I have been reading Sheila Roberts Christmas stories for many years, and I look forward reading a new holiday tale each fall. The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts is a modern twist on Jane Austen’s Emma. Frankie Lane, the protagonist, believes she knows what is best for everyone (if you look up the definition of meddler in the dictionary, you will find Frankie’s name listed). Frankie and her antics got on my nerves after a while. Frankie believes that she knows what is best for everyone despite their protests (I would not want to be related to her). It was especially annoying when she would complain about something that was her fault (this is what happens when you meddle). I liked that the story had middle aged characters instead of twenty-somethings. I was not a fan of some of the characters as well as some of the choices they made. There was minimal character growth. The point-of-view switches between the various characters. It gets confusing with so many characters in a dialogue heavy story especially when the POV switches with no warning (you must figure out which character is speaking now). The multiple points-of-view leads to repetitive details. The Merry Matchmaker is a slow starter with the story seeming to go around in circles in the middle and a rushed ending. I liked the Christmas atmosphere and the festival. The story does wrap up nicely at the end. Unfortunately, The Merry Matchmaker did not make me merry.

This fun holiday read is a reimaging of Austen’s Emma set in a small rural town that seems to be very big on Christmas. Author Sheila Roberts’ delightful novel is full of engaging characters, adult angst, and one well-intentioned busybody who just wants all her friends to be happy.

I loved that the book was about mature women who were ready for a second-chance at love. The main character, Frankie, is delightful as the meddler wanting to push people towards love and happiness. While her efforts repeatedly blow up, she does not give up. Mitch, who runs the shop next door to Frankie’s store, is quite charming, and he obviously holds Frankie in high regards. Will Frankie ever stop her meddling and focus on her own happiness?

From the matchmaking to the chamber-of-commerce holiday parade and festival, the plot is full and the antics are fun. The story is sweet and charming from the start to the finish, and if ever there was a book that should be a holiday movie, it is The Merry Matchmaker.

2.5 stars- rounding up to 3.
The Merry Matchmaker is a cute holiday story that gives major Hallmark vibes, mixed with a touch of Love Actually. The story follows Frankie, a 50-year-old widow, who wants to "help" (read: meddle) in the love lives of her friends and family. Frankie is also a local business owner and a founding member of the committee that organizes the annual "Santa Walk" event in town. Her husband passed away several years ago, but she has found it difficult to move on for fear of experiencing the grief of losing someone else. Letting life go on without you vs. "jumping on the ride" so to speak, is a major theme throughout the story as many of the characters are dealing with loss or difficult past experiences that make it hard to move forward.

I found it somewhat hard to stay engaged in this story, whether that was due to the jumping between characters or because I just wasn't overly interested is hard to say. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and sometimes the POV switches mid chapter, and I would have to think about who we were following at that moment. I think I counted at least 4-5 different "love stories" in play at once, but I wish there would have been a little more focus on just 1 or 2- specifically Frankie and/or her sister Stef. I also found Frankie to be a hard FMC to connect with overall, she didn't feel mature enough to be a 50-year-old woman, and some of her choices made me cringe.

Overall, it's a quick and wholesome holiday romance that I think some will find endearing. It just wasn't necessarily my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC opportunity.

This book was such a delight! I enjoyed this immensely! The Emma retelling is so well done with a unique twist which I thought was clever and sweet 😍.

Tropes:
🎄Small town
🎄Christmas vibes
🎄Friends to lovers
🎄Older characters
🎄Rom com
🎄Emma retelling (Jane Austen’s Emma)

🎄Frankie is quite the matchmaker as she is eager for everyone to have their own happily ever after. Frankie is determined to find several of her close friends a match this season through which she slowly realizes the workings of her own heart as well. What is this new feeling she’s experiencing when she’s around her long term friend Mitch? Find out more by adding this to your holiday reads this year.

🎄I’m an ardent fan of all Jane Austen works and Emma is one of my comfort stories that I constantly go back to. @sheilarobertswriter does a wonderful job of introducing characters and the premise from Emma to this holiday retelling which is charming and enjoyable. I specifically loved how the characters are older and in their 40s, 50s etc. which is refreshing and entertaining. I was also immersed in all the holiday vibes and thought the shop belonging to Frankie and Christmas events are super cute. The side characters were a colorful addition to the story too without overpowering the main leads. I’ve read many variations of Emma retellings and I can confidently say this is indeed one of my favorites. Wittily executed 🥰

🎄A charming and sweet holiday read with all the charm for you for this Christmas season! 🎄

Frankie, a 50 year-old widow who owns a holiday-themed shop in a small town called Carol, can't help meddling in the lives of family and friends even though her efforts often end in disaster! Whether it's her younger divorced sister, her shy employee or her good friend, Mitch, who owns the local hardware store, Frankie is determined to help everyone she cares for find their happily-ever-after but is afraid to take a chance on love again herself.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Emma, The Merry Matchmaker is a very loose retelling set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest during the holiday season. There's a large cast of characters to keep track of and it's heavily reliant on dialogue but this is a sweet holiday story set in a charming town with lots of festive spirit and a happy ending for everyone. It's also a good choice for anyone looking for a heartwarming holiday romance without spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“The Merry Matchmaker” is a fun holiday read! Main character, Frankie, is a widow that thinks everything needs a perfect partner. Yet, she does not think it is in the cards for her. As the story progresses, the town of Carol, embraces love during the holidays. Cute setting as well. Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA publishing for this advance read. Be sure to add to your holiday reading list.

