Nura Khan’s exclusive matchmaking business is suddenly experiencing unexplainable difficulties. As her best laid plans continue to implode and endanger her business she begins to investigate. But that is not her only problem. Her best friend who has played at being her “fiancé” at events wants to pursue his own love life. Why does this bother her so much. This is a fun read.

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting! I do think that sometimes genre crossings do not work, and this book did have a bit of an identity crisis, romance and mystery combine usually have to be done in such a perfect manner for it to work for me, so there were some misses with this. I think the writer is very talented and I did overall enjoy this!

I think this book is trying to mix genres (romance, general fiction and mystery) but the result didn’t quite work for me. The story isn’t particularly romantic and the main character is rather dull.

I ultimately did like the mystery, but it was pretty clear who the villain was and their behavior at the end was quite broad and over the top.

Not my favorite but enjoyable enough.

Matchmaking, elaborate weddings, attempted murder. A bit of everything in this fun read that kept me guessing until the very end.

This title is a fun mix of mystery and matchmaking, murders and mayhem, along with some family drama and romance. A fun, light read.

Nura is a matchmaker who has just taken over the family business, and her wealthy clients are all raving about her services. She has a great team at work who all have her back. She even gets to attend weddings with her best friend since childhood, Azar, who is handsome, a doctor, and her pretend fiancée. However, she soon starts getting threats and there are attempts to ruin her client's weddings. Things turn scary quickly and she has to figure out how to stop it before somebody, or her business reputation, gets hurt.

This was such a cute book! I was not expecting a romance/mystery/thriller mashup, but it was such a fun ride! Just when I thought things were all revealed, something else would happen that I wasn't expecting. This book also contains a super sweet romance that I enjoyed, despite the fact it involved my least favorite trope - the miscommunication one. It did not hit me as annoying as I often find this and that was a huge plus. I liked the characters so much, and there was so much else happening in the book to capture my attention. I loved how the family relationships were portrayed, sweet Lilah is adorable and reminds me of my own daughter (who I can't turn my back on for a minute either!). Such an interesting premise too, I loved exploring the matchmaking business and the Desi wedding culture. The FMC had a great personality and was written so well, I wanted to be her friend in real life and could relate to her on so many levels!

Overall, a great read with a fast pace. I really enjoyed this book, and recommend it to all cozy mystery fans who enjoy light romance. I feel it's heavier on the mystery side and the romance aspect takes a bit of a backseat. I would definitely read more writing from Aisha Saeed! I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

4.5 stars rounded up

This book starts off as a slightly slow burn. It’s based off modern day match making through a team of people. Although there is romance throughout the book it’s also a thriller alongside it. I feel like the twist is really good in this story and something I did not see coming. This story keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This book had an engaging mystery along with the romance but I thought the balance would be more romance than thriller and the balance was the other way. Perfectly fine! Just not what I expected. I’m not the perfect audience

3/5 stars

I enjoyed this book but was a little thrown by the back and forth between genres. I liked the author's writing though. There was some great dialogue and interesting characters. I pushed through because I wanted to find out what happens. I would still recommend this book but only to a select few of my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bantam for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

This debut novel is a cozy mystery about a matchmaker in Atlanta. It explores relationships between partners, friends, and family. Nur is a highly successful matchmaker who struggles with her relationship with her sister and her feelings toward her best friend. Someone is trying to sabotage her business, but ruining her weddings and kidnapping her clients. She sets out to solve the mystery with the help of her colleagues, friends, and personal PI. This book felt like a combination of Netflix's Indian Matchmaking and Rich Crazy Asians. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys light reads or cozy mysteries. It was a fast-paced, quick read. 3.5/5 Stars!

Nura Khan is a third generation matchmaker whos both in person and on line matchmaking business is quite successful, until someone starts to sabotage her business. At first it seems to be someone with a grudge against one of her brides, but soon it seems evident that the grudge is with Nura herself.

Despite the more rom commy cover, The Matchmaker is a mystery with a little bit of romance. I enjoyed learning about Desi culture in regards to marriage traditions, and there is some family drama here as well for those who like stories about family dynamics. I did need to look up several Desi terms that were scattered throughout the text, but I enjoy learning new things. The characters were well drawn out and I did not see where the mystery was going initially, although the romance angle was obvious from the start. I think this one would work for anyone looking for a light mystery with a romance element.

