When Joss Met MattAuthor: Ellie Cahill
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Format: eARC
Pages: 354
Source: Publisher
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.
Claim! This is my book! When I first read the synopsis for When Joss Meets Matt a couple months ago, I knew it was for me. I stayed up until 4am reading it, and then had to be up less an hour later. Yeah, that was a rough day. But I seriously could not stop. I love it so much, but partly for reasons I’ll never share with you. Unless you beg.
I love the whole sorbet sex with a friend idea, but was honestly expecting the same ol’ run-of-the-mill friends-with-benefits type thing. Uh no. The main characters and their situation was quite refreshing.
I absolutely love how the story is setup. We start in the present when Joss is 26, and then we get flashbacks beginning with Joss and Matt first meeting freshman year of college. From then on, alternating from the present to their timeline up to that point in flashbacks. What I love so much about this is, it really shows the depth of their growth. We get to see them first form their friendship and this arrangement, being a little insecure and awkward, and then as they become more mature and confident over the years.
Joss and Matt are both great characters. They aren’t these perfect, super sexy people oozing sensuality. They’re normal and real, and pretty darn funny. What I love the most though, is how truly great their friendship really is. They’re open and confide in each other, but also give each other shit in the way only a best friend can.
Their arrangement went on for seven years, and there isn’t this constant pining and secretly harboring feelings. It was so wonderful how they dated people, had relationships, and were totally supportive of each other. They got some life experience and had different types of relationships, figuring themselves out. I. Love. That. It was beautiful too, because we got to see the subtle shift, the little moments between them that showed the possibly of deeper feelings. I’m telling you, the author did a fabulous job.
Gah! Seriously, I adore this book so much. There’s so many specifics things I want to point out that make it fantastic, but you know, spoilers. Just read it!
When I saw in my email that you claimed this book, I HAD to come see. It really sounds like a great book – I can’t wait to read it!
But I don’t think you’re allowed to claim stuff outside of the ‘poc. Bad Christy.
No. I proclaim the claim rule is in full effect.
Okay if you stayed up that late to read this then I know it is a must for me too. I better add this one to my TBR pile. 🙂
You most certainly should. 😉
I’m so glad you liked this one, Christy. I loved it too and I thought the author handled the sorbet sex really well. I hope she writes more NA because she’s really good at it.
Great review!!
P.S I want to know why you specifically loved it so much! 😛
This was my first book by her, even though I have one of her YA books. Now I definitely want it.
Friend to Lovers! My favorite trope!
It’s a great take on the friends-to-lovers, with a twist. 🙂
After reading this setup I typically would have passed on this one Christy as friends-with-benefits is usually not for me in terms of a romantic trope, BUT I love the way you describe this one! The flashabacks clearly work well in showing the evolution of their friendship, and I can’t help but want them to be together now. Fantastic review!
It’s not the typical friends-with-benefits. To me, it was so much better!
I know its an overdone troupe, but I always love a friends-to-lovers themed book. It totally grindsmy gears. I’ll have to add this to my TBR. Thanks, Christy!
It’s a really cool twist on the friends-with-benefits/friends-to-lovers troupe, but really kind of falls in it’s own category. You should read it!
Okay, to be completely honest with you, when I first saw the cover, the first thing I thought of was it was a guy x guy book O_O Joss is totally a boy’s name!!! Haha. In any case, this sounds amazing, and their journey of self-discovery even more so! Will check it out; thanks for the review, love!
lol! Joss is short for Joycelyn. It really is a fantastic book.
Dang..I love the arrangement trope..seven years is a long time..i need to read this.
You should definitely read this!
I love it when bloggers really love a book. Makes you want to go right out and buy it. It isn’t something I gravitate toward but your enthusiasm has made me take a second look!
And boy, did I ever love this one! 😉
This is the kind of romance I love. Sweet, subtle, long building and all the good stuff. No drama and crap to cut through, this is one I would read.
There’s a little bit of drama towards the end, but it’s not like most books out there. Yup, you should read it.
I loved that it was 7 years, and really showed how much growth they went through. The people we are at 18 aren’t the same as the people we are at 26, and we got to see that with Joss and Matt.
Okay, but. Tell me they did develop feelings for each other in the end. Because otherwise, sex, sex, and more sex just wouldn’t work for me. Lol.
Hmmm … you’ll have to read it to see if they end up together. lol. Seriously though, it’s not even like that – sex, sex, sex. I’m telling you, it’s so refreshing. Instead of these two youngsters jumping in and all in love and then it’s forever. There’s actually life experience, and they learn what it is they really want and don’t want in relationships. Idk, it’s just very well done.
… I mean, that’s what porn is for.
Really. REALLY? Just read it! I know that I want to, but my Kindle is killing me!
Argh… $10 eBook too… sigh, I will have to wait and see if the library gets it.
I’m really intrigued by this book, thanks for sharing your thoughts with this lovely review. And that cover is gorgeous!
I shouldn’t have read your review. I really, really shouldn’t have read your review ! Because now, I want to claim this book for myself ! And I want it now ! What on Earth did you do to me, lol ?!!!
Yeah, this sounds pretty awesome. I have totally stayed up waaay to long to finish a book. Less than an hour, hmm? Yeah, that one is rough, but it speaks volumes about this book.
Christy, you make me want to drop everything and read this book NOW. Everyone’s been raving about this book so I’ve had it on my radar but your review makes it seem like this is MY BOOK. I can’t wait to meet M & J and see their relationship progress over the years 🙂
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