The Matchmaker

Chick-Lit and Romance aren’t normally the genre I read, I prefer a dark gritty crime thriller, but something about the blurb above really interested me so I jumped at the chance to read it and take part in the blogtour to celebrate the publication day on 28th November.

The Matchmaker starts off in the usual rom-com way (light-hearted with some slapstick situations) and I must admit that for the first several chapters I was wondering if I had made a mistake and should stick to the gore and murders, however I carried on and I am so glad I did.

Caitlin Carter is a matchmaker, she finds love for other people, she has a gift of finding the perfect match and all she wants to do is share the happiness and love she has with her husband Harry with her clients to ensure they find their significant other. However Caitlin is hiding the truth about her marriage and eventually the truth has a way of coming out which potentially could ruin her business and reputation.

It’s difficult to review this book without going into too much detail and giving away spoilers, so all I can say at this stage is that The Matchmaker is more than a rom-com/chick-lit book, it’s about love and hope, loss and grief, friends and family and at the heart of the story is the wonderful, brave and caring character, Caitlin Carter.

Yes, I cried (can’t believe I just admitted that in public), yes, I got emotionally involved and attached to the characters and storyline, yes, I definitely recommend it and yes, I will be reading more by this author.

A Breath of Fresh Air in a Tinder Obsessed World

This book is a perfect example of why I love to take part in blog tours. I have come to enjoy reading books outside of my 'norm' and discovering new authors that will become firm favourites in the future. I can honestly say that not only will this book be one for recommending to many others, but Catriona Innes will also be an author to keep my eyes open for in the future.

When I first read the blurb, I expected a nice easy 'sunday morning' style novel. One where I got the warm and fuzzies and could whip through the pages feeling satisfied by a happy ever after, but I think the blub is a little deceiving.

The Matchmaker has more depth than I expected. More emotion, more roundness of character and much more heart. Catriona Innes writes with such heart and emotion and truly makes you feel for the characters on the page. Her descriptions and small but perfectly places observations paint the world on the page and carve Catriona's secrets right onto your heart.

Without giving away any spoilers, I truly feel Innes tackled the issues in this book with such sensitivity and truth. I felt all the emotions alongside Catilin and championed until the very last page. Although the 'twist' was fairly obvious early on, it did not stop the tear from prickling, or the ball from forming in my throat. There were no big surprises, no big 'what?' moments, but the charm of the book meant I did not once miss a shocking twist. Instead, I allowed myself to simply enjoy being on the journey with Caitlin.

Innes reminds us that in a world where we are so obsessed with social media apps, finding our 'mate' by swiping left and right, it's reassuring to know that deep down in our souls, if we listen we can still hear that whisper, and feel that 'kick'.If you are a fan of David Nichol or Nicholas Sparks, The Matchmaker will see you adding Catriona Innes to your list of favourite authors. Heart, soul, love, and pain. The Matchmaker has it all.

Reviewed by Emma-Claire Wilson for The Glass House Book Club

This was a surprising gem of a book, it sounded interesting from the blurb however the story was far better than I anticipated and well told from the perspective of Caitlin who is the Matchmaker of the title. The concept of a matchmaker in the era of Twitter was quirky and Caitlin operates in an unusual way, mostly relying on her own gut instinct and supporting the dates during their initial interaction. The cast of characters were all delightful and the story unfolded well, there were no real surprises for me however I really enjoyed this gentle and heartfelt tale.