A lot is going on in this book, which makes it interesting. A young woman, Finola Shanahan, who blames herself for the death of her baby sister, feels unworthy of marrying and having children. When she is almost trampled by horses, she is saved by wagonmaker Riley Rafferty.
When her parents realize that she is not interested in any of the matches they've made for her, they enlist the help of a local Irish matchmaker. She's paired with none other than Riley Rafferty, a man she already feels attracted to, and her senses are on high alert when he's around. Convinced she's doing the right thing, she knows she must become a nun and not marry. If only the sparks didn't fly when the two were together.

Touching on many important historical topics, I found the book relevant and interesting. I love the sense of humor the author injects into her books, making the characters fun and realistic. I greatly look forward to reading more books in this series.

Not my favorite romance by Jody Hedlund, to be honest. But even so, it was a fun time period and setting, and I enjoyed the premise. I'll look forward to future books in this series.

This is such a sweet and entertaining story. The relationship between Finola and Riley simple yet complex. It is there, yet ignored. It is a relationship that intriguing and drew me from the get go. The characters are relatable and easy to get attached to. The story is detailed allowing it to be easily imagined as it unfolds. I will say Bellamy was a favorite!
The story contains love, struggles, mistakes, humor, family, challenges, forgiveness, rebellion, grief, and so much more. It earned all 5 stars from me!
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Finola Shanahan lives her life based on shame. She's is haunted by the death of her sister, leading her to believe she doesn't deserve a family of her own. So she is seeking to become a nun and sabotages every marriage match her parents try to make.
Riley Rafferty is know as Saint Riley in St. Louis for his heroic escapades. He is also running for mayor, and at the dying wish of his father, agrees to let the matchmaker find him a match.

When the matchmaker pairs Finola and Riley, tensions are high as Finola's schemes are at odds with their chemistry. And when cholera breaks out, these two much contend with their compulsions to duty as they navigate making decisions for their personal lives as well.
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I have complicated feelings about this one...

This book is published by Bethany House and is labeled as Christian fiction. But my oh my this there a lot of objectification here. I read a lot of closed door rom com that aren't labeled as Christian that are not so lustful. And to make matters worse, this objectification feel shoe horned in. I feel like

this book catering to the masses who like some "spice" in books. And why is Bethany House publishing a book that I would not label Christian fiction? There is no gospel message in this one. What is the point of Christian fiction if there is no Christianity in it?

Not to say this isn't good historical fiction. It's fine. But the Christian fiction label is just a token at this point.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This author always delivers a tension filled book with interesting characters and plenty of drama. It’s kind of addicting. I really liked Riley and felt like he did a heck of a lot of giving in this story. Finial drive me crazy which is also typical for this author and me. I pretty much shout at her through the whole book. Sometimes out loud. But the story is riveting and the ending is incredible a happy ever after.


Warnings: This author has a typical physical tension between the main characters. It’s pretty intense if that’s a trigger. And the very last bit is a glimpse of the next book. If that’s something you want to skip. But I’m all about that new character!

I really wanted to love this book and I tried. Sadly, I just never got interested in it.
There were a few things that were okay but mostly I didn’t care for the characters at all.

It almost became a DNF but I decided to finish it.
Unfortunately this never captured my attention.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

My favorite historical romance in 2023!! Oh so swoony, daring, and dramatic. Jody is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Highly recommend.

I"ve most just read Jody Hedlund's YA books, so this was a fun change. I enjoyed it. I thought it was well written. Jody Hedlund writes such great characters, and Finola and Riley were no exception. Now I want to read more of her adult books!

I did not expect to absolutely love this book. But here we are.

Finola is a complex character, warm but sharp around the edges, headstrong but giving, and without a doubt one of my favorite heroines of the year so far. Her love journey in this book was absolutely an odyssey in itself, and worth every moment. She is unexpectedly the grumpy sunshine character I didn't know I needed.

The entire book reminds me of the sort of novels my mother read, which shouldn't be as perfect for me. But it definitely proved to be a lovely read. And Riley is possibly best man of the year. The man coaxed a bedraggled and ornery stray cat out of a barn! Seriously!

"She didn't have to love him, probably couldn't love him the same way he loved her. He didn't expect that. But at the very least, he needed her to give him - to give them - a chance. Because ultimately that's what he wanted for her. Happiness and peace."

