I'm not sure which came first - the idea for this book or the TV series with a similar title, but both have the same premise ... single girl, looking for love, fed up of kissing a lot of frogs in her search for Mr. Perfect, agrees to a blind date with a difference - she won't meet her beau until they both show up at the altar on their wedding day!

The thought of this scares me silly but this story flowed along quite nicely and was a welcome escape from the strange and worrying times in which we currently find ourselves.

Throughout the book we also have woven another story of our protagonist's best friend, married to her childhood sweetheart for ten years, parents to young, energetic twins and all the less-than-glamorous fun that entails.

The pace of the story is good, and made for an entertaining read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Hannah has always lived her edge on the edge, she’s never one to pass an a new adventure, living her best life. But soon that adventure starts to wear off, now she’s thinking that if only she had someone to spend those quiet times with.

When she hears that the online dating app that her friend has started has hit a low slump, she has an idea that she thinks will help solve that problem.

Her friend Jess, whose been with her husband for twenty years. A stable marriage and two great kids, as well as running their own businesses.

But to those looking from the outside, everything’s perfect., like her friend thinks, but all is not as it seems, as Jess is wondering where the spark has gone from her life.

So, with Hannah starting to put her scheme into action, to find a man using Jess’s dating app, she meets her man at the alter for the first time.

Soon, both of them realise that the saying “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side” applies to them both.

So, will Hannah be able to save her friends business or will Jess be able to stop her, from what she thinks could be the biggest mistake of her life?

Today is my stop on the Married at First Swipe blog tour. Thank you to Rebecca McCarthy, Sara-Jade Virtue, Simon and Schuster, Books and the City and Claire Frost for the opportunity to take part.

I read Claire’s debut novel, Living My Best Life, and loved it so when the opportunity to take part came up I couldn’t resist. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Married at First Swipe is a feel-good, easy read. One that is easy to lose yourself in but also easy to get back into once you’ve put it down.

Hannah and Jess are best friends and have been since school, but their lived couldn’t be more different. Hannah loves to travel and go on an adventure whilst Jess is married with twins. Both work for Jess’s dating app, but business is struggling until Hannah comes up with an idea. Jess is going to find Hannah ‘The One’ where Hannah will meet him for the first time at….the altar.

I like both Hannah and Jess as characters and found that they were both relatable. At the same age their lives are in totally different places and they both want a bit of what the other has, which I think many of us have found ourselves in the same situation.

Whilst Jess sets out to find Hannah the perfect man, Jess’s own marriage has hit the rocks and she is struggling to juggle home and work life. Hannah on the other hand wants the perfect life that she think Jess has.

I found the journey that they both went on, in both finding Hannah her perfect man, and Jess trying to juggle many plates, entertaining. There are many laugh-out-loud and cringe moments in the book.

I have seen that if you have enjoyed the TV show Married at First Sight then you will enjoy this book, so as someone who hasn’t watched the show, I am off to do so now.

Firstly, Happy Publication Day Claire. Married at First Swipe is just the perfect feel good fiction we all need in our lives right now. Claire’s debut novel is called Living My Best Life – I inhaled it and when this one was announced I knew I needed to read her second offering.

Now I’ve not really watched Married at First Sight but last year I was hooked on Love is Blind. So I knew this would be a fun and thrilling read and I wasn’t wrong it sure was exactly that.

Hannah & Jess are literally chalk & cheese the blonde and the brunette the ying and the yang. There friendship is impressive and has spanned the ages from school and separations amongst other things.

From the off I absolutely loved this dynamic – Hannah is an amazing friend that she goes out on a limb to help Jess’s business succeed. Her plan to find a husband via the app is kind of crazy but Hannah being the fun-spirited woman that she is it’s not completely unexpected. I love how impulsive and forward thinking Hannah is but on the flip side I felt for her when she truly thought about her plan. At times Hannah did come across like a bit of a spoilt brat but she had her reasons and I absolutely adored her spirit for true love and how that was connected to her grandparents – it really did make me think of mine.

Jess is the complete opposite of Hannah which is why they are great friends. I love how real Jess is – she’s a mother, a wife and a hardworking businesswoman on the outside she seems completely sorted in her life, but it’s not all that it seems. I love that Claire wrote about this type of woman and I don’t want to say too much as it’s a rollercoaster ride that you’ll discover for yourself but this added heart and real ness. Stepping outside your comfort zone and your reality often shows you exactly what you needed to know/hear. I loved Jess coming to this thought process and her and Tom are actually couple goals personified.

