This is not a book I probably would have just picked up, but I saw in on Netgalley and it was definitely worth the read! I learned about Jewish culture and loved the split-time story. The characters drew you in right away and I absolutely did not want this book to end!

I received a complimentary copy of The Matchmaker's Gift from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a lovely novel. Sara's gift is something I have always imagined would be the most wonderful gift in the world. Just being a part of this environment for the duration of this book was wonderful! Abby, the skeptical divorce lawyer granddaughter, is lucky to learn about her grandmother's talents and experiences in matchmaking by reading her journals. This was a very feel-good read!

This book was a sheer delight in all respects. From the moment I started reading to the moment I put the book down I was thoroughly captivated. These are difficult days and finding a book that did such a good job of lifting my spirits was a real gift. Many thanks to #NetGalley , St. Martin's Press and the author for inviting me to read this book. All opinions are entirely my own!

"1910: Sara was ten years old when she made her first match."
So starts this story of young Sara who emigrates with her family from Moldova to New York on a giant steamship. Along the way she manages to introduce her older sister to a young man who will ultimately become her husband. This was no mean feat, as her sister Hindel was mourning the love she was leaving behind. As this first chapter rolled itself out I felt as if I was right there listening to family interact and hearing words of wisdom - "The Ocean is full enough. If you don't stop crying you'll drown the fish." To be honest, as I read I felt almost as if I was watching a scene from Fiddler on the Roof (and I say that in a good way as I absolutely loved that movie!). While Sara might not be a matchmaker such as I was familiar with from the movie, she clearly had a gift all of her own. I loved how the author described her. When asked how she had picked out this young man for her sister, "She chose her words like fruits at the market, weighing each one before she spoke." It was difficult to explain to others that there was some sort of phenomenom that just let her see when a relationship would work out (and sometimes when it would not).

The book is set in a dual timeline. While it starts with Sara and her story, the reader is also treated to the story of her grand-daughter Abby which is set in 1994 just after Sara's death. Abby is a lawyer (who works at a firm which specializes in divorce) who loves her grandmother dearly and shares a deep bond with her. The news of her death is earth shattering. As a reader we are treated to vignettes from when Sara and Abby interacted with each other and the love that they shared. Again I felt like a little fly on the wall listening in and experiencing the love and laughter. Abby has lived through the divorce of her parents which impacted her choice of law career, but her grandmother has given her so much love and advice that has stuck with her and now becomes clearer as she mourns her loss. " Listen to me, sweetheart. Some things never change. Don't you remember the stories I used to tell you? I should have made you listen better." "One day my brilliant skeptic, I'll be gone, and all of my stories will belong to you. When the time comes try to remember what I taught you. Who knows? Maybe you'll make a few love matches of your own."

Through the chapters that focus on Sara, the reader will learn much about the Jewish culture in particular as refers to matchmaking but beyond that as well. Matchmakers were typically men and were called Shadchan. A female matchmaker was called a Shadchanit. They men looked upon their calling as a job and it could be a job that paid very well. When they learned that young Sara was arranging matches for people, they were not at all happy as they felt she was cutting into their earnings (even if she didn't ask for any financial compensation). Their disapproval of her only grows as she matures into a young women who is relied on more and more by her family.

After Sara's death, Abby inherits some papers and journals that her grandmother has left behind for her. Rather than telling a story outright, they list all the different couples that Sara had matched throughout her lifetime and one of the pleasures of the book was in learning more about each of these couples. Through the stories and their time the author introduces the reader (and Abby) to very timely topics regarding the role of women and their rights. Sara has always known she has a calling to be a matchmaker but when the disapproval of the Chadchan becomes increasingly intense after the death of her father, she is basically forced to go away to school at a prestigious college where she feels much like a fish out of water. On her return she is forced to defend herself in the synagogue before an angry bunch of men and some rabbi. Sara prevails!

As time goes by Sara finds her own love, settles down and raises her family but after WW2 she is called to use her gift again to help the Jewish community to rebound after the Holocaust and to prosper. As Abby learns more about her grandmothers life she begins to question her own lifestyle and a job that really isn't making her very happy. The advice her grandmother has given her begins to impact how she relates to her clients, often not in a way that is pleasing to her boss!

