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Emma Hamilton #2
A Perfect Match
After two years of being deafened by the ticktock of her biological clock and tormented by Mother Nature's refusal to grant her a baby, Emma Hamilton decides to go for the instant solution: finding a Russian baby in need of a home. But Emma hasn't reckoned on the route to adoption being so complicated.
Between proving that she's fit to be a mother (by inventing an unblemished past and discovering an unsuspected talent for housekeeping), driving her long-suffering husband insane with madcap schemes to make them the perfect would-be parents (a few Russian verbs a night and they'll be fluent in no time), and tripping over red tape every step of the way (who knew social workers could be so terrifying?). Emma finds out that adoption is far from the easy option - and that perfection has very little to do with finding the perfect match.
Between proving that she's fit to be a mother (by inventing an unblemished past and discovering an unsuspected talent for housekeeping), driving her long-suffering husband insane with madcap schemes to make them the perfect would-be parents (a few Russian verbs a night and they'll be fluent in no time), and tripping over red tape every step of the way (who knew social workers could be so terrifying?). Emma finds out that adoption is far from the easy option - and that perfection has very little to do with finding the perfect match.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2005
39 people are currently reading
596 people want to read
About the author
Sinéad Moriarty
31 books496 followersSinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 22, 2020
Fantastic follow up to the Baby Trail. Looking forward to the next instalment.
July 12, 2022
I admit I picked up this book as it was "about" international adoption from Russia.
On one of my return flights from Moscow around 1998, I was seated near a middle-aged Jewish woman from Florida who had just adopted two Russian girls, aged 8 and 9, I think. She was actually having a nervous breakdown from what she had been through, so I tried to help her out with the two girls. I had been teaching in Russian schools and spoke some of the language.
I asked if she had received counseling about adopting from Russia but I got the impression that she felt she was on her own. I think her husband was a lawyer and unable to make the trip with her. Most likely this was her second or third time in Russia but must have been traumatic in some way.
Anyway, the girls were plenty nervous, going with a strange, excitable lady into an unknown future. One girl went to the toilet and panicked that she was locked in. The Russian stewardess was able to rescue her. I tried to engage the girls with some reassuring banter while their "mom" detached for the 6-hour flight to New York.
When we landed at JFK, I offered to help her take the girls to the toilet. They had a connecting flight to Florida, but before we separated, the woman implored me to take the girls, claiming I was much better at dealing with them. I was shocked but asked her for her phone number and said I would call her in a year; I was confident the two elementary-aged adoptees would pick up English quickly, make friends and adapt at school. When I did call, things seemed to be going well, though I'm not sure she really remembered who I was.
---
Actually, this book, "The Right Fit" was a light romp of a chick-lit story about a pretty clueless couple who think they want a child and have been unable to conceive one. First, they look at the adoption option and learn they'll need to search internationally. Almost at random, Emma selects Russia and enrolls in a preparation class.
"Would you like to have children?" asked Maura.
"Uhm" I paused... I could just be honest and stop feeling embarrassed and awkward because I couldn't get pregnant. "Yes, I do want children. I want them very much. In fact, James and I have just started the adoption process. We're in the middle of our course."
It felt good to be open about wanting children. I felt relieved.
"Trouble down below, was it?" asked Sonia, pointing to my crotch.
I stared at her in shock... I took a deep breath and counted to ten...
"Isn't adopting a bit of a worry? It's a bit like wearing someone else's clothes, isn't, it? I mean, you don't know who the parents are. They could be drug addicts or murderers, and it could be in the genes, you never know do you," said Maura.
"No, I don't see it like that at all actually. I think it's a wonderful way to have a family. I can't wait to go to Russia to get my baby, I said, plastering a smile on my face.
James and Emma soon find themselves in competition with the "model" highly-prepared adopting couple and facing a hard-nosed counselor, Derva. This leads to lots of humor as Emma easily panics and reveals her insecurities. It seems that James, a football coach, is mostly just going along with the program.
In the final stages of the program, Derva visits Emma and James' best friends to screen them as a couple. Donal, a football (soccer) player tells her, "The bottom line is that they are a great pair. They're mad about each other and they're lovely people. James is a true gentleman and a fantastic friend, and Emma is a great girl too. Any child-- especially from some hole in Russia-- would be lucky to have them as parents."
"That's all very well, Mr. Brady, but it's my responsibility to look after the welfare of each child, and I need to be sure about the Hamiltons..."
