
Member Reviews

This was fun! But not something that it going to stay in my head long term. Easy and cute with some spice. Great pallet cleanser.

A matchmaker becomes the target of an unknown adversary who keeps sabotaging the weddings of her matches.
I really liked how unique this book was. It wasn’t your typical matchmaker story. The mystery aspect was compelling and fit the story well.
Nura was a great character; however, there were times she felt older than she was supposed to be. I think it helped lend credibility to the amount of pressure she was under but at the same time I kept questioning what stage of life she was in.
The will they won’t they between Nura and Azar was addicting! I really had no idea how it was going to go for them throughout the majority of the book.
Also, this book painted a vivid picture in my mind. Visualizing the extravagant weddings was really easy.
💋 Romance
🔎 Mystery
🧑🧒🧒 Family
🤗 Found Family
💛 Desi Culture
⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 2/5
👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews
🙏🏼 Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for the #gifted copy of #thematchmaker !!

Aisha Saeed's The Matchmaker is a compelling blend of romantic suspense and cultural exploration, marking her adult fiction debut. Set in Atlanta, the novel follows Nura Khan, a successful third-generation matchmaker whose thriving business faces sabotage through a series of unsettling events. As Nura navigates these challenges, she also grapples with her complex feelings for her childhood best friend, Azar, who poses as her fiancé at client weddings.

This was fun! I got this ARC a while ago, but never got to read it. When I saw it was a book on the AAPI rec list, I figured now was as good a time as any to finally check it off my TBR!
Nura Khan is the head of a matchmaking service to the elite desi society members (and others) in the Atlanta metro area. She has a great track record and a small but mighty staff on her side. She attends many of her client's weddings, as she prides herself and her reputation for staying with them from the beginning to the very end of the matchmaking process. However, one day a podcast is published that slanders Nura and her business, kicking off a mysterious and dangerous series of events that happen both at various client weddings and in private, personal settings with Nura and her friends and family. Then, just when you think the mystery has ben solved, there's even more to unpack and figure out!
This was a fun book, but not a favorite of mine. A lot of reality had to be suspended for me to buy into the story, but I think it was really well-written, especially for a debut!! I'd recommend this to anyone that likes romances, but is looking for something a little different to change things up. There are definitely aspects of a romance novel in here (Azar, Nura's long-time bestie and crush is present throughout) but I wouldn't say that it feels like a super central focus of the book. This book is about Nura saving herself and her business with little flecks of romantic notions throughout. 😊

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed was so good…I loved it! If you’re into romance with a twist of suspense and mystery, family drama, secrets and lies, friends-to-lovers, fake fiancé tropes, and beautifully written stories rooted in South Asian culture, then you will love this book.
This was my first book by Aisha Saeed, and it definitely won’t be my last. She did such a great job with the plot, pacing, and well-developed characters. Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker, takes over her aunt’s elite matchmaking business. But things get complicated when she starts receiving threatening messages and high-profile weddings are getting cancelled. On top of the professional chaos, her love life is a mess—she’s secretly in love with her best friend Azar, who pretends to be her fiancé at events.
As Nura tries to save her reputation and her company, she begins to uncover family secrets that change everything she thought she knew. The layers of mystery, culture, romance, and personal growth kept me hooked. I also purchased the audiobook, and Tiya Sircar’s narration was fantastic!Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As many other reviews share, this book is half romance and half mystery. I thought the cover looked cute and I like AAPI own voices stories, so I requested this book. I also in general like matchmaking, and thought this would be cute. Nura, our main character, is sharp and runs her own matchmaking firm in Atlanta, GA (I love when books are in GA)! This story follows her, her family, her friendship/crush on her college bestie, and also a stalker and sabotage of her business.
Things I Liked: being set in Atlanta, Learning more about Desi culture, references to amazing yummy sounding food, thunderstorms, and the cat
Things I didn't like: I kind of wish this had just been a mystery without the romance.
I enjoyed this overall and would read something else from this author.

This book was charming and full of potential—matchmaking, fake engagement, and a will-they-won’t-they friendship-turned-romance. However, the story doesn’t quite deliver on its emotional depth. The romance feels a bit too predictable, and the chemistry between Nura and Azar could’ve used more spark. It’s a sweet, easy read with some heartwarming moments, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

Overall, this was just a fine mystery. Entertaining enough for me to read quite quickly, but not something that I was dying to finish either. I did also enjoy the general plot of the book and the inclusion of Desi culture, along with the commentary made about abusive relationships. However, the main thing that took stars off this book for me is the romance. For the first 70% or so into the book, Azar feels like a side character and not a final potential partner for Nura. Azar is literally in a relationship with another woman for more of the book than he's with Nura. I of course know that Nura has feelings for Azar, but because he's hardly in the first 70% of the story, I don't really see tension between the two of them to show me why they should end up together at the end of the book. So when Nura and Azar do confess their feelings for one another and start dating and eventually get married, it doesn't have the same satisfying feeling that a childhood friends to lovers should have because Azar isn't really present in the book for the majority of it. Besides this, I am also a little confused about Darcy's motive. Her reasoning for doing what she does is to gain money, but isn't Nura's matchmaking service making tons of money? I would understand if Darcy was a regular disgruntled employee, but she's working directly beside Nura wouldn't she be getting paid more? But maybe that's just me being ignorant.
Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The title is misleading at first, and has the reader thinking it would be a lovely little rom-com. What it truly is is a fun, fast-paced, and entertaining family story. Some key themes are secrets, fake dating, friends to lovers, stalking, and a dash of mystery. All around, it was good!

