Imperfect Match

By: Jordan Castillo Price

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

A man whose future is assigned. A heart that yearns to be free.

There’s a reason why Lee Kennedy is still in college - and it has nothing to do with his academic performance. He’s switched his major repeatedly and stalled on his Master’s thesis, but there’s only so much longer he can hold out. And once he graduates, it’s time to trigger the Algorithm.

Everyone in Lee’s family has allowed the Algorithm to match them with a spouse. As has everyone on his block. His neighborhood. In fact, everyone he’s ever known. Pairing with his own Algorithm match seems inevitable...until, at his sister’s wedding, he meets Roman.

The waiter lives in the Taxable District, a neighborhood that’s only a brief train ride away, but feels like another world. The seedy District is governed by different standards - different expectations - so it’s not exactly a surprise that Roman isn’t married. But it’s definitely a shock to taste his lips.

One forbidden encounter leaves Lee questioning everything. He longs for the freedom to choose not only his own partner, but his own destiny. When defying the Algorithm will cost Lee his livelihood, his family and his home, is he strong enough to take another path?

This coming-of-age story will appeal to listeners who enjoy character-driven science fiction. It’s a complete standalone novella.

©2018 Jordan Castillo Price (P)2018 Jordan Castillo Price

The boomers and the tax rats

Another excellent story from JCP. This world is similar to ours but the classes are segregated. This story focuses on the middle class and lower class. The middle class, or boomers, tend to be rude, arrogant and snobbish. The lower class, or tax rats, have less couth and have learned to get what they want primarily through bartering and scavenging. Of course, the stereotypes come through, but Roman and Lee (and Lee's family) don't quite fit the molds. Marriages are determined by an algorithm which matches couples - hetero couples - by DNA comparison. How cool is that? Well, not the hetero couple matching and I wouldn't want to live there or anything, but the imagination to create such a place just boggles my mind. There is, of course, more to it. Lee and Roman make a pretty good couple. I think Lee bends a lot more than Roman does but in a good way. As you would expect from JCP, the writing and pacing are tight and the dialogue is interesting and fitting.

John Leslie does a stellar job with the narration. HIs accents and tone work great with the characters and story.

Highly Enjoyable, Great Performance by Leslie

Jordan Castillo Price always finds a way to put a unique spin on dystopian society, and her Imperfect Match is a clever take on predestined mates. There’s wonderful world building in this one, which is no surprise to fans of Price’s other wonderful novels. Imperfect Match stands alone, and makes a fantastic audiobook.

The audio edition is narrated by Joel Leslie, who makes full use of his extensive range of voices. There's a diverse group of characters in Imperfect Match which varies between the highly educated folks of the Benefit Sector and the low income residents of the Taxable District. I enjoyed the snark he infuses in the discourse between the two groups. It made for some terrific scenes, and Mr. Leslie makes the most of Price’s quick-witted dialogue.

There’s a fair bit of tongue in cheek humor centering around the main character, Lee, and his excessive reluctance to committing to a loveless marriage. I enjoyed watching him step outside his cloistered world and find a way out of his predestined future. It takes some real courage, but Lee seizes control of his life and works hard to find his happily-ever-after.

Beautifully written, with interesting characters, and some fantastic love scenes, Jordan Castillo Price’s Imperfect Match is a winner!


an audiobook copy of Imperfect Match was provided to me by the author for the purpose of my review

I loved it

A single kiss can change your future forever…
Lee Kennedy has never stopped to question his reluctance to finish his studies and start a family. Pampered and protected, he’s never wondered how the Tax Rats, the people outside the privileged “boomer” district, live. Sharing a forgiven kiss with Roman Sharp, tax rat and waiter at his sister’s wedding, makes him realise there are deep roots to his reluctance to trigger an algorithm and follow the path he is supposed to. But following his heart may risk his family, his career and his future for good. Is it worth it?
I must recognise I’ve been completely enthralled by this story. In a dystopian society where your status determines your future, Lee goes through a journey to self discovery and acceptance. We find out the particularities of this society at the same time Lee does, although there are things which are only hinted at, not fully explained, that kept me very intrigued (like what happened in the past that led to this new concept of society). The main focus of the book is not the romantic relationship between Roman and Lee, which is really slow burn but plenty satisfactory at the end, it is Lee’s struggle to accept himself and to decide what role he wants to play in his own life. One of the things I liked the most about this story is the fact that there is no judgement, whatever path you decide to take, there is joy at the end. There is a HEA for Lee and Roman, but there is also a HEA for Emma and Howard.
Joel Leslie’s narration was, as always, extraordinary. The anguish of Lee’s situation, his heartbreak, his fear, all those emotions transpire all long the story. The change of pitch and intonation between the posh boomers and the tax rats is also remarkable. It’s been a pleasure to listen to him bringing these characters to life with his performance
I loved it.