It’s mad to think how much social media takes over our lives and Claire Frost has shown the best and worst of this kind of lifestyle and how it’s incorporated into the reality TV esque wedding. These days social media and apps plays a huge part in the dating world and Claire has portrayed this so well with every aspect covered. I won’t spoil the nitty gritty of the novel but I loved how this was laid out and the blog entries really were heartfelt.

Married at First Swipe is a light-hearted read that will make you laugh and have you hooked from start to finish. Not only will it make you think about relationships, love, gratitude and most importantly friendship. At the heart of this read is the love of friends – being there for each other and having their best interests at heart. Once again Claire Frost has swept me off my feet – this may only be her second novel but I’m most definitely a fan and can’t wait to see what she produces next.

This book was exactly what I needed to read! allowing me a form of escapism within this fantastic story.
The storyline was full of humour, and their were certainly many moments that made me laugh out loud.
The characters were all brilliant and really likeable and easy to connect with.
Fun and light hearted, this was a wonderful book which I didn't want to put down.

Hannah is looking for ‘the one’ and her best friend Jess has an app that could help her…

Jess’s app ‘Save The Date’ is on a tipping point with the bank. To help boost its numbers Hannah comes up with a plan to have Jess find her a husband with the app. Going public via their social media channels, Hannah will marry Jess’s choice for her, without even seeing or meeting ‘the one’.

The chapters alternate between Jess and Hannah, and it helps really getting to know these characters and their lives. Well written with very recognisable matters about marriage, parenting and communication with each other or the lack of it. All in today’s day and age of apps, social media, and hashtags.

A very enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my ARC. My opinions are mine.

Jess and Hannah are best friends: Jess is married to Tom with twins, Hannah is a free spirit who has just returned from travelling. Jess is a mom, wife and businesswoman, she created Save The Date an app for people looking for the One, however the business is not doing well, so Hannah come with idea of the ultimate blind date to help create a buzz around the app. Jess will choose her date and they will only meet at the altar on their wedding day! Will their marriage work? And will Save The Date be a success?

The storyline is intriguing and that is what made me want to read this book. I thought the book is an enjoyable read, even though the beginning gives away the surprise element, there are a lot of dialogues in the book and sometimes it feels they take away from the narrative instead of adding value and I struggled to follow with who was saying what. Overall a bit disappointing.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting take on the romance genre, perfect for those who love wedding shows. The writing is quite good with some quick quips. The characters are OK but I found it difficult to engage with and relate with which took away some of the draw of this book for me.
A good read.

I received an ARC of this book via Simon & Schuster (U.K.) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Description

Hannah lives life on the edge. Never one to pass up on a new adventure, she has truly been living her best life. But once the adrenaline wears off, she wishes she had someone to spend the quieter moments with too. Learning that her best friend’s online dating business has taken a hit, she comes up with an idea that just might solve both of their problems…

Jess has been with her husband for twenty years. They have a stable marriage, great kids and run their own businesses. But what looks like a perfect life from the outside has its own problems within, and with her business on the brink Jess can’t help but wonder where the spark has gone in her life, and whether settling down is all it’s cracked up to be.

When Hannah embarks upon her latest scheme: finding a man using Jess’s dating app and meeting him for the first time at the altar, both women start to realise the grass isn’t always greener. Can Hannah help her friend save her failing business or will Jess stop her from making what could be the biggest mistake of her life?

In the modern tech-fuelled world of dating, is it possible to find true love?

My Thoughts

Having read – and really liked – Frost’s debut novel, Living my Best Life, I jumped at the chance to review this one as soon I saw it on the “Discover” page of NetGalley. There was still a similar theme of female friendship in her second novel, Married at First Swipe, but there was also a bit of a twist.

As much as I love sitting with a book, baking something or listening to music, one of my favourite modes of escapism – especially during the turbulent year 2020 was and, it appears, this one might be as well – is watching TV. I love pretty much anything, from shows about female assassins to shows about a widowed man in a small town but a show I find particularly entertaining- more so during Lockdown- is Married at First Sight. It’s funny, it’s trashy and it really makes you question: can you fall in love with a stranger you meet at the altar? It turns out Married at First Swipe asks – and answers – this question.

