Matchmaking for Psychopaths surprised me in the best way! The first half was good but, the second half was spectacular. The twists and turns really kept me on the edge of my seat.

I loved Lexie and her character arc! It reminded me a lot of Annie from Cackle. At At the beginning, she was desperate to prove that she’d overcome her dark past and to be accepted. But, she really came into her own by the end, which made my heart so happy🥹🤍 [4.5 stars rounded up to 5].

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Wowser, this is a unique read. It’s part thriller and part romance, with dashes of horror thrown in for good measure. Definitely genre-defying and hard to describe.

Alex, or Lexie as she prefers to be called, is a complicated character. She has worked hard to overcome her difficult upbringing and craft a life for herself. A picture-perfect life. It takes a bit to get to know her as a character. It’s clear that a lot of details about her past are hidden from us as readers, at least at first. We know she had a rough childhood, but we don’t know the details. I don’t want to ruin anything for you, but what I can say is that those secrets do come out, and each reveal is increasingly more and more shocking. There are honestly so many crazy plot twists in this book that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn’t put this book down.

After her birthday dinner with her best friend Molly and her fiancé Noah, where they reveal they are in love, things really start to unravel for Lexi. Her carefully crafted life is now in shambles. Luckily, she still has her beloved job at a matchmaking service. Lexi works with the more, shall we say, challenging clients. Those who score high on the psychopathy scale. This is where she meets Rebecca, her new client, and the two hit it off. They have a lot in common. The new friendship fills up Lexi and makes her less lonely. Things are looking up. She’s even up for a promotion at work. But all is not what it seems, and things get more and more banana pants.

There are a lot of subplots going on in this boo,k and although they seem unrelated, they do come together in unexpected ways. It’s difficult to say more without revealing anything. The ending wasn’t a complete surprise, but it did leave me a little disappointed. I think it could have gone in another direction that would have been more satisfying.

Overall, though, a super fun read if you are into bonkers plots and books that defy definition.

Twisty, fun, and a perfect beach read, Matchmaking for Psychopaths is a rollercoaster of a read - the action and tension is high from the very first page when Lexie discovers (on her birthday, no less) her fiancé is cheating on her with her best friend. Reeling with betrayal, she’s driven into the arms of an attractive stranger she meets at a bar.

Lexie is a matchmaker at an exclusive service and who should walk in but Aidan, the guy from the bar? As if that couldn’t be awkward enough, her fiancé goes missing and body parts start appearing on her doorstep. Luckily, Lexie isn’t alone as she flouts conventions at her job to befriend a client, Rebecca, and the two seriously hit it off.

Wild from start to finish, Matchmaking for Psychopaths is another great novel from author Tasha Coryell, who is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. I laughed, I screamed, I anxiously turned the pages, and I highlighted line after line.

Thank you to NetGalley and the team at Berkley for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

📖Review: Matchmaking for Psychopaths by @tashacoryell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: July 15, 2025

This was a wild and thoroughly entertaining ride. It’s dark, violent, and full of twists, but Coryell expertly balances the gore with just the right dose of dark humor. The blend of horror and wit works really well, making this a fun and memorable read.

Blurb: “When Lexie’s fiancé runs off with her so-called best friend on her birthday, her carefully crafted fairy-tale life shatters. Having survived horrors in her past, she was determined to finally get her happily-ever-after—and she’s not giving up yet.

To distract herself, Lexie throws herself into her unusual job: matchmaking psychopaths (a specialty her clients are blissfully unaware of). But the loneliness is crushing. So when a gorgeous, overprotective new client named Aidan insists they’re soulmates, and another intriguing client, Rebecca, seems perfect to fill the best-friend-shaped hole in her life, Lexie can’t help but find the attention comforting—despite her own professional boundaries.

Then a human heart appears on Lexie’s doorstep. As more threatening packages arrive and her fiancé mysteriously disappears, she must confront a terrifying question: did she inadvertently match herself with a killer? Between Aidan’s claims that her fiancé will never return, Rebecca’s growing presence in her life, and her own dark past resurfacing, Lexie’s matchmaker instincts are being tested like never before.

Because someone is determined to ensure her story ends with a funeral.“

Thank you @berkleypub for the e-arc!

#tylerreads #matchmakingforpsychopaths #tashacoryell #berkleypub #horror #bookreview

I’d give this a solid 3.75. It’s like if Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka had a kid and this was her messed up adult life. I’ve read this author’s other books and she keeps you hooked but all her characters are really unlikeable. I spent most of this one wondering what is this even about? but I kept reading. I didn’t see the final twist coming, but it felt a little rushed. Still if you liked her other book, you’ll probably like this one too. It’s unhinged but I liked it better than Love Letters to a Serial Killer.

Thank you for the free book, Berkley!

In this genre-bending read that mixes suspense, mystery, and comedy with a dash of romance, Lexie is not your average matchmaker. Her job is to set up clinical pyschopaths to find love. Thanks to her parents, she has quite a background in psychopathy, even if she has reinvented herself. When people close to her begin to disappear, she starts to suspect that being a matchmaker for pyschopaths might be a bit dangerous after all.

