[3.5 stars]

Nura Khan is a third-generation matchmaker who is revolutionizing the field in Atlanta. Her high-profile clientele looking for personalized matching go directly through her rather than her app, combining the 21st century with centuries-old practices. Overall, her business is booming, and clients couldn't be happier. That is, until a string of unfortunate events unfolds for two weddings. Nura is now associated with two failed weddings - one is called off due to the groom being outed as a criminal, and the other with the sudden disappearance of both the bride and the groom. As word spreads, Nura's clients begin dropping their contracts. This isn't the only problem in Nura's life, however. Whoever is behind these events is also targeting Nura herself - and eventually her family. Just when Nura thinks the problem is taken care of, the activity ramps up. Nura's business and livelihood may never be the same.

This was a fun and fast-paced read! I kind of figured out the final twist, but some aspects still surprised me. The first few chapters will trick you into thinking this is a full romance novel! It is very romance-heavy, but still has the classic aspects of a typical mystery. I didn't love the underlying romance, but didn't find it overwhelming while reading either. If you're looking for a life-changing mystery or thriller, this isn't it. But it is a fun and quick read that will keep you hooked! I'd definitely recommend it if you're a fan of cozy mysteries!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the gifted ARC!

Title: The Matchmaker
Author: Alisha Saeed
Pub Date: April 8, 2025

I had no idea what to expect going into this book. Was it a romance? A mystery? Women's fiction? After reading, I'm still not 100% sure how I'd categorize it. I think it's safe to say it's a blend of all three.

Our main character, Nura Khan is a third-generation matchmaker. She is also A LOT, LOL. She kept me laughing and rolling my eyes at her antics throughout the whole book. At least she was relatively self-aware amidst her craziness.

I don't want to give a lot away, but I will say this: this book got CRAZY! The ending had me saying "WHAT?" over and over and over again. Nura is not very good at surrounding herself with upstanding people and, therefore, her whole life is basically a hot mess! It was a very entertaining hot mess, though!

I think if you set your expectations that you're going in for a wild and crazy genre blend, you'll really enjoy it! I flew through the whole book in a two sittings! It's definitely a quick and easy read!

3.5 stars

The Matchmaker is both a mystery and a romance but is mediocre in achieving each genre.

Nura runs a matchmaking agency. When worse and worse things start happening to her clients, she must figure out who is trying to ruin her. At the same time, she is navigating her friendship with Azar, whom she has loved for their whole lives.

There was a lot of potential within this book but overall, it just did not reach the potential. I wanted more. More information about her father's family. More of the build up with Azar.

Oh well. There may be others who love mysteries that will enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you to Net Galley, Bantam, and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || THE MATCHMAKER [thank you to PRH Audio & Berkley Publishing for my #gifted copy!]

Title: The Matchmaker
Author: Aisha Saeed
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: audio
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Narrator: Tiya Sircar
Narration: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Nura Khan’s matchmaking business is thriving—until a couple’s disastrous wedding sets off a chain of terrifying events. With her childhood best friend, Azar, posing as her fake fiancé (even though her feelings for him are very real), Nura is determined to protect her clients and her reputation. But as the threats escalate, she’s caught in a dangerous game that could cost her everything—her career, her heart, and maybe even her life.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
While this wasn’t my favorite cozy mystery I’ve ever read, it was also not my least favorite. I appreciated the cast of characters and the idea of a modern matchmaking service. It was interesting to see Nura’s process and how she made sure that not only she found her clients a match, but that those matches were ready to accept love when it came their way.

The thing I did not love was that it was so difficult to tell what genre the book was trying to be. The mystery didn’t seem to be the focal point, the romance didn’t seem to be the focus, and the family drama hopped in and out. I think if one of these genres had been more fleshed out, it may have caught my interest a little more.

