Overall, there were a lot of positive points to this book. It has a really intriguing premise and did keep me guessing the whole time. There was also a decent amount of character development that made me feel connected to Nura and her family. I don't know that I completely agree with the comparisons to Jane Austen's Emma, but I think they're interesting to consider. Given recent events in my own life, though, the high-stakes mystery and danger were not what I needed right now. Don't let that dissuade you, though, if you're a thriller-lover.

Nura is a sought after matchmaker offer VIP personalized service with great success. Suddenly bad reviews and complaints take a sinister turn to threats and accidents. Is there a disgruntled client or who could have it in for Nora?

The Matchmaker is a fast-paced mystery that also offers a behind the scenes look and matchmakers and some high end weddings that result. The writing is excellent. The characters and their dynamics with each other are complex and well developed. The mystery was a page turner that kept me guessing until the reveal. I highly recommend The Matchmaker.

A wonderfully written mystery thriller with an ending you never see coming. Nura is the best at what she does, match making, but what happens when her perfectly sculpted world begins to crumble…I couldn’t figure out the big twist which was a wonderful surprise because more often than not I can figure it out well before the big reveal. This book is great for anyone who likes softer thrillers, with happy endings! Great for book clubs and beach reads!

I DNF this would around the 40% mark. I couldn’t connect to the characters or the writing style. I found this one to be too slow for my liking and just couldn’t get into it. I did love the premise though, the dating app concept was interesting. Overall, okay.

I wasn't sure if this book would be for me but it sounded so good based on the blurb. I am so glad I went ahead and read it because it had the perfect blend of all my favorite genres.

This is more of a mystery story with romance as the subplot. Nura Khan, the main character, works as a matchmaker and trouble comes when the clients aren't getting married. This story has bits of Desi culture that I found to be interesting in the story. There is a bit of a miscommunication trope, so take that as warning for some romance readers

I went into this thinking it was pure cozy mystery but it also was very much about family (loved all of them) and friend relationships. It brought more heart than I had expected and that was nice. I had never come across a small business cozy that centred on a woman with a matchmaker business, which made me want to read this. I even rooted for her to find her match and was sure I knew she had already so I was very smiley when that came together in the end also.

The setting of Atlanta was well done at least for this reader who has never visited. The weddings described were extremely lush undertakings and a nice look-in especially since that's not my thing. And even with all the accoutrements, it was clear that true love was the goal of Nur for her clients. I also appreciated the topic of crushing debt being a thread for a character. It's timely and a reminder to truly see people and what they are struggling with, especially when you are not faced with the same things. We all have challenges and could use some grace, especially from friends.

All in all, I would recommend this one. It was my first read by the author and I would happily read another.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Matchmaker was fun as a mystery, fun as a romance, and fun as a book that brings in a bit of Desi culture.

I enjoyed Nura, our main character and the owner and driving force behind Piyar Matchmaking Agency, which has an unparalleled successful match rate and a successful app. Nurs was warm and intelligent and I enjoyed reading about her success and her family, her Aunt (who started the agency) and her sister and niece. Nura’s life seems perfect until she runs into some blowback from press about her agency (equating what she does to arranged marriages traditional to Indian culture) and weddings of her successful matches starting to go wrong from outside influence. The mystery behind what’s as afoot there would have been impossible to guess, but was well done. The best part is that where other books similar to this may have just ended there, I found myself only at 60% as the story continued into a larger mystery which was just as tricky to have guessed.

The Matchmaker also features a romance (for Nura), but I frankly could have left that part out and it would not have taken away anything from the story. Pick this up for where it shines, with its mystery and fun characters and plot.

I had a hard time putting down this book! I was super engaged with the plot, characters and mystery! This book did stress me out since it became kind of intense with all the mysterious shenanigans that kept happening throughout the story.

What I loved most about this book, this plot is very different compared to any other murder mystery. It was so nice to have something new to read!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in excellent for my honest opinion!

Good! I liked the original plotline as it truly was one I have never heard before. I love a good matchmaker story and this was filled with mystery, intrigue and family drama

Matching making has been in Nura Khans family for 3 generations. Her business has a very elite clientele with a long waiting list. As with many businesses, reputation and word of mouth can make or break a company. When a wedding is cancelled the day before it is to take place, then a bride and groom go missing from a wedding, the online trolls and gossips come out with a vengeance. Normally, Nura would brush off these exceptions but when she has a break-in, her cat is taken and she starts receiving threatening notes and threats to her family, she knows this is much more than bad business. Someone is out to destroy her and her company but who and why?

This was a good book, written well, I enjoyed the characters and the plotline was engaging. I did enjoy the cloak and dagger aspect of this book but I have to admit, for me, it was obvious who was behind destroying the business. Alert: The author made it apparent who was behind destroying the business without stating their name or reasoning until the end. Still, I did enjoy the writing and the story and would recommend you do too!

At no point did I know where this book was going., the twist and turns definitely kept me on my turns. This novel also ended up being much darker than I had expected it to be with the final plot twist actually making me a little nervous. I do think that there were maybe too many turns in this book, it got exhausting after a while. However, I do think this book was enjoyable. I laughed out loud, gasped and was locked in to finding out what was happening. The additional themes of family, friendship, and culture were enjoyable especially to break up the drama. This book also has a subplot of romance, and I will always love that. There was no way to guess this plot and I would definitely recommend.

