As much as I love reading #ownvoices books like the Matchmaker's List, I could not get past Raina's decision to pretend to be a lesbian and even having a real lesbian character in the book be used to keep her secret. It was too much. It didn't help that i feel like she didn't really learn anything from her mistakes. :(

I couldn't connect with the main character and found her to be irritating. The romance was also low for me, there wasn't any chemistry. It wasn't really enjoyable and I had to put it down.

I enjoyed the story but it wasn't really a story with a happily ever after. It was a story of a woman coming into her own. It's more women's fiction than romance. The author did an amazing job writing such a beautiful story. I just wished there was more romance!

I was really looking forward to this book with its promise of cross-cultural highs and lows, an exploration of the immigrant experience, and a look at traditional arranged marriages in modern society. Unfortunately, it ultimately failed to live up to its pledge because the heroine quite sank the story.

As I mentioned earlier, the heroine tanked the story. It’s clear from the way the book is written that we are meant to sympathize with Raina and follow her trials and tribulations with a smile. Unfortunately, I could not do it. She’s an utterly self-absorbed, selfish woman, who does not take the time to examine how her words and actions affect the people around her, and takes their care and love for granted. While there are moments when she is nice to them, most of the time, we hear her carping about them or saying and doing things that hurt or anger them. Her feelings and her concerns take up all her attention and she has none to spare even for Nani.

The reason, this book gets a C and not a lower grade is because Lalli’s writing is good and she paints a clear picture of the conflicts immigrants and their first generation children face in their community and in the wider society. But the starring character ruined the story, and I cannot recommend The Matchmaker’s List to you all.

https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/the-matchmakers-list-by-sonia-lalli/

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli takes on modern-day dating among a traditional Indian community in Toronto. Raina Anand is approaching 30 and her Nani desperately wants to see her married. Raina isn't opposed — especially with her best friend's wedding approaching — even though she doesn't love the pressure. Nevertheless, she embarks on a seriously disastrous series of dates with the men on her grandmother's list.

This is not strictly a romance novel, in that it's not clear who The One is for Raina — if any guy is — and the focus is also on the other many messy, complicated relationships in Raina's life: her Nani, her absent mother, her friends, the ex she still holds a torch for. But what we all really want from a romance novel is an engaging love story that delivers on the promise of true love forever — and not just on Valentine's Day — and The Matchmaker's List comes through in spades (and hearts).

I was forewarned that this was NOT going to be the romance I was expecting and it wasn't. This was a story about a women turning 30 and reevaluating her life. What was she passionate about? Who was she passionate about? And, for the most part, it was an interesting and thoughtful journey.

Raina's inspection of her life began with a list. This was a list of possible suitors assembled by her Nani, and as she began her string of first dates, Raina began to unravel the emotions which had been knotted up inside of her for many years. She began to reflect on her failed relationship with Dev, and her need to move past it. She questioned her career choice, and began grappling with what her calling actually was. She confronted her confusion regarding her relationship with her estranged mother, as well as acknowledging some emotions regarding her best friend.

There was one choice the author made for Raina, which I am sure you have read about in many other reviews, that I also was not a fan of. I think the story could have been told without it, but there is also a part of me that believes the author had a reason for including it. There was a great deal of time dedicated to Raina's community in the book. Lalli showed the good and the bad sides of this community, and I feel like maybe she wanted to address the community's attitude towards this particular issue.

For me, that was the single scar on a story, which was otherwise quite heartwarming. I really enjoyed seeing Raina find her way and herself, and found The Matchmaker's List to be a lovely story of struggling with expectations and self fulfillment, as well as a story of family, friendship, and love.

This was a good story. The characters had lots of depth, but I was expecting it to be more lighthearted and fun based on the cover.

3.5 - 4 STARS

I was actually more enamored by Raina's journey through this story than I was by the romance. Don't get me wrong, the romance was exactly what I was hoping for... but Raina's struggle as a modern woman confined by cultural expectations and traditions was both fascinating and entertaining. While her decisions sometimes irritated me, and the repercussions those decisions had on her personal relationships often broke my heart, I really felt a kinship with this character and truly appreciated all the nuances of her story. The Matchmaker's List is rich with detail and depth and I absolutely LOVED these characters... every single one. I look forward to more of Sonya Lalli's work going forward. This unexpected delight of a romance was a refreshing gem and I truly enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book, but unfortunately lost interest in the middle. I was uncomfortable with some aspects of the story, which I will not spoil here.

