I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and Net galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.I totally enjoyed this book. It was a darling story, full of joy, sadness , love and romance. The story has a dual time line. Sara Glickman is an immigrant to NYC in 1910. Sara discovers that she has a talent for matchmaking. Now, before you start humming the song from Fiddler on the Roof, the world of the matchmaker is far different than anything I had expected. The matchmakers are men, and they want to keep the women out if the profession. Abby is her granddaughter, living in Manhattan in 1994. Abby is a lawyer, working for Diane Benson, a sharp, driven lawyer, who hammers out pre nups and divorces. The story lines, with the dual time lines are a bit complex. When the book opens in 1994, Sara has just died and Abby is mourning her loss. Abby and Sara were close, and Sara has left her notebooks for Abby. Abby is surprised to read the stories of the couples that Sara brought together. Abby also meets Jessica, an ophthalmologist, who Sara was unable to find a match for. Sara told Jessica that Abby would be able to help her. Abby is not sure she believes in love at first sight, or even romance, but things start to happen that has her rethinking everything.The 2 time lines continue through the book. We learn more about Sara's life in NY and her beginnings as a matchmaker. It also gives us insight into the Jewish Traditions and Faith. We also see Abby's life in New York, as she navigates a career and a personal life.I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this was a book I could not put down. It was charming, delightful and thought provoking.Thanks again for the opportunity to read it.

I loved it!! This is easily one of my favorite book this year. I wish I wasn’t done but I couldn’t put it down! I could not stop reading. This book is everything I love in a book.

Magical realism is my favorite genre and this book represents the best of magical fiction.

I loved the characters and the storyline. This book has two main characters and the book is evenly split between their stories. Normally when there’s two timelines/protagonists I tend to favor one over the other but I loved both equally in this book.

In the 1920’s in New York, Sara has discovered her special gift: she is a matchmaker. She makes her first match on the boat to the United States. She was only ten when she found a perfect match for her sister. Sara doesn’t tell people about the golden light that she sees that connects two people. She is discouraged from practicing her gift openly. She isn’t the normal type of matchmaker that people expect. Matchmakers are generally older, married men. Sara is very young, single and female. Those who make their livings making matches do not want the extra competition.
For years Sara tries to make her matches secretly and without accepting payment. It’s her calling and she feels pulled to do it whether or not she gets credit or has to hide her gift.

In the 1990’s, Abby has just lost her grandmother Sara. Abby is a divorce attorney. She was drawn to this type of law because of her parents’ awful divorce.
When Sara passed away, she left Abby with a box of journals about her matches. She also left some unfinished business: Sara had some people left that she still wanted to match and she left them in Abby’s care. Abby is shocked, she’s never matched anyone before, why would her grandmother give these people false hope?
But Abby takes the time to get to know the new people in her life and she starts to sense connections forming too.

I absolutely loved this story. Sara was an especially wonderful character. I loved the stories of all the people she matched. I loved the magic, I loved the foods mentioned, and I loved the cover of the book. If you take a minute to really look at the cover of the book you’ll see references from the story! My favorite image is the little pickle jar to reference to Pickle King.

I received an early ebook copy from NetGalley and a physical arc from The Book Club Cookbook. Thank you!!

Yes - read it!

What an absorbing read! The two storyline timelines blended perfectly so it just kept pulling me in. I found all the little stories about the marriage matches entertaining and was amazed how they just flowed together.

Excellent characters & HEA ending would be perfect for a summer vacation read unfortunately (maybe not) isn't available until September. It will make a terrific winter blizzard read.

Give it to your favorite reader for Christmas!

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help prepare my honest review.

3.5

A charming little story with an ever interesting premise about a topic I know little about - Jewish Matchmaking! 💫

The story goes back and forth in time. We meet Sara Glikman in the early 1900's who has a magical gift. The gift of matchmaking! We follow Sara and her matches throughout the years in NYC. Once we reach the 1990's Sara has passed and her granddaughter, Abby is now a divorce lawyer in NYC and seems to have the same special matchmaking gift.

The story falls just short of 4 stars for me because it did have a pretty slow start. However, it picked up in the middle and I enjoyed very much how the stories intertwined.

Good storytelling!

Thus was a great read and fun too. I loved all the characters, learned a lot and enjoyed it immensely! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher!

What a fresh story! With a bit of magical realism, a bit of history, and characters that make you root for them, The Matchmaker's Gift taught me something while being thoroughly entertaining. I've already recommended this to friends and am sad they'll have to wait until September to read it.

Sara is such a force! I enjoyed her portions of the book more than the parts about Abby, but on the whole the book was a lovely read.

