The Matchmaker's Playbook (Wingmen Inc. 1)

Warning: This review/rating is based on my feelings, thoughts, likes and dislikes. You should read the book to form your own opinion/thoughts. Read on! Rating: 10 Flip Flops Stars Cover: Love it... Cliffhanger: It does give the impression we are going to see this couple in the next book. Which i can't wait! "The tea? Cinnamon. The coffee shop? Secluded. Dark. Inviting. The girl? Late." Ian Hunter, chiseled, caramel-blond hair that somehow managed to look wavy and thick all the time, one dimple on the right side of the cheek, sexy crooked smile, rugged bada$$-looking scar near his chin, smoldering hazel eyes, conceited s.o.b. who is not afraid to let everyone know he is one smoking hot dude. The founder of Wingman, Inc. "Really, it just gets better the farther south your eyes go— trust me." He is funny, honest, and has a way with words that pulls you in and you never want to get out, evah! He is a man so he knows how the male variety of the human species think and he uses that knowledge to help girls get their dream guy. He guides, and works with the girls in every aspect, looks, speech, behavior, confidence. "We were going to have to work on that squeak. It was endearing . . . like a fat puppy that couldn’t walk." I loved this book and in a way i started using it as a guide! I mean, i am on the market after more than 10 years and i just have no idea how to do the dating game again and i am taking these advises as my guide. Even if they are not completely true, they sound like it to me... "Give him your phone number, but don’t answer the first text. Answer the third. Always the third.” Enter Blake, shy, reserved, grieving, no-nonsense, beautiful, small town girl who needs help in getting the guy of her dreams (the reason she transferred colleges). She hires wingman services. They are funny, their chemistry is off the charts and the way they fall for each other is endearing and romantic and i want an Ian for myself. “B00bs are gross!” Said no man ever. Even the gay ones." “You were a mess when I got here. Lex said you were making the final transition into a werewolf and not to freak if you lashed out and bit me. I hope he was kidding, because you look rough.” “Dumbo?” Blake laughed. “You saw Dumbo?” “I was always terrified of big ears when I was little.” Blake blossoms under Ian's guidance and after consideration, she realizes that her dream isn't the best dream as she hoped. Lines are blurred, rules are broken, emotions are overloaded, and hearts are getting busy falling in love. And the best thing? We get to see Lex and Gabi's story! I can't wait to see how they are going to kill each other, all the ways they are gonna come up with. That is going to be one funny and entertaining book. Overall, amazing writing, great characters and just fracking awesome! Read it!

Ian Hunter runs Wingman, Inc., with his best friend/sidekick Lex. The men take on women as clients who are looking to make the man of their dreams notice them. Lex has a whole set of tests and data that show whether the match will be successful or not and Ian’s job is to teach the woman the steps to land her man. Ian is unapologetic when it comes to his own love life -- he isn’t interested in a relationship. He’s cocky, focused, intense, and knows his own limits. Keeping things strictly professional has never been a problem. Until Blake. When Blake moves in with his other best friend Gabi, Ian is at first outraged by her lack of confidence and style. He isn’t sure what she is hiding under her baggy clothes and ugly flip flops, but he is intrigued, until he learns she is his next client. But as he begins working with her to catch her longtime friend, David, he finds himself feeling the jealousy he usually stirs up in his clients’ targets, and that’s something he’s never had to deal with before. Once again, Rachel has proven she can write humor perfectly. This may be my favorite of her more humorous romances simply because it was well paced and didn’t try too hard to be funny. I found myself laughing at Ian’s decisions, the women he coached, and the situations he finds himself as a result of his lessons. As he continues his lessons with Blake, I can only say the entertainment value went even higher. The leads were cast perfectly. Ian is the head strong, confident man who knows what he wants in life -- to make those around him happy. While a relationship may not be in his future, he knows most people want that connection and his focus is making it possible for women to reach for a man rather than settle. Though it sounds a bit on the chauvinistic, machismo side of things, listening to him talk about what he does made it the perfect fit for him. Blake is a focused athlete, raised by a single father. She has never cared enough to make anyone notice her and now that she wants David to notice her is willing to change things to open his eyes. It was fun watching her confidence level soar as she makes a few simple changes. And it is that rising confidence that really catches Ian’s attention. These two prance around real feelings for each other for a while. There was nothing speedy about their relationship, especially since they begin with a professional relationship. It is a non-traditional professional relationship though, because how often does one really have the opportunity to kiss one’s business contacts? But I loved watching Ian struggle with his feelings as they developed, as he fought to keep things professional and honor the contract he had with her. This story is told solely from Ian’s point of view, but there is plenty of background on both characters to make this a fun story. With the added benefit of watching Ian’s best friends fight each other tooth and nail on everything, this was one of those reads that kept me smiling and connected from start to finish. I can’t wait for Lex’s story, as there is some fire between him and Gabi that points to a history they have kept from Ian.