More women’s fiction than romance, but a decent read nonetheless.

This is my first book my Lalli and probably not my last. It’s an eye opener on familial expectations, being rebellious, and in general failing apart before one can pick the pieces up.

That’s exactly what happens to the heroine, Raina Anand. She’s business successful, going through the motions, but marriage is the ultimate win in her family’s eyes. Namely, one endearing grandmother who is certain our heroine needs a significant other in her life. Enter blind dates, and setups with men who are supposed to be perfect, at least they fit her grandmother’s expectations. There’s an ex from her past, and a whole litany of family issues. If I thought my childhood was a bit discombobulated, Raina can have the prize. Regardless, all this mess is exactly what makes a good story as Raina has to dig herself out of the hole she’s put herself in.

What I really enjoyed, the cast of side characters. Grandma is a hoot and a fabulous mix of loving, supportive, and liable to make you cringe at the little embarrassments she throws out thinking they are encouragement or worse, compliments. Raina has a fabulous group of friends, some she’s known longer and others who are help broaden her spectrum. There’s also the handsome, Ash. The equally intoxicating Dev, and a handful of swipe lefts or rights.

What downed it for me, Raina. I wanted to love her and at times I did, but there were a few choices she made that had me wanting to throw the book across the room. She had multiple lessons to learn in the story including some basic ones (lying is bad and in this particular situation worse), but each mess she found herself in came from her actions. The conflict is driven mainly by the heroine herself instead, since her reactions to conflict are the exact opposite of what she should do. There were multiple times I did not see how the author would get Raina out of the hole she dug for herself. Thankfully, the solution worked.

Now, as for the romantic piece, I wanted her to find the guy. I got invested in the HEA and that made the book better. Side note: Romance purists may object to Raina’s HEA journey, I refuse to say more because spoilers. Overall, this is a women’s fic with some romantic elements. There’s plenty of heart, a lotta growing up, and some problematic plot elements.

~ Landra

When I first started The Matchmaker’s List, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this romantic comedy. It faltered in a few spots but this book was an overall fun read! The main character was pretty relatable and I loved her relationship with her Nani. Plus I loved how diverse the book was and the role that Indian culture played. It was fascinating to see how the clash between generations played out.

However, I think there was just a bit too much going on in this book. There was matchmaking, a best friend’s wedding, an ex-boyfriend returning, a coming out story, a family drama, a romance, and a coming of age tale. I think the book would have been better if it was a bit longer, allowing the different parts of the story to be fully developed.

Overall, The Matchmaker’s List was an enjoyable, heartwarming story! It was fun to read and definitely entertaining.

I’m just going to come out and say this - while I enjoyed parts of The Matchmaker’s List, I struggled with the review and how to rate the title. I went in expecting a romance and therefore a happily ever after story, but what I found was something different. Not bad, but not what I wanted. Some would say correctly that the ending of the book is an HFN (happily for now), but I would still argue that the book is not a romance because the focus of the book isn’t about finding love, but rather it is about a young woman finding her place in the world.

Raini, an Indian woman living in a well-established Indian community, was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her Indian roots are strong, but she’s a Western World gal. She made a promise to her Nani (who raised her) two years ago that if she isn’t married by age thirty, Nani could play matchmaker. And now that Raini turned twenty-nine, Nani has a list of single Indian men for her to start courting. When the pressure gets to be too much, Raini lets an assumption that she is gay go unchallenged, hoping it would stop the relentless matchmaking. Unfortunately, it just brings trouble and heartache to her and those around her.

Overall, The Matchmarker’s List was a quick read, although I found the abrupt change in write styles for flashbacks rather abrasive. Most of the book is told in past tense, third person narrative; however, when a flashback comes around, the story suddenly shifts to first person, present tense. That did not work for me. Other than those odd passages, I found myself engrossed in Raini’s life and discovering if she would find happiness. I enjoyed reading the personal interactions between characters and how each character reacted to and processed changes.