This book is filled with so many wonderful stories, not the least of which is the relationship of these two women separated by a generation but held together by a love that lingers well beyond life. As Abby absorbs more and more of her grandmothers wisdom, her own life changes and she begins to find her own life calling. This book will linger with me a very long time and be one to reread and treasure. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves history and the stories passed on from one generation to the next.

Excellent story of a granddaughters inheritance of being able to match couples.
The characters were well defined. Sara Glikman found her calling at 10 years old, traveling to America. She matched her sister Hindel.
Abby, Sara’s granddaughter finds herself with the same calling.
The story weaves together these matches of Sara and Abby..

This book moved a little slow for me. It was a unique story about matchmaking. Unmarried women were not allowed to make matches. In part because this was income taken away from official matchmakers, and partly because women were not considered to be capable of doing what was meant to be a man’s profession. Very similar to women in this day and age having to push themselves into certain careers and fight for equal reimbursement. I love the way the past and the present came together in this story. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of love, hope, magic, and soulmates. The author creates a feel good, heartwarming story filled with light, family, tradition, religion, and love that is inspired by old world Jewish matchmaking in New York City. The novel is told through a dual timeline during early twentieth century and 1994. Sara Glikman finds her true calling at an early age of ten after seeing a ray of light connecting her sister and her husband-to-be together. This rare gift while extraordinary, is not well received by the established male matchmakers in her community, who in turn threaten her family. Although she tries to ignore it, Sara continues to see future soulmates and therefore is forced to operate in secret, facilitating matches behind the scenes leading to some high-profile matches. Despite the challenges she faced, Sara was a true believer in love and would not let anyone or anything stand in her way of securing future happiness for her matches. Abby, Sara’s granddaughter, is a single divorce attorney working at a large prestigious New York City law firm that handles high profile clients. Abby was deeply hurt by her parent’s divorce and as such, does not share Sara’s optimism for love and soulmates. When Sara passes away, she leaves her journals filled with newspaper clippings and notes about her matches to Abby. The journals open Abby’s eyes and give her new perspective while dealing with two high profile clients at work, one facing a divorce and one embarking on a new marriage. Will love prevail?

The author does a fantastic job of presenting the dual storyline. Both stories are engaging and keep the readers attention. Often, readers favor one storyline over the other, however, here the stories both past and present are equally satisfying filled with interest, history, emotion, family, heartbreak, love, and hope. The author takes the reader on an emotional journey and does an excellent job with creating strong and inspiring female lead characters, each facing various challenges unique to women operating in a space that is traditionally reserved for men. The characters are well-developed, and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the characters thoughts, feelings, emotions, and insecurities making them likeable and relatable. The dual storyline transitions back and forth seamlessly and the reader is actively engaged in both past and present storylines. The novel is thought provoking forcing the reader to examine the characters choices, dilemmas, and behaviors throughout the novel. The novel is well researched and detailed as to the surroundings and characters. I enjoyed the incorporation of Jewish customs, traditions, culture, legal process, and Yiddish phrases creating a wonderful backdrop for the novel. The novel is a nostalgic glimpse into the life of matchmakers and setups prior to the success of online dating sites. The author cleverly allows both Sara and Abby to blend the best of the old traditions with the new in an everchanging world of matchmaking.

This is a magical story that leaves the reader with feelings of love, hope, new beginnings, and the powerful message that it is never too late to find love. While the novel is not entirely believable at times and forces the reader to suspend logical reasoning and believe in magic, it is well worth the risk and adventure as it is a great story with an upbeat and fairy tale ending. This novel is a fantastic read, quick and captivating. It is a real page turner and hard to put down until the end. There is no stronger message than the power of love.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for an ARC and the opportunity to offer a review.

This novel is an intergenerational story of Sara and her granddaughter, Abby. Both are gifted with the ability to "see" connections between strangers who are in fact, destined to become soul mates. Sara embraces her gift, and despite opposition from the paid matchmakers in the Jewish enclave where she lives on the lower east side of Manhattan, makes many successful matches.

Abby, unaware of her gift, is a divorce lawyer more used to dismantling marriages than making them. She has a nagging dissatisfaction with her job and when the opportunity arises to help a couple keep their relationship intact, she does. She angers her boss and is fired. As she reconsiders career choices, Abby is compelled to help a young woman make a match and realizes she may just have some of her grandmother's magic.

I was so touched by this story and by the closeness between grandmother and granddaughter. I adored Sara's witty and clever words of wisdom, such as "when a thief kisses you, count your teeth." It reminded me of my own great-grandmother, a fiesty southern lady, who had many cautionary sayings of her own.