“In our world? Every woman is beautiful. Every woman has a purpose. Every woman has one guy she’s been after, one unobtainable piece of man art. Just think of the two of us as the brokers. You’re welcome, world.” RACHEL VAN DYKEN!!!!!! OMG...I AM IN LOVE!!!! Can you hear me fangirling over here from San Francisco? Yes, that’s right you wrote the perfect playbook!!! You have masterfully crafted a story that was absolutely fun, sexy, sweet and hilarious!!!! And did I forget to mention, I had a big fat smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book. The Matchmaker’s Playbook was outrageously fun, witty, and playful. This book is one of those reads that you will be devouring in one sitting. Trust me, you will fall madly in love with Ian and his buddy, Lex as they are your personal matchmakers. Ian Hunter runs Wingmen Inc, a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service. Ian with the help of his wingman, Lex runs a service that helps shy and insecure women win the hearts of their crushes. So if there is a guy that catches your eye and you are vying to get their attention...enter Ian and Lex. With their playbook of rules, they have a great track record of matchmaking. And as added bonus, these two playboys has no problem following their playbook of rules that is until Ian meets Blake Olsen. “That’s what Wingmen Inc. is about. What if you could study a playbook for dating? We have rules for every type of relationship scenario, and our process works . Basically, we created a dating version of Minority Report.” Blake is madly in love and infatuated with her childhood friend. She even moved just to attend the same college as her crush but it seems her crush is not taking notice of her so Blake decides to use Wingmen Inc. When Ian takes on Blake as his client, he never thought he could want this girl for just himself. Blake was different. She was fun, sexy and witty but just need to get pushed in the right direction to build her confidence when talking to her crush. As Ian transform Blake’s style, he begins to see her in a whole new light. He wants her. Will Ian be able to help Blake get her crush when he wants her for himself? Will Ian be striking out or will he find himself making one final play to get the girl? The Matchmaker’s Playbook was utterly addicting!!!! This book had it all from banter, humor, charm, steam, and romance. I loved that RVD wrote this book in Ian’s POV. It allowed readers to get a fun insight on the inner workings of what he goes through when it comes to his dating services and Blake. So if you are looking for a book where an author wrote a perfect blend of humor, sass, romance, and charm then I urge you to read this book. Maybe some rules are meant to be broken, when it comes to love. ~Michelle of Four Chicks Flipping Pages

OK so here goes... I love Rachel Van Dyken's books. She is one of my favorite authors, I anticipate her books release from the moment she announces she has a new one coming out. Every book makes me laugh and sometimes cry. But I love her sense of humor and reread her books over and over again. Which perhaps is why I am sorta disappointed in this one so much. Usually with her books I really connect with the character's, root for them and feel for them in her stories. Because she writes about imperfect heroines that we all can identify with in some way, shape or form. Blake the heroine in this book is sort of a tomboy and just wants to be noticed as more than one of the guys or a buddy. Blake's nice, sweet, funny and honestly is just a good person. With her is not were my problem lies, it's with Ian. I know from all the other reviews that I'm in the minority with my opinion and what actually will probably not bother anyone else what so ever actually bothered me quit a bit. But in all of Rachel's book's in the past to my recollection she hasn't actually wrote about the male lead having sex with other women. Yes, she's alluded to them having slept around but I've never had to read a scene in her books where there's is an actual scene with them engaging in sexual activity with other women or they were labeled a manwhore. In this book there are two specific scenes which are what caused me such grief and bothered me. In the first Ian gets a blowjob from a cashier and shows up to a gathering "smelling of skank". Also theres another scene in which he sleeps with a girl and it goes in to how they rip clothes off each other and talk of how the headboard nearly took out the wall followed by how his sweaty body collapsed on top of hers. I know this is nothing compared to some of the more explicit books out there today. Call me crazy but I don't want to read about my male lead banging other women or getting blow jobs from random women. I think this is what caused me from really connecting with him and Blake or feeling any real connection to their characters. I love Rachel's writing style and sense of humor and will still buy her books and get excited when she announces a new one coming out. This disappointment in this has more to do with my personal taste in books more than anything to do with this book. Other than my problem with Ian and the other women, I must say this book is funny, well written and would still say its worth the read.

