4.5 love match stars

This book is a gift! I loved the two timelines equally and the main characters.

Sara Glikman has a special gift, from the time she was ten, she has been able to see a spark between two people who are soulmates and meant to be together. For years she hid her gift because the men in her community who are paid to be matchmakers were threatened by her success (and her gender and the fact that she was single).

Set in New York, this book seamlessly travels back and forth in time giving us the story of Sara and her granddaughter Abby. Sara thinks Abby has inherited her gift, but it takes a journey of discovery for Abby to value and appreciate her talent. It is especially challenging as Abby is a divorce attorney.

Sara did not have an easy time with things; she made her matches secretly until she needed the money for her family. The male matchmakers bullied her, especially when she made some high-powered matches. They even took her to a special Jewish court to get her to stop.

Abby has inherited Sara’s journals now that she has died, and she finally understands the full life that her grandmother lived and the amazing matchmaking work that she did. Abby finally reconciles her work life with the knowledge of her skills and finished this one feeling that all was well in her world!

I definitely recommend this one and I think it would be particularly good as a book club book.

I enjoyed this multigenerational Jewish family story soo soo much!! A dual timeline story, told from the perspective of two Jewish matchmakers who use their insights into people's love lives for good. Sarah put other people's love lives above her own and passed her gift on to her granddaughter Abby. Part family history/drama, part romance, this was a heartwarming, feel-good story I thoroughly enjoyed and didn't want to end! Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of Mr. Perfect on paper or Meant to be mine. Much thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Libro.fm for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. The cover for this book is also gorgeous and it is definitely my new favorite by author Lynda Cohen Loigman!

Bravo Ms. Loimgan! Even though I rarely read romance, I found this book to be so heartwarming, even more so after discovering it was based on a real person. It was such a unique and magical story but not full of the usual overly sappy prose of the typical romance novel. This charming and delightful book has become one of my favorites I've read this year and I encourage everyone to read it!

This was a great heartwarming book that didn't ask too much of me, a perfect read for today when I wasn't feeling well. I liked the characters and I liked the premise. I really liked the bits of historical fiction woven into Sara's stories. I've never read a book set in the Jewish community of the early 1900s so that was a great setting to explore.

I really enjoyed the author‘s previous book The Wartime Sisters and eagerly awaited this one. I didn’t really read much of the blurb or maybe I did when I requested it from NetGalley but I pretty well went in blind.

Told from two points of view with the current story taking place in 1994, which I really appreciated the lack of electronics and the internet. As young lawyer Abby has a great career ahead of her, but grieving the loss of her grandmother, Sara, comes with distractions.

The past story begins back in 1910 for a young Sara as her gift of a matchmaker starts to develop. What follows through the years is her life where is avoids this gift and then embraces it to the chagrin of those deemed 'professional' matchmakers. Her gift is illustrated along with her relationship with family, friends and those obstacles in the way.

I enjoyed the story very much, though I wouldn’t call it a Rom/Com but rather a lighter womans fiction as these two women discover themselves on their individual journey that is not always easy.

Again I was treated to an enjoyable and entertaining read by this author, it was captivating, entertaining and a pleasure to read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital arc and also to McMillan Audio for the audiobook. This was a wonderful combo read for me.

Totally enjoyed this feel-good book! Sara is a natural matchmaker in 1910 in NYC. Years later her granddaughter Abby is reading through her journals and discovers she has these abilities as well. This is a unique, clever story about strong women who are doing something insightful to help others.

THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman

This is a sweet book that provided a nice escape from some heavier reads I had on the go. I very much enjoyed learning more about the Jewish matchmaking tradition, as well as the experience of living as a new immigrant on NYC’s Lower East Side. The romance elements are ever so slightly far fetched, but the story manages to keep the reader engaged regardless. This is a chaste and charming quasi romance that won’t set the world on fire, but would definitely make for a fun, quick palate cleanser.

The Matchmaker's Gift
by Lynda Cohen Loigman

In 1910, when Sara Glikman was only ten years old, she realized she had the gift of matchmaking. Living in a poor family on New York’s Lower East Side, Sara had to hide her gift as much as possible because the Jewish men who did matchmaking for money, and without the natural true talent that Sara possessed, were furious that Sara would even attempt to tread on their livelihood and territory. From the time of her first match, Sara kept journals and newspaper clippings of her matchmaking and she never doubted her gift.

In 1994, Sara has just died and her granddaughter, Abby, is heartbroken. She's been left Sara's journals and as she reads them she feels even closer to the grandmother that she loved and adored. Sara had hinted that Abby had the gift of matchmaking, too, but Abby couldn't believe that she had such a gift.

The story alternates between Sara's POV, starting in 1910, and Abby's POV in 1994 and I enjoyed both POVs and timelines equally. I think it helps that Sara wasn't just someone in the far ago past, before Abby was born. Instead, Sara and Abby had rich and loving years together before Sara's death. For that reason, I never felt like I was leaving the other person behind when we went from one POV to the other.