I loved Tasha Coryell’s debut and this novel was unique and entertaining in its own right. If you’re looking for a realistic true crime serious type of thriller, this probably isn’t your book. However, if you want something that stands out from the pack of thrillers, makes you laugh, and come along for a wild ride- this is for you! It isn’t necessarily completely unpredictable, but it is outrageous and uses the device of storytelling with a unique narrator who is slightly unhinged (in the vein of You, but in a different anti-hero way). I didn’t want to put the book down until I finished, and then wanted more. Tasha Coryell has established herself as a must-read author for me!

What a follow up from Coryell, a game of cat and mouse that keeps you hooked and has you questioning everyone involved. Her thrillers are fun, entertaining and has you cringing at the FMC’s inner most thoughts. Definitely recommend.

A twisted dark comedy with some romance. I did enjoy the story of Lexie's journey throughout the book and her character. I did like the premise of the match-making services for psychopaths to find love, which, to be fair, it's hard to find someone. I did like that Lexi was obsessed with television, especially with love stories and watching trashy reality dating shows. There's something about how things slowly become more unsettling the more you read, especially when it comes to Lexie's backstory, which is one of the best parts in the book. Aiden was an okay character, I felt like he could have been more in the book, specifically in the love interest aspect. This book feels more like a character study of psychopaths and how they are portrayed in the story. The psychopath did not feel full on minus some characters, but I feel like a feel were more on the sociopath side, which they did not mention at all in this book. They are similar, but there are differences in certain aspects. I think it could have been interesting for the book to address. Overall, this was an interesting, fun read that does subvert characters.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This was strange in a good way. It’s exactly as the title suggests and although I liked the overall plot line, it seemed a bit much too

What a fun twisted ride! Thoroughly enjoyed it, though except Lexie the other characters lacked a kind of depth, the story sort of made up for it.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy!

I greatly enjoyed “Matchmaking for Psychopaths”! While the premise of the book sounds very heavy and mysterious, it felt like a fun and light read to me, likely because of the way Lexie’s character narrated the story. In the first few chapters, we go along with Lexie as she is apprised of her fiancé and best friend’s affair on her birthday. While that would be enough to set anyone off, she simply has a fun, blackout-drunk night with some strangers and plots to get her fiancé back. Meanwhile, her job as a matchmaker (specifically for psychopaths) at Better Love has never been going better, and she hopes to move up in the chain of command as her boss plans a company expansion. However, there are people who do not want Lexie to succeed in either of these endeavors, and she soon finds herself having to come to terms with both these obstacles and the darkness of her past.

I was able to identify half of the ending twist a bit early on, although the second half was a surprise to me. I agree with other reviewers that one of the relationships featured in this novel felt a bit abrupt, but perhaps this is a case of “when you know, you know”? The amount of casual murder was a bit shocking to me, although I suppose that’s to be expected in a novel centered around psychopaths. Overall, this was a quick and fun read. I already recommended this to my best friend!

If you like batshit crazy books, then this one is for you! It was fun and entertaining. MC finds out that her best friend and fiancee are hooking up on her birthday. She decides to go upon her life, and tell her Fiance goes missing, and she starts receiving threatening gifts. Fun read! Definitely recommend

I really enjoyed this book in the first half, but it started losing me halfway through. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what the potential could have been. I was I tried by the mysterious Aiden and the dead fiancé, but halfway through the book lost steamed. Her relationship with Aiden confused me because it seemed so sudden. I didn’t feel a lot of romantic tension or build up, just him telling her they belonged together and her eventually going with it. I figured out pretty early that Rebecca was her sister and that Lexie was a psychopath, but I read a lot of mystery and thriller so maybe other readers won’t realize. I wanted to love this book but I just think it could use the rewrites on the latter half. It had so much potential and I was disappointed.

One thing I can always count on from Tasha Coryell is the most unhinged love story. Matchmaking for Psychopaths was no different. I absolutely ate this book up. I don’t know what is about Tasha’s writing style but it sucks me in every time. The amount of attention she puts into each one of her characters is unmatched. This is my second 5 Star read from her and I’ve only read two of her books. It’s safe to say she has now became one of my favorite authors. I’m so sad this book is over. I can’t wait for her next one.

If you love an unhinged love story with unique characters and murder then this one’s for you.
5/5 Stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Look, I know we all have ourselves some crazies in our lives, but the amount of psycho's in her life is some next level bullshit lol. But i did really enjoy this book. it was a lot of fun.

4 stars.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year since I read Love Letters to a Serial Killer at the beginning of January and it did NOT disappoint. I’m a huge fan of Tasha Coryell’s writing.
This book was wonderful. It was fun, all while being creepy, suspenseful, and somehow romantic? There were a few twists I did not see coming, especially the stuff surrounding Lexie’s parents. Even though she was a bit messed up, Lexie was so easy to root for even if you know she’s done the wrong thing.
The big reveal at the end of the ultimate bad guy did not surprise me, though I’m not sure it was even suppose to. I think it was written in a way to make you say “well yeah, duh it’s them?” but the reason why they were doing it did surprise me, so that was a fun twist. Overall, I couldn’t put this book down and I would recommend it to anyone who is okay with a little bit of dark humor and gore.
This was a great read and Tasha Coryell has definitely become an autobuy author for me.