The cover is perfect. The story is perfect. And the novel is on my Instagram blog; Maddie_ Approves _Book_Reviews. 💜🐾🐾
Thank you for the advance copy,
# Netgalley, # Lynda Cohen Loigman and # St. Martin's Press

Thank you Netgalley for this ACR for an exchange for an honest review.

Very nice book, I enjoyed reading it.

I found myself really enjoying this book. It was definitely easy to read and I found myself getting caught up in the story. I didn’t realize it was going to be magical realism (but significantly more realism than magic), and le though I normally prefer fantasy to that genre I still had a fun time reading this and liked reading about Sara and Abby’s matchmaking gift. As a Jew, I find fiction centering on Jewish stories even more special, and I really liked how Judaism was such a central part of this, although it was definitely a lot more prominent in the parts of the story told from Sara’s point of view. Another thing I liked a lot about this book was the relationship between Sara and Abby. Even though there were no parts with them interacting that weren’t flashbacks/memories, it was still clear how strong their bond was and how important they were to each other. I also thought the epilogue was really nice, and I almost wish it had gone on longer. One of my only problems with the book was that I felt that at some points the dialogue was unnatural and it kind of took me out of the story. Overall, however, I liked this and would definitely recommend it.

Beautiful, Uplifting Story about the Power of Love to Shine Through.

I just loved this book. It is magical, at a time when most of us could use a little of this in our lives. Lynda Cohen Loigman is a talented writer and this is her best book so far. I was absolutely swept away with it’s connection to family, finding someone wonderful, and then cherishing that person forever.

It starts in 1910, when Sara Glikman is only 10. Sara has a special gift and can see if a person is the One for someone. Sara, can not resist when she knows a couple will have a lasting connection, she manages to have them meet. She is not doing this for money. The local Shadchanim, the name for a professional matchmaker, accuse Sara of lying and continue to try and intimidate her.

Sara has always had a very special bond with her granddaughter, Abby. They are close throughout Abby’s life, and her grandmother is very proud of her. She does tell her much of the history of the Old Ways and her Matchmaking. This was interesting, as it was rich with Jewish history and life growing up on the Lower East Side. Still, Abby, is a divorce attorney and does not believe in marriage after the callous way her father treated her mother when they got divorced.

Sara tells Abby she knows what she knows. She says, when you weep, the one you are meant for tastes the salt of your tears. Abby does not pay her grandmother much attention when she says things like this though.

When Grandma Sara dies suddenly, Abby is devastated. She misses her grandmother so much. This makes her start to rethink some of the choices she is making and perhaps she should follow her instincts to help people. Perhaps she should take more chances with her own life. Abby is a wonderful person, who is just learning how to navigate through life. Since, her grandmother treated her with so much love, she finds she can offer it to others more easily at her job, even though her boss, Diane is really harsh.

The story is more then just finding romantic love, it is about the strong bonds of family, and standing up for yourself when you think you are doing the right thing. So, Sara may have passed, but she is always carried in Abby’s heart.

Highly recommend this book. Think you will love it.

Thank you NetGalley, Lynda Cohen Loigman, and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of this book. I am happy to review this book.

Right now I’m experiencing a combined euphoria and frustration that only happens when I’ve finished a book that is so good, I wonder if I can do it justice. Even explaining what The Matchmaker’s Gift is about does not come easily, but I know it is about things that mean a great deal to me, personally: family, ancestors, tradition, connections, intuition, and a bit of the unknown.

In two brilliantly woven story lines we learn about Sara and Abby. Sara is an immigrant in the early 1900’s. Crammed into New York tenement housing with her traditional Jewish family, she learns early on that she has a gift for matchmaking. A gift that borders on the supernatural. This does not bode well with the community matchmakers, a bullying group of stodgy men who care more about profit than people. Add to that, the fact that Sara is a young, unmarried girl who demands no fee. Most importantly, she is never wrong.

Fast forward to the 1990s. Abby is Sara’s granddaughter. An attorney who works in family law (i.e. divorces and prenups,) Abby has grown up listening to her grandmother’s stories and imparted wisdom. Jaded by her parents’ divorce, her father’s broken promises, and continual office drama, Abby’s expectations for love are pretty low. Thankfully, her innate sensitivity and relationship with her grandmother sustain her.

When Sara dies and leaves Abby several notebooks for her to read, the parallels begin. Side by side we see a young Sara and Abby, the struggling lawyer, navigate a harsh world that is all about the bottom line. Both crusade to change their little corners for the better, rallying against others who think they know better. They have their allies, their obstacles and–through a special gift–they have each other.

The more we learn about those they help, the more we see that thread that binds us all. I even found myself making guesses about which characters were destined for each other. “A lid for every pot,” as Grandma Sara would say. And, speaking as someone who met her spouse in the most unlikely way in 2009, you just never know.