Raini is so worried about disappointing Nani that she will do most anything to keep up the facade Nani prefers to believe. She’s desperate to keep the peace after her mom bucked the traditions of her culture and was unwed and pregnant at 16. Nani’s hopes and dreams rest on Raini’s shoulders now, and the weight is crushing Raini. This causes Raini to make a series of bad decisions, all in the name of keeping the peace. But it wasn’t done in a comedic fashion. What could have been played up as silly in a rom-com, was more grounded and serious in The Matchmaker’s List. Rainin’s choices rippled out and created big waves for others around her. I could only handle so much until I was annoyed and irritated with Raini. Yet, I kept reading because I wanted her to succeed. I needed to know everything would be okay.

In the end, I’m not really certain how I feel about The Matchmaker’s List, and I struggled how to rate it. I felt oddly compelled to keep reading the book and was engrossed in the story when I was reading it. But a lot of what happened bothered me - like how deeply Raini buried herself in the lies she told, and how she wouldn’t even confide in her closest friends. I disliked her much of the story, yet I wanted to know she’d be okay. If I rated this as a romance, I would only give it a C- at best, the end of the book may be an HFN, but the story was not about the romance between two people. However as a story, not defined by a genre, I liked it a bit more, even though I had issues, and would give it a B-. No matter what rating I assign the story, a simple rating cannot express the full range of emotions that I feel about this book. So maybe give it a try and see what you think…

My Ratings:

B- Liked It, but I had a few small issues/
C- Finished It - Liked a little, didn't like a lot

Stevie‘s review of The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli
Contemporary Multicultural Romance published by Berkley 05 Feb 19

One of the joys for me in reading about characters from other cultures and of different nationalities is about spotting the familiar as well as all the details that could potentially set us apart. When I read the list that opens this book, I knew instantly that I was in for a treat when the list maker commented that one of the boys was Bengali and so might be too short. One of my work colleagues is always making similar remarks, although she does note that the same applies to her. The rest of the list gives us a good picture of its author, so now we’re all set up to meet both her and the person she had in mind when making the list (incidentally, this is one of the rare occasions when I prefer the book’s US and Canadian title to that it was given in the UK, The Arrangement, since the list is what both drives the story and holds its various strings together).

Canadian investment banker Raina Anand visits her grandmother on the occasion of her twenty-ninth birthday, knowing already that Nani has invited a surprise extra guest to their celebratory lunch: a potential husband for Raina. Brought up by her Indian grandparents, with her mother only occasionally around and no information as to the identity of her white father, Raina has previously agreed to consider a match with a man of Nani’s choosing, if she hasn’t found someone to marry by the age of thirty. Discovering that her grandmother has already made a list a whole year before the deadline, Raina reluctantly offers to meet with the other men on it.

Meanwhile, preparations for the wedding of Raina’s best friend are in full swing, and Raina finds herself being potentially set up with one of the groomsmen, Asher, a white man who has been travelling for the past ten years but has now returned to teach at Raina’s old school. Of course, what Raina really wants is to be reunited with the colleague she was involved with while on secondment to her employer’s London offices, Dev Singh. Dev hasn’t contacted Raina since before she returned to Toronto, and so she continues going on dates with men from her grandmother’s list, all the while comparing them unfavourably to her memories of Dev.

Things don’t go well when Raina finally meets Asher either. They both make wildly inaccurate assumptions about each other based on first impressions, and their animosity threatens to disrupt the wedding plans. Then Dev gets transferred to the Toronto office and Raina’s life becomes even more complicated. Unwilling to tell her friends or Nani that she’s seeing Dev again – after all the work they put in consoling her the last time – she continues to receive messages from an increasing number of potential suitors. Her attempts to get out of these new dates without mentioning Dev backfire on her. Soon Nani has fallen out with her best friend, and Raina is on the verge of losing hers as well.

This was a fun, if very busy, book, although the resolution to Raina’s problems comes from a rather too predictable source as romantic comedy tropes go. Most of the dates were so bad as to be hilarious, and I enjoyed the friendships between Raina and the various lesbian and gay characters in both her community and her workplace. I’m going to look out for more books from this author.

Grade: B

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for a good cover. And, friends, The Matchmaker’s List has a GREAT one. Contemporary romance seems tailor-made for illustrated covers and this one is no exception – before I even knew what the book was about I was intrigued.