Sexy, Hilarious, and characters you can't help but love! The Matchmaker's Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken is a fast paced story told only in the male POV! We meet Ian, ex-NFLer, who is in business with his best friend helping the hopeless find love. He has his rules and they have worked for so long he doesn't remember a time his rules didn't' work. He keeps his business away from his pleasure, until everything changes with Blake becomes one of his clients. Blake is a sweet, sweet girl, who transferred schools to get her long time friend to finally notice her more than just a buddy. When she enlists the help of Wingmen, Inc. she never expected it to be her roommates cocky best friend who was going to help her get what she wanted. Blake and Ian don't have the best starts when they first meet. We get to see the cocky and sure of himself Ian while Blake is clearly uncomfortable. It was hilarious and cringe worthy all at the same time. Slowly though, these two start to get along, and you could feel the attraction and chemistry between these two steaming off of your Kindle! I loved how Ian kept trying to tell himself he was just helping her, but then when he would think of her with someone other than him, he would go crazy. He has a hard time admitting what he wants, but once he does, it's all he cares about. Ian goes above and beyond to help the girl of his dreams, get the guy of her dreams, but everything changes and the two of them are just a foregone conclusion, until things get difficult yet again. The banter between Ian and Blake is hilarious and had me laughing out loud multiple times throughout this book. Not only do we get Ian and Blake, but also Ian's best friend's Lex and Gabi, who have a serious hate-hate relationship with one another. Gabi steals the scenes in this book when she's around, because she's ruthless, hilarious, and cares about her friends. We all need a Gabi in our life! Lex, I'm still trying to figure him out, I really liked him through the book, but after the epilogue and getting inside his head a bit, I'm not so sure how I feel about Ian's sidekick. I needed a happy and uplifting book and The Matchmaker's Playbook was just what I needed. I fell hard for all of the characters in this book and am counting down the days till Lex's book is released. If you're looking for a great book to pick up this weekend, I highly suggest The Matchmaker's Playbook, it's sweet, sexy and full of laughs!

The Best Parts: Wow. I have never read a romance novels with JUST a male POV. Like I have done alternate, but ver not knowing what the girl was thinking and might I say that this book nailed it perfectly. You feel it all, even things you didn't know you could feel. Like I knew girls were bad because I am one, but this. Oh boy, i feel so sorry! Is this what goes through your heads?! Like I'm sorry for all of our crazy antics! Besides it being totally awesome from a male perspective the story itself was phenomenal. I couldn't stop laughing or sighing when it came to Blake and Ian's story. Those damn flip-flops will forever be in my head because guess what, I have a pair in my closet! Thanks Ian for making me feel like s*** and totally adorable at the same time. I also found that Ian's relationships with Gabi and Lex were ones we never get to see with girl POVs. Girls have their own way of doing friendships, but guys they have something special. Gabby is like a sister to him and to see that kind of love is so different and same with Lex witch is Ian's other half. their relationship is complex and not typical and they fight and love and would probably kill for each other. It was so intriguing to read and then you had Blake come into the mix and the amount of feelings that can come from one man is so astounding. Look at me talking like he is a real person, but then again how well this story is written how could you not hope for an Ian Hunter out there in the world. The Worst Parts: One part. You will know when you get to it because I literally screamed in my break room at work and then almost threw my phone on the tile floor and then pulled at my hair and hyperventilated and then had to have co-workers bring me down from my craziness. So yea, nothing bad, but all the feels <3 Final Thoughts: Like holy crap, who said this book could be written? Who said that I was allowed to love characters so much! I have read a lot of Rachel's other novels and this one is by far my favorite! I will have favorite characters from other stories but as far as favorite book by her, this is it. This pushed the limits of Rachel's other works and then surpassed them. I can't wait for the second one because while I like Ian, I LOVE Lex <3