🎧: The narration here was really well done and it definitely made for a fun 8.5 hour car ride audiobook! I appreciated reading this one with my ears so that I wasn’t’ making up pronunciations in my head. 😂 Sircar did a great job of keeping me interested and of keeping th story moving along.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Cozy Hijinx
Found Family
Dial A for Aunties
Arsenic & Adobo
Diverse MCs

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.90 ⭐️
# of Hours: 8 hours, 24 minutes
Pub Date: April 8, 2025

I was immediately hooked while reading “The Matchmaker.” How much I loved this book really took me by surprise. I would like to suggest that this book belongs in a new genre that we need more of - the cozy thriller! Nura took over the family Matchmaking business from her aunt. She and the business are wildly successfully until an anonymous podcast is posted spreading hate of her business and its purpose. That’s only the beginning - threats start popping up and a customer’s wedding is sabotaged. Nura and her coworker friends must get to the bottom of this to save the business and maybe her own life. Nura also has to navigate difficult family dynamics and her own personal journey of love. This is one of those genre-bending books that I think many readers will enjoy - a thrilling romantic mystery.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery/romance about Nura, an Atlanta matchmaker who finds herself in danger when her clients' weddings begin to be sabotaged and her business comes under attack. There is also an element of romance, and I think this novel suffered a little from being pulled in both the mystery and romance directions. The suspense could have been amped up more, and I couldn't buy in to the romance storyline. I enjoyed Nura's family dynamics with the aunt who raised her and her standoffish older cousin, and the writing was solid. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital review copy.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

I went into this thinking it was a cozy mystery and it sort of checks that box but it also gets a little more dramatic towards the end so I don’t really know how to classify it.

I think the solve sort of comes out of left field and I can’t really go into my thoughts on it without spoiling it. In some ways, it made sense bc there were a couple red flags but in others.. it didn’t ring totally true.

But the story was fast paced and I wanted to know what happened so I enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to Random House, Ballentine and NetGalley for the ARC of The Matchmaker.

4.75 rounded up to a 5.

I loved it! I absolutely loved this book. There was A LOT going on though. We have a romance, family drama, and multiple mysteries all wrapped into one story. But Aisha Saeed did a fantastic job of intertwining all of these elements together; so instead of feeling like the story had an identity crisis, it felt more like a miniseries. We come up with an answer to one thing about halfway through and I was so confused about what else could happen. And then something else pops up! The story kept me hopping and on the edge of my seat the entire ride. I loved all of the characters and there was such a feeling of dread about who the villain was going to be! I read this in one day and it was honestly, so much fun! I highly recommend!

Unfortunately this was not for me. I usually give books until the halfway mark before put it down but I just could not get into this. I enjoyed the premise but it felt like it moved too slow. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and PRH Audio for the ALC.

I must admit, I almost DNF'ed this book. However, I am so glad I didn't! I really enjoyed this book and the elements of mystery and romance. I enjoyed all the characters. I also did not see the ending coming (which is always a good thing) I also think that Tiya Sircar was the perfect narrator for this book and she had a very pleasant voice. I hope she continues to narrate more audiobooks in the future. I will also be sure to look for more books by Aisha Saeed in the future too!!

The subject of matchmaking seems to be gaining popularity but The Matchmaker offers an original premise. Nura is the owner of her family’s matchmaking company in Atlanta and, in particular, it attracts young clients who share her Indian roots.

There are tidbits throughout the book about the Indian culture – customs, food, and traditions. What a lovely addition to an already enjoyable story. It’s a mystery intertwined with the characters’ personal lives and ambitions. But, it also deals with memory loss, family tensions and, yes, a little romance, too. The author does a stellar job balancing all these different aspects.

I wouldn’t classify this book as a cozy. It isn’t silly or shallow and there aren’t any over-the-top quirky characters like the ones in some of the cozies I’ve read. Instead, the characters have depth and are believable, and the story has a nice and consistent pace. It’s a well written book and it definitely held my interest until the very last page.

The Matchmaker was a surprise read for me. I would have never anticipated how much I enjoyed this book. It’s Ms Saeed’s first adult novel, after writing award-winning books for younger readers, and I certainly hope there’s more to come. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

This was a fun read! Definitely more on the mystery side than the romance one. Maybe I’ve watched a bit too many true crime documentaries, as it was pretty obvious to me who the culprit was pretty early on, but I still really enjoyed it.

The premise is a really interesting one- a successful matchmaker realizes that she, and some of her matched couples, are being targeted and with the help of her team, tries to figure out who it is. The romance is more of a B-plot, and comes in the form of her childhood best friend.

I loved the flow of the book, and the writing style. I hope Aisha Saeed has many, many, many more books in her future. I will be reading them all!

