From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord's You Have a Match, a YA novel of family, friendship, romance and sisterhood... When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it's mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie...although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn't know she's a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it's hard to believe they're from the same planet, never mind the same parents ― especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby's parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp's co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything. But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.
- Books
- YA Fiction & Indies
- Young Adult Fiction
- You Have a Match
You Have a Match
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
12+
Release Date
January 12, 2021
ISBN
9781250237309
Buy This Book
From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord's You Have a Match, a YA novel of family, friendship, romance and sisterhood... When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it's mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie...although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn't know she's a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it's hard to believe they're from the same planet, never mind the same parents ― especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby's parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp's co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything. But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.
Editor reviews
2 reviews
charming summer read of family, friends, and love
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
YOU HAVE A MATCH is a beautifully written YA contemporary about family, summer, forgiveness, and best friend crushes. Abby is the oldest of four, and she bears the weight of her parents' dreams, which includes lots of tutoring and no free time. Abby is still grieving the loss of her grandfather who helped to raise her and introduced her to a love of photography. When her friends agree to send away for a DNA test, Abby agrees to participate to be a good sport.
However, what she finds is that she has a full sister that she had never heard of - one born a year and a half before her. Knowing that her parents have been keeping this secret for a long time and not sure how much she wants to rock the boat, Abby finds a way to meet her. Savvy has the perfect life, complete with being a wellness guru and instagram famous. To attempt to know each other more, and learn why their parents have kept this secret from them, Savvy asks Abby to come to the camp where she'll be working.
As they spend the summer together, they will try to get to the bottom of the secrets their parents have been hiding and connect with the sister they had never known that they had.
What I loved: This was an intriguing coming-of-age story with some important themes. Abby is trying to find her way in the world between what her parents want for her and what she wants for herself. She feels disconnected from herself and her family. Meeting Savvy is changing the way she looks at the people around her, particularly her parents, her place in the family, and the ways she interacts with the world. Abby experiences a lot of growth and self-realizations throughout the book.
Abby also has a huge crush on her BFF, but she knows he does not feel the same way. Ever since the big embarrassing event, she has felt cast adrift from him. This romance is a delightful secondary plot, and I loved watching their interactions and feeling Abby's yearning for the more she is missing. Savvy also has her own thing going, and without giving spoilers, I loved watching that one too.
One of my favorite themes of the book is about forgiveness. Pretty much every character makes mistakes and does things they regret - which felt so real. The way that each of these is handled with grace, love, and forgiveness is really lovely. I appreciated seeing characters with flaws, who make mistakes, reflect upon them, and atone for them, being treated in return with acceptance (realistically, not always immediate).
As DNA tests become more common, more people are finding family they did not know they had. This twist is an interesting impetus to figuring out who you are and what you want, connecting with family, and living your own truths. As another small note, I also appreciated that the main character struggles with academics, and her future shows a path that does not require academic intensity - this is something shown less often in YA, so the inclusion of this smaller theme was great.
Final verdict: YOU HAVE A MATCH is a charming YA contemporary about family, friends, and love. Highly recommend for fans of MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT, JUST A BOY AND A GIRL IN A LITTLE CANOE, and THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS.
However, what she finds is that she has a full sister that she had never heard of - one born a year and a half before her. Knowing that her parents have been keeping this secret for a long time and not sure how much she wants to rock the boat, Abby finds a way to meet her. Savvy has the perfect life, complete with being a wellness guru and instagram famous. To attempt to know each other more, and learn why their parents have kept this secret from them, Savvy asks Abby to come to the camp where she'll be working.
As they spend the summer together, they will try to get to the bottom of the secrets their parents have been hiding and connect with the sister they had never known that they had.
What I loved: This was an intriguing coming-of-age story with some important themes. Abby is trying to find her way in the world between what her parents want for her and what she wants for herself. She feels disconnected from herself and her family. Meeting Savvy is changing the way she looks at the people around her, particularly her parents, her place in the family, and the ways she interacts with the world. Abby experiences a lot of growth and self-realizations throughout the book.
Abby also has a huge crush on her BFF, but she knows he does not feel the same way. Ever since the big embarrassing event, she has felt cast adrift from him. This romance is a delightful secondary plot, and I loved watching their interactions and feeling Abby's yearning for the more she is missing. Savvy also has her own thing going, and without giving spoilers, I loved watching that one too.
One of my favorite themes of the book is about forgiveness. Pretty much every character makes mistakes and does things they regret - which felt so real. The way that each of these is handled with grace, love, and forgiveness is really lovely. I appreciated seeing characters with flaws, who make mistakes, reflect upon them, and atone for them, being treated in return with acceptance (realistically, not always immediate).
As DNA tests become more common, more people are finding family they did not know they had. This twist is an interesting impetus to figuring out who you are and what you want, connecting with family, and living your own truths. As another small note, I also appreciated that the main character struggles with academics, and her future shows a path that does not require academic intensity - this is something shown less often in YA, so the inclusion of this smaller theme was great.
Final verdict: YOU HAVE A MATCH is a charming YA contemporary about family, friends, and love. Highly recommend for fans of MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT, JUST A BOY AND A GIRL IN A LITTLE CANOE, and THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS.
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
4.3
Plot
4.0(1)
Characters
5.0(1)
Writing Style
4.0(1)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A(0)
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Super cute!
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
4.3
Plot
4.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment of this book was all of the Harry Potter references. However, given that this book was written probably sometime in 2020 and was published in 2021, before JKR’s blatant transphobia was really known, I can give it and the author a pass.
Good Points
I loved the premise of this book. The concept of someone doing a DNA test only to find out they have a secret sister is so fascinating and this was so well executed.
I loved how the two girls devised a plot to spend time together and learn about one another. It was interesting to see how they were so similar while being so different, but how you could see the genetic similarities even when they hadn’t spent any time together growing up. It really shows that idea of nature vs nurture. I also liked seeing how they developed their relationship and learned about one another.
I also thought the romance was so sweet. I love a good friends to lovers story and watching these two try to figure out that their feelings weren’t unrequited was so heart wrenching but so worth it in the end.
I also really adored the friendship between Abby, Leo, and Connie. I loved how close they all were and that even distance couldn’t keep them from talking to one another. It was nice to see such a strong friend group and how much they cared about one another.
Learning about what caused the rift between the girls’ parents was so interesting and I thought was handled really well. It was such a good twist and it made me feel so bad for the two girls for having to be separated because of something so out of their control.
Overall, I loved this story and the focus on family, friendship, and romance.
I loved how the two girls devised a plot to spend time together and learn about one another. It was interesting to see how they were so similar while being so different, but how you could see the genetic similarities even when they hadn’t spent any time together growing up. It really shows that idea of nature vs nurture. I also liked seeing how they developed their relationship and learned about one another.
I also thought the romance was so sweet. I love a good friends to lovers story and watching these two try to figure out that their feelings weren’t unrequited was so heart wrenching but so worth it in the end.
I also really adored the friendship between Abby, Leo, and Connie. I loved how close they all were and that even distance couldn’t keep them from talking to one another. It was nice to see such a strong friend group and how much they cared about one another.
Learning about what caused the rift between the girls’ parents was so interesting and I thought was handled really well. It was such a good twist and it made me feel so bad for the two girls for having to be separated because of something so out of their control.
Overall, I loved this story and the focus on family, friendship, and romance.
Latest Additions
GET A YABC BUTTON!
We have all sorts of YABC buttons for your website. Grab one here and link to YABC!