This is a lovely yet complicated story of a matchmaker as she revels in finding the perfect person for her clients. Nura runs the agency and her best friend and pretend-fiance, Azar spend free time together. But even as she amasses hundreds of clients and rave reviews, suddenly odd things begin happening: she receives notes that are warnings, weddings suddenly get called off, and a podcaster warns that she's in danger, and a couple is kidnapped. How are all of these connected and who would want to harm her or her business? It's a great family drama, love story, and a tale of the lengths people will go to when feeling threatened or power-hungry.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

ARC Book Review: The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed: 4⭐️

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕: “Business has never been better for Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta. Her exclusive clientele benefits from her impeccable track record. And while a single thirty-one-year-old matchmaker would normally raise some perfectly threaded eyebrows in the community, Nura’s childhood best friend, Azar, is willing to double as her pretend fiancé at her clients’ weddings—even though Nura's feelings for him might not be so pretend. But all that glitters isn’t gold. While it’s not uncommon to get occasional hate mail from rejected prospective clients, Nura is blindsided when a couple’s carefully constructed wedding implodes, the first in a cascading chain of suspicious and increasingly terrifying events. Someone is taking things too far, and with Azar and her matchmaking team by her side, Nura embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that threatens not only her safety but everything she’s worked so hard to build.”

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: This cozy mystery kept me on my toes the whole time! I was so surprised to find out who was responsible for all the hate mail and sabotage to Nura’s business. I loved the different relationships throughout the story: romantic, platonic, and family. Nura has an amazing support system that worked together to figure out the identity of her stalker. Without the help of her friends and colleagues I believe it could have ended horribly for both Nura and her family. If you’re looking for a fast paced mystery you will want to pick this one up when it releases on 4/8/2025.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for providing me with this eARC.

I really enjoyed this. I liked the mystery aspects as well as the subplot of the romance. However, I do think that the flow of the novel wasn't as smooth as I had hoped for and many times I was taken out of the story just because too much was happening at once. I think people should read this if they like the movie The Wedding Planner or anything that has to do with "oldest immigrant daughter syndrome".

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Aisha Saeed’s The Matchmaker is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and romance, offering readers a captivating story filled with suspense, humor, and heart. This novel introduces us to Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker in Atlanta, whose impeccable track record is suddenly threatened by a series of sabotaged weddings.

Nura Khan’s life as a successful matchmaker is turned upside down when a couple’s wedding, meticulously planned by her, falls apart in a spectacular fashion. Nura engages the help of her childhood best friend, Azar, who poses as her fiancé at weddings. As the stakes rise, Nura must navigate threats to her safety and the unraveling of her carefully constructed world.

Nura Khan is a compelling protagonist—intelligent, resourceful, and deeply committed to her clients. Her relationship with Azar adds a layer of romantic tension that is both sweet and complicated, as Nura grapples with her true feelings for him1. The supporting characters, including Nura’s matchmaking team and the various clients, are well-developed and add richness to the narrative. Each character brings their own quirks and motivations, making the story vibrant and engaging.

The Matchmaker explores themes of trust, resilience, and the complexities of love and friendship. Saeed’s writing is both witty and heartfelt, with a perfect balance of suspense and romance. The dialogue is sharp, and the descriptions vividly bring the setting and characters to life.

Aisha Saeed has crafted a novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Matchmaker is a testament to her skill as a storyteller, offering a clever plot, engaging characters, and a charming setting. Whether you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, romance, or both, this book is sure to delight with its clever twists and turns.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery with a touch of romance and a strong, relatable heroine.

Nura Khan has a thriving matchmaking business, however her clients' marriages start to go awry and she starts to uncover clues that suggest these may not be coincidences. Amidst the mysteries, Nura also has her own tangled romance to navigate. In this novel, we follow Nura and her friends and family as she discovers truths and lies that make her rethink her past and who can be entrusted.

Aisha Saeed explores a fresh concept in this novel, and created a three-dimensional FMC who learns and grows throughout the story filled with revelations, some expected and some not. Overall, a fun and quick read for fans of romance and mystery alike.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Nora es una matchmaker cuyo objetivo es emparejar a personas con los mismos valores, intereses y compatibilidad para lograr un matrimonio duradero. Es exitosa y todo parece ir bien hasta que comienza a recibir amenazas, sus clientes son secuestrados, la prensa la ataca y personas que nunca fueron sus clientes afirman haber contratado sus servicios y que les fue mal.

La parte del misterio, así como la dinámica y los problemas familiares, me gustaron, pero la parte del romance arruinó un poco la historia.


