Can&#x27;t Match This

This book gets five gold stars from me!! Xavier has written such a captivating rom com that had me turning the pages faster than ever. I completely fell for these two quick and fast! Gideon and Lennox were a breath of fresh air that I needed. We have two best friends that know each other needs before they even do. Always wanting to take care of each other, and with over a decade of friendship a deal has been made. These two had me laughing, swooning, and moments where I wanted to slap some since into them. Watching their journey from friends to lovers was so much fun, and when we finally get what we want Xavier didn’t disappoint me!! I hope that we get to see more of these two, and as always I LOVE seeing some of my other favorite past characters!

Teresa Lara

3,482 reviews53 followers

absolutely loved this amazing friends love story.Lenny and Gideon love story was funny intense amazing and beautiful.Ready for more

❤️MaLu_Reads❤️

422 reviews91 followers

a-m arc-dbo erotic-romance

★4 Stars★

I've read Senses series from Xavier Neal and I loved it...It was amazing! So I thought I should give this new book a chance and I don't regret. It was something new, sweet, soft, and good.

Lenny and Gideon are best friends since school. They know each other very well, they complete one another. They've always loved each other very much, even beyond friendship, but they were scared to admit it or to try something more. Afraid to lose the other, even as a friend...afraid that"the other"feeling wasn't mutual. So they remained best friends. Until now...

They made a deal...since Lenny works as a matchmaker at ''Connect'', and she is very good at matching couples. So now she wants to match Gideon. Gideon has to date 7 girls chosen by Lenny. If Lenny doesn't find the one for Gideon, she has to quit her job as matching people and find a real job as a therapist.

Will Lenny succeed? Will Gideon find the one? Could Lenny see him with another woman, especially chosen by her? Well, you need to read the book to find out.😛

This book is a pretty story about real friendship that turns to love. Sweet, soft...pure love. So if you enjoy friends to lovers story, this book is the one for you. 😉
I recommend this book!

This review is posted on DirtyBooksObsession

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Tammi

2,176 reviews30 followers

I had heard great things about this author and she has been on my Want to Read list for awhile. Definitely kicking myself for waiting because it was a fantastic book. I love her writing style. The story flowed easily allowing me to gobble it up in a day.
Lenny and Gideon were adorable best friends both keeping their true feelings secret for years. They made me laugh so many times with their fun flirty friendship. Then he took a bold step and I was thinking ok we are moving forward and the story got really good. More fun, more flirting but now we have added heat. A slow build of steam until they exploded and then it was Hot as Hell.
But through it all their friendship was their strongest bond. I loved it! I loved them!
One book by Xavier Neal down and the rest of her book list to go. I will be reading more for sure!

Stacey

445 reviews4 followers

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book!! Friends to lovers are my favorite types of books and this is that in spades. Lennox, or Lenny as he calls her, have been friends for 15 years. They have been in love with each other for almost that long. Unfortunately they are both too stubborn to say anything to each other. What's great about these two is that they are essentially a couple just without the sex. If you like friends to lovers books then you will definitely love reading as these two try to figure out if they are going to be together. Go get it now!!

Loren

221 reviews

I fell in love immediately with the best friends – Gideon and Lennox aka Lenny – who want to be more than just friends, though neither knows the feelings of the other. I also loved that Ms. Neal brought characters from her other books into this story. 35-year-old Gideon had to give up his dream of being a star football player due to an on-field injury, so he and Gideon have been friends since their college days. She is currently on hiatus from her true profession as a psychologist and works in the matchmaking division of a company called Connect. She also counsels military vets in her spare time, loves to speak Spanish, loves tacos, and hates green vegetables. Lenny doesn’t want to go through life conforming; she wants to live an adventurous life, whatever that may be. The witty banter and obvious sexual tension between Gideon and Lenny throughout the story was so relatable to me -- I just couldn’t get enough. I loved them as a couple, right up to the part when I wanted to slap Lenny silly! Thank God for Gideon; he is my hero. I’m sure everyone who reads their story will love it as much as I do. Xavier Neal makes my heart full with every steamy book she writes.