Raina Anand has just turned 29 and is in dire need of a husband. Not that Raina feels that way, but her beloved Nani and the rest of their community can’t comprehend the thought of a woman still unwed and coming up on 30. Personally Raina’s holding out for Dev – the one who got away (and completely crushed her heart while he was at it, thank you very much) – but she loves her Nani something fierce and agrees to go on a few dates.

With each date it’s clear Raina is no closer to finding a husband. As the bad dates get even worse, and the community aunties sound the alarm, Raina tells a little lie. Just one tiny lie, hoping it will be enough to give her a moment to breathe, not realizing her problems have only just begun.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this one. For the most part, The Matchmaker’s List isn’t a bad read, it was light-hearted and easy enough that I read it during one snowy afternoon. Unfortunately, if it hadn’t been for that snowy afternoon that kept me cooped up inside, I doubt I would have finished in one sitting.

Simply put, The Matchmaker’s List bored me. Even as I type this, my mind is wandering. Thoughts keep cropping up: dinner, work tomorrow, the stack of books piled next to me – would my time have been better spent with one of them instead? Raina listens to her co-worker’s woes, Raina listens to her bestie’s wedding woes, Raina goes on dates and complains about the men (though she does have a point, they’re all awful, even her much pined-after Dev as well as the man she eventually ends up with).

But what really took me out of the story was Raina’s lie. In order to have Nani take a step back with her list of eligible men, Raina decides to go along with the assumption that she’s gay. There’s a scene where her younger cousin comes out to her because she was so brave and courageous for coming out herself in their Indian community. There aren’t any consequences of Raina’s actions until the very end and the majority of the characters – included a gay co-worker – just accept her story without any repercussions. I felt sorry for her grandmother, believing Raina to be gay, Nani went out of her way to research Canada’s laws regarding gay marriage and adoption and on more than one occasion stood up for her granddaughter even when it meant ostracizing herself from their tight-knit community.

There were other baffling moments in the book, like the constant flashbacks. Some were just a few years in the past (at the beginning of Raina and Dev’s relationship) while others were during Raina’s childhood. These were clearly meant to garner sympathy for Raina – for both her heartbreak and her absent mother – but I honestly didn’t care. By then I was reading just to get to the end and be done with the book.

The Matchmaker’s List had the potential to be a really fun romcom. Unfortunately, a poorly-handled rumor and horrifically unlikable characters made this one a chore to read. There was nothing romantic nor comedic about this book – Raina’s lie was appalling, the men were awful, even the guy she’s been in love with for years came across as a scumbag. Sadly, this was not the book for me.

When Raina Anand finally agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker in the way of a traditional Indian family, she didn't realize the pressure that would start mounting at the mention of dates and marriage. Things are further exacerbated by the fact that her best friend is getting married and Raina is a bridesmaid so she's surrounded by wedding stuff nearly 24/7. In the back of Raina's mind, though, is Dev, her first, and last long-term boyfriend. They met at work, and unfortuntely, work took precedence over having an actual relationship and future. They broke up n early two years ago, but Raina still carries feelings for him. When Dev is relocated to the Toronto branch of their company, with Raina. She keeps this information from her family, but eventually the secrets and lies begin to spiral out of control spilling over into her closest relationships. Raina has to take a hard look at herself, her life, and what she truly wants even if it might mean going against the views of her close-knit community.

I sped through The Matchmaker's List even when I found it, at times, hard to read about Raina on the spiral she's found herself on. But I felt in Sonya Lalli's words a book that spoke to me on a very fundamental level. Not because of the family traditions that Raina has to contend with - although I loved seeing how much a community can become an extended family, and how one's family can be the best (and sometimes the worst) thing to happen in a person's life - but because Raina is at a precipice in her life. On the verge of thirty and the pressure to start a family, be successful at work, have a relationship, get married, yet she starts to question what it is that she wants, what makes her happy. Is she really happy with her job? Working long hours, missing out, and never really getting the payoff of a job well-done. Still harboring feelings for the first man she was in a relationship with, is that because it was real love that ended too soon, or is it because she doesn't know anything more? I feel like anyone who picks up The Matchmaker's List could see the various issues that Raina faces and at least relate to one of them.