Hudlund has done it again, she is the master in storytelling. She mixes humor and romance and intrigue to bring you forth some of the most wonderful stories. I think I have read them all and when I get a chance to read a new book, I lay aside whatever I am reading and start on that one This one is a little different in that we have a spinster who has made up her mind that she’s going to enter a convent and will NOT be married. Her parents have other ideas but she has spurned every one they have matched her up with so now they have tried the matchmaker. Perhaps he will have success where all else has failed. Her father promises that if this match fails he will let her enter into the convent. She is determined that this endeavor also will fail. This is such an interesting book and one that you will certainly want to read. I cannot recommend it enough. You will certainly enjoy all the antics that she goes through to be sure that this suitor turns away from her, but it does not work this time…. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc and I am very happy to leave my review.

Looking for a fast paced historical romance that features Irish culture in America? This may be the book for you.
Jody Hedlund delivers an engaging romance with plenty of swoony romantic moments.
The beginning had moments that had me raising an eyebrow of where this was going. The physical attraction was quite strong in the beginning. I personally enjoy romance that has a strong physical chemistry but this beginning was a little different for me. However once I got into the story I enjoyed it.
The pacing kept me eagerly flipping through pages right up until the end to see how these characters found their way.
I enjoyed the hero with his intentional pursuit of the heroine.
I am looking forward to reading book two as there are several side characters that I can't wait to see what happens to them and if they will get their own book.
I recieved a complementary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are honest and completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House for the gifted book!*

Jody is an incredibly talented author! I loved the premise of the book and the writing style. And the matchmaker was such a fun character. I think you also saw some good character development as the main characters dealt with major issues from their past. Overall, the book is an enjoyable, easy read.

While I enjoyed many aspects of this book, I felt that it didn’t hold true to a Christian publishing house and Christian fiction standards. This would be better in a clean fiction market. The opening scene pushed the boundaries of Christian fiction when it comes to the physical aspect of the main characters’ relationship and then those same themes (especially of lustful thoughts) continued throughout the book. Physical attraction is so important in a marriage, but it felt this was the focus instead of true love being the reason for marrying. I think this aspect did get somewhat better as the story went on. You did get to see more of the emotional side and deeper character of love, but the physical nature of the relationship was glorified.

The other disappointing aspect was the lack of true biblical faith. While I understood that the historical side tended to Catholicism, I hoped there would be a redemption arc when it came to the gospel. There was much focus on doing penance and earning God’s forgiveness. True forgiveness and restoration was hinted at by a character at the end of the book, but it wasn’t the clear message that I had hoped for.

*All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A new series from one of my favorite authors, Jody Hedlund. Calling on the matchmaker is off to a great start. Jody Hedlund writes clean, wholesome romances that are swoony enough to make you tingle all over. The story of Finola and Riley pulls out all the bells and whistles. Set in St. Louis during the mid-1800s when Irish immigrants were flocking to America to find a better life. Finola has her life planned out. Now, if she could just convince her parents to go along her life would be simple and meaningful. Riley, dubbed Saint Riley, because of his heroic and selfless deeds to save others, has no desire to take a wife. Both Riley and Finola have dealt with trauma in their past. But when both of their fathers insist they marry, and a clever and cunning young matchmaker comes in to play all bets are off. There is a lot of depth to the story, emotional trials to ponder and what is the right course to choose. In the other hand it is so creative, cute, witty and oh so swoony. All the characters are entertaining and intriguing. but the cunning and clever matchmaker is what will hold this series together. I cannot wait to see what’s in store In the next book
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Calling on the Matchmaker was such a difficult read for me. Nearly right away I was uncomfortable with the romance. It was just too intense and seemed lustful (to me). I didn't like the scene near the beginning with her changing and him walking in accidentally. The thoughts he had were just too much for me and not something I want to read.

I also thought that some of the schemes the matchmaker did were wrong...especially one (won't go into details, to avoid spoilers).

All in all, I'm disappointed that I didn't like this book. I know others loved it, but it just made me uncomfortable at times. There were a few things that made me laugh, though, and if it wouldn't have been SO heated/spicy, I think I would have liked it more.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I love these characters. Bellamy (The Matchmaker in this book) is so clever and interesting. I want to read all the books he is involved in. Riley is so good hearted, brave and an amazing person. He also carries around a lot of survivor's guilt. Finola is also incredibly good hearted and kind. She is carrying lots of guilt about the death of her little sister and feels like she needs to pay penance in the form of becoming a nun. But if Finola's father, Bellamy and Riley have anything to say about it she will not ever be a nun. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the cleverness involved in the characters. This is a sweet romance with great chemistry.

“Some journeys take longer than others. Some need a little more help to get to the right destination. But in the end, a good matchmaker knows how to make it all happen just so.”

This was an extraordinary journey back to 1849 St. Louis, Missouri. I enjoyed my time with the Irish immigrant families Hedlund so masterfully created and I truly did not want to leave.