I was distressed by the cruelty exhibited towards young Sara as the men of her own people and community came at her, railing against her, in the earlier timeline. In Abby's timeline, she has a bitter, cruel, female boss who treats her horribly. But both women are strong in their own ways and we get to watch each of them come into her own, and begin to trust her instincts and her gut feelings, to make the world a better place for others.

Even though there are stressful things happening in this story, for me, it is mostly a feel good story. There is a fairytale quality to the events and I chose to just go with the story and believe. I finished the story with a smile on my face.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When you believe in love and soulmates, you will do everything possible to help people realize their happiness. Even when things are awkward, you press on to help couples make the right marriage match. And so it goes with The Matchmakers Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman. Matchmakers go back centuries, but this story features two extraordinary women, Abby and Sara, and alternating storylines. Sarah is the grandmother, and Abby is the granddaughter. Both have the gift of seeing people’s perfect matches. It’s not always an easy process, and prejudices are held against women matchmakers, but we see that when you believe in yourself and your skills, nothing will stop you. A sweet story, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. “Love is a light in the dark.” This is probably one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen this year. #love #matchmakers #yentas #arrangedmarriages #jewishmarriages @netgalley @stmartinspress @lloigman
❤️
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: September 30, 2022.

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

First of all, what an absolutely gorgeous cover this book has!

This dual-timeline novels tells two beautiful stories, both filled with wisdom and hope. I learned so much about the tradition of matchmaking (be sure to read the Author's Note for even more history) and the impact it had for generations. Over the course of the book, both heroines discovered their strengths and how to best use them, and the author intertwines these two stories almost flawlessly and with perfect balance. A really wonderful book about the power of love in all its forms.

“The heat is big enough to hold both grief and love”

‘“There is so much cruelty in this world. I’ve seen it and I know you’ve seen some, too. It isn’t enough to fight against cruelty. For my whole life I fought for love. Not just romantic love, you understand. The love of a parent for a child. The love of one friend from another. Fight for something, sweetheart. Not just against. That’s the best advice

This was such a thought, emotional, and captivating story! I devoured it and loved it so much. The Matchmaker’s Gift by @lloigman is told in dual timelines following Abby in modern day and her grandmother Sara from the early 1900s to modern day. Sara makes her first match at 10 years old and you get to follow along as Abby realizes she has the gift too. I fell in love with Abby and her grandmother. They are both loveable nudges you want in your corner, and Sara reminded me so much of my own grandmother. I truly did not want the story to end! There is matchmaking, love, family, and a fun lower east side New York setting. I would also recommend you read the Author’s Note as it gives the history of matchmaking and was so interesting! This is my first read by Lynda Cohen Loigman and it certainly won’t be my last!

With THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT, Lynda Cohen Loigman has written an ultimate story twining the experiences of Sara, an intrepid and wise woman who immigrated to the United States from Russia and her granddaughter Abby in 1990s New York City. While Sara dared to defy conventions of the Old World to become her fullest, most gifted self as matchmaker, divorce attorney Abby follows a similar heart journey in claiming her legacy and in acting on what she sees and knows to be true. While reading this story, I missed my own forbears while enjoying a deep and satisfying plunge into a time and culture I never knew, both inspiring and deeply nourishing. As Sara declares: I see what I see. I know what I know." -- and I know I am a better person for having read their story. I received a copy of this novel and these opinions are my own unbiased thoughts.

I found The Matchmaker's Gift to be a delightful story and enjoyed it from beginning to end.
In the book, Lynda Cohen Loigman tells the story of two women - Sara and her granddaughter Abby. Sara was a matchmaker, an unheard-of profession for a Jewish woman in the lower East side of New York in the 1910s. From a young age, Sara had a unique talent for pairing couples who would end up genuinely in love. The stories about the couples she matched were fun to read.
The chapters about Abby are interwoven with Sara's and take place years later, just after her grandmother has died. Abby works as a divorce lawyer, but as she deals with the grief of losing her grandmother, she notices connections between the people around her. She starts to wonder about the matchmaking stories she grew up hearing from her grandmother, stories that, until now, had never gotten her full attention. I enjoyed how Loigman portrayed Sara and Abby as strong women using their professions to help other women. The story was full of hope, and I liked reading not just about Sara's joy in matchmaking but also about her love for Abby and the rest of her family.
The Matchmaker's Gift is the second book I've read by Lynda Cohen Loigman, and I look forward to reading her next one! I especially loved the cover of this one!
Thanks to Netgalley and Thoughts From a Page Podcast for the advanced copy.

Everything by Cohen Loigman is top notch. Another winner. I loved this story so much. Dual timeline. Just fabulous!!

An uplifting and delightful read that won my heart over!! Seriously this was so much better than I would have ever thought and the audiobook was narrated perfectly!

Told in a dual narrative/ timeline format this story alternates between Sara’s perspective in 1910 and her grandaughter Abby’s POV in 1994 and explores the world of Jewish matchmaking. I equally loved both female protagonists and their individual journeys, which is rare as I typically favor one storyline over another. If historical fickfon is not for you, I’d still give this a try as it’s way more a story about love, familial bonds and finding connections than anything history.

