The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel will transport you to Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, and keep you entertained for hours.

The matchmaking festival was so unique that I thought it all came from the author's imagination. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was a real thing that is still going on today! What a delightful story, wrapped up in romance and with wonderful characters that I will miss.

Catríona Daly is a matchmaker determined to find a way out of Lisdoonvarna and wants to marry someone who could keep her in comfort and style. She may be aiming too high for her station in life, but she sets her sights on Andrew Osborne, son of Lord and Lady Osborne and a bit of a reprobate (only she doesn't know that).

Donal Bunratty attends the festival because he promised his nine-year-old daughter Sara that he'd try to find a wife. His matchmaker, Catríona, agrees to help him find a match, unaware that he is falling for her because she is too focused on getting Andrew's attention.

I loved so many things about this book. The faith element was perfect and helps us all remember that God loves us and cares for our needs. I loved how the community in Lisdoonvarna was so close, and I enjoyed watching Sara as she tried to manoeuvre her father into finding a mother for her.

I did appreciate that all the Irish words were in the front of the book. However, it was frustrating to have to stop reading to look them up, as it took me out of the story more times than I wanted. But the story was enthralling and hard to put down. I will miss these characters.

If you like historical romances, you will love The Irish Matchmaker. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review.

Jennifer Deibel has done another good novel. I read The Maid of Ballymacool. Brilliant novel and this one is no different. These two rival each other. I enjoyed the Irish words and the translations provided by Jennifer Deibel in the beginning of the book to help us, the readers, know what the words mean. It saved time from having to look it up and keep me from reading the story. This is Christian historical romance novel taken place in a small city in Ireland. Jennifer Deibel has her own writing style, which makes it unique. And her characters are so full of depth and you actually feel the attraction growing. Not like others that feel fake. Her characters are genuine, which makes me love her books. Jennifer Deibel is an author I’m convinced will make you tear up. I haven’t read her previous ones, but now I’m convinced to read them just by her latest two.

I received this novel from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in the lush greenery of Ireland readers meet Catriona and Donal. Told from dual points of view we follow them through the maze of matchmaking. Catriona has goals that do not include staying in her quiet village nor ever living in the country. For Donal the country life is all he wants aside from his daughter’s happiness. The chemistry between the two is apparent but their life goals are at odds with their hearts. Andrew is a handsome and wealthy man but Catriona will have to decide if there’s more depth than what can be seen by the eye. A series of life changing events takes place putting a new perspective on everything. This clean romance with a Christian foundation was fun and endearing. The story flowed smoothly and the attention to detail really brought the story to life. The author threw some twists in there to keep the plot intriguing along with the budding romance. I adored Donal’s daughter and appreciated her part in the storyline. The well developed characters and thought out plot made this an easy read. I’d recommend this to readers of romance with a hint of suspense.

The idea of a matchmaker is
foreign to us today, but I found this turn of the century story really interesting. It’s centered around an Irish fall festival that happened each year. Here men and women sought out a matchmaker to help them find a mate to marry.

This story had a charming Irish setting with lovable characters. I also really enjoyed the sweet love story.

The ending was your typical everything-turns-out ending, but I loved it. Sometimes we just need a happy ending!

I definitely want to read more from this author.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

With the attention given to the details of the beautiful Irish countryside and the Gaelic words and phrases, it was extremely easy to become immersed in the story of the single matchmaker, Catríona Daly. I imagine it must have been difficult not finding a match of her own as she continues to help other people find their true love. I thought it was funny when Catríona sets her heart and hopes for her own with a handsome, suave gentleman and matches him with ladies she knows he will not like.

Donal Bunratty was a gentle, yet awkward man in social settings. I felt a bit anxious for him as he leaves his farm on several occasions to attend the town’s matchmaking festivities. He was my favorite character because of his champion’s heart and going against all odds.

I loved Donal’s daughter, Sara. She was nearly the story stealer with her sweet spirit and her caring nature. It was easy to love her and want to see she had a mama in her life. Of course, she was the perfect matchmaker herself when she convinced Donal that it was time for him to find a wife.

I highly recommend this Irish love story for readers of all ages. I would love to see this made into a movie. I received a complimentary copy of the book. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I liked how the story unfolds in a quaint little town, putting on their annual matchmaking festival. The characters grabbed at my heartstrings as Donal Bunratty seeks to make his daughter’s birthday wish come true. He was powerless when it came to his beloved daughter’s request. They’ve been through so much. Thus, he attends the festival with reluctance. What he discovered there caught him off guard.

