4 Wine Glass #Review of The Matchmaker's Replacement by Rachel Van Dyken

Title: The Matchmaker's Replacement
Series: Wingmen Inc. #2
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Format: Kindle/Paperback, 304 pages
Published: August 9th 2016 by Skyscape
ISBN: 1503936279
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Source: Publicist/NetGalley
Reviewer: Crystal
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them.

Lex hates Gabi. Gabi hates Lex. But, hey, at least the hate is mutual, right? All Lex has to do is survive the next few weeks training Gabi in all the ways of Wingmen Inc. and then he can be done with her. But now that they have to work together, the sexual tension and fighting is off the charts. He isn’t sure if he wants to strangle her or throw her against the nearest sturdy table and have his way with her.

But Gabi has a secret, something she’s keeping from not just her best friend but her nemesis too. Lines are blurred as Lex becomes less the villain she’s always painted him to be…and starts turning into something more. Gabi has always hated the way she’s been just a little bit attracted to him—no computer-science major should have that nice of a body or look that good in glasses—but “Lex Luthor” is an evil womanizer. He’s dangerous. Gabi should stay far, far away.

Then again, she’s always wanted a little danger.

Crystal's Thoughts:
The Matchmaker's Replacement was a fun, witty, and poignant continuation in Rachel Van Dyken's Wingmen Inc. series, and I am very much looking forward to more!

Lex and Gabi are always at each other's throats, despite their mutual best-friendship with Ian.  They must endure one another for a few weeks though so that Lex can train Gabi as a Wing(wo)man. If it wasn't for the ludicrous salary and her love of Ian, Gabi would have thrown a drink in Lex's face during their first training session. However, she desperately needs the money and Lex knows just how to rile Gabi up enough to keep her going. Tension is tight, and tempers are short. But you know what they say; there is a fine line between love and hate...

Incredibly enough, especially since I wasn't feeling Gabi and Lex all that much in book one, I loved The Matchmaker's Replacement even more then then The Matchmaker's Playbook! The character development in this story intrigued me the most. Yes, we had a very thorough introduction to Lex and Gabi in the first book, but there are so many more layers to both of these characters! This story is told in alternating view points, so we get an in-depth view of both Lex and Gabi. I wasn't sure how to feel about Lex at the beginning. He was coarse, callous, and just down-right mean to Gabi. That's not to say that she didn't give as good as she got, but you could tell right away that Lex's shots hurt. When Lex realizes how his words affect Gabi though, a shift occurs and let me just warn you right now, you are going to melt! Little by little, page by page, their history and past encounters are revealed. Questions that I know each reader will have are answered bit by bit. But there are still some secrets to be had....and not from the character you would most suspect.

All in all; The Matchmaker's Replacement was a fantastic read, just what I have come to expect from this talented author. The plot together flowed well, moved at a nice clip, and the world of Wingmen Inc. continued to build. I'm really interested to see were Ms. Van Dyken takes this series next. And I would be remiss as a reviewer if I didn't mention the rainbow of emotions that I went through while reading Lex and Gabi's story. I experienced all the feels while reading and the ending left me with a great, big, happy smile. ☺

Suggested Reading Order:
The Matchmaker's Playbook (Wingmen Inc., #1)

The Matchmaker's Replacement (Wingmen Inc., #2)