Rating: 4.5 stars!

A cute holiday romance (with 4 different couples). Frankie is one heck of a gal. She loves "helping" her friends with their problems. When she is replaced as the annual Mrs. Clause and the Holiday Walk, things start to spiral. While Frankie is happy to share this community event honor with others, she doesnt want to share Santa. While the Romance aspect of the book was 1000% predictable, it was still adorable!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, I had bigger hopes for this middle-aged character than what was given to us. There are not enough romances out there featuring middle-aged women.

Finally, a book with a middle-aged woman in which she is not just taking care of her adult kids, but she's (sort of) thriving after her husband dies.

The problem was she was a busybody. Falling into the usual stereotypes of middle-aged characters and man, that was disappointing.

I didn't understand how she was so adamant about not falling in love again (understandable), but the minute a woman takes interest in Mitch, then oh boy, she's had a quick change of heart.

*** Spoiler ***

I also didn't like how they rushed - and I'm talking within a paragraph of admitting their feelings for each other - to get married.

I know - when you know, you know - but the entire book she complained and meddled in other people's lives in order to avoid love and boom, she's getting married??

I did enjoy the Christmas backdrop to the story and this would probably make a funny Hallmark(ish) movie.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an e-copy of THE MERRY MATCHMAKER to review.

I rate THE MERRY MATCHMAKER three out of five stars.

This is a light cozy Christmas story, and for that genre it works. Our main character Frankie is the matchmaker who of course can’t see what’s right under her nose. She is a widow who hasn’t allowed herself to fully move on but she wants to see all her family and friends happy. She runs a bakery in a small town (of course), and there is a big Christmas Festival which is her brainchild. She tries to make a match for her shy employee and her sister with varying degrees of success but finally realizes it is time to allow herself another chance at love. This is a light read to curl up on the couch with for a little holiday spirit.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I really wanted to love this book as it was pitched as a novel inspired by Emma. Unfortunately, even though you can see that Frankie cares so much for the people around her and just wants to help, seeing her involvement blow up in her face was a little too much secondhand embarrassment for me. The Christmas atmosphere is great and all of the side stories are great but the main story line fell flat for me.

Frannie wants to help everyone find some happiness. A la Emma, she endeavors to set people up who she feels need companionship. I wasn't fond of the quick setting up a fake profile on an online dating app trope for her friend Mitch, near the beginning. I think anyone could see where his real match would be, but naturally it takes Frannie a while to see what is right in front of her. I skimmed a bit in the middle, but the holiday shop was festive and there was a cute kid to boot.

This is such an adorable matchmaker/meddling neighbor story. I loved the holiday setting and thoroughly enjoyed the antics.

Romance is the surprise holiday gift the meddling Matchmaker wasn’t expecting when she set out to pair up all her single acquaintances. Hearkening back to Jane Austen’s Emma, Sheila Roberts brings another heartwarming holiday charmer brimming with good cheer.



The Merry Matchmaker caught my eye originally because I spotted in the blurb that it was inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma. There are some broad strokes that brought that novel to mind, but for the most part this was loosely connected to it at best. Rather, we have a middle-aged widower who thinks she knows best about other people’s love lives from her adult kids to her bestie. She tries to hook them up and doesn’t read it well to humorous, disastrous results. One would think having a holiday-themed store going great gangbusters during the holidays would be enough, but no, Frankie knows best and is insistent that she will help and advise everyone. However, fellow business owner, Mitch, her friend for many years does have a clear eye about matters including about Frankie who is doing her level best to set him up, too.



I have to chuckle because, while this isn’t a modern Emma retelling in the strictest sense, I had a similar reaction to Frankie as I did to Austen’s character. I guess I’m put off by people who have to get their noses into other people’s business. Frankie rubbed me wrong because she was so strongly opinioned and couldn’t read the room well at all. She’s the annoying relative every family has to put up with who knows best about jobs, friendships, love and everything.

But, I enjoyed the holidays, the store, the cast as a whole and there was Mitch to keep Frankie grounded. Then, as Frankie had to get it wrong, learn, and then finally grow, I was cheering her on to get her own special holiday match. Mitch was there all along and waiting if Frankie didn’t make the biggest mistake of her life pushing her shop gal, Eleanor at him.



