This book was a heartwarming tale of a woman becoming herself, of discovering what she really wanted in life, who was important to her. It's a love story and a family story and I found it captivating.

Phronsie grew up with a troubled home life, idolizing her hippie mom who she didn't get to see, despising her dedicated, caring stepmom who she thought was an interfering control freak, and trying to stay on the good side of her bad-tempered father.

Now a successful career woman in her thirties wanting to settle down and start a family, Phronsie still hasn't dealt with the pain from her growing up years.

And speaking of settling down, her best friend thinks that since they each haven't found suitable mates they should marry each other. They do get along so well after all.

Is this what love is supposed to be--comfortable, dependable, stable? Is there more?

Read what Phronsie discovers about true love, parenting, responsibility, following one's heart, and more in The Magic of Found Objects. Highly recommended!

I received a free e-galley from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super cute story that was very heartwarming. I loved the really unique background of the main character. It seemed to add a lot to the story. The author jumps from past to present and she does a really great job with it. The story had a whimsical feel to it that I really enjoyed as well.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

Wow I loved this book. Fun read for sure.

After a diasterous short marriage and a year of 44 not-at--perfect dates, Phronsie Linnelle agrees to marry her best friend, Judd. Both want kids and think they can avoid so many of relationship mistakes by skipping the "in love" and go for "love." But the universe finds ways to disrupt which she should've expected being a child conceived at Woodstock. Her life has been torn whether to go with the unpredictable and magic of Tenaj, her mother, or that of responsibility of her father and stepmother. Even while you know how it is going tp end up, the getting there is charming, lighthearted with just a little touch of magic.

Phronsie and Judd have been best friends for over 30 years, and after years of failed relationships and disastrous dates, he proposes to her, suggesting that the friendship and companionship they have is actually the kind of love they really want, rather than the passionate, romantic feelings that eventually fade. That sounded like a decent deal to me, actually, but then she meets Adam and things get more confused. The story also flips back into Phronsie's past with her flighty, hippie mother who kind of drifts in and out of her life on the whims of signs from the universe. I liked this. It was a very unromantic romance novel, I guess you could say. 4 stars.

I liked this book quite a bit. The characters are fascinating and the plot interesting enough to keep me entertained until the end.
Phronsie and her twin brother Hendrix were conceived at Woodstock. Their mother was a free spirit with a touch of magic, and their father a sincere farm boy from New Hampshire. Ever since, the free spirit and the farmer inside of Phronsie have been at odds.
She and one of her oldest friends, Judd, are trying to find “the one” by going on many dates, all of them bad. Phronsie is ready to give up. To her surprise Judd proposes to her, even though there’s never been any sparks between them.
Is being lifelong friends with someone enough to make up for romantic attraction in a marriage? She’s not sure, but the part of her that craves stability says yes. Right after the engagement is announced, Phronsie meets someone special, and her free spirit side tells her something different.
This is an unusual book that I highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Usually I love a dual timeline, but this was one of the cases where I didn't. The timelines seemed to each be telling a different story and I would have preferred a focus on one. The main character just seems to go along with what other people want from her, even when she knows it's not a good idea. We finally ended up in the right place at the end,  but this book drug along to get there and then just ended. I was hoping for an epilogue, but if this ends up with a sequel I'm passing. ⭐⭐⭐

Well, this was an unexpected surprise. This is the story of Phronsie, who has reached a moment in her life where she feels that maybe marriage and the future she hoped for isn't going to happen. After many, many dates that go nowhere, Phronsie finds herself in a situation where her best friend from childhood proposes that they get married because a marriage based on just friendship and not romantic love may be the best idea ever. Until she says yes, Phronsie seems to think this is a good idea but once a commitment is made, her reflection on her childhood and relationships around her forces a change in perspective. A twin born of a wild Woodstock weekend to two opposites parents, a lot of this book is spent reflecting on the way childhood shapes us and the way we see relationships differently as we grow. It also focuses on the magic that exists in the world around us if we are willing to look for it. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Phronise and Judd's decision to marry- they've both given up on dating to find true live- elicits different reactions from their families. And that's what makes this a fun read. You know there's going to be a happy ending but what exactly does that mean? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun light read that made me chuckle.

I loved "Matchmaking for Beginners," so I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, it was just OK and would give it 2.5 stars. I didn't love any of the characters and knew from the start what was going to eventually happen. From the moment Judd proposes to Phronsie in the diner, I knew nothing good would come out of it. Neither of them showed much affection towards each other. The gnomes were a bit of a surprise and the amount of work that Adam put into them was a bit crazy. Would Gabora's Thanksgiving book really get all that hatred from people? Tanaj was the biggest hypocrite. She gave all this advice about how Phronsie should live but did the exact opposite. The book needed more magic. I thought the book was going to be more of a rom-com. There wasn't much romance and a lot of the story made me sad, especially Phronsie's relationship with her parents.

Give the book a try. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was written very well: check. The characters are well developed: check. It was very romantic: no. Phronsie and Judd were being very realistic about their relationship. But the universe tends to play tricks on our couple. Could Phronsie's mother, Tenaj, really be psychic or is she really as crazy as she appears. I was hoping for some fantasy in this book but only got Tenaj being hippie-crazy. Adam was a fun addition but I wanted more from him and of him. Maggie, the stepmom, was a rather sad character, I felt sorry for her. The book ended rather abruptly and I was hoping for more. I can recommend it for the terrific writing but I was disappointed in the story.