Thank you to net galley and Random house Ballantine for an e galley in return for an honest review.

Aisha Saeed's The Matchmaker is a fast-paced, lighthearted read with a few unexpected twists that keep things interesting. The story follows Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker running a high-end agency in Atlanta. Nura's job involves more than just playing cupid; it’s about managing the complex dynamics of wealthy clients, their cultural expectations, and the misconceptions surrounding matchmaking as arranged marriages. While the book paints a vivid picture of glamorous weddings and the behind-the-scenes work of matchmaking, things take a darker turn when Nura becomes the target of some very dangerous sabotage. It’s a blend of mystery, family drama, and romance, though the romance side of things doesn’t quite take center stage as you'd expect.

However, the book does suffer from a bit of an overload of subplots that pull in different directions, making it hard to focus on any one thing. There’s a lot of drama around Nura’s personal life, her agency’s clients, and a major family secret, and at times it feels like these threads overwhelm the main mystery. The big reveal about Nura's family history, which is key to understanding the sabotage, felt a bit forced and honestly frustrating—had certain information not been kept from Nura, a lot of the chaos might've been avoided.

3.5 stars rounded up to four. It was a fast read that kept me entertained. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

This was such a fun read! I loved the mix of mystery and suspense with a dash of romance. This story kept me hooked from start to finish!

I really enjoyed the matchmaking themes, the creativity of the Piyar app, and the infusion of Desi culture. Nura is such a complex main character, and I loved how the story focused on how wedded she was to her career.

In addition to a phenomenal mystery, The Matchmaker also touches on heavy topics including the onset of dementia, complicated familial relationships, domestic abuse, cultural appropriation, and debt. I appreciated how multilayered this story was, including all the red flags for the true villain, and thought the author handled all the topics in a compelling and sensitive way. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of romance, I highly recommend picking up The Matchmaker!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be more of a romance with mystery on the side and instead was the exact opposite. I enjoyed all of the characters in the book, especially the protagonist; however about midway through the book, I figured out who the villain of the story was, and once I figure that out-it was hard for me to stay engaged with the book. I love a romantic element in the book, but I almost thought it distracted from the main plot. This was a cute read, but not my favorite book I’ve read this year..

So good! This was such an interesting intersection of romance and thriller and I absolutely loved it. Can't wait to see what this author writes after this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Matchmaker is a beautiful, heartfelt exploration of love, tradition, and self-discovery. Saeed’s emotional writing and relatable characters make this an unforgettable read.

This review will be published at https://bipocbooks.co/book-review/the-matchmaker-aisha-saeed on April 1, 2025.

This mystery meets family saga takes us behind the scenes of desi matchmaker Nura Khan, a third-generation matchmaker living in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nura's service at Piyar Matchmaking Agency is highly sought-after. Applicants go through a vetting process for both their matchmaking app and personalized services, to help them through the difficult job of finding "The One."

Despite the intricate process her clients take on in order to find a match, Nura deals with the misconception of matchmaking being perceived as arranged marriages. Yet, Nura isn’t most concerned with public perception—she avoids press interviews entirely. What truly matters is how the wealthy see her, since they are the ones who can afford her personalized services.

As a part of her work, Nura attends her clients’ glamorous and luxurious weddings full of bright flowers, hand-stitched lenghas, sparkling saris, and gold-plated wedding favors. At these weddings, her soon-to-be-wed clients introduce her to potential future clients who want to find the same kind of true love.

When disaster strikes at two of her clients’ weddings, it becomes clearer someone is targeting Nura and her services. 

If you’re like me, you picked up this novel because you’re fascinated with matchmaking: getting to know clients and helping them get to a point in their lives where they are ready to meet their perfect match. 

Aisha Saeed successfully brings you into the world of matchmaking, pulling from her own memories of her mother’s phone conversations discussing matches for others. 

At the same time,  Saeed presents a mystery: why is someone targeting Nura, and who is the person behind it all? 

Overall, The Matchmaker is a lighthearted mystery with some hints of romance and family relationships. While marketed as a romance, the romance feels like more of a side quest.

Pick this book up for a lighthearted, page-turning mystery with a dash of romance!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I enjoyed the premise of this book as well as the connection between the main character and her best guy friend. However, towards the end of the book, all of the things that were happened since a bit unrealistic and dramatic.