Caroline

200 reviews42 followers

March 2, 2019

4 Stars

This book is a sweet, friends to lovers, fun romantic comedy. It was a book that made you love the characters but instead of like wanting the hero or adoring the heroine because she is strong or something like that, I wanted to be their friend, I could see my self sitting at a table with them just relaxing and have some fun.

Gideon is fun but maybe a little uptight sports agent who work too much but always have time for his best friend. He has been in love with her for years but think it is one-sided and don't want to ruin their friendship. Gideon comes off as a little arrogant and like he thinks a little too much about himself but at the same time is Lennox his whole world so he gives of mix signals for me but I love how he is with Lennox and their friendship is so easy and they are so close that I don't get how they couldn't have been a couple for years.

Lennox is a fun tomboy who is always one of the guys and she loves it like that. She is okay with not being the woman you want to take to bed but the one you call when you wanna trash talk the latest game and share a good beer. But she wishes her best friend saw her in a different light but also know that she wouldn't change a thing about her self and Gideon only want the bombshell girl with a blooming career and that is not her.

All in all, I loved this couple together they were a match made in heaven. Even if this is a slow burn kinda book and they normally feel like they are killing me because I have no patience, this book was so fun and easy going that I didn't get frustrated at all and was just enjoying the ride Xavier Neal was taking me on.

So do you need a fun light book with no drama or other heavy stuff then this is the book for you.

2019 alpha arc

Beyond The Covers Blog

2,518 reviews91 followers

black-authors diverse-main-characters favorites

A friends to lovers story filled with a lot of laughter, chemistry and sports (yay). This book, however, is not your typical overly sweet, fairytale love story and that in itself made it fantastic. What I loved the most was that nothing in this story was perfect. Gideon and Lenny both had their flaws but together they made a perfect pair. My first book by Xavier Neal and I cannot wait to read more!!

Nerdread

465 reviews75 followers

August 16, 2020

The banter between the main characters and the strong friendship they had made this book. It was perfect 🤍

KFForever

1,053 reviews32 followers

kfforever

Reviewed by Anna Green on behalf of KindleFriendsForever

This is my second book by this author, a best friends-to-lovers romance with loads of funny banter between the main characters who can’t keep their hands off each other.

Lennox Marston aka Lenny is a psychologist and currently working as a “matchmaker” for an online dating company and also working as a therapist for veterans. Lenny is opinionated and strong-minded, her job is to give out advice but tends to ignore it when she gets one. And oh yes, she has also been in love with her best friend of twelve years, Gideon.

Gideon Lucas was a fullback in college when a sports-related injury cut short his dreams of being a pro and led him to become a sports agent. His drive to succeed propelled him and Mick, his business partner, to the top of their field. He and Lenny bonded in college, they are a perfect fit but somehow never crossed that line for fear of ruining their friendship.

Told in dual points of view, this is quite an entertaining albeit frustrating read at times. The problem with these two is that they have painted themselves into the friend-zone corner and neither knows how to take the next step. Gideon and Lenny’s interactions are akin to that of a couple dancing the sexual tango, going backwards and forwards, with lots of fancy footwork and always in sync. Most often she spends the night at his place, sleeps on his bed literally without the hanky panky of course because they are “just friends”. These two love each other that it is so obvious to those close to them and yet are oblivious to the other’s body language, for two intelligent individuals these pair can be a bit obtuse. The outcome is quite predictable but I loved the main characters’ passion for their jobs and their witty dialogue. This is a quick angst-free read and if I were you, I’d give it a go as I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Anna Green

353 reviews

Reviewed on behalf of KindleFriendsForever

This is my second book by this author, a best friends-to-lovers romance with loads of funny banter between the main characters who can’t keep their hands off each other.

Lennox Marston aka Lenny is a psychologist and currently working as a “matchmaker” for an online dating company and also working as a therapist for veterans. Lenny is opinionated and strong-minded, her job is to give out advice but tends to ignore it when she gets one. And oh yes, she has also been in love with her best friend of twelve years, Gideon.