This was an okay book. Frankie Lane owns a Christmas shop, her daughter works there part time, as well as her mother. She is a widow and claims that she is happy the way her life is; she hangs out with her family, her friend Mitch, she has her shop, and her nights with Mitch watching Cop Out. What she loves to do is play matchmaker. She wants everyone around her to be happy, to find their one. But sometimes, it’s not the ones that she thinks it should be, and maybe her life isn’t as full as she claims it is.

I saw a review for this before I started reading it and it made me excited to read it. When I say that this is a slow burn, I mean turtle or snail slow. There were times I forgot who Frankie was supposed to be ending up with! I really wanted to feel more between Frankie and Mitch. There was so much focus on the other characters that it felt like Frankie and Mitch were the throw away couple. The points of view did change mid chapter and so it made it kind of confusing at times.

The town and the shop sounded super cute, definitely like a scene out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I loved the idea of the Santa walk, but I love small town Christmas things, so anything like that in a book is going to make me a happy reader!

It was a cute read, and set around Christmas, so I did like that.

Just a good old fashioned Hallmark Holiday movie, in book form. Not something I'd normally recommend, but for a quick, easy, feel-good holiday spirit, it hit the mark.

THE MERRY MATCHMAKER – Shelia Roberts
Mira
ISBN: 978-0-778-36960-8
October 1, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Carol, Washington – Present Day

Giftshop owner Frankie Lane is always looking to match her single friends with someone. But for herself, she isn’t sure she is over losing her beloved husband a few years ago. Frankie sets up her good friend Mitch Howard on a pre-date meeting without even letting him know about it. Unfortunately, he finds out and he is now annoyed with her. Frankie moves on to other targets, namely finding a man for her sister Stef, or she can hope that her employee, Elinor, will finally see that bookstore owner William likes her a lot. Her family and friends are telling Frankie to let it go because love will strike without a shove from her. Instead, they feel she should be looking at finding love for herself. Alas, Mitch’s newest employee becomes attracted to Frankie. He’s too young for her and she isn’t interested in him. It turns out that Frankie has a soft spot for Mitch.

Christmas is approaching in the delightfully entertaining THE MERRY MATCHMAKER. The holiday is the biggest moneymaker of the year for Frankie’s shop, as well as all the activities around town, including the Santa Walk. Frankie oversaw that for years, but a rival shop owner has taken it over and Frankie is gritting her teeth at all the changes the woman wants to make. Her attempt at pairing a woman with Mitch turned out badly, so she has decided to hold off doing it again for now. Meanwhile, Stef handles the “Letters to Santa” column at the newspaper where she works. A young boy wrote asking Santa to bring him a mommy and she responded. The father came storming into the newspaper office demanding that the letter and Stef’s response be removed from the paper. Readers suspect that they will soon be meeting.

As Christmas and the Santa Walk draw closer, plans are added and finalized. Frankie has been Mrs. Claus for years, with Mitch acting as Mr. Claus. But this year, she has been bumped off and told other women can compete for the title. Frankie is miffed but decides to help Elinor win the title. This means that Elinor will compete for the chance to ride with Mitch in the Santa float if she wins. Sounds good, but soon, Elinor is getting right into the competition. How will Frankie feel seeing Elinor holding onto Mitch’s arm? There are other characters we meet in THE MERRY MATCHMAKER, including Frankie’s widowed mother, who ends up surprising her daughter. Readers will enjoy the interaction between all the characters and root for Frankie to finally open her eyes to the fact that she is attracted to Mitch.

THE MERRY MATCHMAKER is a feel-good Christmas-themed tale that is fun to read and keeps you turning the pages. Don’t miss the holiday hijinks going on in a town that loves Christmas by grabbing a copy today.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

This was a very beautiful and a little chaotic story full of wonderful characters that needed to experience a little extra magic of Christmas.

We all love big families and laugh out loud with their meddling and Frankie's family didn't disappoint with that.

It made me laugh and smile so much!!!!

I had a great time reading this book and finding out all the ways the merry matchmaker coupled our characters while learning to love again, to forgive, to grieve and move on while keep on loving and also having the community together celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.

Frankie wants to play matchmaker for everyone and fix everyone in her family and circle of friends, that is until her matchmaking skills come back to bite her.

Frankie was fantastic. She was definitely a meddler, but her heart was in the right place. She is a widow who feels she had her one shot at real love and she does not need love anymore. Her family and friends love her, but they want her to worry about her own love life. They see things she either does not see or does not want to admit.