Twenty-three-year-old Finola Shanahan has no intentions of getting married. None. Not since that fateful afternoon so many years ago. She has a lifetime of penance ahead of her. In fact, she’s dedicated herself to the Sisters of Charity convent and plans on joining them as soon as she can.

Nobody can convince her otherwise. Not even Bellamy McKenna the Irish matchmaker who’s called in to form advantageous matches with the oldest of the six Shanahan children.

That is, until she finds someone who’s just as good at playing her game as she is!

I’ll be honest with you - I didn’t plan on liking this one as much as I did. This leprechaun thought she’d find holes in the ‘Irish’ story and be able to tell you that it wasn’t an immersive experience. That I wasn’t engaged. I wanted to be able to tell you that it felt reminiscent of Brad Pitt’s accent in Snatch. But I can’t. This felt truly typical and authentic. I LOVED THIS STORY. That’s something coming from someone who doesn’t normally read in this genre. This story is worth all the stars. All.


Bellamy was a hoot. When he spoke, I heard him as Michael O’Sullivan in Waking Ned Devine. I hope we see more of him in book 2.

Riley Rafferty was a studmuffin. I’m not partial to male blondes, so he had dark hair in my mind. I loved how he gave Finola space to come to her own decisions and deal with her forgiveness on her own terms.

This book is centered around forgiveness; both main characters are struggling to forgive themselves and need forgiveness from others. This book is also about:

☘️family dynamics/love
☘️making choices
☘️learning to advocate for oneself; finding one’s voice
☘️dealing with doubt and fear in connection with making mistakes
☘️feeling worthy
☘️running away from problems
☘️feeling the need to prove oneself
☘️learning to relinquish control over every aspect of our life

“Sometimes we mistake our own inability to forgive ourselves as God’s inability.”

You’ll discover a lump in your throat, water at the corner of your eyes and before you know it, you’ll wish there were more pages to the story.

I can’t wait for book two to find out about Enya Shanahan’s story…and, hopefully, more of Finola’s.

I was graciously gifted this copy post-publication by Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Set in St. Louis, Finola Shanahan has been haunted by the death of her baby sister from years in her past. As a result, she’s decided she isn’t worthy of love and marriage, instead opting to push for a life as a nun helping her community.

She meets Riley Rafferty right away in a harrowing moment where he saves her from an untimely demise via horse and buggy! Riley has lived his life as if trying to prove it was worth it for him to live while everyone other than his father died in a terrible boating accident on the Mississippi.

The interesting little quirk is that both are in work with the town matchmaker (apparently that’s a thing? And it is a man in a local bar. I kid you not.) Finola has been able to fend off 12 past suitors in a couple years, no small feat as she tries to keep her path open to becoming a nun out of servitude. Riley becomes her lucky number 13 suitor, and he quickly catches on to her plan and refuses to play along.

I enjoyed this quick little historical romance read that was heavy on the character development and supporting cast of characters (they were just lovely) and light on the romance, which I was okay with! I learned a lot about the time period, daily struggles, pandemic-style illnesses, and the need to nuns to care for the less fortunate in larger cities of the time period.

CW: death of a child, drowning, pandemic illness.

Finola Shanahan blames herself for the death of her baby sister, deciding never to marry or have a family of her own. When an accident sees her rescued by Riley Rafferty, sparks fly.

Determined to become a nun, her parents enlist a matchmaker, who matches Finola with Rafferty.

Will these two get a happy ending, or will Finola repent forever?

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

There were so many things I loved about this book:
- The witty banter and flirting - I loved watching the two characters interact with each other!
- The setting - I loved learning about the social and political issues of St. Louis during this time, as well as how devastating the cholera outbreaks were.
- The matchmaker - Bellamy was perfection, and I wanted more of him!
- The character growth - both Finola and Riley had to overcome some tragedies in their past in order to move forward with their lives.

The one thing that kept me from really enjoying this book was the focus on the physical relationship. I think physical attraction is important, and I definitely don't mind its presence in a book. But I felt like every time the story was interesting, it reverted to lusty thoughts. It just got distracting and tiresome. There was room to take the emotional storyline farther, as well as room for more details about the characters interacting with the community more in their charitable and political endeavors.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bethany House, and Jody Hedlund for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

DNF at 18%. I frankly tired quickly of how the MCs spoke to (and thought about) each other, and at times other characters.

I requested this from NetGalley after my success with the _Waters of Time_ series, especially book 2. Upon re-reading my reviews of both of those, perhaps this one wasn't too far off/different in that even then, I noticed Hedlund writes a bit more ... descriptively? Sensually? than my usual reads. In that vein, I'm sure that her current fans (and fans of, say, Julie Lessman) will enjoy--it just wasn't for me.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.