I’ll never recover from this book!!! The characters came alive on the page, and the writing kept me glued to the story. The trauma, the chaotic romance, the loud villains and quiet heroes… all of it, perfection.

My only “complaint” is that it could’ve been two books. I wanted every possible detail and for the story to never end.

A fresh, intense, riveting take on Helen of Troy!

We Are the Match is a heartfelt, emotional journey that explores the impact of chance and choice on relationships. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the plot weaves through themes of fate, identity, and connection with depth and warmth. A touching story that will resonate deeply with readers.

This sapphic reimagining of Helen of Troy is a thrilling mix of romance, revenge, and mob warfare. Paris, a fixer with a vendetta, and Helen, a crime lord’s daughter seeking freedom, find themselves drawn to each other in a dangerous game not only risking their lives but their hearts as well.

I won't lie, I had a rocky start with this book, but by a quarter of the way through, I was completely enthralled. (I read it in a day). The plot was intriguing, though at some points, I felt there was too little explanation—some details seemed missing. The strong, complex female leads and their journey of self-growth kept me invested, as did their relationship. One of my favorite aspects was the side character, whose bond with Helen warmed my heart. Dark, passionate, and intense, this is a must-read for lovers of sapphic dark romance and mob stories.

Thank you Netgalley, Montlake Publishing and Mary E. Roach for this ARC copy.

I had a rocky start with the book but after all it was an interesting story i enjoyed reading. On the beginning, I did struggle because the writing style was a little bit different from the other books i read and i needed some time to really get into the book. After i settling in, it was ok. I think i only struggled because English is not my first language, so maybe native speakers won't even notice. I also noticed some mistakes in grammar (but maybe i'm wrong). Another thing i didn't liked was one of our FL, who i just found a little bit annoying at the beginning but later on she turned out fine.

I really liked the mafia and Greek mythology theme in this book and that both FMC were strong/badass women. Since i don't wanna spoil anything by accident, i will leave it at that. But i want to point out that it was a great story and everyone who loves (sapphic) mafia romance should give it a try.

Overall i would give the book a 3.5/5. The story was interesting but my struggle at the beginning made it a little bit hard to get into.

Actual rating: 3.75 stars

Every retelling ever should be sapphic. Sapphic stories are so much more interesting because the rules feel a little bit more open ended and it’s such a lacking side of the romance stories that are being put out. Mary E. Roach’s second novel We Are The Match follows a retelling of Helen of Troy, a concept I am not familiar with in any way. If this is an accurate retelling I cannot say, but it is an entertaining one. Quick and easy, intriguing and complex, We Are The Match is many things and has many things that will bring you into its world.

There are a few issues I had with the world itself. It’s a modern retelling, so I did expect modern elements in it. I wasn’t expecting it to take so much from the original world of Helen of Troy, and ultimately the blend of these two completely different worlds didn’t work out how Roach would have liked it to. If it had leaned toward one side and stayed there, then maybe my rating would have bumped up to a mid-4 something, but I could not get behind the world at all. It must have been intention because of the amount of time I noticed it happen, but there is a repetition to so many phrases that almost takes you out of the novel. I am guilty of this in my own writing too, but many words or phrases were repeated throughout that it almost felt there wasn’t a point to what was supposed to be highlighted with the repetition. With such a short novel, I would have liked to see those words go toward world building instead.

My enjoyment of We Are The Match comes more from the relationship between Paris and Helen rather than the writing or story itself. It is so refreshing to see a romance novel of this topic that focuses on sapphic women rather than men or a straight couple, lesbians rarely get a dark gay tale like this for them. I’m also a huge lover of toxic yuri, to which Paris and Helen serve greatly on that front. They are destined to hate each other, they have to, but against all odds they don’t, and that is exactly what I love from lesbian relationships in media. Women need to be unhinged and unhealthy but still perfect for each other. For me. If anything should be taken away from We Are The Match, it’s that lesbians rule the world and everything should be sapphic. I rest my case.

Two women in love and in danger. A Helen of Troy retelling with a mafia twist.

Revenge, fury, love, betrayal, sadness- This story had it all. Paris wanted to take back what was stolen from her. Helen wanted to escape the violent world that she was raised in. Two women, one set for revenge, the other for freedom. But it still all came down to love.

This story had me reeled all the way in. The relationship between Paris and Helen started off as pawns in their own game. I truly did enjoy the mafia aspect of this story, along with two badass FMCs. There was one side character that I truly adored and I hope that everyone else feels that way when they read this book. He is just the most caring person in this book, and honestly he left his mark on me.

*Thank you Netgalley, Mary E. Roach, and Montlake Publishing for this ARC of 'We Are The Match'*
*Instagram Review will be posted on 3/14/25*

Mafia romances are a new genre for me, so mixing it with a Trojan War retelling was a perfect introduction. Roach's prose is dreamy and imprecise- perfect for heroines disguising their motives. I was a little disappointed with the ending but the journey was a delight. I would love to see it as a miniseries as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the ARC of “We Are The Match”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this book I just wanted to read something by this author 😅 but I was pleasantly surprised! It has two badass main female characters, love, revenge, betrayal, and a lot of sadness but it is really well written and a beautiful love story. I highly recommend this book!