Spoilers ⚠️ ⚠️

Nura y Azar han sido amigos durante años; ella está enamorada de él, pero él no de ella, o eso es lo que ella piensa. Lo que me molestó fue que él tuvo innumerables novias, mientras que ella no salió con nadie por 10 años por sus sentimientosñor él.
Durante más del 65% del tiempo él estuvo en una relación seria y, además, la llevaba a todos los lugares favoritos de Nura. Al final, revela que también estuvo enamorado de ella todo el tiempo. ¿Cómo se supone que crea que siempre la amoó si sus acciones y palabras dicen otra cosa?

“You and me. We’re friends, right? But I need more. And I finally found someone I connect with. Zayna … she’s great. At the end of the day, you and I will always be friends, but there’s more to life. At least, for me there is, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that not everyone is like you, obsessed with work to the point where I have to come along to weddings to spend any reliable time with you. Not everyone is happy to be alone for the rest of their life.”
I can’t breathe. It’s like I’ve been slapped. He knows how important my job is to me. I thought he understood. And happy to be alone? How can he not see that I had found someone, too—but that someone wasn’t interested in me? Violins play Mendelssohn’s"




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Matchmaker.

I don't read much romance but the premise of The Matchmaker piqued my interest, a mystery involving a third-generation successful matchmaker?

Count me in!

Sadly, The Matchmaker wasn't a good match for me.

The plot was pretty formulaic, someone is making threats online, Nura is being tracked/followed and is dealing with personal family drama.

I wasn't a fan of Nura Khan. I didn't dislike her but I wished I liked her more.

She was a typical cliche; matching couples and finding love for others but not interested in dating herself, instead leaning on a BFF as her stand-in when she was invited to client weddings.

Naturally, her BFF is attractive and a great catch, and her love for him is unrequited.

There was no chemistry between them and just because this is a story about a matchmaker it doesn't mean a romance involving the main character is mandatory.

Third, I thought Nura was going to solve the mystery but others did it for her; they figured it out instead of her doing the legwork.

Events happened to her and moved the plot rather than Nura. She was written as more of a supporting character rather than the main.

The writing was good, but at the same time wordy.

There was not much suspense and typical misunderstandings with colleagues that led to Nura suspecting the wrong people, making assumptions, and the additional rom-com drama of her BFF dating.

This was a bit too cozy for me but I appreciate the opportunity to read it before publication.

3.5 🌟 Read

The Matchmaker
By: Aisha Saeed

Nura is a Matchmaker and a successful one at that. She's your classic workaholic,constantly burning the candle at both ends trying to juggle family, friends and her ever growing client list.
Her life is consistent and predictable until an article about her Matchmaking business goes viral and insights more than just hate mail. Someone is targeting Nura and is out to ruin her.

Had a lot of fun reading this book, it's a
mystery/thriller, with family drama and a sprinkling of romance. There are bunch elements at play, all enjoyable but I felt like I didn't enough of each. Aisha Saeed is such an engaging writer, I almost would have liked less side plots and a deeper dive into main story.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.25 stars

This was really compelling and I honestly didn’t want to put it down. It’s definitely way more of a mystery than a romance but I liked both plotlines. I didn’t see the twist coming and loved the suspense. Saeed did a great job building up tension. I also thought the romance was sweet and enjoyed it, even though I would’ve liked more (but I understand it wasn’t supposed to be the main focus).

Nura Khan is a matchmaker to the elite of Atlanta, a business flourishing and matches happy and wed, until suddenly her life turns upside down and she realizes something is amiss. She begins to fear for her life as threatening voicemails are left, someone is following her, and an entire podcast is devoted to her. Things just get worse from there. Nura tries to keep her family out of the spotlight as things heat up and she realizes her devoted family friend and secret crush Azar has begun to date someone.

I have no idea what this book is. I began the book thinking it was going to be a romantic comedy with a sideline of mystery thriller, but it was actually the reverse. When I figured out what was going on, I was good with it, but something about the cover and the initial plot summary threw me off. I absolutely inhaled this book - it has a little of everything: revenge, romance, wealth, matchmaking, second chances, family ties…I liked it and read it really quickly. I have to admit the amount of wealth mentioned in it was slightly off-putting, but I know that the setting required it. I know Saeed is known for her middle-grade novels, but I believe that she pulled off a thrilling adult debut with a unique genre-bending narrative. I wanted to go to Nura Khan’s (client’s) weddings!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Nura Khan is the go-to matchmaker in Atlanta. Her track record is impeccable, but when one of her matches' wedding is a complete disaster Nura and her team struggle to figure out what went wrong. Nura finds other suspicious occurrences that lead her to believe that someone is sabotaging her. To complicate things, she has unrequited feelings for her best friend Azar who often serves as her pretend fiance at her client's weddings. As Nura looks further into who is threatening the career she has built, she must also figure out her complicated relationship with Azar. A perfect combo of romance and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aisha Saeed, and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for this arc of The Matchmaker, out February 4, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: Nura is a successful Matchmaker, thanks in part to the business that’s been passed down to her. Too bad Nura’s love life isn’t as well off as her very well off clientele. Azar, her childhood best friend and stand-in partner, look like the beautiful couples that she matches together. One drunk night long ago, Nura may have made a move on her best friend, and when she can’t get over her embarrassment, she blocks him out all together. Are these fake feelings really “nonexistent”? When she starts receiving threatening letters and mail, she doesn’t think too much of it. You can’t please every client. But then things start to take a turn, and she needs to be careful or she may be the next target.