Altogether a light and sweet holiday morsel that was a women’s fic and contemporary romance crossover set in small town shops, family and friend circles bringing out the holiday season mood rather well.

A very big miss in the blurb for this book was marketing this as similar to Jane Austen's Emma. This was more of a middle-aged widowed meddler who was too involved in everyone else's lives instead of working on her own control issues. I am probably not the target audience for this, but the story dragged for me and I was quite bored at times. The book was also predictable but not in a fun Hallmark-Channel-Christmas-movie-way. The writing style was also very choppy, and this book needed a better editor. This book is on my naughty list this year for being a disappointment!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Merry Matchmakers is just the type of book that I like. Cute Christmas rom-com. The cover is what initially drew me in.

Frankie cannot stop interfering in her friends and family's lives. I wanted to like Frankie. I felt for her with the unexpected loss of her husband. But she was downright annoying. She acted like she knew better than everyone else in her life to the point of being ridiculous.

I finally threw in the towel. I liked Mitch and wanted to see him get his HEA but I couldn't take anymore of Frankie.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Merry Matchmaker is a cute and festive take on Emma, where one character is driven by her desire to be a matchmaker for her town but clueless in her own life. In a charming town outside of Seattle, holiday store owner Frankie enjoys her shop, friends and family. Widowed after losing her husband a few years ago, she spends time with her close circle, including hunky hardware store owner Mitch. She feels her younger sister Stef has given up on love way too soon, her shy employee just needs to open up a little more (with the help of a makeover of course) and she just knows she can find the right woman for Mitch-even if he isn't aware she's created his own dating profile. Through the last couple weeks in December Frankie is determined to help everyone-even if they don't want it. What ensues is trademark Emma (or the movie Clueless-which is also a retelling of Emma) but with characters that were a little bit one-dimensional. With a little more fleshing out and less stereotypes this would be a 4 star read. It's cute for the holidays and readers will still enjoy.

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

Frankie Lane is a well-meaning but meddlesome woman who believes she knows what's best for everyone around her, from her divorced sister Stef to her shy employee Elinor, and even her daughter Natalie, who works in Frankie's shop, Holiday Happiness. Despite her good intentions, Frankie's efforts often end in disaster. Her best friend, Mitch Howard, the local hardware store owner, has been her rock since she lost her husband. Frankie is determined to help Mitch find love again, even if he doesn't want her help.

"The Merry Matchmaker" by Sheila Roberts is a delightful holiday read that sparkles with warmth and humor. Frankie Lane's well-meaning meddling in the lives of her friends and family leads to heartwarming and often hilarious situations. The charming small-town setting and the lovable cast of characters make this book a perfect addition to your holiday reading list. Roberts' storytelling is engaging and filled with festive cheer, making it a must-read for anyone who enjoys a feel-good Christmas romance. Highly recommended for a cozy and uplifting holiday experience!

Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Frankie. From the first pages (disastrous wallpapering with Viola) to a matchmaking dinner party fail and the Mrs. Claus pageant (the gingerbread house said nothing and then the dinosaurs came), and the happily ever after... this is such a fun holiday read!

In fact, I feel Frankie on a personal level! She loves the holidays, but doesn't really do Halloween. She wants to help everybody she loves, but doesn't always get it right. And her love of family? Right in my wheelhouse!

However, the blurb declared this an Emma update - and my own brain thought it missed an opportunity to be Merry Wives of Windsor. It's not either of those classics.

But it's a lovely story all its own, and I think readers would be missing out if they didn't pick it up this holiday season!

"Children and Christmas, they go together like sugar cookies and milk." Author Sheila Roberts has such a sweet way with words. And there are multiple points of view, all told in third-person, which helps the entire novel flow beautifully. And recipes at the end! Delightful!

"You need help," Frankie tells Mitch. But it's not just Frankie helping everyone; it's everyone helping Frankie that makes this book really work.

"Close to perfect wasn't half bad."

