I enjoyed this book about a matchmaker that unfortunately finds herself in the middle of a scandal and a mystery. It was a fun and quick read, and I enjoyed learning more about the matchmaking industry. I also had fun reading more about desi weddings, which is something that I have never attended in my life personally. That being said, I do think that unfortunately this book tried to do just a little bit too much. It had a romance plot that sort of seemed like it was going to be the most important but then got put on the backburner, and then resolved in one conversation (like most are). It also had the mystery that kept me coming back, but I did guess the twist from the beginning. I feel like to the detriment of the book, the author tried to put a little too much in this book and resolved all the conflict way too quickly at the end so the pay off didn’t feel as great. It was still a fun book to read and was an incredibly fast read. It was about as easy breezy as a book can be with a murder in the middle. Overall, I had fun, but it was somewhat forgettable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

The Matchmaker
Aisha Saeed

I love this author so much - I mostly have read her young adult / middle grade books so was not sure what to expect out of her adult novel. I initially thought this was going to be a love story but didn’t realize how thrilling it would be. I mean, who knew the world of matchmaking was full of mystery, intrigue and MURDER!

It’s been a while since I slept at 2am needing to finish a book. What kept me reading was the hope the author would tie all the major developments together - what we learn about her past, her love story and of course the mystery from the matchmaking scandals. What is embedded in between is the cultural aspects to the story and the engrossing family dynamics. Also, Nura is a strong female character that I really admired throughout the novel.

There were definite twists and turns and a few suspects thrown in as a red herring but honestly I pegged the prime suspect from the beginning - it seemed pretty obvious. I would love to say the story was clever enough to really keep you guessing until the end but the writing style is a little rudimentary (almost young adult-ish) and I don’t believe the author effectively intertwined all the individual elements. The love story seemed a bit separate from the mystery part and it was rushed towards the end. What I found the most interesting was the least discussed part of the book (the family secret aspect) and the resolution to that also seemed a bit hurried.

With that being said, I am so grateful that we can have South Asian representation within a book that touches upon issues that the desi community often faces (arranged marriage but not your stereotypical tropes about it, cultural appropriation, etc.) without sounding preachy and additionally, it was a story palatable for all to read and enjoy (an inclusive story that can reach a wide audience). The pacing makes it entertaining for any reader seeking a good thrill.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well written. Unique. Fun. Fast paced. Mystery. Romance. Thriller. Suspenseful.

Like the title suggests the story is about matchmaking. It’s about relationships and love. But it’s also about family and friendships.

The FMC, Nura, runs a successful matchmaking company. Unfortunately, someone is not happy with her and begins sabotaging her company and threatening her life. The author did an excellent job of building suspense and creating plot twists. Great character development. I really enjoyed learning about the Desi culture.

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Aisha Saeed and Bantam for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Ballantine and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I really didn't know what to expect from The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed, but this was such a fun read. Who is trying to take down Nura and her modern matchmaking business? Why do bad things start happening to her otherwise perfect couples? And why has her best friend Azur started dating finally, when she is so clearly in love with him??? Saeed does a great job of keeping the pace going, bringing the mystery around to a great conclusion while giving us a little romance, a little family drama. I'm definitely going to dive into Saeed's other books, this was wonderful.

Such a fun debut novel from Aisha Saaed. I loved that it had some friends to lovers romance, mystery and thriller and family dynamics all thrown in to make a well rounded story. There were some things that felt a little rushed and when I was about halfway thru I was like, “are we finished with the mystery portion?” But no, there was more! Enjoyable read for sure and fun to read about the Desi wedding culture and traditions.

I thought this book was just ok. The mystery, suspense was not bad, especially towards the end, but the characters and the romance just feel flat for me.

I went into The Matchmaker expecting swoony romance and happily-ever-afters, but what I got was something entirely different—and honestly, that surprise worked in its favor. This is less of a love story and more of a slow-burn mystery set within the world of modern matchmaking. Think: secrets, sabotage, and second-guessing… all wrapped in the veil of tradition and family legacy.

Our main character, Nura, is at the heart of it all. She runs a large, successful matchmaking company that was passed down from her aunt, and while the business has created many happy unions over the years, strange things start happening that threaten its future. Nura, already dealing with health issues and the pressure of maintaining the family legacy, finds herself at the center of something much bigger—and far more dangerous—than she imagined.

I’ll admit, the first half felt a little slow and meandering. But once the mystery really kicked in, I was hooked. The second half moves fast, uncovering twists and motives that kept the pages turning. That said, the ending felt a bit rushed and left a few threads hanging. (Sequel, maybe?)

While romance is barely a whisper in the background—definitely not the main event—it’s the layered family dynamics, cultural backdrop, and eerie tension that give this story its charm. If you go in expecting a mystery with just a dash of romance, you’re more likely to enjoy the ride.

Final verdict: A unique concept, a slow build, and a twisty second half make this a solid read. Not quite the romantic tale I was expecting, but still worth the match.