OMG, this book was SO GOOD.

What I liked:
It talks about everything (friends, family, romance, among other serious stuff) just like life is itself.
It is really funny and optimistic and made me laugh.
It also made me reflect and cry but in a really good way (how can you cry in a good way? I don't know, don't ask)
I love how magical is the story, but it handles magic in a real and ordinary way, in a real and ordinary world.
I love the dynamics of the characters and I LOVED the ending.

What I didn´t like:
NOTHING, I loved this book and feel so honored to have read it and reviewed it.

Thank you very much Netgalley, Maddie Dawson, and Lake Union Publishing for this amazing book!

A cute story about what to do after over 40 dates with those disappointing people you meet using online dating services. Do you marry your best friend who has also had the same amount of dates with miserable results? Just because you get along and already know each other well, is that enough that romantic love might grow on you?

When the main characters compare the ease they have with each other to the relationships their married friends have, they think they have it better than the friends. Their families are happy with the idea, so why not? Well... of course there is why not. Namely a coworker who feels that is not good enough for Phronsie, named for a character in a children's book and conceived at Woodstock. With a back story like that, you don't marry your friend, you marry for love and he is willing if she is.

Easy 3 stars, good beach read, light and fun to read. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Great book! I’ve read several books by Maddie Dawson and this one was as good as previous ones.

The Woodstock references were fun. I really liked the characters in this book….Phronisie and Judd were both likable. Maggie was so nice and in a tough spot as stepmother. Hippie mom Tenaj was sometimes exasperating. You could feel the tension between Phronsie and her dad. The dialogue really seemed genuine.

The ending of the book did not disappoint. I’m going to miss reading about these characters. Loved it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved The Magic of Found Objects by Maddie Dawson! This was a far fetched story told in a fun way. Phronsie and Judd are childhood friends that decide to marry each other when striking out meeting someone to fall in love with. Phronsie has a hippie mother and strict father that met at Woodstock and a stepmother that seems to come into her own by the end of the book. I love the way the author writes. Her flashbacks give insight into the characters and make you like each one of them. I highly recommend this book!

Book Tour and Thoughts

Phronsie is tired of dating duds, and so is her childhood best friend Judd.  When he proposes a marriage of friendship and comfort she agrees, but she doesn't love him.  Phronsie wants the kind of love she had with her first marriage although it didn't work out.  It was heart dropping. I can't imagine being without you for another second kind of love.  During the engagement Phronsie meets someone else, and now her head is telling her to play it safe by marrying Judd, but her heart is saying give love one more chance!  

This is a very quick read with such delightful and complex characters.  You could feel the struggle Phronsie was having, and I was hoping she would make the right choice at the end.  It was interesting to read about her crazy family background, and it helped to understand why her heart and her head were never on the same page.  

It was heartbreaking at times to read about the relationship she had with her hippie mother and her hard headed dad.  Her mom  led life by following her heart and messages she received from the universe, and she always married for love.  Phronsie's dad was completely opposite by leading life with his head and not his heart.  No stone was left unturned, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you pick up your copy!

Available now!


Book Rating: 4/5

Wine Pairing: St Supéry Sauvignon Blanc

Dual timeline
Interesting characters
Interesting storyline
Light-hearted

It's a fun, enjoyable read and one I'd recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Book

Phronsie and her twin brother Hendrix were conceived at Woodstock. Her dad a farm boy with a fiancée back home and her mom a free spirit who is an artist and self declared witch. When her dad has to move back and run the family farm, the spell between Phronsie’s parents are broken and they divorce.

Phronsie and her childhood best friend, Judd live in New York City. They are now in their mid thirties and both have successful careers but see their friends married and starting families. Judd proposes that he and Phronsie get married. The thought being that friendship love is a bond that will be stronger, longer lasting, and more consistent than a grand romantic love. Phronsie accepts the proposal.

But what does love really look like and how should it feel? Phronsie has struggled with that all of her life. Growing up with a bitter dad and a mom who floats in and out, Phronsie must find her own definition of love.

My Thoughts

I really loved the way that Maddie took two stories and fused them into one beautiful book. There is Phronsie and her family story. Then you have Phronsie and her decision and indecision about marrying Judd. Both stories are captured and dispersed gracefully throughout the book.

For me the story centered on two things: relationships and love. Phronise’s family relationships, past marriage, and the way that she saw and perceived love has a huge bearing on what kind of love she thinks she needs. This leads to her internal struggle between a safe love and a grand love.

There are also many funny parts in this book. I chuckled at Phronsie’s coworker, Adam, and his gnome couple that lives at work.

My favorite character is Phronsie’s grandmother, Bunny.
My sweetest moments from this book are between Phronsie and Bunny.

This book is tender, funny, whimsical, heartwarming, heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time.

I loved this book and didn’t want to put it down. I am a sucker for any type of dual timelines and learning about a character’s past in between the current events. Dawson did a fantastic job using Phronsie’s past to explain her currently struggles with family and love. It had great depth and small humorous moments throughout. A great story about family, and finding love when you least expect it.

Maddie Dawson has a way of weaving a story that is simply lovable with characters that are so relatable that you just don't want it to end and The Magic Of Found Objects was no exception! Such an amazing cast of characters this bunch was. I could not get enough of Phronsie and Tenaj and quite honestly every single one of them stood out in their own special way. I love a book that can make me laugh out loud and then a few minutes later be teary eyed. This book has all of that and more!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.