"I'm guardian to my fifteen-year-old niece, Annie. My sister died five years ago, and left me in charge of her. And the way I see it is this-- you sink or swim," said Donal, trying not to show his annoyance. "None of us knows what we're doing as parents. You just get on with it, and sometimes you make mistakes and sometimes you get it right. But there is no perfect parent. If you're a decent person, well then hopefully you'll get more right than wrong and the kid will turn out okay."
They do pass the screening and are matched to a 10-month-old Yuri in an orphanage two thousand miles from Moscow. They flew there and stayed with a local Russian family of their interpreter. At the children's home the director picks Yuri up and hands him to Emma, who wraps her arms around the toddler. "I smiled and he broke my heart by smiling back. As I stood there crying and smiling, James, snapping out of his trance, came over. I handed Yuri to him, I wanted them to bond.
"Hey there little fellow," he said as he smiled down at his son. "Welcome to our family."
They spend four days with Yuri but then had to return to the States for at least two weeks for a court date where they officially become Yuri's parents. They will return to Russia, spend a few days there with Yuri, bring him home and complete the adoption. The book ends on a happy note with an extra surprise.
On one of my return flights from Moscow around 1998, I was seated near a middle-aged Jewish woman from Florida who had just adopted two Russian girls, aged 8 and 9, I think. She was actually having a nervous breakdown from what she had been through, so I tried to help her out with the two girls. I had been teaching in Russian schools and spoke some of the language.
I asked if she had received counseling about adopting from Russia but I got the impression that she felt she was on her own. I think her husband was a lawyer and unable to make the trip with her. Most likely this was her second or third time in Russia but must have been traumatic in some way.
Anyway, the girls were plenty nervous, going with a strange, excitable lady into an unknown future. One girl went to the toilet and panicked that she was locked in. The Russian stewardess was able to rescue her. I tried to engage the girls with some reassuring banter while their "mom" detached for the 6-hour flight to New York.
When we landed at JFK, I offered to help her take the girls to the toilet. They had a connecting flight to Florida, but before we separated, the woman implored me to take the girls, claiming I was much better at dealing with them. I was shocked but asked her for her phone number and said I would call her in a year; I was confident the two elementary-aged adoptees would pick up English quickly, make friends and adapt at school. When I did call, things seemed to be going well, though I'm not sure she really remembered who I was.
---
Actually, this book, "The Right Fit" was a light romp of a chick-lit story about a pretty clueless couple who think they want a child and have been unable to conceive one. First, they look at the adoption option and learn they'll need to search internationally. Almost at random, Emma selects Russia and enrolls in a preparation class.
"Would you like to have children?" asked Maura.
"Uhm" I paused... I could just be honest and stop feeling embarrassed and awkward because I couldn't get pregnant. "Yes, I do want children. I want them very much. In fact, James and I have just started the adoption process. We're in the middle of our course."
It felt good to be open about wanting children. I felt relieved.
"Trouble down below, was it?" asked Sonia, pointing to my crotch.
I stared at her in shock... I took a deep breath and counted to ten...
"Isn't adopting a bit of a worry? It's a bit like wearing someone else's clothes, isn't, it? I mean, you don't know who the parents are. They could be drug addicts or murderers, and it could be in the genes, you never know do you," said Maura.
"No, I don't see it like that at all actually. I think it's a wonderful way to have a family. I can't wait to go to Russia to get my baby, I said, plastering a smile on my face.
James and Emma soon find themselves in competition with the "model" highly-prepared adopting couple and facing a hard-nosed counselor, Derva. This leads to lots of humor as Emma easily panics and reveals her insecurities. It seems that James, a football coach, is mostly just going along with the program.
In the final stages of the program, Derva visits Emma and James' best friends to screen them as a couple. Donal, a football (soccer) player tells her, "The bottom line is that they are a great pair. They're mad about each other and they're lovely people. James is a true gentleman and a fantastic friend, and Emma is a great girl too. Any child-- especially from some hole in Russia-- would be lucky to have them as parents."
"That's all very well, Mr. Brady, but it's my responsibility to look after the welfare of each child, and I need to be sure about the Hamiltons..."
"I'm guardian to my fifteen-year-old niece, Annie. My sister died five years ago, and left me in charge of her. And the way I see it is this-- you sink or swim," said Donal, trying not to show his annoyance. "None of us knows what we're doing as parents. You just get on with it, and sometimes you make mistakes and sometimes you get it right. But there is no perfect parent. If you're a decent person, well then hopefully you'll get more right than wrong and the kid will turn out okay."