This was the first novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman that I had read, but it won't the last.
5 stars.

An absolutely charming novel. This is a dual timeline novel focusing on a woman, Sara, and her granddaughter, Abby, following parallel journeys generations apart. Sara possesses a magical gift of matchmaking. She first discovers this at age 10 on her journey to America when she matches her sister. She continues practicing this gift, first in secret and then openly in the lower East Side Jewish community. As a young, unmarried woman (3 strikes!) she is a challenge to the traditional male matchmaking profession, which is motivated by money not the desire to match soulmates. Two generations later, Abby has become a high-profile divorce lawyer. Seemingly a very different path from her grandmother, although she too has made her way in a male dominated profession. Abby inherits her grandmother's matchmaking journals and comes to realize that she too may have a proclivity toward matchmaking. She starts exercising a little bit of her abilities by counseling clients that perhaps shouldn't divorce, or engaged couples that perhaps are not right for each other. I greatly enjoyed both timelines. The novel is full of historical detail and is a heartwarming reflection on love. The magical realism elements were perfect and not overdone.

This book was an absolute delight. The relationship between Sara and Abby, and the visiting of their individual timelines throughout the book feels like being wrapped in a hug. The legacy passed between these two women is warm, loving and magical. I loved watching Abby find new purpose in her life through her grandmother’s posthumous nudging.

Not only are the characters endearing and the premise interesting, but this book is also superbly well written. The transitions between the storylines are flawless and there is no fluff- every detail included in the story adds value to the whole.

The cherry on top was reaching the notes at the end and discovering that the character of Sara was inspired by a real person!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, strong women and family relationships.

This book wasn’t for me. The story goes back and forth between Sarah (the original matchmaker) and Abby (her granddaughter). Honestly not much happens, we see Sarah’s journey of fighting to have the right to make matches in her community. And Abby finds she can also see matches after her grandmother’s death.

I didn’t mind that Abby could see that an engaged couple wasn’t meant to be, but she condoned and kind of encouraged cheating before the engagement was over which isn’t something I like to see in books.

Also her boss Diane was just horrible, and not in a believable way. I can’t imagine any boss would fire someone after getting so much praise from clients.

It was written well and it was nice reading a book infused with so much Jewish culture.

Abby's parent were divorced when she was twelve years old. Her mother did not have a good lawyer and she did not get a equitable settlement. That impacted her decision to become a divorce lawyer. After the divorce her grandmother Sara, a Jewish matchmaker, came to live near them. Sara and Abby were very close, so Abby was devastated when Sara passed away. Sara had told Abby she might have a few matches to make herself, so she left Abby her journals with notes from her years of matchmaking.

The Matchmaker's Gift by Linda Cohen Loigman is a dual timeline book that tells the remarkable story of both Sara and Abby. Whether you believe in their extraordinary gifts or not, you will enjoy this enchanting book and you will learn that love is worth fighting for.

I am a lifelong avid reader who in the past two years has been having difficulty reading because of pain in my neck. So for me to not want to put this book down is a really big deal. The story was engrossing and I could not wait to find out what happened with both Sara and Abby. Sara’s story in particular was unique and one I had not encountered previously. This is Loigman’s third novel and in my experience you can not go wrong if you pick up one of her books looking for an enjoyable read that is a worthy investment of your time.

This was such a beautiful book that I loved from the moment I began to read it. Told as two separate timelines of a grandmother and her granddaughter, I found myself hooked to see what would happen next. I basically read it in about 24 hours and I couldn’t put it down. This book had great characters and a plot that I adored. I would definitely recommend everyone check this book out! It’s a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

The Matchmaker’s Gift is a book not to be missed. It’s a compelling story about divorce lawyer, Abby, whose parents’ divorce has given her a distrust of love and marriage and her deceased grandmother, Sara, who had an almost mystical ability to identify soulmates. Sara’s story told through the years of notebooks she left her granddaughter, sparks many memories of time the two spent together. Sara always felt Abby had the gift, and this reader was totally hooked when Abby began to recognize that this might be true. I learned a lot about the practice of Matchmaker’s among Jewish people and how they resented an unmarried young girl stealing their livelihoods. And I absolutely loved Sara’s nuggets of wisdom that came to Abby in times of need. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend!