I also want to note how much I love the cover and title for this book. Both are absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to have a physical for my shelf in July!

Tasha Coryell's 2025 novel, MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS, is a genre-bending mix of comedy, romance, horror, and psychological thriller—and I absolutely loved it!

Alexandra grew up craving food, safety, and love—needs she’s spent her life trying to fill with a beautiful home, a doctor boyfriend, and a job helping classified psychopaths find love. Alexandra spends her days dreaming of being married to Noah, watching trashy reality tv and envisioning her life play out as a reality show, and loving working at her job in hopes of eventually leading her own division. But when her boyfriend and best friend reveal they’re now a couple (I would have LOST it!)—on her birthday, no less—Alex’s carefully built world shatters. Then her ex turns up dead, and as bodies start piling up, she begins to suspect her new friend might be more dangerous than she seems.

This book is a one sitting read! ALERT, anti-slow burn alert! I know Coryell's debut novel, Love Letters to a Serial Killer had very mixed reviews, but if you don't find MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS entertaining, I don't know what to tell you. This book is perfect for fans of the Real Housewives, spoofs on romance movies or horror movies, and wants to read something unique. This book is a great for readers of Mona Awad or Eliza Jane Brazier as this deviates from the typical thriller genre you've probably read in recent years. As mentioned, I read this in one sitting because it's just so easy to follow along. I knew what was going to play out, but what sets this book apart from others is how fun and immersive you will feel with Alexandra's journey. Have fun with this book and don't take it too seriously. This book will be in my top 10 reads for 2025. Bravo, Tasha Coryell!

I liked most of this book more than i expected. It had more depth more social commentary and a humorous voice. It kind of fell off a bit in the end tried to put too much in, tie up too many loose ends when choosing one path and making that stronger would have strengthen the story and kept the tone more consistent. Overall a fun read for what it was

DNF at 20%.

I don’t know if I’m slipping into a reading slump or what, but I was super disappointed in this one. It sounded like a wild ride and I’m sure it is, but I just can’t get into the writing style at all.

I can see why other people might like this, but I just don’t think it’s for me right now.

I don’t usually do plot summaries, but I feel like I need to with Matchmaking for Psychopaths, both because there are some content warnings and so that my review makes sense.

The premise is this: Lexie is a matchmaker. She was hired to work with a very select group of individuals. Those individuals have had difficulty finding significant others by more traditional means. They’re not sure why. Lexie does, however: they’re all psychopaths. And she would know; she’s been stuck with a few in the past. When she has trouble maintaining a professional distance with some of her clients and body parts start showing up at her front door, it seems as though the past might be repeating itself. Or is there something even more sinister afoot?

I loved this book. It’s almost psychological horror (I don’t want to go into the almost, since it would be a spoiler but bear with me) and, also, absolutely hilarious; comedy-horror is hard, quite possibly the hardest genre cross-over to write, and Coryell manages to pull it off while writing a cast of horrible people living selfish, little lives that you can’t help gobbling up like an insatiable voyeur. It builds and builds and builds to a climax that is utterly insane and yet so perfect you can’t imagine it going any other way and then, right when you think it’s over, it hits you with one last gasp, exactly the way Lexie’s favorite reality shows do (of course. Of course it does. What other possible way could it end end?)

That said: Matchmaking for Psychopaths is also very disturbing. Because it’s about the things some people (all people?) would do without rules and laws. If we were allowed to be petty and mean without the fear of consequences. If we could act on our worst impulses and get away with it. A lot of those things are troubling. Some are horrible. Some go beyond that.

You might be wondering, “Shiri, how can this book possibly be funny?” It’s all in how the story is written and your sense of humor. I have been a psych nurse, a corrections nurse, and a toxicology nurse. I also did my preceptorship in an ICU. These are types of nursing that require you to wear a certain kind of armor on the outside if you’re going to maintain compassion and kindness on the inside. That armor is impregnated with an extremely dark sense of humor. I also have anxiety, depression, and some other stuff. Laughing at myself, stuff that’s happened, the huge way I sometimes react to tiny things and the non-reaction I sometimes have to huge things… that’s my life-preserver. It is also sometimes very dark.

That doesn’t mean I think the horrible things in and of themselves are funny. I don’t. I think they’re awful and terrible. One of them almost made me throw up and I’ve seen a lot of insides. It does mean I can see humor in what happens around them; in the random, left field thoughts people have in response to them; and the bizarre ways someone might react after the fact. In what a character might latch on to in a time of crisis. A terrible decision she might make because of something that happened in her past. An inappropriate joke she might tell that no one else thinks is funny but that she finds hilarious. Brains are weird.

So, with that caveat. If you’re a little twisted and a little dark, do recommend.