They do pass the screening and are matched to a 10-month-old Yuri in an orphanage two thousand miles from Moscow. They flew there and stayed with a local Russian family of their interpreter. At the children's home the director picks Yuri up and hands him to Emma, who wraps her arms around the toddler. "I smiled and he broke my heart by smiling back. As I stood there crying and smiling, James, snapping out of his trance, came over. I handed Yuri to him, I wanted them to bond.
"Hey there little fellow," he said as he smiled down at his son. "Welcome to our family."
They spend four days with Yuri but then had to return to the States for at least two weeks for a court date where they officially become Yuri's parents. They will return to Russia, spend a few days there with Yuri, bring him home and complete the adoption. The book ends on a happy note with an extra surprise.
September 21, 2013
This is the second book I've read by Sinead Moriarty and I've enjoyed it just as much as the first. The first book in the series, The Baby Trail, introduced us to James and Emma. This book takes up where the first left off, after two years of being unable to become pregnant James and Emma begin the process of international adoption. The process involves both laughter and tears. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great chick lit novel! This could be read as a stand alone as well, the first one is a great read but it would be easy to fall into this story without having read it prior.
March 4, 2008
Best of the lot, so funny i nearly wet myself a book that can make you laugh so hard and out loud on public transport is one to read.
September 10, 2008
The second book in the baby trilogy which deals with the trials and tribulations of foreign adoption and like its other counterparts is witty and brilliantly written.
March 15, 2014
all good things to those who wait.....well the saying's true I guess!! :')
dramatic but heart touching!! :D :D
dramatic but heart touching!! :D :D
April 30, 2021
After two years of failing to get pregnant Emma has decided to put herself through the arduous task of trying to adopt a baby...from Russia. An interesting topic for a book, some subplots are better/more interesting/more believable than others, and there is some weird very odd it’s time un-pc conversation, that is slightly justified in the plot but not entirely.
Fave quote:
“To Russia with love”
Fave quote:
“To Russia with love”
October 10, 2025
On to the book 2 of the The baby trail series. Emma Hamilton has had enough of fertility treatments and she experienced all the lows that are assosciated with these. It turned out to be a tough experience for her and James and she decided to stop with all thise probing and prodding of her body. She is onto the next item on her baby trail and that is to adopt. There is never a dull moment in her life and it is really a book that will have you laughing until tears come.
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
January 5, 2021
Characters are insufferable and quite shallow. This was easy to read because it's written in a very simple way, and the only reason why i finished it was because I was hoping for some of the drama to unfold. It did not happen.
July 12, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed this book about the adoption process!
September 24, 2017
Another wonderful, fun book. I highly recommend Sinead Moriarty's books.
January 22, 2018
Adoption. Nice. It was in the new novels section at the Library.
August 11, 2018
What a great little story. I laughed out loud quite a bit, a refreshing read.
November 23, 2018
Really enjoyable. Looking forward to reading the next one. (this is book 2 of 3) I did however, get to really not like Emma!
June 5, 2022
A touching story about a couple trying for a baby and then they decided that they wanted to adopt a baby the story is there account of what they had to go through
June 4, 2023
3.5 stars
August 31, 2023
If you want a good laughs, please read it and have fun!
February 12, 2024
Lettura molto leggera, non mi ha appassionato ma non mi ha fatto neanche venire il voltastomaco. Ho scoperto dopo averlo comprato a un mercatino che è il sequel di un altro libro
October 26, 2025
so wait this was soo good, I thrifted it and didn't think much of it but omg so funny and realistic and the ending, literally did not expect that but so ironic and good
September 17, 2023
A Perfect Match tells the story of a couple who have decided to leave infertility treatments behind and embark on the journey to adoption. They encountered difficulties along the way but I felt the outcome was a bit predictable and the overall tone too lighthearted. I think it would not be a book I would recommend to people going through the same experience
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2015
A született szülők teljesen ott folytatja, ahol a Babablues abbahagyta a történetet. Tényleg másnap reggel, miután Emma és férje úgy döntenek, hogy a sikertelen kísérletezgetés után nem próbálkoznak többet, inkább örökbe fogadnak. Elvégre az biztos jóval könnyebb, nincs orvoshoz mászkálás, hormonkezelés, beültetés stb. Ahogy azt Móricka (azaz Emma) elképzeli! Kiderül, hogy örökbe fogadni igazából csak külföldről tudnak, de még arra is hónapokat kell várni, hogy bekerüljenek a tanfolyamra, ahol majd örökbefogadó szülőkké képzik ki őket, majd szociális munkás jár hozzájuk tanácsadásra és csak ezután döntenek arról, hogy lehet-e belőlük örökbefogadó szülő. Szóval nem egyszerű az élet. Emma persze a maga szokásos vehemenciájával veti bele magát az egészbe, állandóan azon izgul, vajon mit gondolnak majd róluk a férjével a Hivatalban. S persze a családi támogatás se ártana, de anyja továbbra se érti meg, bátyja épp beleszeretett egy iráni lányba, kapcsolatuk mindkét fél szüleinél komoly gondokat okoz, ráadásul a húga is szépen beleköp mindenki levesébe. Még szerencse, hogy barátnőjének, Lucynek kapcsolata látszólag rendben alakul, csak éppen ne lenne a rögbi meg a párja gyámleánya, aki igazi tinédzser-fúria.