❣️Initial Feels: Azar sounds like a dreamy character! I love Nura’s outlook on life in terms of relationships, even if her business deals with matching couples. She seems like a very strong woman.

👀Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, stalking, kidnapping

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Gosh, I actually loved most of the cast in this novel but Azar spoke to my heart. His sweet demeanor and best friend vibes were it for me. I pictured a strong handsome fella, along with a man with a soft heart.

📖Read if you want: romance with a sprinkle of mystery, desi wedding culture, fast read, well written and executed adult debut novel

💡Final Sentiments: After reading this book, I learned that this was the author’s first adult novel and she really did a superb job with the writing. The story had a nice flow, was beautifully written, and had such a mature voice to it. I really enjoyed this novel and read it in two days! It was a mystery that had sprinkles of crumbs to lead you to the culprit, and even though I had some inklings, it didn’t ruin any parts of the story. Great read!

🌟Overall Rating: 4 solid stars!

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

There is romance, there is sabotage, there is mystery and family drama. I really enjoyed delving into the life of Nura Khan - a matchmaker in Atlanta, GA. It also shows how far deep we can become in our career that we lose sight of everyone else around us.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

More mystery than romance but that's ok! It was still a fun read. Fast paced, twisty, and well plotted. Saeed was a new to me author and I will definitely read more of her books. (3.5/5)

In my opinion, this is the kind of book that you want to read all in one cozy rainy afternoon sitting. Grab your warm beverage and you blankie and snuggle in for a not too threatening mystery with a side of romance. I was attracted to this book because she is the author of Amal Unbound which is really great. I was also interested in reading it because the main character is an "old fashioned" (but not) Indian marriage matchmaker.

the matchmaker is a fast-paced and dramatic story about an incredibly successful matchmaker. this book was well written and decently entertaining. there was romance, drama and betrayal. this felt a little like a soap opera, in a very good way. if you’re looking for a fun and quick read, i’d definitely recommend this. i loved the topic, the setting and how familiar this story felt at times as a desi person myself. there is romance in ‘the matchmaker’ but it falls second to the overall plot. (it’s a clean romance). overall, i had a good time and i look forward to this authors future adult publications!

Sometimes when a YA author sticks their toes into adult fiction water, I just want to tell them to go back to the kiddie pool. That was absolutely NOT the case for Aisha Saeed. As a longtime fangirl of Saeed's YA novels, I was a little nervous, but this book 100% feels like it was written for adults but could also be enjoyed by YA fans (which I also am) .
I expected this to be more of a romance just from the title and cover, but it was definitely a mystery with some twists and surprises. I do what I always do and made it to a scene roughly 20% in, where I thought I had the whole thing figured out and had to jump to a spot near the end to see if my guess was right and it was so far off haha.
Overall I loved the book, I wish that there was a little more detail at the end when the story wraps up but it's still a good ending with no loose ends.

This is a 3.5/5

A fun book, with a healthy dose of mystery and family dynamics. It's not a romance per se, since it's not the central theme.

Overall, I found it a bit challenging to follow the narrative as there were too many characters, with detailed back stories for many of them. Mostly, I wish the mystery was solved by Nura with only a bit of help from the side characters, since IMO that would have helped with the story flow better.

If you like books by South Asian authors, with modern matchmaking elements, this one is for you!

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

#TheMatchmaker

In all honesty, I found this book to be mediocre. The plot, in my opinion, was a little disorganized, but I must admit that I was completely surprised by the resolution, which was masterfully done! Overall, I enjoyed reading it and thought it would be interesting for those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers as well as learning more about the matchmaker concept! There were a few characters that I wished we had gotten to know better and I also thought the romance element should have been developed more!

The Matchmaker combines romance and mystery in a fun fast paced novel! If you loved Indian Matchmaking on Netflix this is the book for you!