This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Matchmaking for Beginners

Summary: Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.

When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.

And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

First, I am IN LOVE with this cover. This cover gave me alllllllllllll the feels. And maybe if the cover had been a little less perfect, my expectations for the book would have been less and I would have felt something more for the book than I did.

So, pretty much immediately I’m reminded of The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand and then shortly after, Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer. Ok, nothing wrong with that- both were good books and Maddie’s book is not exactly like the others- it just reminds me a bit of them. Then, there is a heavy dash of a Beauty and Beast story- again, no problem- after all, it’s a tale as old as time.

BUT…

Overall, it had some good parts. It’s got a quirky charm that will appeal to many readers.  For me, I think it veered off into almost a too quirky place… or maybe I just picked the wrong time to read it. I still have mad love for the cover and I am still willing to check out some of Maddie’s other work, but this book was just ok for me. Nothing really wrong with it, but I’m not going to be pushing this book on people  either. SIGH.

 

What I Liked:

The cover. Gorgeous and whimsical.

The fact that I can see this being made into a Hallmark movie. Give me a decadent hot chocolate, a warm blanket and a couch to curl up on!!

 

Bottom line: For me, it just missed the mark. Maybe because I felt it reminded me too much of some other books. Maybe because while I knew I was supposed to like Marnie- I didn’t love her like I felt the author wanted us readers to love her. I’ll be awaiting to see if Hallmark does pick up this book for making to a movie 🙂

 

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

 

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*Have you added Matchmaking for Beginners to your TBR list?*

 

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T