I’m really loving the queer mythology retellings, and this one gets bonus points for being a dark romance. Great reinvention of the original story and I loved the characterization of both Helen and Paris.

This was a gritty and powerful retelling of the Helen of Troy myth. The author's emotive writing really sucked me into the story; it was compelling and dramatic. I loved Paris and Helen's chemistry and lived for every scene they were in together. I most definitely will seek out more sapphic mafia stories!

oh, this was very interesting! i immediately jumped to request this when i saw this was a sapphic mafia romance, but this was better than i'd ever dreamed it'd be. the chemistry between helen and paris was electrifying and intense, and i loved seeing their love bloom to life in front of me. also: the drama! the suspense! the chaos! it kept me reading way past midnight. i had a few qualms with it - like the occasional word missing, a few grammatical errors - but they didn't particularly detract from my enjoyment.

such an awesome read.

Finally, a good LGBTQ mafia dark romance.

It mixes Greek mythology, politics, and mafia all in one (whats not to love!). The book is a dark romance with 2 female leads which isnt done enough in the romance genre. It's different from the 19yr old girl and 1000yr old 6ft + dark hair Tattooed man and honestly refreshing. I also love that both FMC are strong and can fight for themselves but choose to fight with/for eachother. It's enemies to lovers (which let's face it, is the best troop) and well written. I found a few grammatical errors and a sentence that didn't make sense and felt it was missing a word but that can be looked past because of the great story. It's a short book that jumps straight into the action with minimal world building at the start which I also love. It kept me interested and intrigued from the very first page to the last.
The cover is also beautiful.

I finish this book earlier this week and I have not stopped thinking about it since. Paris and Helen are both women that I came to care about very quickly. The book itself was beautifully written and felt poetic in places. The author set the scene really well and you were really rooting for both characters, despite them initially being on 'different' sides. Tommy was a fantastic side character, who I also really loved. This book had me feeling a range of emotions and tears were definitely shed. I cannot wait to order the paperback when this is out, I definitely recommend this book.

The prose in this absolutely whips. This is a sapphic Helen of Troy retelling and I love that we're getting more queer books in the Romantasy genre. Was the plot completely airtight? No, but the writing was so good and the characters were so realized that I didn't care--and isn't that what Romantasy is for? The vibes? It's dark, luscious, and brimming with anger.

I love a sapphic greek mythology retelling. This was more modern, and a little bit toxic. It felt like a fast read with a satisfying ending

I wanted to love this book. I loved Mary’s debut but I felt a real disconnect from the characters and I wish we dove deeper into the world as a retelling. I DNF’d about 30%, of this book hopefully would be a better fit for me as a reader

This was quite the interesting little story. A new take on the legends of Helen of Troy with a bit of modernity mixed in. I wish they dove deeper into the legends, but it was a fun idea to run with. There were certain character jumps that had me a bit confused, but it was easy to catch back up. The story was interesting and kept me turning the pages to find out what unfurls next. This author provided just the right amount of love, tragedy, and hope all in one.

Paris and Helen have always been doomed and I loved them anyway. So when I saw this was sapphic Paris and Helen? I was immediately onboard. It was different than I expected, more teeth than I expected it to have, Paris and Helen's bond was all consuming, a little toxic and violent and that's exactly what I wanted. This is a different sort of Troy but I loved it all the same.

Mary E. Roach's upcoming novel, We Are the Match, offers a fresh and thrilling reimagining of the Helen of Troy myth, set against the backdrop of modern-day Greece's criminal underworld. Scheduled for release on July 29, 2025, this sapphic romance intertwines themes of power, revenge, and unexpected love.

The story introduces us to Paris, a determined woman on a mission to dismantle the empire of a formidable crime lord. Her target is Helen, the crime lord's enigmatic daughter. Initially, I found myself immediately drawn to Paris's resolve and grit, while Helen's privileged and seemingly complicit demeanor was off-putting. However, as the narrative unfolded, Roach masterfully peeled back the layers of Helen's character, revealing her vulnerabilities and desires. The chemistry between Paris and Helen evolved organically, transforming from mutual animosity to a profound and electrifying connection.

Roach's portrayal of their relationship is both intense and authentic, capturing the complexities of forbidden love amidst chaos. The high-stakes environment of mobster Greece serves as a compelling backdrop, amplifying the tension and passion between the protagonists.

We Are the Match is a testament to Roach's ability to craft multifaceted characters and immersive narratives. It's a must-read for those seeking a blend of romance, intrigue, and reimagined mythology.

A cute, but badly executed premise.

Genuinely felt interested in the story when I read the blurb, but I quickly realised that it wasn’t going to be great. With books you can usually grasp from the first chapter what the writing style of the author is and in turn, the quality of the book.

When you write a ‘revenge’ story, the worst way to go about it is telling the reader EVERYTHING there is to know in the first chapter, which is what happened here. We immediately know why and writing it like this makes readers not give a shit.. excuse my language!

Second is that we get thrown in the mafia world and then have to believe that these people are so dangerous you can’t even speak out of line… why does the main character get to have an attitude? It makes no sense, also how dumb do you have to be to act like this when you want to take murderous revenge on your family’s killers?

The classic, kill the one he cares most about, would work if we get to see a very intelligent main character who has this grandiose plan, now it just fell super flat.

I wish the author and publisher my best, but this wasn’t for me.