This is a suspenseful / thriller and revenge book. The pacing could be a lot better. There are quite a few characters, but it is not too hard to follow. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I think this book has a very intriguing premise. However, the prose and dialogue was difficult for me to enjoy. It felt like I was reading a very rough draft that needed a lot of fine tuning. I think there is a good story to be told within it, but needs a few more passes.

★★★★

Stephanie Faulkner is looking for a second chance at love. After a terrible marriage, she finds herself recently widowed, but she hasn’t given up hope. Instead of turning to online dating, she decides to go old school with a matchmaker who’s discreet and a little unconventional. To her surprise, she quickly finds love. But the happiness is short-lived; Stephanie tragically dies on her honeymoon.

Lucy, her sister and a lawyer, always found Stephanie’s approach to love a bit odd. Now, deep in grief, Lucy struggles to accept the circumstances of her sister’s death. There are just too many suspicious details surrounding the whirlwind romance and sudden loss. She begins to investigate.

Carol, a recently laid-off journalist, is desperate for a story to revive her career. When she reads about Stephanie’s untimely death, she’s convinced there’s more to the story than an accidental drowning.

Hannah, a newly appointed DC, is tasked with her first murder case and she’s eager to prove herself. The investigation is challenging: the victim has no ID, the crime scene has been thoroughly cleaned, and clues are nearly nonexistent.

Each woman is driven by a different motivation, but they all want the same thing: to uncover what really happened on that honeymoon in Cornwall…

This story is the definition of a cat and mouse game! From the start, Stephanie and James’ love story felt too perfect. As a reader, I picked up on plenty of red flags, ones Stephanie chose to ignore. And honestly, after her first marriage, who could blame her?

The characters were well developed, and I loved seeing a group of women, each with unique skills and motivations, leading separate investigations in their own way. The pacing leans toward slow burn, and I occasionally struggled with the retelling of client experiences. While I understand the purpose, think matchmaking blueprints, first-date flops, and third dates that sweep you off your feet, it sometimes made me feel like my e-reader had jumped back to an earlier chapter.

Overall, this was an entertaining thriller I’d definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy a smart, layered mystery with a good cat and mouse dynamic.

Oh, and the cover? Absolutely stunning. I am obsessed.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Vanessa Edwards for the copy. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t know what to expect going in, it started great but then seemed to drag on, the constant changing of people’s identities just became confusing and personally it was decent but took a while to finish

Absolutely love the plot of this book, I didn’t have any idea on how it was going to end so this book kept me hooked want to find out more. I would recommend this book to anyone that was to sit down for a whole day just to read.

I genuinely don’t know how this book isn’t everywhere!! HOW!? It’s SO addicting. Everything from the cover to the characters to the plot! Absolutely perfect

Amazing amazing so good !! I enjoyed this read so much and I will recommend this read thank you so much drama and a page turner

Thank you to Netgalley for a free review copy of this book.

The book began with an exclusive newspaper article - “Honeymoon Tragedy of Bride in the Bath”. It provided details of the bride, Stephanie’s death from drowning in a bathtub, and quotes from her brand-new, grief-stricken husband, James Anderson.

The book then flashed back to three months earlier and Stephanie’s first meeting with Vivien Harrison, the owner of the matchmaking/dating agency, “Made In Heaven MatchMakers”. Stephanie is a recent widow. Stephanie’s character and her circumstances, as well as the knowledge of what the future has in store for her, instantly engaged my sympathies and had me hooked.

This book was by no means a whodunit. Thanks to the synopsis and the initial chapters of the book, it was obvious what was going on. The subsequent plot twists in the narrative were also predictable. So, a thrilling mystery with surprising twists it was not.

I still found the book enjoyable. It was the how of it all that had me turning the pages. The detailed descriptions of the various investigations, from the difficulty and boredom of conducting surveillance to the constant doubts that would plague a layperson trying to figure out if there was criminal activity or if it was all in their imagination, were very relatable. Plus, the culprits receiving their comeuppance was extremely satisfying.