The Matchmakers Gift was such a joy to read and I loved the story from the past just as much as the present. I really enjoyed reading this story and felt connected to the characters as I was reading it. 5 star read for sure!

Abby is heartbroken when she is told her beloved grandmother Sara has passed. Sara moved from Florida to help her daughter raise her two daughters after her husband announced his decision to divorce and start a new life without them. Sara was always close to her grandmother and loved hearing stories about how she was a matchmaker her whole life starting at ten years old. The gift of matching people together wasn't one she chose but one that discovered she had, like magic. Spread over her long life Sara made many matches and was cherished by everyone who knew her. Th pain of her passing will stay with Abby for a long time until she learns what an amazing gift she had, one that Abby realizes she has too.
Abby is a successful divorce attorney and is used to helping people separate as easily as possible, but starts to see clients who she believes shouldn't divorce or are marrying someone they're not meant to be with. Her boos is furious and explains to Abby it's not her job to interfere and she won't stand for Abby trying out her "matchmaking" skills on her clients. As hard as Abby tries to stay the course she simply can't stand by and see people make mistakes when she can steer them in the right way. She knows this is what is right but also what would make her grandmother proud.
Abby will risk her job, her personal relationships, and even her own love life in order to become a matchmaker, but doing the right thing is the most important thing to her.

THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT
BY: LYNDA COHEN LOIGMAN

"I see what I see and I know what I know".

I was utterly charmed and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, this beautifully written Historical novel by one of my favorite Author's-Lynda Cohen Loigman. I read and also loved her two former books called, "The Two-Family House,"which was her debut novel, and her second book called, "The Wartime Sisters." I will put a link to my much shorter review of "The Two-Family House," on the bottom of this review, in case you are interested in getting a peek at how innately gifted Lynda Cohen Loigman is! I can't find my review of "The Wartime Sisters," but I implore you to read all three of her books. This one called, "The Matchmaker's Gift," is aptly and perfectly Titled and what a STUNNING and BRILLIANTLY executed story this one turned out to be. The cover is just so eye-catching and in this case about the good old cliche that says that "You can't judge a book by its cover," proves that what lies inside this cover is even better. It kind of turns that good old fashioned adage on its proverbial head. The prose of this one had me highlighting many sparkling descriptions of its text because I want to be able to revisit them, often.

What is striking to me is that I had said in my last Great read called, "The War Librarian," which is highly recommended, also, by the way--written by Addison Armstrong. It is also exquisite and so much more than a World War I Librarian. No sooner have I just written in that review that it is the best dual timeline Historical novel in which I loved both of the timelines equally as much. That certainly is never the case because I usually prefer one of them more. Now, I must confess that with this one I loved both timelines equally, as well. I am not usually superstitious but what are the odds of two consecutive Historical novel's read back to back delivering on both timelines, when that never has happened before?

This was so good that I was sorry to finish it and it seemed to be a quick read because I was so engrossed in it I read it in one sitting. Never once did I look at the percentage mark of how far I read because I was so enchanted by the writing and storytelling. This one does have an element of magical realism, but it works so fantastically that I wasn't the least bit skeptical or saying to myself, "as if..."! I found this to be emotive and deep and I just wanted to give both Sara and her granddaughter Abby big hugs. Sara's timeline starts in 1910 with her timeline and her granddaughter Abby's timeline stays in the same year of 1994. Sara's timeline starts out with her being a ten year old girl who emigrates to the lower East side of New York City making her first love match for her older sister on the boat over. She comes from a loving family but one that is struggling financially living in a cramped apartment. She is surprised that she is able at ten year's old to see a filament of light between her sister and a young man named Aaron on the boat linking them as if a bright light attached the two by a golden invisible thread. Sara has a special gift that allows her to predict whether or not two individuals are destined to be each other's soulmate. She has both the gift of seeing the aura of golden light only visible to her whether two complete strangers are going to be happily married.