This was very slowed paced and predictable. You can guess who is behind all the chaos and deception from the beginning. And I do wish that the love interest would have happened quicker. To me it seems like it was thrown in at the last minute to create another dynamic.

hank you to Net Galley and Random House publishing for the advanced readers digital copy.

Nura has inherited the family business, matchmaking. She is a third generation matchmaker. She inherited it from her aunt that raised her, who has taken a step back due to health issues. She has just launched a matchmaking app but still has a limited VIP client list that she provides personal services to. Things start to go wrong with some of the matches she has made at the agency and she is receiving threats. There is also a podcast that is attacking her and the agency.
This book is well written and hard to put down. There is a lot going on and layers to the story. I haven’t read anything like this. I think it is a great debut adult novel for this author. I really loved how the story unfolded and how the author talks so much about her culture. There is some romance but the book mainly is a mystery.

Thank you Netgally for the opportunity to read and review Aisha Saeed’s debut adult novel.
Nura Khan is a third generation matchmaker who finds herself caught up in a dangerous mystery game of chase. All while trying to navigate her thriving business, her family, and a complicated little love story. I really enjoyed the mystery of finding out what was unraveling and the blossoming of Nuras own match made for herself!

This story was wild. I never knew what was coming. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I found it a bit slow at times but that was all apart of it. Not my favorite but also not the worst.

This was really compelling and I honestly didn’t want to put it down. This book has it all - lavish desi weddings, romance, characters that are well-imagined, and a twisty mystery that gets your heart racing. It’s definitely way more of a mystery than a romance but I liked both plotlines. I

a really nice mix of cozy mystery and romance with quirky characters which makes for an engaging and enjoyable read. The authors writing really brings the characters and setting to life

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed was such an interesting and fun mystery - while not quite a "cozy" mystery, it was definitely on the lighter side as far as mysteries go. Perfect for a more casual read when you want something unique but not heavy or too twisty. Aisha Saeed was so masterful in building the vibrant world of The Matchmaker - with an intriguing cast of characters that I was completely invested in very early on in the story, no matter how large or small their role in the plot was, and a diverse lineup of expensive Atlanta socialite weddings ranging from desi to german/italian.

Nura Kahn, our main character, is a driven, hyper-focused woman using her work to avoid her very deep feelings - whether that be her sadness about her Aunt's health deteriorating, her anger at her cousin, or her love for her childhood best friend. I loved that she was a self-aware enough to know that there was an imbalance in her relationships and that she wanted to fix it, and I really enjoyed that larger journey alongside her desire to unravel the mystery around her matchmaking agency. While many characters with this workaholic quality tend to fall into selfish or unlikable behavior, Nura was immediately endearing as she quickly began to take stock of her life and how she wanted to change her habits so she could be a better niece, cousin, and friend.

I felt that Azar's plotline was not just an added on romance, that his story overlapping with Nura's played a significant role in both her mental state and the plot at large, and I was very appreciative of that. The relationship between Nura and Azar was well developed and I could feel the history behind their friendship and what Nura felt was at risk. Also, Azar's new relationship happening at the same time as the wedding mishaps really leant to the feeling of everything happening at once and overwhelming Nura, leading her to take a look at her life and what she really wanted for herself. While I wish the confession moment had a bit more space to breathe, and that the new relationship had continued to get more development and attention after that, I acknowledge that is my own personal preference as someone that reads a lot of romance. If you are partial to romance staying a subplot, this may be the perfect balance for you!

The pacing was the only real downside to this reading experience, the first half dragged a bit while the second half was full of quick resolutions to the different subplots, as well as plot twists that could have been developed further. I wouldn't have minded the slow pace if it had stayed consistent throughout, but contrasting it with the sudden answer to the whodunit and a quick spiral into a plot twist, it felt very off balance. The story behind Nura's mother and the family business could have also benefitted from a little more development and resolution than just acting as a possible answer to the whodunit - but I appreciated the way it really added depth to her relationship to her cousin and aunt, and gave insight into the matchmaking agency's history back in Pakistan.

I rated The Matchmaker 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I do recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was such an interesting read. I loved Aisha Saeed's writing style and we really into the story until about half way through where I started to get a bit antsy for the plot to pick up more (& it did tbf), just not in the way I was hoping. You get the start of the story unraveling about half way and I remember thinking <i>"okayyy but what's the rest of the book then?"</i>, just for the rest of the book to feel like forced twists and turns.

It is definitely far more heavy on the family drama and mystery than romance. In all honesty the romance aspect felt like more of an after thought and the obvious choice. And the family lore that gets dropped in there but doesn't really provide value outside being a bridge for better communication between the cousins. As far as the mystery aspect, I think the <i>who dun it</i> felt pretty well foreshadowed without being too heavy-handed.

This last bit could be considered spoilery, so stop reading if you don't want anything close to a spoiler... I think when reading the synopsis, I expected the wedding sabotages to start off as smaller things and we'd get more build up. But the second incident is a kidnapping and you find out the kidnapper 10 or so pages later. Very much a <i>'well that escalated quickly'</i> moment.

Overall, an alright read. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author writes next!

<b>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review! </b>