Throughout its many twists and turns, I couldn't help but wonder how this charming story would end. I was fascinated by the diversity of individuals involved in this lively, close-knit Irish community. The characters come to life through their oddities, dreams, and the magnetic allure of love.

The charming romance between Catriona and Donal was entertaining. This book is an expression of faith that skillfully incorporates an uplifting and heartfelt message into the narrative. What makes the story and its characters so endearing is the journey, which is similar to a leisurely drive through Ireland's breathtaking countryside.

The Irish Matchmaker is a sweet, wholesome, and heartwarming historical romance, that’s fun to read and would be great for book club. There is so much to discuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The Irish Matchmaker is set in Ireland 1905. I've never been there. I probably won't ever have the privilege of going. But reading this story made me feel I was there. I felt the atmosphere and the culture. The historical details of the matchmaking festival were so fun to learn and experience through the pages. The characters became my friends, especially little Sara. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. This is my honest opinion.

Donal is a single parent of a young girl, Sara. For her birthday she asks him to attend the matchmaking festival and find her a mother. He is a farmer and could use help around the farm as well but is not looking forward to matchmaking. Catriona is a matchmaker and hopes to help him find a wife. She is interested in Lord Osborne’s son Andrew. She is not very attentive to Donal but as she gets to know Andrew and Donal, she is willing to think about being a farmer’s wife and Sara’s mother. I loved Donal’s devotion to his daughter and the love Sara has for her dad. The way the Irish embrace matchmaking was interesting. I enjoyed the activities set up for the matchmaking festival, hoping to help people get to know each other. There is a strong sense of community and love in this book. Great characters and story.

I absolutely loved reading this story and spending a little time in Ireland in the early 1900s. I have always found the whole process of matchmaking to be so fascinating, and this story highlighted some of the fun traditions associated with matchmaking!

Catriona is a matchmaker in a small town, but she really just wants a match of her own. Donal is a widower with a sweet 9-year-old daughter, and he finally realizes that after losing is wife 6 years ago, it's finally time to move on.

What I loved most about the story is that both characters had to learn to love themselves and realize that they are beloved children of God before they were ready to find love. And then they helped each other to realize their worth and potential. It is a beautiful story of true love! It's more than just a story of a matchmaking festival. It's about family, faith, and self-worth.

Thank you to Revell, NetGalley, and Jennifer Deibel for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

A sweet Christian historical fiction!

The Irish Matchmaker, nicely written by Jennifer Deibel, is a beautiful historical fiction!
This author is new to me! I can’t ask for more. All little details and characters kept my attention! Wonderful story well developed and written! I thoroughly enjoyed! The author managed to keep my attention until the last chapter. Let yourself be swept away to Ireland of early 1900s.

The story stars as Catríona Daly, the daughter of a well-known matchmaker, lives in a small that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Andrew is returning to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker. And Donal, a cattle farmer, wants her as his new bride to take care of his daughter and farm! Both men attend Catriona’s matchmaking festival. Which man will catch her heart? Catríona seizes the opportunity to put her plan in motion! What will happen next?

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I absolutely love this book and read it in less than twenty-four hours. I just couldn't stop. The story takes place in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland, during the 1905 Matchmaking Festival. Jennifer Deibel captures the essence of an Irish community and it's hardworking, caring residents. I can almost hear the lilt of the rich accent and see twinkling eyes as I read.
I want to thank the author, Revell Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of the book. This is my personal opinion about it. The characters are so realistic I immediately became immersed in the story featuring Jimmy Daly and his daughter Catriona and their matchmaking business. Caty is excited for this year, she has plans to match herself to wealthy participant, Andrew Osborne. It is her dream to get out of the farm village and live a life of comfort. She is a sweet woman but has the drive to change her life for the better.
Donal Bunratty, a widower, has a lot on his shoulders as he tries his best while continuously falling backwards. His heart aches to have a better life for his little girl, Sara. I really like this duo, their relationship and this child's sweet faith. The father's devotion leads to his trek into town to join in the festival and ask the matchmakers to help him find a wife and most importantly, a mother for Sara. This leads to an interesting series of events and a touching love story. Real historical characters are sprinkled into the goings on. Sara adds in an amusing look at a Bible story too.

