This is a fun book. The theme of the matchmaking that was inherited and the
good,, thr bad, and the deadly make this book past paced with great characters
from start to finish. I was literally glued to my chair because I was so worried
about what might happen to Nura and her family… Not to mention why a
woman with such. a talent had somehow failed to find her own match. I
love the way it will turn out, along with the how and the why. It’s a great
journey. Luckily nobody in the family had to die.
I highly recommend this book! My thanks to Random House for the
download copy of this book for review purposes.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed is a captivating blend of romance and mystery that had me hooked from the start. Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta, is a character I couldn't help but root for—her dedication to her clients and her complex feelings for her childhood friend, Azar, added depth to her persona. As her meticulously arranged weddings begin to unravel due to sabotage, the tension escalates, and I found myself eagerly turning pages to uncover the culprit. Saeed's portrayal of Nura's internal struggles and the evolving dynamics with Azar made me feel deeply connected to their journey. If you're looking for a novel that masterfully intertwines heartfelt romance with a suspenseful plot, The Matchmaker is a must-read. It's a delightful page-turner that will keep you guessing and leave you thoroughly satisfied.

3.5 mystery with a romance? Romance with a mystery? I loved a lot about this book. The matchmaking with so many beautiful details about the Pakistani culture and family ties. I did think it fell off a bit after the first item was resolved. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A very good story about a generational business of matchmakers. So much rich, wonderful information about the Pakistani wedding culture wound around a story that has three or four different storylines wrapping through it. There is romance, danger, humor, and so many twists and turns I could not put it down and read it in two days. I never saw the ending coming either - which makes it a really good book to me - if I can't guess the ending, that is a excellent book!!

OH MY GOSH! First off I am so freaking glad I got an ARC of this! This book was fun and exciting and I thought it was a really unique romance book! I could not reccomend it more!

One of the standout aspects of "The Matchmaker" is its vivid and immersive portrayal of Pakistani culture. Saeed's writing is rich in sensory details, making it easy to become fully immersed in the world of the story. The characters are well-developed and complex, with nuanced motivations and relatable struggles.

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.