Certain aspects of the narrative felt contrived. One example is how Kate’s (a new client of Made in Heaven after Stephanie) experience with the matchmaking agency is almost identical to that of Stephanie’s. Additionally, some of the conversations between Vivien and her partner, Max, at the beginning, in hindsight, were unnecessary and did not help.

At the end of most mystery books I read, I always wonder if the narrative would have benefited from skipping certain events or placing them later or earlier. This could have been a more intriguing mystery if the timing and placement of some events were moved around. It would also benefit from a more thorough edit, as there were some formatting issues as well as noticeable grammatical errors.

I would still recommend this book because I am a fan of deceitful and morally grey characters, realistic investigations that sometimes result in a dead end, and a plot that invokes sympathy and thoughtfulness. The book dragged at times and was predictable, but it was hard to put down.

Lucy is a lawyer. When her estranged sister Stephanie dies in an accident on her honeymoon, Lucy contacts the dating agency she used. But they deny any knowledge of bride or groom. Carol is a reporter. When she stumbles on a brief press report of Stephanie’s tragic honeymoon, she scents a human-interest story. But the widower is untraceable. Hannah is a detective constable. When she’s posted to her first murder investigation, she’s keen to impress. But there is nothing to identify the body or the killer. Three determined women follow three strands which come together in a shocking revelation of amorality, greed and ruthlessness! Good book! This book had good suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue and a few shocking moments! The story was interesting and definitely worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A gripping and well told book that had me from the get go. i wanted to know more from our characters, each were helping me get more and more involved and i loved how their stories and own points in this book has their place, but also came together and or linked seamlessly. i also liked how because of the nature of each character we got a new kind of perspective of this story unfolding. from emotionally involved, to detecting to reporting the views each had their own narrative. they are such well drawn out and developed characters and you are rooting for every single one of them especially Lucy who you can truly feel the pain of her loss from.
the story is of a tragic accident of a woman on her honeymoon. she is the sister of Lucy and Lucy finds herself unable to let his go. and well done her for doing so, because a she digs deeper she sure does dig things up.
the books reveals itself in many layers which are handed over to us by Vanessa in perfects placement and only when she wants to! you are kept guessing but also finding with this book and i loved that the balance there was done so well.
you also dont mind at all not even trying to figure things out too much. because you are there for the ride however it comes and trust this author will bring it in the right time and she does this to perfection.
this book not only feels compelling in its story but also on just how real and realistic it feels of how they pieces, secrets and mysterious all fall where they do. it all fit like a brilliant puzzle with the scale of emotional tension and plot suspense all done so well.
i enjoyed reading this book so much. it hit every point exactly where i could have wished for going in.
its books like this that make you go "oh, i just love reading books!"

"The Matchmakers" by Vanessa Edwards is a suspenseful and engaging thriller filled with surprising plot twists that keep you on your toes.
The story is told from several points of view, but it’s easy to follow, which pleasantly surprised me since I typically struggle with books that feature numerous characters. This time, everything flowed smoothly, and I was completely absorbed in the narrative.

I loved the strong female characters! It was so refreshing to see them portrayed in such a powerful light. The book has a unique premise and an intriguing storyline, making it a brilliant read overall.

Max and Vivian run the matchmaking company "Made in Heaven," catering to a wealthier clientele and promising no digital trail. But is this truly for the safety of their clients?

When Stephanie approaches the matchmaking service, she wants to find a man who is the exact opposite of her late, abusive husband. Unfortunately, her pursuit of happiness takes a dark turn.

On the other hand, Kate seeks a match to share her wealth with; having dedicated her life to building a successful business, she never found the time for love.

This is where we start to uncover a pattern, and from that point on, I was glued to the book, completely invested in discovering what on earth was happening.

It was a quick read, and although the plot was complex, it was executed very well.

A very charming little book that makes a great beach read for a long afternoon. It was a bit predictable in so many ways but still enjoyed it. Good luck with the book and thanks for the early read.

I loved the character of Stephanie and we lost her ways too soon. This book is quite involved and requires quite a bit of focus to stay on top of switching between 1st and 3rd person narrative, a myriad of characters and a plot that shouldn’t, but does fall flat in the end.