Gideon Lucas was a fullback in college when a sports-related injury cut short his dreams of being a pro and led him to become a sports agent. His drive to succeed propelled him and Mick, his business partner, to the top of their field. He and Lenny bonded in college, they are a perfect fit but somehow never crossed that line for fear of ruining their friendship.

Told in dual points of view, this is quite an entertaining albeit frustrating read at times. The problem with these two is that they have painted themselves into the friend-zone corner and neither knows how to take the next step. Gideon and Lenny’s interactions are akin to that of a couple dancing the sexual tango, going backwards and forwards, with lots of fancy footwork and always in sync. Most often she spends the night at his place, sleeps on his bed literally without the hanky panky of course because they are “just friends”. These two love each other that it is so obvious to those close to them and yet are oblivious to the other’s body language, for two intelligent individuals these pair can be a bit obtuse. The outcome is quite predictable but I loved the main characters’ passion for their jobs and their witty dialogue. This is a quick angst-free read and if I were you, I’d give it a go as I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Xavier Neal

Author 132 books2,258 followers

April 3, 2019

Had so much fun WRITING this novel. Hope readers had fun reading it.

xo

RavishedRita

265 reviews30 followers

March 24, 2019

2 Stars

2 Stars because I actually finished, this was a really difficult book to read. For starters the MCs were in a full blown relationship the whole time there was no friends to lovers situation. I felt like that was just a type of book the author wanted to check off of a list because the book didn’t read as friends to lovers. I skimmed BIG portions of this book because the MCs weren’t very exciting characters, the heroine had long paragraphs about her being not like the “typical chick”. The hero had long paragraphs about being boring and anal retentive. I like other books by this author the cowboy Casanova book 2 was a really great read so I might pick up another book from this author but this book was not very entertaining.

Heather andrews

9,520 reviews162 followers

Gideon sure knows how to plan a nice night out, “now, I’d like to go enjoy a glass of whiskey, a great cut of steak, and watch Robocop on the couch.” Gideon often times takes offense to what comes out of his woman's mouth, “pity food?” Gideon promptly inquires. “What the eff does that mean?” The lack of immediate answering causes him to snatch the remote and return the movie to its still form. He nudges me with the side of his dress shoe to command my attention to his. As soon as our stares meet, he repeats, “What the eff are you implying, Lenny?” I liked thiS book, I fell in love with Gideon.

Leanna Terrell

471 reviews1 follower

March 22, 2019

Too Anxiety Driven

It was driving my anxiety to stop reading or not. I kept hoping that Gideon and Lennox would stop playing mind games. I'm a fan of Me Neal's writing but was underwhelmed.
It is quite possible that it's just me and others will Love this story. I just didn't care if Lenny ever got together with Gideon. I actually liked the last date better than Lenny.
Oh well, as he stated earlier I am a fan, so I'm sure There are other works of Me Neal that I'll enjoy more.
I have three stars only because, I don't know why I have it three stars, *** sigh!

Becky Ballenger

664 reviews19 followers

Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Sweet baby Jesus, Gideon!!!!!! I loved this book!!!! I love friends to lovers tropes, because that’s how my marriage started out, friends to lovers!!!!! This is my favorite trope!!!! Xavier Neal is a phenomenally talented author and she never ceases to amaze me with every book of hers I dive into!!!!

Nancy L Thompson

2,158 reviews15 followers

March 11, 2019

2 1\2 Stars

Lenny was Neuro make me stop reading this book. She was soo exasperating. I've never taken this long to read a book book by Ms Neal. And while we're on the subject, I don't feel this is one of her better books. Lenny took all the comedy from this book and turned it into a real pain to read.

Mariana

53 reviews18 followers

March 10, 2019

Awful. I'm sorry to myself for having finished it. Can't nor won't forgive the piss poor excuse of Spanish being used here. Do yourselves a favor, don't read this.
Actual rating: 0 stars.