Seemingly straight out of a Netflix drama, this story follows a matchmaker to the elite who finds herself entangled in a whirlwind of secrets and suspense. Though it’s a mystery at heart, the narrative weaves in themes of love, family tension, and unexpected twists. The plot unfolds smoothly, keeping you guessing about who’s really at fault until the very end. A light, well-written read that kept me hooked throughout!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Nura Khan, yes, <I>that</I> Nura Khan, has a pristine record as Atlanta's most successful, and exclusive, matchmaker. Her business, inherited by her beloved aunt, has been modernized for the 21st century and, despite a few critics confusing the idea of a matchmaker and arranged marriages, the business has blossomed under Nura's watchful guidance. Dedicated, hardworking, and more than a little in love with her unavailable best friend, Nora made the decision years ago to devote her life towards her matchmaking passion. However, after a recent article brought more than the usual crowd of haters, Nura begins to suspect her business (and thus, her reputation) are under attack. Weddings are sabotaged, threats are made, and soon it isn't just Nura who fears something is going on behind the scenes.

What a fun book! THE MATCHMAKER is being marketed as a romance/murder mystery, but I would say it falls more firmly in the cozy mystery/thriller category than romance. Sure, I was rooting for a certain couple to get together, but the romance was definitely a sub-plot to finding the perp. There was a twist towards the end that took me by surprise, and I loved the suspense of the story.

3.5 Stars

Fast paced and entertaining, reading The Matchmaker makes me want to go and read Aisha Saeed’s backlist. There’s something for everyone in this book: suspense, relationships, culture, and laughs.

Nura is a renowned matchmaker in Atlanta who runs her company with professionalism and passion. Yet not everyone seems to be thrilled with her work as threatening letters and a podcast appear and her clients nuptials are sabotaged. Nura relies on her employees (who are really more like friends) and her best friend Azar (who she longs to be more than just friends) to help her solve the mystery and keep her sane.

Nura’s close relationship with her aunt is also prevalent as is the rocky one with her cousin, and it was great seeing the family dynamics of a close knit group who make mistakes but still love each other.

It becomes a balancing act as Nura attempts to run her business, find the culprit, accept the changing dynamics between her and Azur, and stay present in meaningful ways for her family. And while it seems like a lot, the story seamlessly moves between each piece, bringing it altogether in the end.

Nura is fulfilling her role in her family's successful matchmaking business. Just as everything seems to be going really well for her and her clients, bad things continue to happen, putting Nura in the path of danger.

I read the blurb, but I did not expect to read what I read. I liked the book overall, but felt like there were two different tones that switched around the half-way point. The first seemed really like a love story and then the mystery-thriller part of it got so intense and then it just....ended? The mystery was interesting, but it felt a little out of place and felt it could have been a little more smooth! I really liked the main character and her family and enjoyed learning more about the desi culture!

Nura is a matchmaker and is very successful. She genuinely wants to find the right match for her clients. It turned into a mystery/thriller when some of the weddings were sabotaged and Nura finds herself being stalked. Very interesting and thoroughly entertaining.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this was a really fun genre mix for me, the ending felt a bit rushed but i really enjoyed the depth the characters had and how their relationships grew and changed throughout the novel

thank you to netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for my #gifted copy via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own.

Nura Khan is a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta. She has taken the business she inherited from her Aunt and grown it with the times into a thriving, exclusive, sought-after service beyond the Desi community. She's single, but her best friend Azar is willing to fake-date her at events to keep people from asking questions. Besides, she has enough to worry about with her Aunt's health declining and her cousin pushing her out of the family more and more. But when the regular-grade hate mail (from rejected prospective clients) starts scaling up, and when things start going wrong at weddings for couples she has facilitated, she gets scared. When she and her matchmaking team start to fight back there is suddenly no going back and Nura may have to make some very tough decisions.

I'm not gonna lie, I was super stressed out by this book, lol. The family dynamics were realistic and stressful, the danger was creeping, and I was seriously worried for her and her business. That is to say, the story was very well-crafted! It's a high-stakes game (at home and in the office) and poor Nora was very much balancing it all very carefully. Very, very well done.

Trigger warning: dementia of a loved one

2.5⭐️

Based on the synopsis, I was really excited to read this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I've seen this book described as a thriller and as a romance novel, but I don't think that is accurate. It reads more like contemporary fiction with lots of family/work drama. There is the underlying mystery of who is sabotaging Nura, the MC, but it didn't feel like the main focus of the story, probably because there are so many subplots. The mystery did get more interesting toward the end of the book, but it didn't really hold my attention in the first half. And if you're expecting a rom-com, that's not what you're going to get with this book. Nura's love life takes a backseat to her matchmaking business, so the main romances you'll read about are her clients'. While this one wasn't for me, I am still interested in reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.