Abby is mourning the death of her grandmother Sara, who she was close to during her life. Abby is an associate working for a divorce lawyer named Diane who is a fifty-seven year old senior partner representing the ultra rich clientele. Diane is grooming Abby to be an attorney to sit in with clients that are seeking a divorce or seeking legal representation to draw up prenuptial agreements for those that are multi-millionaires. Diane reminded me of one of those stereotypical shark-like attorney's who handle high profile clients and are solely focused on getting the best deal for those who she represents without any personal feelings involved. Abby is more interested in what is best for the client's happiness. What made Abby go into being a divorce attorney or what in my home State is referred to as "Family Law," is interested less about closing a deal but how if the client is going to be happy with the settlement. She was interested in becoming a divorce lawyer because she witnessed her father having the better attorney and her mother getting an unfair divorce settlement because she didn't have a lawyer equally aggressive as her Dad's. Her father wanted to divorce her mother and her mother had to struggle to make ends meet, while her father took advantage both emotionally and financially getting the better deal. Abby truly cares what is best for the clients and one example of that is that she can see a rich woman who is seeking to divorce her husband that maybe they ought not to get divorced because she can see that the two really love each other. So Abby gets involved to try to do what is going to truly be in the client's best interests and cares about finding a solution to stop a divorce and that gets her in trouble with Diane. Abby has inherited some journals of her beloved grandmother and the more she reads these journals with lists of love matches Sara was responsible for she makes her own self discoveries.

This was such a delightful surprise for me and is truly Unforgettable in the best possible of ways. It is Unique and written with so much warmth that I truly feel far exceeded my expectations. This novel will live on in my heart and I just feel so fortunate to have had it come across my radar. Nobody recommended it to me and I didn't read anybody else's reviews when I took the leap of faith to try it. I am someone who only used to enjoy thrillers and I still like a great one every now and then. I am starting to change my trajectory to lean towards novels written with a huge heart that release those happy chemicals in my brain that remind me of the runner's high. I used to not want to read anything that wasn't realistic. To be perfectly honest, I never once would have chosen a book like this
a few years ago. I am so grateful that I prefer the warmth and richness towards a feel good plot with lovable main characters who I don't need to be based in one hundred percent realism to feel the joy of reading anymore. I never once thought that I had to suspend belief while I read this. The character's don't have saccharine sweet journey's and there is conflict and they definitely have obstacles. I guess what I will leave you with is that I would rate this one-hundred stars if I could. It was original and I think that I will be hard pressed to find something that I enjoyed as much as this one. Here is my brief review for "The Two-Family House". https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Publication Date: September 20th, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Lynda Cohen Loigman and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheMatchmakersGift #LyndaCohenLoigman #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I absolutely loved everything about this novel. Any book about the lower east side at the turn of the century has my heart from the first line, but Loigman's story and characters are so endearing they will stay in my heart forever. I was equally invested in both Sara's and Abby's stories and the author's descriptions of settings, dress and food really made each of their stories come to life. The Yiddish phrases and touches throughout reminded me of my grandmother and the moments of magical realism made the story even more emotional and satisfying. I couldn't possibly love this book any more and will read anything and everything Loigman writes. Don't miss this wonderful book!

I absolutely adored this novel! The Matchmaker’s Gift is a heartwarming story about Sara Glikman and her beloved granddaughter, Abby. Starting in the early 1900’s Sara discovered she had a gift for matchmaking. In the wake of her death in 1994, Sara leaves her matchmaking journals to Abby who isn’t quite sure what to do with them. Abby just so happens to be a divorce attorney, which is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum than her grandmother’s profession. It was at this point that I found this book unputdownable!

I had such a close relationship with my own grandmother, so I was initially drawn to the gradmother/granddaughter aspect of this book. Lynda Cohen Loigman created such realistic and endearing characters that hooked me immediately. I think she completely nailed the intricacies of the familial relationships throughout the novel which is the reason I felt so emotionally invested the entire way through—love that! The storyline was very original and The Matchmaker’s Gift will definitely be a novel that stays with me! I highly recommend this 5+++ star novel to everyone!

Thank you to the author, net galley and publisher for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book from Lynda Cohen Loigman that I have read and loved. This cozy, curl up novel hits all the feels in all the best ways. Written in a dual timeline between a grandmother and granddaughter who share the gift of matchmaking. With just the right amount of magical realism, the novel hits on family, Jewish tradition and the belief that everyone has a love match that will last forever.

I really cannot praise this book enough. It is exactly the type of book that you want to slow read and savor every word. The kind of book that stays with you and you are a bit disappointed when it ends. I am giving this all the stars. Happy Reading!!

I had high hopes for this book. All the reviews were great BUT i couldnt get into this at all. It felt like nothing was going on. The writing was good but the story didnt do it for me.