3,441 reviews113 followers

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, and the fun banter and shenanigans in this one made it that much better. The story is pretty drama free with the exception of the internal angst both characters have as they figure things out, and what seems to be the required issue to be overcome on the way to happy ever after. I will say that I did see that one coming, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. Lennox and Gideon have great chemistry, and I loved that they aren't perfect. Lennox is a hot mess most of the time, and Gideon seems to only loosen up when he's with her. Even as friends, they both go out of their way to do what's best for each other, which makes them pretty perfect together. They did frustrate me to no end at times with all the inner turmoil about what to say, what to do, when to take that next step, etc, and I really wanted to shake one or both of them several times. However, frustrated or not, Gideon and Lennox's journey was certainly an engaging, laugh out loud trip.

Alicia

2,051 reviews24 followers

May 19, 2019

Friends to lovers is not an unusual trope, and it can be huge fun. Can't Match This is an extremely good example of doing it right, bringing something unique to the mix and creating a fun, to flirty, to hot relationship. With Lenny and Gideon hiding their feelings for so long, they are going against their own, usual confident characters! But there is so much fun to be had in the process of revelation; banter, mis-matches, laughter, competitive game play and just the sheer pleasure of a well written journey to the acknowledgement of love. Fabulous book!!

Julia Gerard

694 reviews9 followers

Lenny is a college trained counselor, but she's wasting her time working as a Matchmaker. Gideon is a Sports Agent. Lenny and Gideon have been friends for 15 years. Lenny is fun and quirky, marches to her own beat. Lenny and Gideon are best friends or is it more? Lenny talks Gideon into letting her Match him and find his perfect mate. Even though Gideon knows who his mate should be. He suffers through several bad dates. Wouldn't want to Cat Lynched after all! There was some merging from other books, which was pretty cool. I'd say another hit for Xavier!

Gladys

14k reviews162 followers

This book was an absolutely delightful read. The engaging storyline offers readers a charming blend of humor, drama, sweet emotions and spicy passion. This friends to lovers romance quickly stole my heart and had me swooning over Lennox and Gideon. These two were just perfect for each other. My heart ached as they struggled to move out of the friend zone, I laughed at their clever banter and my heart melted in the face of their epic love. A beautiful, steamy and powerfully poignant romance. I am posting a independent, impartial review.

Britt Chaotic Creatives

1,414 reviews94 followers

Adorable, funny and all around cute Can’t Match This has my heart right from the start. Gideon and Lenny have chemistry that flies off the pages and is clear to everyone but it seems themselves. These two best friends are so blatantly in love you can’t help but truly feel it as you read.
However the path from best friends to lovers is filled with some serious hilarity and major sweetness. I spent half the book giggling at the awful matches that Lenny came up with for Gideon and the other half swooning dying for these two to see what was right in front of them.

Lauren

2,589 reviews13 followers

Good

This was a fun quick read for me that I really enjoyed. Lenny and Gideon are both fighting the attraction they have for each other because they don't wanna ruin there friendship. Lord help these two they are beyond perfect for each other but they have no clues about the other. Its hilarious watching all his dates she sets him up on bomb and go so bad. These two take forever to realize what's happening but its really cute to watch.

Camille

79 reviews9 followers

Ode to the 80s and 90s

I loved this book! The friendship and progression of the relationship between Gideon and Lenny was funny, honest, frustrating and so cute all in one. And all the 80s and 90s references was great. It really felt like an ode to those 2 decades, haha. Loved it and I can’t wait for more!

Connie Haynes

195 reviews

March 2, 2019

Good but predictable

I love Ms Neal’s novels . I think I have read every one plus all the series. This book was really good . OG and Lenny were a great couple, and love how they were best friends who turned to lovers. The only issue was that it was all very predictable , there were no plot twists or surprises. It was a very straightforward romance , quick and fun to read .

Andrea

40 reviews5 followers

Amazingly cute!

Gideon and Lenny are adorable as best friends and muy caliente as lovers. For some reason this story felt a lot different than Xavier’s normal but it was still a awesome read.

Trescina Bell

568 reviews7 followers

Awesome read!

Loved this couple. Gideon and Lenny best Friend’s wanting to crossover to a couple. I love how close they are. It was funny and had heat. I couldn’t put it down. It had me from beginning to the end. Grab it and dive in.

Renee Megee

144 reviews12 followers