A Született szülők semmiben sem marad el az előző könyvtől, továbbra is jókat lehet nevetgélni Emma kalandjain a hivatallal, rögbivel (az ő előadásában a játék és a taktika még nők számára is érthetőnek tűnik), családdal, barátokkal, nyelvtanulással, oroszországi adoptálással. A végére minden nagyon izgalmas lett, kénytelen voltam hajnalig fenn maradni és kiolvasni.
Ami pedig a fő témája a könyvnek, a tolerancia: hogy nem kell mindjárt lenézni azt, akinek nem lehet saját gyereke, akinek más a bőrszíne esetleg más kultúrából jön.
A Született szülők semmiben sem marad el az előző könyvtől, továbbra is jókat lehet nevetgélni Emma kalandjain a hivatallal, rögbivel (az ő előadásában a játék és a taktika még nők számára is érthetőnek tűnik), családdal, barátokkal, nyelvtanulással, oroszországi adoptálással. A végére minden nagyon izgalmas lett, kénytelen voltam hajnalig fenn maradni és kiolvasni.
Ami pedig a fő témája a könyvnek, a tolerancia: hogy nem kell mindjárt lenézni azt, akinek nem lehet saját gyereke, akinek más a bőrszíne esetleg más kultúrából jön.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2014
In Sinead Moriarty's follow up to 'THE BABY TRAIL' Emma and James, a couple who have tried for years to have a baby with no success have decided to adopt. Going the international route they decide to adopt a Russian child, but deciding on what country to adopt from is the easiest part of this process! Emma and James go through extensive background checks, parenting classes and a wait list the size of Russia itself all to get the child that they have dreamed about but will this child be the right fit for Emma and James?
I thoroughly enjoyed 'THE BABY TRAIL' because Moriarty's depiction of a woman struggling to get pregnant seemed very truthful and there were no easy answers at the end. In 'THE RIGHT FIT' however, the same determination that Emma had to conceive a child in 'THE BABY TRAIL' seemed a bit over the top in 'THE PERFECT MATCH' and the ending seemed a little too neat and predictable for my taste. However, the secondary characters are just as lovable and the story of Emma's best friend Lucy and new boyfriend Donal is once again a real treat. Can't wait to read the third book in this series 'FROM HERE TO MATERNITY'!
I thoroughly enjoyed 'THE BABY TRAIL' because Moriarty's depiction of a woman struggling to get pregnant seemed very truthful and there were no easy answers at the end. In 'THE RIGHT FIT' however, the same determination that Emma had to conceive a child in 'THE BABY TRAIL' seemed a bit over the top in 'THE PERFECT MATCH' and the ending seemed a little too neat and predictable for my taste. However, the secondary characters are just as lovable and the story of Emma's best friend Lucy and new boyfriend Donal is once again a real treat. Can't wait to read the third book in this series 'FROM HERE TO MATERNITY'!
September 5, 2015
Review - I think that A Perfect Match was better than The Baby Trail because it just got into the action faster. I think that's always a risk with first books in a series - they spend too long setting the scene. The humour was better in this book and more cleverly wound into the overall storyline. I felt that A Perfect Match was quite a humorous way to show how people overcome obstacles in the way of an adoption. It worked really really well, which I was surprised by. The characters seemed more 3D in this book, which was better than the first one for me, as I like to be able to relate to characters.