This is a review for The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel that will be released on Feb 13. I received a copy from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. Literally have been counting the days till I got yo read this because I was so excited about it ever since I heard she was writing it!!! This book was what I have come to expect from Jennifer Deibel, one of my favorite authors, who sets her great stories in Ireland, and this one about a real event, Irish Matchmaker, held every year at a festival in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. It took my breath away! It is an incredible story, with amazing characters mainly Catriona, the Matchmaker, and Donal, the farmer who seeks Catriona out because at the current festival because he needs a wife due to losing his to sickness, as has a daughter as well as a farm to care for. Catriona thinks her chances for love need to go in a completely different direction than Donal's, vowing she would never marry a farmer, but has set her sights on a man of means!!!

This plot that kept me turning the pages so I could find out what was going to happen! When I first saw this title, I thought it would be about a great story with some old lady making a match for a couple that lived happily ever after, which is the amount of knowledge I had of matchmaking! Little did I expect to find out what really goes into the art of Irish matchmaking, and telling the story with the matchmaker herself being the main character in the story, and what a beautiful story it is!! Jennifer weaves a beautiful story of love through the art of matchmaking that drew me in immediately, and thru Catriona and Donal's story, I saw a picture of love that came from the hand of God, a story that was real, hard at times, called for perseverance, and ended in such a beautiful way that brought tears to my eyes as I closed the last page. So I rate this book 5 stars out of 5, and I highly recommend it, and I am so glad I was able to read this incredible story!! Get this book when it comes out!!!

I'd like to include the author's note so you can see her heart behind this story, because its why I love this author!!! Here's her quote: "The theme of love, of course, is woven throughout a story about matchmaking. But Donal and Catríona’s story is about so much more . While today the matchmaking festival serves more as a party or monthlong stag party, my prayer is that through the pages of this book you’ve seen what True Love really is. And that you’ve been encouraged to lay your worries, doubts, and heartaches at the feet of the One who clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air. He loves you so very much and has the very best in store for you."

#JenniferDeibel #TheIrishMatchmaker #NetGalley

https://jenniferdeibel.com/books/the-irish-matchmaker/

Irish Matchmaker has so much going for it. First is the lovely cover, it caught my eye as did the title. I am so glad it did as I truly enjoyed this read. I love Irish novels, and learning a little about the Matchmaker Festival was wonderful. I was caught up in this story from the beginning to the end. I loved the characters and how Jennifer Deibel developed them. Through her writing, you really come to love them and want the best outcome for each of them. Sometimes the labels that are added to a book keep me from reading that book, for example, "Romance, Historical, Christian" all because of past experiences with different genres. This book is a clean well-written love story that takes place during a historical event in Ireland the Matchmaker Festival and gently shows us how God is in charge if we will allow Him to be. Thank you to Netgalley, Revell Publishing, and the author for the ARC.

Jennifer Deibel has become one of my favorites over the past few years, and I know to expect great things whenever I pick up one of her beautiful stories. The Irish Matchmaker is a wonderful illustration of her talent for storytelling, and the reader once again sees her true love for the country of Ireland shine through this fictional delight.

Set in the Irish county of Lisdoonvarna during the annual matchmaking festival, we follow dual POV's of cattle farmer Donal Bunratty who is a widower raising his young daughter on his own, and Catriona Daly who is the daughter of one of Ireland's most renowned matchmakers and has started making a name for herself in the same line of work. When Catriona's father Jimmy has a chance meeting with Donal who is attending the festival after his young daughter Sara requests a new mother for her birthday, he decides to assign his case to his daughter Catriona who only has eyes for the rich, eligible bachelor she has also been assigned to assist. While it's definitely not love at first sight for the two, a beautiful friendship begins to develop between the unlikely duo that soon starts to turn into something more. When drastic measures seem to threaten everything they've begun to hope for, they'll have to trust more than ever that our Heavenly Father always holds the answers in His ever loving hands.

A beautiful story that highlights Irish history and traditions woven in among the fictional tale, The Irish Matchmaker is everything a reader could ever want wrapped up in one heartwarming package. The writing is poetic and atmospheric and had me never wanting to put the book down. The characters gave me all the feels, and I wanted their happily ending just as much as they did. The setting was wonderful, and truly came to life on the page. And most important of all, the faith element was true perfection, and I loved how so much of the story revolves around the Sermon on the Mount.

Without a doubt, Jennifer Deibel has delivered another literary wonder for her readers, and I can't wait to see what she'll have in store for us next. I can't recommend this delightful read enough, and it's definitely going to be one of the best books I read this year!

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Irish stories and historical fiction are among my favorite types of books. The Irish Matchmaker is listed as historical fiction. I would classify it as a sweet and predictable romance novel. Although it was not what I had anticipated, It was an enjoyable and easy read.

Wonderful story! I found this book delivered in so many different ways. A beautiful romance. A story of family and community. Full of Irish tradition. Lovable characters.