Mark your calendars for September 20 when this book becomes widely available. It’s a gem.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was touching and inspiring. As a Jewish women, it felt culturally familiar and yet also fresh and new. I can't wait for it to come out so I can buy it for my mom.

While reading, I could hear the music of the young girls singing the “Matchmaker” from the movie, Fiddler on the Roof.

Sara made her first match in 1910 on a ship to NYC with her family. On the trip she introduced a gentleman, Aaron, to her sister, Hindel, who had tears in her eyes over a lost love and needed a handkerchief. Quickly did her sister’s disposition change when this young man became a new affair of the heart. Three months later, they were married.

The Rabbi told Sara, “You have a calling.” Rather than the traditional ways of matchmaking with age, occupation, and family status, she put couples together when she saw a faint single strand of golden light between the two. She was making a lot of Jewish couples happy when she encouraged them to get to know each other. Yet, she stopped when she got opposition from a group of enraged men who didn’t want the competition from a successful matchmaker. Her life became full of challenges.

The book started with Sara in the early 1900s and then with alternating chapters it switched to her granddaughter, Abby, in 1994. She also had the gift of knowing when two people were meant for each other – although she wasn’t aware of this. When her grandmother, Sara, passed, she was given her journals of matches and yes, she was bound to make some changes in her life.

I’m quite sure this book will make some people pause with the complexities of finding the perfect romance. I love the interesting stories of the couples that seemed very realistic with some twists and lots of hope. The research done by the author was inspiring. While predictable in many ways, it gives a lot of comfort to think about a world based on unconventional romantic discoveries.

My thanks to Lynda Cohen Loigman, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of September 20, 2022.

What a lovely story! I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming story.

I thought the book started a little slow, but I'm so glad I pushed through the backstory because it was necessary! And Lynda Cohen Loigman brought you into the story, the neighbourhood and the characters beautifully. I loved reading about the Jewish traditions throughout the story too.

The story follows Sara and Abby, a grandmother and grand-daughter. The book starts with 10 year old Sara, a new immigrant to New York, and takes you through her life story, the matches she makes and the challenges she encounters for many reasons. It also follows Abby's story, from just after her grandmother passes. The two women seem to be on opposite sides of the love spectrum, Sara bringing people together and Abby helping them part ways more fairly as a divorce lawyer. But Abby's perspective of her grandmother changes after she starts reading through her grandmother's journals and she realizes she also has a gift for helping people.

#indigoemployee

This was so good! Such a feel-good, heart warming story. As you may know, I love Broadway and this gave me very Hello Dolly and Fiddler on the Roof vibes. “I have always been a girl who arranges things/Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match..” I loved the dual timeline and dual POV between Abby and her grandmother, Sara. Some of the content overlapped but I think it was inevitable with the dual timelines. It just made it easy to “guess” what was coming since the topic was introduced in the previous chapter. The story had drama, family, love, struggles, loyalty and perseverance. It was an easy read and kept me engaged throughout.

This was a heartwarming story - I was pulled in right away by the premise. It was interesting to learn about traditional matchmaking in Jewish culture, and also refreshing to read it in a non-wartime setting. Additionally, I felt like the dual timeline worked here.

But by the second half of the book, I started feeling a little bored. The storyline was a little flat… and finally everything wrapped up in a really predictable way, which took away some of the intrigue.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, especially reading about Abby and her relationship with her grandmother. I would definitely check out another one of this author’s books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I desperately needed this book right now. After two dark years, this book provides wonderful hope for not only romance, but positive work environments, courage, and self-confidence. All of the women in this book grow to be self-assured women with clear ideas of what they want their life to be, even if they aren't sure how that will work out for them in the moment. It's very inspiring to those of us who are also figuring out our lives.
I also enjoyed the setting a great deal. I've always been fascinated by Jewish life in early twentieth-century New York, and this novel portrays its highs and lows beautifully. Its use of Yiddish and descriptions of traditions also help to preserve traditions that are slowly vanishing from this area of the world.
Overall, I would say that this book is inspirational, informative, and appropriate for a wide variety of readers.

I really enjoyed this book! I like reading books with dual storylines and really appreciate historical fiction based on true events. Learning more about other cultures is an added bonus! This book checked all the boxes. I loved characters, the family relationships and references to food. Thus book was a joy to read.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked this story. It starts with Sara, who seems to have the gift of matchmaking. Then it moves on to Abby, Sara's granddaughter, who is trying to figure out if she has the same gift as her grandmother. It was interesting to read about these characters and how they tried to match couples. Lots of interesting people, with a bit of magic. Highly recommend!