I had started reading The Matchmaker's List fully prepared to become invested in a romance. As soon as we learn that Raina still harbors feelings for her ex, Dev, I was figuring this to be a second-chance romance. I was so happily surprised, and delighted, when Sonya Lalli didn't take the path I was expecting as I ended up much rather enjoying seeing Raina's journey that wasn't necessarily tied to romance. It was more self-discovery with a dash of romance on the side. It speaks to the fact that what's important within the story first is Raina figuring out what she wants in her life, and somewhere down that list, if she so chooses is a relationship.

I loved the role that Raina's family played within the story. In this case by family, I'm going to lump friends and community in there as well because Raina is part of a very close Indian community of the type where everyone knows everyone else's business and feels they are entitled to have an opinion on said business. It's also the type of community that values tradition. I loved seeing that beautiful tradition and the reasons why some of these ceremonies have been passed down through the ages, but the flip side of tradition is the fact that it's, to put it bluntly, old. Old ways, old thinking. Raina's secrets and lies challenge the long-held opinions of her community. You see where there are instances that change is needed amid the traditions that are held sacred. Sonya Lalli really did a great job of putting these types of things in perspective in a simplistic and easy to connect with kind of way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut. It was surprising in all the best possible ways. I look forward to seeing what Sonya Lalli has for us next.

2.5 STARS!

I came across The Matchmaker's List randomly while searching through publishers on NetGalley. I was immediately drawn to the cover and once I read the blurb, it was settled. I had to read this book!

But my expectations were shattered to say the least. I found the beginning rather slow and detailed. I wasn't pulled in right away, I paused for a moment and continued later on. But even then I found myself not really connecting with the heroine, Raina. I found her to be weak minded and immature. I feel like she struggled internally from being heartbroken in the past and became a bit jaded. Once the dating commenced, I found myself bored with these men. Even Raina couldn't take it! Then things only seemed to downspiral more with the presence of Dev, the guy she fell in love with. It all felt like a lot of unnecessary drama to be honest. Then to top it all off, Raina tells a white lie that turns into a white whale of a lie and ends up hurting a lot of people.

I will say that I enjoyed the cultural aspects of the book. I love reading books about women of different ethnicities and backgrounds. And of course my favorite character in the book, Nani. She was just a sweet, sassy, and strong headed woman who loved her granddaughter and wanted her to be happy and taken care of.

Overall, this book wasn't my cup of tea but I hope my opinion doesn't deter people from reading it. As I myself have found books I loved that others just didn't care for.

*RATED 1 STAR here for feedback purposes only.

I just couldn't get into this book. The premise of the story was really interesting and I looked forward to reading it but really unlikeable characters made it hard to push through. I wanted to be rooting for someone but I never felt compelled to see what happened with them.
The writing was good and I would definitely try reading this author again but this book just didn't work for me.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

At nearly 30 years of age, Raina has a successful career in the finance industry but is still single so her Indian grandmother gives her a list of potential suitors. Raini begrudgingly goes on several dates but then a former lover returns and Raina finds herself lying to her family.
Centred around the cultural pressure to settle down, this story features a flawed heroine whose narration often backtracks to a past birthday. I usually find books highlighting a different culture fascinating but this one just wasn’t a match made in heaven for me.

Raina is twenty-nine. Her Nani desperately wants to see her married before she turns thirty. Raina, however is not ready. After all, she isn’t dating anyone and her breakup with her last boyfriend, Dev, two years ago left her completely broken hearted. Her Nani and her best friend Shay seem to think that marriage will somehow make everything better. Nani has it all figured out – she comes up with a matchmakers list – a list of potential suitors for her Raina. Let the games begin! Unfortunately this book was disappointing to me. I think the author truly missed the mark when it came to having her pretend she was gay. After that, the commentary about being gay really bothered me and I lost a lot of interest.

This was not a bad book but just meh for me. My favorite part about it is the cultural aspect. We deep dive into Indian wedding ceremonies and different customs. There's also a lot of the social day to day structures that made this intriguing. I particularly liked the bond of the Aunties. Their chatter and social groups were hilarious.
I couldn't bond with the heroine because I did not understand any of the decisions she was making. It was also very slow pacing so we were dredging through years of repressed feelings. The last quarter was pretty good but it cleared up everything very quickly.