I was initially drawn to this book by the title, The Irish Matchmaker, intrigued by the tradition of Irish matchmaking. I quickly found that this is a story of God's provision, one of the power of community. It is a powerful story of faith, and learning to trust in God.

As always, Ms. Deibel's love for the country of Ireland shines through with her signature attention to detail. Her portrayal of the the festival and its matchmakers is a tribute to the real life matchmakers of Ireland.

I felt a roller coaster of emotions as I read Donal and Catriona's story. At times, laughing out loud, other times, close to tears. Readers will find Ms. Deibel's characters heartwarming. I found young Sara delightful, wise beyond her years. While Donal and Catriona's story was predictable, it was wonderful to read their journey, as each learned to trust in God's plan and provision to bring their happily ever after. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love a good book! And a good Irish book is even better as I love learning anything more about the history of the people of Ireland that I can. This is a fun historical fiction novel that is going to draw you in! The characters definitely pulled at my heartstrings and made me want to not stop reading for fear they might slip away from me.

Sara nearly broke my heart. She’s such a sweet young girl. Her father is a farmer who hasn’t thought much about remarriage after his wife died. And Sara is his helper. But when the kids at school make fun of her things start to change. She wants him to find a wife!

The daughter of the matchmaker, Catriona, witnesses poor Sara being abused by her classmates and comes to her rescue. Through this, she meets Sara’s father, Donal, and agrees to help him find a wife. What no one counted on was the fact that along the way Donal and Catriona might enjoy spending time together. Or that it might be hard for Catriona to find someone who suited Donal.

MEANWHILE, CATRIONA’S FATHER HAS GIVEN HER HER FIRST OFFICIAL MATCHMAKING ASSIGNMENT.
A wealthy up-and-coming young man who was disappointed by another matchmaker and that match. Can Catriona handle two assignments? And moreover, can she handle them knowing that she herself is hoping to match herself with the wealthy client? She’s long dreamed of getting away from their small town and living a better life.

This novel was wonderful. I truly loved the characters. I can’t tell you who, but there is one that I wanted to smack some sense into. He definitely needed it. But then again Catriona had her moments that she needed it as well. There are hard moments, silly moments, and wonderful moments all throughout.

You definitely need to read this book! I’m hopeful to see more of this matchmaking team!!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Oh man! The Irish Matchmaker is a beautiful story about how God guides, provides and loves faithfully. Even when we think he has left us in the hardest of times, he is there working behind the scenes knitting everything together for our good. Jennifer does an amazing job of weaving this reminder throughout the story. The cast of Donal his daughter Sara, Catriona and her father Jimmy are all used to show us these reminders through their stories.

**I was given an early reader copy from Netgalley. Thank you to Reveal and Baker Publishing Group for this opportunity. These opinions are mine.

Jennifer Deibel is an auto-buy for me, and THE IRISH MATCHMAKER is now my new favorite novel of hers. The plot is engaging throughout, but it's truly the depth of emotion in this story that sets it apart. Both Catriona and Donal grow throughout the course of the story, and as readers, we grow right along with them. The theme of trusting God for provision shines, especially when it comes to the difficulties that Donal is having with his farm. Caty's growth as a character is equally engaging and relatable as she begins to see the error of her ways and become more open to a different type of future than what she had imagined for herself. And let's not forget Donal's sweet daughter, Sara, who is a delight whenever she appears on the page!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to an advance e-galley of this title; all opinions in this review are 100% my own.

The Irish Matchmaker
by Jennifer Deibel
Publisher: Revell
Series: None
Rated: 5
Obtain: Buy or borrow
Back of the Book: “As daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love--and sees it as her ticket away from the sleepy village that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Enter Lord Osborne's son, Andrew, who has returned to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker's failed setup. Catríona seizes the opportunity to make a better match for the handsome man--and for herself!
Cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is in desperate need of a wife after loss left him to handle the farm and raise his daughter on his own. Shy and lacking the finer social graces, he agrees to attend the matchmaking festival to appease his daughter. But when he arrives, it's not any of the other merrymakers that catch his eye but rather his matchmaker--who clearly has eyes for someone else.
Catríona will have to put all her expertise to work to make a match that could change her life forever. Will her plan succeed? Or will love have its own way?”

Impressions: I enjoyed this historical romance. I appreciated the emotional journey of the characters and how the author created an authentic depth to the story through them. As the story unfolds, I fell in love with the community of characters as well as our hero and heroine. This was a clean historical romance, with a sweet story and engaging characters.
I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.