Perfect Match Finale

Last winter, we kicked off 2018 with Perfect Match, the first of several all-new books! Now, with 2018 ending, the series is coming to a close. We hope you enjoyed the twists and turns of Perfect Match. To wrap things up, here's a look back on the series with the writing team behind Book 2 (spoilers ahead!)...

First things first. How do you feel, now that Perfect Match is over?

Coco: It feels like the end of an era! We first started brainstorming and working on Perfect Match so long ago. Since then, the team has grown and evolved, and it's been exciting to add new faces to our squad, not unlike the Perfect Match cast in the story! While nostalgic, new beginnings are also exciting. We hope you enjoy the finale and seeing how the characters have grown over the course of their adventures!

Taylor: I’m really sad because I’m going to miss not only the characters, but also working with the entire team on this particular book. But I think we gave the gang the endings they deserved in this finale — now they can finally relax, and be safe, happy, and silly with each other for the rest of their lives. I feel good about where we’re leaving them, even if I'm sad to do so.

Some of the biggest twists in Perfect Match were planned from day one. Others, I imagine, were discovered along the way. Way back when you were first planning where the series would go and how it would end, did you expect Perfect Match to end up where it did?

Coco: We knew Hayden’s twist since long before we started Book 1, but didn’t know until later that our unsuspecting crew from Brooklyn would be saving world leaders! They’ve come a long way. (Be careful what adventures you sign up for when you swipe on dating apps!) We also knew the general path of Eros and the Matches, but had to do more complex world-building when it came down to writing those chapters. It's been an adventure!

What was your favorite part of writing Perfect Match? Favorite scene?

Taylor: My favorite part was seeing reader reactions! Seeing everyone’s thoughts and theories every week was so exciting for me, and it made me feel really connected to the Choices community online. I think my favorite scene to write was Damien’s family scene!

Natasha: As a fellow Indonesian rebel, getting to introduce Miss Alana Kusuma to the Choices-verse means a lot to me. She's the epitome of someone "shattering the glass ceiling," and I'm glad she was warmly received. The hardest scene to write, which turned out to be my favorite, is definitely Hayden's Dolores Park scene. Hopefully, we made up for the heavy conversations with a kiss in the rain!

Jaylee: Getting to write polyamorous relationships was so near and dear to my heart, and every small moment exploring that was fantastic. And I loved getting to see both Alana and Damien grow throughout the series. Alana's final airport scene and Damien's "I love you" moment were incredibly emotional for me to write. They've both come so far! I'm so proud of them!

Real talk. Would you date a robot if they were your perfect match?

Natasha: No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.

Taylor: My Tinder profile specifies "Robots only."

Jaylee: To be honest, I would date a robot even if they weren't my perfect Match...

Got a message for our Perfect Match readers?

Coco: There are a lot of moments in Perfect Match when the characters doubt themselves and their ability to take down the obstacles in their way. It’s been great to see characters like Hayden and Sloane grow in confidence. We can be our worst critics, so I hope you know that whatever’s in your path, you can get through it and come out even stronger. (Especially with the help of a support system and Armadillo Power!)

I’ve also really enjoyed seeing Hayden explore all the facets of their identity more, from their style, to their spirituality, to building a new life... I hope all of us can enjoy the process of exploring the boundaries of who we are and who we could be, and never feel restricted to any label, definition, or preconceived notion! We are always evolving.

Taylor: Identity crises aren’t unique to Matches. If you take anything from Perfect Match, I hope you take the lesson that no matter what you’re going through, you are strong enough to overcome it. You are capable of incredible things, and you are worthy of love and respect. (And if you ever forget, call in Nadia to remind you!)

Jaylee: Thank you so, so much for loving our characters just as much as we do.

Natasha: Thank you for every hilarious comment, thoughtfully-crafted tweet, beautiful fanart, and heartfelt message. You all inspire me every single week.

*Sheds a single tear* So what's next for you after Perfect Match?

Natasha: I can't say quite yet, but I think readers who enjoyed stories like The Royal Romance and The Crown & The Flame will be particularly excited by the type of book I'm hopping onto next.

Jaylee: I'm moving to High School Story: Class Act! Skye, Rory, Ajay, and the twins are all so fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing them grow!

Taylor: It's a secret! But rest assured, it will have a lot of smooching, sweetness, and hilarity!

Coco: What's next for me is also a secret! But here's a hint: it'll be stylish, fun, and every bit as jet-setting!

Innnteresting... I guess we'll find out what the future holds! To everyone who's stuck with Perfect Match from beginning to end, thank you for reading along!

-Jessica