am a little bit tired of romance in which the couple argue because of a simple misunderstanding. Si yeah, I love this book. Rhys and Parker were super likeable. ♥

When Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan announced that they would be writing a book together, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I had no idea these two authors had ever even though about collaborating but I’m so glad they did. Their writing meshed together well – they know how to write relatable characters and humor, both of which made me fall in love with Parker, Rhys, and their enemies to lovers romance. If you’re a fan of either of the authors (which I am), you will more than likely adore Outmatched! Parker Brown needs a fake boyfriend to impress her sexist boss and keep her job. Rhys Morgan needs money to keep his gym running and out of the red. So it would be a perfect setup for them to come to an agreement wouldn’t it? Except that to say that these two get on each others’ nerves would be an understatement. It’s a bit difficult for them to pretend to be head over heels in love, but they make it work. The one thing that goes right though, is the insane chemistry between them. They hate each other, but they can’t get enough of each other. This is the perfect case of ‘opposites attract,’ with Rhys being a huge, grumpy ex-boxer and Parker being a tiny, adorable nerd. She comes from wealth, he does not. I loved the way they genuinely come to slowly understand the other better, their background and where they come from, and ultimately fall for each other. I love a smol, dorky, nerdy heroine and a big, gruff, grumpy hero. Parker and Rhys make the sweetest couple in this fake-relationship romance, with lots of great banter and tension. Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan did a fantastic job with this collaboration and I hope they write more together! I absolutely wouldn’t mind a book for Dean, Rhys’ brother!

Rhys Rhys Rhys 😍