The cast of characters were charming from all ages and stages of life. It was a perfect book to enhance and build your holiday spirit, while also making you laugh and cry.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I LOVED this book! Such a sweet, perfectly Christmas book! No spice, but in a good way! I wish we had more Adele, she was so funny and a great character. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick and easy holiday read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!!

I read this as an ARC on NetGalley. Sheila is one of my preferred authors and this book did not disappoint. What happens when you think you know what is best for everyone but yourself? A series of missteps, some hurt feelings and a whole lot of meddling happen before you finally realize that what you need is standing right in front of you. Excellent read!

This was a fun Jane Austen Emma variation for the holidays - felt like it was trying to be very Hallmark-ish.

In this festive holiday romance, Frankie Lane tries to play matchmaker for everyone around her—her sister, employee, daughter, and best friend—despite causing chaos with her well-meaning, though meddlesome, help. She is determined to find love for her widowed best friend, Mitch, unaware that she may be missing her own happily-ever-after in the process. This Christmas story blends humor, heart, and the magic of second chances.

3 stars

What I liked about this book: (1) The multi-generational family dynamics. We have grandmother, mother, daughter (and even grandson) in the mix, as well as a sister/aunt thread thrown in. It's a lot of women, wanting to help one another and working in close proximity, that there is bound to be a scuffle or two. (2) The holiday vibes! Everything is theme-driven. The food (check the back for recipes!), the silly sayings and the quiet moments of reflection, all have a hint or full on smackdown of peppermint, snow covered, sugar cookie, twinkly light, gingerbread joy. (3) Mitch.

What I struggled with: I'm not a Hallmark movie person - that's on me! - so the cheesy, cutesy, maybe sometimes immature/juvenile commentary just didn't land for me. There are absolutely holiday-theme readers out there who will adore this story, but for me I needed a little less repetitive reindeer games.

Thank you so much to UpLitReads, Sheila Roberts, Mira Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early copy of The Merry Matchmaker in exchange for an honest review of the novel.

Merry Matchmaker
Sheila Roberts delivers a wholesome, heartwarming Christmas read. If you’re looking for a book to cozy up to the fire with this holiday season, you’ll enjoy this cast of characters.
*Full video revew will be on TT.

The Merry Matchmaker was inspired by Jane Austen's Emmas and in this book it tells the story of Frankie who can't stop helping everyone around her find their happy ever after, even if it leads to a disaster. This was such a wonderful Christmas read that will put you in the mood. The book was a page turner from beginning to end and all of the characters were awesome. I loved this happy and heartwarming book and would recommend this one to any reader but especially to those you love romance stories. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am so excited for all the holiday reads this year. This was a reimagining of Emma; even though I have not read Emma, I still enjoyed this retelling. It had a really cozy and fun Christmas vibe.

OVERALL STAR RATING: 4/5
CLEAN RATING: 4.5/5

I’ve never met a Sheila Roberts novel I didn’t love! It takes no time at all to become invested in her fun and quirky characters. Such unique personalities in them all that you’re sure to find someone that reminds you of yourself.

Frankie Lane is taking the wheel and trying to steer everyone but herself into what she sees as the perfect romantic match. Meddling is an understatement and Frankie is blind to the fact that her dearest (and single) friend, Mitch Howard, might just be HER perfect someone. Mitch has been a shoulder to lean on since Frankie’s husband unexpectedly passed away. A little romantic interest in Mitch coming from Frankie’s co-worker, Elinor, and WHEW does the jealousy kick in!

Frankie’s mom, Adele, was one of my favorite characters. Never afraid to speak her mind. Although Frankie is playing the role of matchmaker for nearly everyone within her inner circle, I think Adele might be the one with the gift to understand those around her.

“Hurt will find you no matter how careful you are, and if you spend all your life making sure you won’t get hurt, you’ll also deprive yourself of a lot of happiness.” - Adele

A fun story that also tackles the seriousness of moving on after loss. I wasn’t 100% sure who would find romance with what characters until the very end. I love it when it’s not completely obvious how things will pan out.

4.5-star clean rating for a handful of mild curse words. Please note there is consumption of alcohol in this novel and grief over death of a spouse.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Have you ever had someone try to set you up on a date?⁣
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A matchmaker perhaps? A coworker? A meddling auntie?⁣
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The Merry Matchmaker was inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma and tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after, even when her help leads to disaster.⁣
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Frankie can’t help herself. Even though she owns a busy and successful holiday themed store and the season is ramping up - she still manages to somehow find the time to meddle in just about everyone’s life around her. She seems to think she knows what’s best for everyone else… except herself.⁣
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I absolutely loved Frankie. It’s fun and refreshing when a meddlesome family member is all heart and truly does want to genuinely help everyone. And even though it always blows up in her face, you love her even more for trying. And you just wish she’d step back and realize that trying to fill others with what she hopes is love and joy, is just masking what she’s missing in her own life. With a rich cast of sweet and relatable characters, and a charming town called, what else - but Carol… this holiday is sure to be a happy + heartwarming one, if you add this to your holiday reading list!