Read if you like:
-Matchmaking stories
-Jewish representation and history
-Female figures who pave their own path
-NYC setting
-Grandmother/ granddaughter bonds

This one comes out 9/20!!!

I devoured this book! I've unintentionally gravitated to dual timeline books focusing on a granddaughter discovering a grandmother's story, and I don't know if it's because I always loved hearing about my own grandma's life, but books like this one have really been touching my heart over the last year. Although this plot set-up has been one that I've been experiencing frequently lately, this take on it still felt fresh and I couldn't put it down!

Contrasting the life of matchmaker Sara with that of her divorce lawyer granddaughter Abby was so clever. Although Abby was skeptical of her grandmother's outlook on love at first, learning from Sara's stories both allows Abby to be a better lawyer to her clients and heal in her own life. I loved this aspect of the book. I have learned so much from my grandma and I thought that Loigman captured the beauty and value of relationships with grandparents so well.

I also liked the unique approach to romance that this book takes. This isn't a romance in the traditional sense - there isn't a main love story; even when we see glimpses of the main characters' love lives, that isn't the focus of the book as a whole. Rather, there are several little romantic vignettes as matches are made and so we get to see many couples come together. While the various couples face many complications, they neither seem so trivial that they appear to be added just for the sake of drama, nor so frequent or cumbersome as to feel insurmountable. The effect is a novel comprised of many brief love stories that work together to tell a more complete tale.

If you like heartwarming, wholesome romances with a bit of history mixed in, this book is for you!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance reader copy to review.
This book was such a captivating and magical read!! The Matchmaker's Gift follows the dual narratives of Sara and Abby.

We are introduced to Sara in 1910 as a 10-year-old with her family on a ship heading to New York City. Sara makes her first match on that ship. The match is between her sister and a young man also on board heading to America.

We meet Abby, Sara's granddaughter in 1994. Abby is an overworked divorce attorney. Both women have a special gift for matchmaking. Although Abby is just realizing her talents, helped in part by the journals that Sara has left behind.

I absolutely loved this book. Sara and Abby's characters were interesting and kept your attention. I loved the stories of all of the different people's matches. I found myself rooting for each and every one of them. There was just enough of a hint of realistic magic.

Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the story. I was amazed at the amount of research that the author put into this book. It made it a realistic story based on the time and events of each timeline.

Thank you again to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this heartwarming and uplifting book.

In this dual-timeline book, Sara Glikman makes her first love match in 1910, for her sister, and from then on she knows that matchmaking is her destiny. Two generations later, Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney, the exact opposite of her grandmother, but Sara believes that Abby also has the gift. When Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. As she begins to read through them, and sees the newspaper clippings that are attached to some of the pages, Abby realizes the stories that Sara always told were actually true events from her past. When she sees the light that Sara had always seen between matches, Abby begins to do a little matchmaking of her own....even at the detriment of her career.
This book was magical. I could not put it down. I was completely unaware of the history behind the matchmaking tradition in Jewish culture, so this was utterly fascinating. Some of the characters & situations in the book were loosely based on real events. The author provided a wealth of information at the end of the book for anyone who wanted to do more digging into this subject matter. I loved that there were not one, but two strong female protaganists. How often do we get that? I am not normally a fan of love stories, but this wasn't your average love story. This was a story rich with Jewish heritage, and showcased what love looks like at all ages and in all forms. This is a heartwarming book that will stay with you long after you finish the very last page. Well done, Lynda Cohen Loigman!

Sara Glikman was a young Jewish girl growing up on the Lower East Side of New York with a special gift - the ability to see when two people were meant to be together. Over the term of her life, Sara made hundreds of matches which ended in many happy marriages. Two generations alter, Sara's granddaughter, Abby is a successful divorce attorney after watching her mother be treated terrible during her parent's divorce. After Sara's sudden death, Abby begins to notice little things about those around her but what stands out most are the small sparks of light that emit when they first meet.

I loved this sweet story. This was a very different form of historical fiction. While WWII and the Holocaust is mentioned, it is not the focal point of this story. Reading about what it was like growing up on the LES of Manhattan which had a large Jewish population that relied on the old ways in order to maintain their community. If you are looking for a heartfelt enjoyable historical fiction that will make you smile, this is the one for you.

Historical fiction is a one of my least read genres, but if Lynda Cohen Loigman writes it, I will read it! I loved the split timelines in The Matchmaker's Gift and following both of Sara and Abby's journeys. I absolutely adored Sara, she was feisty and wouldn't back down from making matches even when everyone was trying to stop her. I liked watching Abby grow throughout her chapters from the woman who was so set at the age of 12 in what she wanted her career to be, to accepting that she may have a similar gift to her grandmother, and then letting her own happiness guide her as things in her career hit a snag.

I loved all of the Jewish representation throughout the whole book. From holidays to traditions and Yiddish words, it is always nice to read a book where you feel seen and can relate to the things the characters are experiencing. The Matchmaker's Gift has so much heart to it and has one of the most beautiful covers!