Playing with Matches: A Novel

First of all, I've been following Hannah on Twitter for years, so when I saw she was coming out with a book, I immediately pre-ordered it. I cannot say enough good things about this. The imagery of being in New York City was enticing, but the plot is what really got me. Hannah so thoughtfully depicts the characters, describing them so vividly that I can practically hear their voices. I loved the ending; I was so certain how it was going to end, that when I finally got to the last page I was shocked. This book is THE perfect summer read, I've recommended it to all of my friends. This book is excellent, and you should stop reading reviews and just buy it already.

This book has the young girl coming into her own kind of pace and feel of a "Devil Wears Prada" and "When Life Hands You Lemons Wear Lululemons." It's just more clumsy and amateurish. On one hand, it's light entertainment for a day when that's all you want in a book. On the other, I was quickly tired of reading about this girl "slurping" her drinks and her food and being so young that she couldn't possibly understand something. Hired because she's young, dumped because she's young, unable to pick wine or give advice or dress acceptably because... you can guess. There were also so many things that didn't add up. In what world does making minimum wage trolling online as a matchmaker make one the object of jealousy and admiration? As the story culminates, the writer couldn't come up with an ending. The last page feels like someone started a story and then lost their train of thought and said "oh, never mind."

An easy light read, but very captivating! A little slow to start but once you get into it, you won't put it down till it's done. I loved the unexpected ending.

I loved reading Playing with Matches! It is the perfect book for college-aged girls and those who have recently graduated from college. This book has it all: romance, heartbreak, friendship, and humor. I love the character development with the protagonist, Sasha. Although the ending was not at all what I expected, I still enjoyed this read. I read this novel with some friends in our book club. For our last book club meeting, we even had the author Hannah Orenstein join us virtually for a Q&A session. It was so much fun asking Hannah questions about the book, and I am looking forward to reading some of her newer books!

This book was both relatable and too honest, but it did make me think. I'm lucky enough to be in a relationship that started the old-fashioned way: in person. But I've always been intrigued by the digital dating process. Both my parents met my step-parents online, and other friends have successfully used apps.The actual matchmaking components aside, I was never sure if I actually LIKED our heroine. Sasha is not overly privileged, as she regularly compares herself to her WASP boyfriend, but she still seemed to have it easy. Maybe the money complaints of anyone choosing to live in NYC always rub me the wrong way.As I read in the author interview, Hannah Orenstein wrote this as a 22 year old matchmaker living in New York. She called it a love letter to the city but I just thought there was an annoying amount of sites and activities name-dropped. It's not actually the center of the universe people, but I guess you write what you know.The friendship of Sasha and Caroline was really my favorite part of the book. I've lived with other women, but not a best friend. Yes, they're very young (okay, I'm only 29) but they're trying and they support each other.There is no explicit content and very little cursing, so it's overall a light read. I may still suggest it to my book club so we can dissect Sasha more.

This book is totally delightful. Sasha is relatable, but her life is zany. I thought the ending was annoyingly predictable, but overall it's just a really fun, breezy rom-com.

Didn't do it for me .i kept expecting something more to happen and it didn't . Totally fell flat. Also the ending was abrupt. Characters also seemed unrealistic .

Let me start off by saying I haven't bought a new novel in years. Something drew me to this one, I and ordered it as soon as I found out about it. When I do try to read, I usually only get through a chapter at most before my short attention span lets me down. I was sure that would be the case when I started reading this book during my lunch break on a weekday. Before I knew it, I was so engrossed in the narrative that I took the rest of the day off to finish reading (that's how invested I was in the story). This book reminded me of what it felt like to be in my early 20's in New York, young, confused, and struggling to figure everything out. I don't want to spoil anything about the story; pick it up for yourself! This is the perfect summer reading book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hannah Orenstein nailed her debut novel and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

amazing book funny, unpredictable and so relatable to any young girl! one of the best I ever read! I encourage anyone to read this book. I was hooked to Hannah's articles in Seventeen, and her book did not disappoint!

I've been following the author on Twitter for a while (she had created a super funny twitter account on Gossip Girl- that I'm an absolute fan of), so when she published a book I thought I'd give it a try! I read it in a single afternoon by the beach. It was extremely entertaining, and funny. I could not stop reading, I had to finish it right away. I love that the happy end is about women empowerment.Thanks Hannah, looking forward to your next novel :)

This book is so powerful. It made me laugh out loud, cry and question my life all in one sitting. It was everything, kept me at the edge of my seat all throughout, never a dull moment! Hannah Orenstain has a fantastic voice that is incredibly unique, refreshing and current. This book is ideal for someone who still holds on to Gossip Girl, Sex and the City and Gilmore Girls. I haven’t finished a book in a day in over 3 years, yet Playing with Matches was so engaging and entertaining that I couldn’t put it down, it’s 4am and a part of me wants to start it again!100% recommend

Nice quick read, very millennial targeted but fun