Maybe one for the long airport wait.

The Description of The Matchmakers sounded interesting and as if it would be my sort of book but unfortunately once I started it, I realised it wasn't. I found it to be overlong and had far too many characters which made it difficult to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I struggle between a 2-star rating and a 2.5-star rating.
If you want a character-heavy book with fluctuating POVs, you will love this book.
I, however, struggled, and I wanted to love it so bad!
The structure was my problem with the book. The structure was disjointed, which made it very difficult to stay engaged and required effort to focus on what was happening.
First & Third persons POVs - multiple, it was hard to keep track of which characters we were dealing with at times.
I thought Stephanie was the main character, but then we switched over to Lucy.
Either way, there was some repetition in the plot, which caused distractions.
I do think the characters were decently developed. I felt like they were also somewhat relatable, but it was difficult to say.
We do get several plot twists, and I did enjoy that aspect.
I also enjoyed the pace of the book. It was a quick read.
I think that the book has a unique premise, and with some work on the structure, I would have really enjoyed it! Love strong female characters, but it just felt a bit disjointed!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Happy Reading!

The overall storyline of this book was good and I thought the author did a good job of tying up the book in an interesting way. The main reason for it not being quite four stars for me is I felt the book could’ve been a little shorter and the amount of characters and having their POVs shown made it hard to keep track of who was who for quite some time for me.
I still think this book is definitely worth checking out!

The Matchmakers is about a matchmaking agency where the new wives don't last long after being wed to the perfect partners. The premise of the story was very promising unfortunately I found the book to be dry and slow. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. The switching of character POV were muddled in my opinion.

This could've been soooo good! But it missed the mark a bit for me.

This had such great potential, plot and storyline-wise. The blurb sounded so incredibly intriguing and dramatic, so I really wanted to read it. But I wasn't really all that captivated by it. I do know that I can be really picky with thrillers, but pretty much my only criteria is that I am thrilled and entertained. Just don't let it fall flat. I fear this fell flat.

I did find that this had a lot of characters to keep track of (and I think I just prefer thrillers with a smaller cast of characters, not sure why, but that's totally a me thing). I found that all these characters complicated things, confusing me as to what was happening with who and why.

I loved the idea of someone (our main character Stephanie) using a matchmaking service to track people down and uncover stuff. That really is so fun and dramatic and so much can be done with that.

Overall, I did think there were a lot of great elements to this book. The author definitely has great ideas, I just want them to be executed in a more exciting, action-packed and concise way. But these are just my opinions and feelings, I'm sure plenty of people will adore this the way it is. This sort of genre really is all about personal preference.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

A Deep Connection with "The Matchmakers" by Vanessa Edwards
Reading "The Matchmakers" was an experience that captivated me from beginning to end, a true rollercoaster of emotions that left me completely passionate about every page. Vanessa Edwards has created something truly special here, a story that not only entertained me but made me feel deeply.
From the first lines, I was pulled into Stephanie's universe and her search for a new beginning after the tragedy. Her pain, vulnerability, and hope in finding happiness through a matchmaking service touched me in a very real way. I found myself rooting for her, feeling every pang of doubt and every glimmer of optimism. The author has an incredible ability to build characters you instantly connect with, and Stephanie is a perfect example of this.
But what truly captivated me was the web of mystery and suspense that Edwards masterfully weaves. The atmosphere of "MadeInHeaven MatchMakers" is as alluring as it is unsettling. There's something so sinister and fascinating about the way Vivien and Max operate, and I found myself devouring the pages, desperate to unravel the secrets behind their promises of "happily ever after." With each revelation, my heart pounded, and I couldn't stop reading.
The way the author explores human fragility and how easily trust can be broken is simply brilliant. It's a story that makes us question appearances and what truly lies behind facades. "The Matchmakers" is not just a thriller; it's an emotional journey about vulnerability, deception, and the eternal search for connection, even in the most unexpected and dangerous places. I finished this read with my mind buzzing and my heart full of admiration for how this story was told. It's a book I recommend with all my passion!