My life, my choice, my match

So ... I’m a proud and out geek. 😂 And it’s no wonder that I have always found the future equally fascinating and terrifying. With the rate we are advancing in 21st century, I can’t imagine how advanced we will be in 50 years. And I’m so grateful that Jordan Castillo Price has helped me along with this fascinating and entrancing sci-fi tale. A future when people will be matched with each other by an Algorithm? 😱 Sign me up for this baby! 😁


Lee is a rebel for the lack of a better word. 😁 He’s almost 30 and still in school and unmarried. And that is, well, simply unheard of for a Boomer. Lee can’t come to terms with an idea that the person Algorithm chooses for is his perfect match. And then he met Roman. Roman from taxable district who is wild, free and tempting as F. Roman is everything that Lee isn’t and he longs to taste those lips for just once. But escaping the Algorithm is easier said than done. And it’s even more difficult to follow your heart rather than listening to your brain. Lee has to be braver than ever if he wants a happily ever after with his perfectly imperfect match, Roman. 😌


I truly think Jordan Castillo Price writes one of the best sci-fi books out there mainstream or gay. The ideas are just refreshing and enthralling. I love Lee simply because he’s the blacksheep of the Boomer society. He doesn’t blindly follow rules just because he was told to since he was born. He questions, he finds out the truth for him and he doesn’t let anyone and anything dictates his life. I believe he and the Algorithm truly reflects our current society. It’s always good to have people who rebel just a bit. 😉 This is a slow burn, soul-searching romance that is a bit heavier on self-discovery and sci-fi aspect. And I loved how Lee evolved from a shy little caterpillar to a full-grown out and proud college professor who’s in love with Roman. ❤️ As always, Joel Leslie did an excellent job narrating this story and I was entranced from the very beginning. I recommend this audio to all the nerds and geeks out there who’s still looking for their perfect or imperfect matches. 😉 Loved it! 😘


4.5 my life, my choice, my match stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫




Audio rating

Story - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration - 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance- 4.25 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Overall- 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Joel Leslie is a PERFECT MATCH for JCP!!!

This is my second go at this story—the first being an ebook—and Joel Leslie’s narration made the dystopian world JUMP cristal clear into my brain!

Where before I found the world building a bit weak and reliant on our own notions of what a super-controlling and divided dystopian world might look like; here I saw it all with the help of Joel Leslie.

And I’m not discrediting JCP’s writing because it ROCKED! In fact, I’d love to have more stories staged in this world.

ARE YOU LISTENING JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE?? More books in this world!!!


Original ebook review:
What a great, sci-fi novella from the always fabulous JCP! This was so much fun to read and slowly pick up on the interesting world-building she created for us in this futuristic, dystopianesque romance!

It’s a classic divide of the haves and the have-nots. Yet it’s the have-nots who have freedom; the haves live a life dictated by the almighty Algorithm. Although JCP doesn’t truly flesh world out, she relies on reader’s pre-conceived ideas of what living in a completely predetermined society would look like. I’ll give her a pass on this one....but I would have liked more detail in this and of both our MC’s families, since they came from the opposite sides of the tracks, so to speak.

Still, JCP showed us the two worlds rather than telling us about them—something which kept the pacing of the story clipping along.

This work proved fun and light despite the dystopian type setting. We got some heat between our MCs and got to see our Boomer (the haves) lose his V-card quite happily.....although it felt somewhat rushed.

Still, JCP is one of my favorite authors in MM romance and I’ll happily read anything she writes!

Enjoy....I sure did!