The book focuses on best mates Jess and Hannah. The two women couldn’t be more different – Jess is settled with children whilst Hannah’s focus is on living her best life – but they are united in their desire to save Jess’s struggling business. How will they save the business, I hear you ask? By finding Hannah a man using Jess’s app and proving others can, too, of course!

I’ve mentioned this before plenty of times but I’m a massive fan of a dual narrative. I loved learning more about Jess and Hannah (though, I admittedly found myself drawn to Hannah’s chapters more – possibly because, as a single twenty-something, I identify more with the desire to travel and “find myself” that Hannah has) and seeing how their friendship, and relationships, were tested.

I really liked the fact that Frost writes about two women in business. I don’t feel like that’s something people write about a lot, but I loved the fact that it was Jess at the forefront (and Hannah not far behind) instead of the usual snooty, middle-aged woman or mildly sexist balding man. Although I wouldn’t have the slightest clue, I loved reading about the work the two women put in to the business and the great lengths they go to to save it.

I also liked the family dynamics in this book. We have what everyone thinks is a harmonious setting in Jess, her husband Tom and their two children and Hannah’s dysfunctional, but lovable family. I loved that Frost shows family in its true light, things aren’t always easy or straightforward but love is always there.

My one gripe with this novel was the fact that I felt some things were glossed over. I wished Toby and Hannah’s journey to the altar – and to romance – would’ve been expanded on more. I did like how tender and awkward it was when they did meet, but I just feel as though parts leading up to that could’ve been a bit more detailed.

Regardless, Married at First Swipe is a contemporary romance about family, friendship and a fun way to find “The One”

The full review will be available to read on my blog https://jenrosewrites.blog/

Not for me. Firstly, this book isn’t a romance, it isn’t fun, flirty and has no drama or excitement. I didn’t care for the characters and felt no draw to them at all. Nothing happens and was a waste of time. Thank you for the approval.

Firstly I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read this book prior to release.

For me this book was a ⭐️⭐️, I enjoyed reading it and found it an easy read however thought I was a bit of a slow burner. Following the story of Hannah was relatable to how dating is these days although I would of liked to do known more after she was married as this was the sole focus of the book rather than the slow burning build up to the wedding then not much after.

I wouldn’t really class this book as a romance as there wasn’t really any focus on the romance and it seemed to be forgotten about. I’m not really sure as to why Jess needed so much time as her background and life wasn’t overly relevant to the story. I would definitely like to of known more about Toby and his life prior to marriage.

A fresh, clever story that kept me on tenterhooks all the way through. A brilliant take on modern dating which nurtures hope that there is someone out there for us all!

This is the first book I’ve read by Claire Frost, and I will now be looking to read her debut novel, Living My Best Life, too. I will make a disclaimer here – I have never watched Married at First Sight so I cannot comment on how that would be similar or dissimilar to the story.

I initially expected the book to be mainly about Hannah, the bride to be who has agreed to let her best friend Jess find the perfect match for her, to hopefully find the love her grandparents enjoyed. However, I found that Jess was actually the main character for me, she wanted to look after her best friend Hannah, be a perfect mum, provide financial security to her family but was in danger of losing sight of how important her own marriage was. As someone who has been married for 20+ years, it can be easy to lose sight of what you already have.

A modern relationships story, full of great characters, humour, soul searching and dating apps. I enjoyed my escape from lockdown to spend time with Hannah and Jess, and happily recommend this book to readers.

Loved this! A fun look into the minefield of online dating, it’s benefits and pitfalls. A great compilation of friendships, trust, family relationships and taking chances. You will genuinely laugh out loud.

Overall I did enjoy this book . it was sweet, it was fun. It was nice. Nothing special - just nice.

I liked the premise and idea of this book because I love TV shows like this. I really enjoy married at first sight, and this felt very similar. I also liked Frost's writing style and the way the book was structured, switching between Hannah and Jess's point of view. I didn't feel any sexual chemistry though - which did feel like a let down in a romantic book.
I also felt like something was missing as I was reading, but couldn't quite put my finger on it - from reading another review on Goodreads I was able to figure out what it was. A lot of the action within this book was told retrospectively - after the event had happened - which just felt a little bit strange, and meant that I lost interest.

It was sweet - but not a book that will stay with me.

Would you be brave enough to marry someone without having ever seen or spoken to them first? It is the ultimate in blind dates, and yet that is just what Hannah proposes she do, in part because she is sick of bad dates, and in part as a big publicity stunt to help save the app, her best friend Jess set up.