Genre? - Romance / Drama / Chic Lit
Characters? - Emma Hamilton / James Hamilton / Imogen / Barbara
Setting? - Dublin (Ireland)
Series? - Emma Hamilton #2
Recommend? - Yes
Rating - 17/20
Genre? - Romance / Drama / Chic Lit
Characters? - Emma Hamilton / James Hamilton / Imogen / Barbara
Setting? - Dublin (Ireland)
Series? - Emma Hamilton #2
Recommend? - Yes
Rating - 17/20
July 9, 2013
I had just finished reading "A Perfect Match" last week. The beginning of the book started out slow but none-the-less was extremely entertaining. Jess, Emma, and Lucy have such an amazing and relatable friendship, lets not forget hilarious stories to tell when they see each other. I wish there was more drama and romance. But I can definitely see how original the story line was. It is not something I would always read. Not only was Emma's life story beautifully written but Sean's story with marrying someone from a different background. With the parents freaking out is something that anyone would experience. I definitely laughed a lot reading this book. Can't wait to read "Sister's Shoes". You are an awesome writer Sinead!!!
Committed Reader and Book Fanatic,
Gitu Singh
Committed Reader and Book Fanatic,
Gitu Singh
January 25, 2012
Sequel to The Baby Trail. More on the chaotic and charming characters that are the Burkes and Hamiltons and their friends. Emma and James are adopting, Babs is getting a nose job, Mrs Burke is afraid Sean's Iranian girlfriend Shadee would imprison him in Iran... I love Sinead's sense of humor. I would have graded this FOUR stars, except I didn't appreciate the misspelling, 'Philippino', and in the same paragraph, a supposedly beer-drinking Philippino maid. Highly unlikely. Please. Filipinas hate beer. If they drink at all, it's gin.
April 18, 2016
In this sequel to The Baby Trail, Emma and James have given up on fertility treatments and have decided to pursue adoption. This book chronicles their trials and tribulations as they go through the process.
I liked this book a bit more than the other two Emma and James books that I have read. I really liked how they seemed to band together through all their difficulties, it was very sweet. I did think the book made adoption seem much simpler than it actually is, but this can be forgiven. The book made me laugh and cry and it was overall enjoyable.
I liked this book a bit more than the other two Emma and James books that I have read. I really liked how they seemed to band together through all their difficulties, it was very sweet. I did think the book made adoption seem much simpler than it actually is, but this can be forgiven. The book made me laugh and cry and it was overall enjoyable.
May 19, 2015
I have read this book-- actually the entire series-- several times-- and each time I do I laugh out loud with tears in my eyes! Emma and James are one of my favorite fictional couples!!!
This story-line journey's with the couple through their adoption process and I felt it truly captured the highs and lows of the process well (I've been through the adoption process twice and could completely relate to this.) it's a realistic look at how long, invasive and tedious it can be-- but it's told with hilarious characters in a fun way!!
This story-line journey's with the couple through their adoption process and I felt it truly captured the highs and lows of the process well (I've been through the adoption process twice and could completely relate to this.) it's a realistic look at how long, invasive and tedious it can be-- but it's told with hilarious characters in a fun way!!
October 13, 2011
10/10
I just love her books. This is the second in the Hamilton trilogy. In the first book we saw Emma and James trying for baby, going through all the treatments and in this book they are going through the process of adoption. We also continue the lives of Emma'a best friends Lucy and Jess and James's best friend Donal and all the rugby stuff around them.
It's funny, true, sad and happy book. Very easy to read and it leaves a smile on your face when you finish it.
I just love her books. This is the second in the Hamilton trilogy. In the first book we saw Emma and James trying for baby, going through all the treatments and in this book they are going through the process of adoption. We also continue the lives of Emma'a best friends Lucy and Jess and James's best friend Donal and all the rugby stuff around them.
It's funny, true, sad and happy book. Very easy to read and it leaves a smile on your face when you finish it.
December 24, 2013
I really love Emma the over the top, impatient protagonist. She reminds me of a combination of myself and one of my besties. We follow Emma and her husband through the procedures for an international Russian adoption (which is very intriguing now that those adoptions are soon no longer going to be allowed). This book was funnier than the first, and featured Emma's zany family a lot, and you had to appreciate their charms. I'm looking forward to reading the last book in the trilogy.
April 2, 2012
This second installment of the baby trail series was as entertaining as the first. All of the lovable characters return along with the lovable but neurotic Emma Hamilton. This time she's taking a different route to motherhood that is as entertaining as the last. I loved this book as much as the first, and immediately started searching for the 3rd book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews