I really enjoyed this book about Atlanta matchmaker Nura Khan, whose business is being targeted in increasingly bizarre and dangerous ways. She also has to deal with the fact that her longtime friend Azar, who she wishes was more than a friend, has finally stopped playing the field and is in a serious relationship.

The characters were really well-drawn and interesting, and I especially liked reading about Desi culture and weddings. The mystery was fast-paced and definitely held my interest, as did the relationship between Nura and Azar. I hope that Aisha Saeed continues to write more adult novels!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Matchmaker Nura Khan's great reputation takes a hit when one of her client's weddings gets sabotaged. This starts a chain of scary events, making Nura realize someone is after her business and possibly her life. Luckily, her childhood friend Azar, who pretends to be her fiancé at weddings, helps her figure out the mess. It's a wild ride, but with Azar by her side, Nura is determined to protect what she's built.

This story is about friendship and family, and it kept me entertained. The writing style created clear images and full characters. The mix of romance and mystery was great, but I was more drawn to the mystery. The suspense and twists kept me turning the pages. The characters are Desi, and the book dives into their culture and marriage traditions, showing a modern take on arranged marriages. Overall, I highly recommend this book for its intriguing plot and engaging storytelling!

An intriguing concept that just had too much going on to let me sink into the story.

I had to double check if this was categorized as a mystery or romance, and it was listed as both. I think trying to fit into both genres did the story a disservice. I wasn’t invested in the romance, yet it took up a decent portion of the book. I was invested a bit more intrigued by the mystery, but we got pulled out of it to revisit the romance. The two clashed, because each one was trying to be the focus. Of course I love a romance subplot in a mystery, but it’s like the romance and mystery were battling to be 50/50 and it didn’t work for me.

Overall, the plot was there, just not focused enough for me to really get into it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

I know it already -- this will be one of my top reads for 2025. THE MATCHMAKER is a highly anticipated adult debut, and for good reason. This mish- mash of the thriller, romance, and contemporary genres works so well. Nura is a character with so much heart, and as a reader, you can't help but fall in love with her. I think this book really highlights Saeed's strengths at writing romance, as well as how she seamlessly weaves details of her own life into her books. In my opinion, the thriller/mystery sections of this book aren't the strongest, but I was able to look past that because of the incredible cast of characters. More than anything, this book was a love letter to South Asian culture. The matchmaking, the strong family bonds, the way that South Asian communities will have each other's backs -- until they won't. I haven't read a book that has made me feel so many emotions like this one in ages, and it awoke a desire in me for more South Asian representation like this. It's so subtle but also threads through every single page, the culture is woven into every interaction between Nura and her aunt, Nura and her wedding planning, Nura and her cousin that she herself says she doesn't like. I loved everything about this messy, complicated, book, and I'm very excited to see what Saeed writes next.

I tried so hard to finish this book but it was. just so slow and boring. I felt guilty for not being more interested in it because it goes so indepth into the Desi culture but I blame the story - it's just not interesting. There was no chemistry in the romance part of the book and the mystery was totally predictable and almost cliche. Felt like I was reading literary fiction because it was so expository.

I really enjoyed this romcom of a matchmaker who uses her best friend as a cover for not being married herself.
I really enjoyed their friendship and the suspense of someone trying to sabotage her business.
I loved the wedding invitations that went ahead of certain chapters - adorable.
I felt at times the pacing was too slow and sometimes things felt repetitive.

Thankbyou, Netgalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick read and a pretty engrossing story. I would have liked more depth into the Desi culture and the matchmaking process but that aspect of the story was pretty superficial. An enjoyable read nonetheless.

Unique story that felt new and not overly done. I love the character dynamic and development and had fun while reading the story. The mystery kept me guessing , while the romance entertained me.

If Indian Matchmaking has ever sucked you in on Netflix (and even if you haven't!), you'll love this one!

Nura is a well-respected matchmaker with a history of excellent matches. Suddenly, things start going very wrong at the weddings of her couples, and then her own story takes a dangerous turn.

With her reputation and her life on the line, how will she save herself?

I enjoyed this book very much and loved that it takes place in Atlanta, where I live! It was fun seeing the names of familiar places and also seeing what local names had been tweaked a little bit for the sake of fiction.

It's a great read that brilliantly combines aspects of both a romance and a thriller.

I look forward to more books from this author!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #thematchmaker

This book was suggested to me by the publisher through NetGalley, and I really enjoyed the glimpse into Pakistani-American life (especially the food!) with a corresponding mystery (and some romance/drama!). It truly had a little bit of everything. I did not guess the solution and was genuinely surprised by some of the twists. I thought the family dynamics were especially well done and found the spectacle of many Desi weddings to be captured accurately.

At times I wasn't sure if I fully liked the main character, but still wanted to know what happened to her and then I found by the end of the book she had grown on me. And maybe that is more compelling than someone whose side you are always on?