The story is told from alternating perspectives of both Hannah and Jess, and Jess' story will be familiar to most parents I would think, or at least they would easily be able to relate to her.

I loved the first half the book, the discovering just who Jess will pick for Hannah to marry, the pair getting to know each other through a series of public blog posts written to each other, which I really felt added a lot to the book.

I also loved the ending of the book and how everything was resolved, but the bit between half way and towards the end just didn't quite grip me in the same way. Don't get me wrong it was still good, but I just found myself so frustrated with both of our main ladies, that I was getting a bit infuriated, with their lack of seeing the bigger picture and also lack of communication.

This though is a highly enjoyable second novel from Claire Frost, and the concept was fabulous. I'm not sure I could have done what Hannah did, and I also enjoyed getting to know their friends and families as well as our mystery man.

Plenty to both smile at and also roll your eyes at. Personally I'd have loved far more detail of the honeymoon but that would have just been due to my wanderlust and loving to read about stunning locations! An entertaining story from an author who is clearly going to be force to be reckoned with.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. There wasn't really a story, it just felt like words on a page. The book is written like a script; there was so much dialogue. We were told everything that happened without letting us go along for the ride.
One of the main characters seems a horrible brat and I really didn't like her. Nothing in the book was fleshed out and I didn't care for the characters.
Such a shame as the blurb looked so good.

I found Married at First Swipe to be most enjoyable. Claire Frost is a new author for me, but based on this book I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. This book focuses on Jess and Hannah. Jess owns the Save the Date dating app and her best friend Hannah works for her. When the business starts to struggle, Hannah comes up with the idea of Jess finding her a husband who she won’t meet until their wedding day. It will help the business but also end Hannah’s single days. Jess has been happily married for ten years and has two gorgeous children but is everything rosy in her world? This book takes you on a journey as Jess fights to save her marriage while Hannah wonders if it really can be love at first sight. I found the plot flowed well and at a good pace. I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and the author for the chance to review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Claire Frost and Simon and Schuster UK for the advance review copy of Married at First Swipe.'

I really thought I'd love this book. I am a big fan of the TV series Married at First Sight, and so the concept of two strangers seeing each other for the first time at the end of the alter wasn't alien to me, however, unfortunately, this book didn't quite live up to the romantic expectations I was hoping for.

Hannah loves to travel and has spent much of her life moving from one place to the other. She is finally settled back at home working for her best friend Jess' business = a dating app called Save the Date - but is yet to find a partner to share her life with. All the men she seems to meet are either idiots or already married.

Save the Date has the USP of finding people who are looking for long term relationships and marriage as opposed to simply hooking up. When the bank meeting reveals that the business is in trouble, Hannah comes up with a great way to raise its profile, whilst hopefully finding her the love of her life in the process!

Hannah convinces Jess to find her a husband and agrees to meet him for the first time on her wedding day. The planning starts to go really well, but is Jess starting to live vicariously through the planning of Hannah's wedding? Are the cracks in her own marriage starting to appear?

The concept of Married at First Swipe was great, however for me, the delivery of the storyline was very passive and I felt like I was just watching from a distance rather than being fully invested in what happened next. The pace is very very slow - some things are brushed over very quickly and others are described in huge amounts of (unnecessary) detail and I really struggled with this, at times feeling like not much was happening at all. Towards the end I was hoping for a twist, a bit of unexpected action and sadly nothing came.

It appears from the other reviews that this is a bit of a marmite read as many loved it, but sadly this one wasn't for me.

(This review will be shared on the blog in February 2020)

Hannah and Jess were characters who were so easy to take to heart, they had very different personalities but somehow their friendship was stronger because of those differences. They were a wonderful duo.

Jess’ family life was particularly relatable for me. The difficulties she faced whilst trying to create a balance between being a mother, a wife AND an individual was something that I know many women struggle with, myself included.

Hannah’s idea to boost Jess’ online dating app intrigued me, I wondered how it would actually work and if it would all end in tears. I couldn’t stop reading as the wedding preparations progressed, the whole scenario was fascinating and never stopped surprising me. By the time I got to the big day I was a bundle of nerves as I anticipated a variety of outcomes.

I don’t think I can say any more without giving away what actually happened so I’ll just tell you that I was taken on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and received an insightful education into marriage from multiple perspectives.

Favourite Moments:

* Family interrogations
* STD questions
* A childhood interview

This was a quirky and intriguing read that gave me all the feels.