A festive take on Jane Austen's Emma? This one sounded like it would be right up my alley. I ended up liking it well enough, but I didn't love it. The story was a bit slow and it was just sort of inspired by Emma, I guess. There were some cute parts and it was nice to see an older/middle-aged heroine. I think the story would've worked better for me if it had been a Hallmark movie.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The merry matchmaker review

⭐️⭐️.5/5

Ehhhh, I wasn’t loving this one. I wanted a cute Christmas love story and what I got was a small town romance-ish story with the most obnoxious female main character that I’ve had to read about recently.

I appreciate the close-knit family Christmas vibes and the town of “Carol.”

I liked that the main character owned a Christmas shop and really I liked most of the other characters more than Frankie. Honestly, Frankie is kind of selfish. I appreciate that she is a widow and I liked how the book shared bits and pieces of her grief…but that was the only soft spot of her for me.

The whole Santa-Mrs. Clause debacle, pushing her daughter into jobs she didn’t want, trying to set up her sister and then dating the guy she tried to set her up with and then giving her employee a makeover and practically shoving her into Mitch’s arms (she is in love with him secretly) and then stealing him back? I mean come on. Justice for Eleanor.

I gave some points for Steph’s story with Griff because I actually was interested in that story. I would have appreciated the book being about them with Frankie as a side character 😂

Also the writing was so-so. Some dialogue did not make sense and some random story plots never came to conclusion. Not sure if the author was opening this story up for a series or what, but lots of the plots with the side characters never developed or came to fruition.


It’s giving family Christmas hallmark romance, so if you are into that are small time Christmas-themed towns you may enjoy this story…but it wouldn’t be my first choice of Christmas story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love all things Christmas and usually love this type of Christmas story. But, this book just didn't do it for me. The story was fine, but I really, really disliked the main character! She was so irritating, arrogant, and such a busybody that I couldn't root for her even though it was clear where it was going. While the story ended in a nice little happy ending, it was hard for me to get through this book because I just couldn't stand the MFC. All the other characters were great, though!

This book is perfect for anyone who loved Hallmark movies and the Golden Bachelorette! While I personally could not get into it, mostly due to the main character’s age and personality, I know that this book would be a five-star read for someone else. I think that so many protagonists of romance novels are in theirs 20s/30s, so I do applaud Sheila Roberts for creating an older character for people that wish to see themselves in a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you’d enjoy a different Christmas romance this season, check out The Merry Matchmaker, the newest book by Sheila Roberts. Everyone has a friend like Frankie Lane, the one who is always trying to fix other people’s love lives while neglecting her own. Since suddenly losing the love of her life, Frankie has sworn off romance for herself, but that doesn’t stop her from meddling on behalf of her sister, her employee, her friend– you get the idea. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this book had me laughing out loud.

The story revolves around the holidays in the Pacific Northwest. Frankie owns a small business, Holiday Happiness, and is very involved in her small town, especially with the Santa Walk, an event she created to bring shoppers into the downtown area to enjoy the holidays and boost business. However, her rival took over the board for the event and is making changes Frankie doesn’t like. Add in the fact that none of the matchmaking seems to be going according to plan, and it’s a fun story to read.

Aside from the Emma inspiration, I felt a strong “Gilmore Girls” vibe with this book, too. Those who are wanting to read an uplifting, comical, sweet book will enjoy The Merry Matchmaker. Additionally, the book wraps up with a few holiday-themed recipes to keep the fun going.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Frankie Laane, a widow, is so busy trying to match others up and run their lives that she has no time for her own. Maybe she likes it that way but what happens when she sees her own opportunities slipping away due to her meddling.

Book Review: The Merry Matchmaker by [Author’s Name]
⭐️

I really wanted to love The Merry Matchmaker, especially since I’m an Austin fan and was drawn to the idea of an older protagonist, which I thought would be refreshing. Unfortunately, this ended up being a DNF for me. The biggest issue was the horrible formatting—one long, unreadable block of text with no chapters or proper paragraph breaks, which made it nearly impossible to follow. I didn’t get any of the Emma vibes I was hoping for, and Frankie, the main character, didn’t do much for me either. I was expecting quirky matchmaking fun and holiday charm, but instead, I just felt bored and frustrated. This one wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have a personal bias because Emma is my least favorite Austen book. I almost DNF'd it at a few points. It wasn't for me but I would recommend it to someone who wanted to read a cute holiday book.