It's been a long time since a book prevented me from going to sleep because I needed to know what happened in the next chapter. This book did exactly that.

Famed (to her own chagrin) matchmaker, Nura Khan, has to figure out who is trying to ruin her business and her life when chaos starts to come for those who she matched in the past. With every chapter, the stakes get higher and higher. At first I was like, "why is Nura inserting herself in this drama? It's ridiculous that she thinks what's happening at these weddings have to do with her. She isn't the wedding planner, she's just the match maker!" and then I realized I was REALLY wrong, it WAS about Nura...she IS the DRAMA.

Beyond just this mystery, there is a cute romcom storyline, a storyline dealing with familial relationship (including an aging aunt/parent), ALSO Nura finds out that her past is not what she thought it was! There are just so many epiphanies that happen in this short book- and each breakthrough is better than the last.

I DID guess the ending, but I didn't guess it until maybe 10-15 pages before it was revealed so that was perfect because it made me feel smart, but also had me guessing for a majority of the book.

This is perfect for spring break or an early beach season read. I really was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

This was a really entertaining read! This story was really unique and unexpected. I enjoyed the matchmaking aspect of the story and I found the peek into the Indian culture very interesting. The characters were engaging and it took me not time at all to become invested.

I thought the story was easy to read and before I knew it, I had finished the book. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with lots of danger.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book:)

This premise, at first look, seems perfect. A matchmaking agency thriller with a bit of romance? I was locked in. I do think that this author took on too much, though. Her writing is beautiful, and the cultural representation was so cool, but the plot wasn't there. The romance was wrapped up in one chapter. The twist didn't make sense. There were so many other small moving parts that didn't get the recognition and time they needed to shine and ended up just being a distraction.

I will be watching Aisha to see what comes next, but this one was a miss for me.

I really enjoyed The Matchmaker! It's about Nura, who runs a matchmaking agency. Her business has been thriving, but then she receives a threat and has to figure out who is out to get her and ruin her business. In the midst of all this Nura may just have happened upon her own match!

4.25 stars- I really enjoyed this! I liked the main character and learning about her business. The romance trope in this is one I will eat up every time. I also didn’t guess the main culprit, which is always a plus when reading a mystery. This was quick and easy read; I think I finished it within 24 hours. I can recommend this to a wide variety of audiences.

I loved the premise of the book and thought the writing around the desi culture as well as the matchmaking services were supper interesting!

This was trying to toe the line between Mystery/Thriller genre as well as Romance, but I didn't think it was done well. This should of been either a straight mystery with no romance elements or just romance. The two together got muddled and confusing.

Nura runs a matchmaking agency that is super-successful ❤️ But all of the sudden, she's receiving threats and negative publicity from a mystery source seemingly out of nowhere. Can Nura and her team figure out who is out to get her before things escalate past the anonymous threats?

While I enjoyed the writing style and the flow of the book, the plot for this novel didn't really grab me. I also felt like the mystery/thriller aspects were getting lost in the romance subplot, which I wasn't loving either. Not my fave mystery out there 🤷🏼‍♀️

3.75 stars
A unique setting: a murder mystery based on an Indian matchmaking company in Atlanta. And of course there's some romance with all that matchmaking going on. I enjoyed the look at Desi culture and thought the mystery was decent. I didn't think the romance part worked as well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

My favorite genre mashup is definitely mystery/rom-com.
In this we meet Nura head matchmaker and co-owner of an incredibly successful matchmaking company. She attends all her clients weddings with her dear friend Azar who pretends to be her fiancee, because who trusts a single matchmaker in her thirties. But, is there more to their decades long friendship than meets the eye? After an almost kiss in high school Nura has kept her true feelings about Azar to herself.

At one of her events things go terribly wrong and it just keeps getting worse. Someone is sabatoging her business and Nura is determined to get to the bottom of it, but her personal safety is in jeopardy. Will she ever find out who's behind it all?

This is such a fun premise and was executed well! I enjoyed the combination of mystery and romance, and the setting was top notch. This is a great beach read!

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

3.5 stars. This was a quick read that I really enjoyed! The characters were all so interesting - Nura especially - that I couldn’t help but become engrossed in their world.

I do think some parts of this were weak - Nura’s inner monologue got repetitive at times, and I think her relationships with Khala & Nina could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. But overall I really enjoyed it! The stakes were high, for sure, but the pacing was steady throughout and I rooted for Nura the whole way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aisha Saeed, and Bantam Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed offers a light and cozy read with a unique twist on the matchmaking business. Nura's dedication to her agency and its clients is endearing, but when a scandalous rumor and other mishaps threaten to unravel her success, she rushes to find out who is behind the attempt to sabotage her business and the pairs she's matched. Even though the suspense is mild I still appreciated the exploration of Nura's personal and professional challenges. The story was a little light in the romance department. I think fans of cozy mysteries will likely appreciate it most.