This was such a fun read. I love how it seems like a romcom but is actually a mystery (with romance!). It's about Nura, a selective matchmaker unlucky in love -- and the stalker who is following her. There's also a family secret! The story was fast-paced, and the voice was fun and engaging. For a mystery, this is lighthearted. For a romance, it's dark. I really enjoyed following the dynamics of the family and Nura's colleagues. This is a fun crossover read that made me want tor read more Saeed!

A thought provoking story of love, choice, and tradition. I enjoyed Saima’s world as she navigated the complexities of matchmaking, family expectations, and her own desires.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nura Khan runs a popular matchmaking agency that caters to a lot of exclusive clients. The company, originally run by her aunt, has been a thriving family business for generations, and Nura has successfully expanded it even more. Fame and success, however, also come at a price. Nura has had more than her share of haters. Usually people she has declined to help, but recently, it seems things have become much worse. Someone is determined to ruin her business and reputation, and it seems they'll stop at nothing to bring her down.
This book was totally not what I was expecting! I was completely riveted. I loved how well each character was detailed enough that you really got to know them and their relationship with the MC and especially that her love angle wasn't crux of the story, but was a perfect little addition. The mystery of who was behind all the trouble really kept me on the edge of my seat and the ending was unexpected and perfect.
I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballentine for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine!
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes, etc: Matchmaker, Mystery, Best Friends to Lovers, Framed, Secret Past
POV: Single, 1st Person
3rd Act Breakup?: No
Brief Summary: Nura is a successful matchmaker with many happy couples under her belt. But when her clients’ weddings start falling apart, it becomes clear that someone is targeting Nura. Along with her best friend (who she’s in love with), Nura works to find out who is behind the sabotage before someone gets hurt.
Vibe Check: Mysterious, Frustrating
FMC Is: Strong, conscientious, lovesick
MMC Is: Sweet, ride or die, oblivious
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
While Reading I: Gasped, was frustrated and left wanting
What Kept Me Hooked: Finding out who was behind it all.
Unpredictability: 🔮🔮🔮
Room For Improvement: The blurb puts pretty heavy emphasis on Nura being secretly in love with Azar but the actual culmination of their feelings for each other was so rushed and seemed like an afterthought.
Final Thoughts: I would’ve liked this so much more if the romance was treated with the care Nura and Azar deserved.

Nura just wants to use her gift in matching people with their soul mate. A gift passed down to her through the generations. But one person seems hellbent on ruining her life and her business.
Nura literally LIVES for matching people up so much so, she doesn't have time to even think about her own lovelife, happiness, and social life - something her friends try to convince her to do.
But Nura works hard, juggling to keep her magic a secret while running her family's matchmaking business in a bustling South Asian neighborhood. Finding a lot of success over the past year, she's shocked when suddenly she finds herself entangled in a mysterious scheme that threatens everything she loves.
With unexpected betrayals, hidden truths, and the pressure of staying true to her calling, Nura must figure out who she can trust before her entire legacy is torn apart.
Thank you NetGalley, Aisha Saeed, and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a candid review.

This was very impressive for a debut novel. I thought the mystery was very well-written and I loved the family drama. The romance maybe could’ve been a bit more of a focus (this is just my opinion because I love a lot of romance with my mysteries) but it was sweet. Who doesn’t love a friends to lovers / second chance trope? We have a little miscommunication which readers might find frustrating but, since the romance isn’t the main focus of the plot, it didn’t bother me.
I think this author shows a ton of promise and I would absolutely read future books by her.
Loved the Desi rep!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, I was not drawn into the story like I thought I would be.

Nura is a Matchmaker. (Her family women have always been Matchmakers, and Nura has continued the tradition, but updating it with an App, in the Atlanta area. When issues pop up regarding some recent matches - and a couple disappears the night before their wedding, people start blaming Nura. Although she's always done her best to full screen applicants for her services, bad publicity starts to affect the business.
What is truly behind these strange events? When the police start questioning Nura, things take a darker turn. It's quite obvious that someone is targeting Nura's business, but who is behind it, and how can they be stopped?
I enjoyed the fact that this book held more than just mystery, and the story of the "matchmaker" who doesn't have her own true love. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this title. Pick up The Matchmaker, available now!

This was a decent read! It was good enough to finish but not sure I would recommend. Story was a little boring for my liking

I struggled to get into this read. There was a lot going on, and it felt like the author didn’t really know what she wanted to book to be either.
The idea is so fun, but I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t get into a good reading rhythm with it.
Not for me but rounded up to 3 ⭐️ for its unique storyline.
Thank you netgalley!

I like the premise of this book, so I was intrigued to read it. Although the MC got on a my nerves a bit, I can see she was coming from a good place. But when people have big hearts, that’s when they get taken advantage of the most! I like the diversity of characters in this book! I’d recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.