Ian Hunter is in the business of making girls happy. At first blush that might make him sound like a bit of a player, and he is, but that's not the business. For him that's play. Business is about helping girls, girls that need that little bit of help, find their happily ever after. Together with his best friend Lex, he provides a matchmaking service like no other, helping girls snag the man of their dreams, helping them understand, and be, the kind of girl that can both catch the attentions of the object of their desires, and keep it. At heart, he's a good guy, and doesn't want any girl to 'settle', at least not when it means settling for less than something that will bring her true happiness, which is also partly why he's the player I mentioned earlier. As much as he's rather full of himself, he doesn't see himself as the kind of person who could make any girl truly happy. Ian's newest client, Blake, has her heart set on David (not me, another David) and she needs help to get his attention. A LOT of help, but as Ian sets about doing his thing, he starts to realize that underneath, there's an awful lot to work with, and maybe, after helping all these girls get the man of their dreams he doesn't want Blake to get the man of hers. Of course that would be breaking the rules. Unusually for a romance novel, The Matchmaker's Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken is told exclusively from the Hero's POV, and is absolutely hilarious, right from the first page. The chemistry between Ian and Blake is off the charts, and the love/hate relationship going on in the background between Lex and Gabi (Ian's other best friend and Blake's new roommate) is fascinating. For the first time ever, as Ian helps yet another client realize her own worth and overcome her doubts and fears, (which is about 90% of what the job entails) he struggles with his own. On top of that he struggles with the concepts of right and wrong, since what his heart is telling him goes firmly against what his head is. Set amidst the hustle and bustle of college life, this insightful romcom will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride, full of highs and lows, but, if you're anything like me, it'll keep you smiling, or laughing, all of the way through. Except for the parts where you wont be smiling or laughing. Taken as a package deal though, this book was just amazing (and did I mention fun?) and I simply devoured it in one sitting. Loved it.

This was a cute story. I liked the matchmaker storyline. Ian and Lex are making a killing with their matchmaking business. Ian is the typical cocky manwhore who meets the right woman and breaks all his rules. Blake is the shy girl pining for her childhood best friend, who decides she needs the matchmakers to help. This book is cute, funny and sexy. The four main charters are great!

quand l'inspiration manque quand on déteste les hommes quand on n'a pas beaucoup d'amour pour les femmes non plus il vaut mieux ce taire

This was my Saturday read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love Rachel's characters and their witty comebacks and hilarious internal dialogues. Rachel must have done a lot of research on this one because the Ian Hunter's playbook and rules always made sense. The outcomes are the most likely that would happen with the scenarios taking place. No wonder Wingmen, Inc had such a high success rate. These 2 guys were just geniuses. Alas, in the end, the player is the one being played. I love it when tables are turned and the player gets a taste of his own medicine. I can't wait to read the next one about Gabi and Lex.

I'm a big RVD fan and I was looking forward to reading this. I wasn't disappointed. This story is told entirely from the male lead, Ian's, PoV. I was slightly apprehensive of this as previous books I've read in just a male PoV have been a bit hit and miss. I shouldn't have worried as this was really well done. Ian is hilarious. A former NFL recruit who had to abandon his original plans due to injury, he seriously thinks he's God's gift to women, to the extent that he and his friend Lex start up a super secret dating agency (Wingmen Inc) to help clueless girls land their crush. Ian is full of cockiness and starts off as a bit of tool. Things begin to change for him when he encounters the new client Blake. He finds himself drawn to her and fights against breaking the rules to never get involved with clients. This is a hilarious and romantic ride. I love Ian's reactions to situations and how even though he calls himself an expert, when it comes down to the crux of it he's still just as clueless as the rest of us. Blake is awesome. She's cool but inept and doesn't really realise her full worth. Her and Ian's banter is brilliant. The supporting characters were great and I look forward to reading more about Lex in the future. This was a fun, romantic read and I loved every minute. I would definitely recommend.

perfect mix of fun and heartbreak loved both the ebook and the audio version can't wait for book #2 ❤️

This book was a glory, cover to cover. I couldn’t let go and finished reading it in one session!!