Parts of the mystery weren't entirely believable, but not in an outrageous way and not in a way that made me want to stop reading as the story and characters are very compelling. This was a great read and made me want to look into more of Aisha Saeed's books!

I really didn’t enjoy this, mostly because I got it as a romance and I would argue it’s just NOT a romance. Yes it has a relationship, but the actual on page time for the MMC felt like maybe 15% of the book. The romance came off as an after thought. I predicted the outcome of the mystery at about 60% in, which feels a little lack luster.

Thanks so much for this review copy. I love the cover. This book was very original and had me guessing the whole time.

This was absolutely wonderful! I couldn't put this down and found myself staying up late in order to figure out what was going on. This amazing novel weaves a story of intrigue, suspense, and satisfaction that brings it all together in a super crazy twisted ending. I would love to see more from this author!

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed is a really fun mystery with a bit of romance. Nura is running her inherited matchmaker business for high end clients when everything starts to go wrong with upcoming matches and weddings.

I love that Nura is a strong businessperson, smart and well-connected. Her friends and family were important, and I would love to learn more about them. Although I didn’t find the mystery super complicated, the how and why were more interesting anyway. Since I’m not really familiar with the desi culture, I loved reading about some of the wedding , food and other traditions. Saeed is a good storyteller, and the pacing is pretty steady.

This is apparently the author’s first adult novel, but some of her young adult titles look interesting too. I may try some of those while waiting for her to hopefully write some more adult mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Bantam for the digital ARC.

This was such a great read! It’s kind of heavier than a cozy mystery, but lighter than a serious thriller. I loved the characters, and the false leads, and of course a little bit of romance always helps lighten things up as folks are getting murdered ;) I hope this becomes a series!

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed
Is an interesting window into the matchmaking business. The Piyar Matchmaking Agency of Atlanta, Georgia is the premiere company for wealthy clients to find their true loves. Nura Khan has put all of her energy into making every match perfect. She learned from the best, her Aunt Khala, and she has been very successful. Until rumors, posts and podcasts begin to circulate about the agency’s practices bring unsuccessful and dishonest.
Nura must navigate business problems as well as family drama with her cousin Nina and her aunt’s dementia diagnosis.
And to top it off, her best friend Azar, Nura’s date to the many weddings that she must attend, is at the cusp of a serious relationship. This puts their friendship as well as her insecurities and long held love for him at risk.
With all of the stressors in her life, how can Nura Kahn continue to be the perfect matchmaker as her detractors wait to see the next big wedding collapse?
Read the Matchmaker to find out…
#netgalley

“The Matchmaker” is Aisha Saeed’s debut adult novel, having written a number of books for younger audiences. I think that the overall idea of this book was a good one - a matchmaker (Nura) great at making matches for others, finds herself being targeted by not only haters but also someone deliberately targeting her company. Add to that the fact that she, herself, isn’t married (a matchmaker not married - horror!) and enlists her childhood best friend, Azar, to accompany her to weddings and events of her clients. And, once again, add to that some family drama - and you have this book. I did like that this book wasn’t just a straight rom-com, but had the mystery element. However, in a number of ways this book was a bit too all over the place for my liking. Nura is smart and has smart people around her, but I wish that Nura had been the one to work on the mystery more than her very helpful and smart employees. I also found the romance to be a bit - well, flat at times. It felt like it was an afterthought, not the main focus. However, in the Author’s Note, Ms. Saeed explains what she likes to read and this book followed that - so maybe it’s just a me thing. This book had some good lines and moments, though some of the family drama felt a bit over the top for me - however, I’d more than likely pick up Ms. Saeed’s next adult novel - and, heck, might pick up one of her younger audience books too. The writing was engaging and a quick read.

If you love romance, complicated family dramas and mysteries, then this is the perfect book for you. The story follows a modern day matchmaker using technology and other means to find the perfect match for her VIP clients. However, the colorful world of weddings and parties is marred by the darker elements of those who are not chosen. While Nura, the matchmaker, tries to find some balance in her life with its busy work schedule, complicated feelings and history with her family, and a love life this is unfulfilled, someone is working hard to ruin her life for reasons she cannot figure out. It is a mystery to the very end with great twists and a killer ending. I also really enjoyed learning more of the matchmaking world and the world of wedding events of the Desi culture. Its a well-written thriller with the right amount of romance, friendship and family mixed in.

So many incredible plot twists, I couldn’t put this one down! Really loved the suspense and I felt like all the characters were so well developed.

Aisha Saeed’s The Matchmaker is a beautifully crafted story of love, destiny, and cultural traditions. With heartfelt prose and richly drawn characters, Saeed explores the delicate balance between following one’s heart and honoring family expectations. This poignant tale is both timeless and deeply relatable—a must-read for fans of thoughtful and emotional romance.