My sisters think I’m crazy.
But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love.She told me to search far and wide for him.I haven’t stopped looking ever since.When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China … I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence.
It’s destiny.
My sisters say I’m chasing a dream.
Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?
My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand.
Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird.
The memory silences them.
The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable–and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.
I will find Paul . . . I will.
NOTE: This book is part of the Power of the Matchmaker series. Each book in the series is a standalone novel. The books can be read in any order, and they all have one thing in common: The Matchmaker! I suggest reading the prequel novella, Power of the Matchmaker, first. It tells the story of how the Matchmaker became the Matchmaker. However, it is not required in order to understand this book.
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I had the privilege of participating in the Clean Wholesome Romance January 2019 book club, which choice was Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean. I chose not to read the synapsis on purpose, letting the story tell itself, and I am so thankful that I did. Savannah, the heroine of the story, mirrors me in so many ways. An introvert, so shy that her timidity has left her frozen in life. She also had an internal conflict that no one knows about: Savannah is on a secret mission to find Paul, a mystery man that Savannah was told by a mystical woman years before that she is destined to be with. Paul is her one true love, and it is this motivation to find him that brought Savannah on an amazing trip to China.
Before participating in the book club, I had already fallen in love with the story, but during the Clean Wholesome Romance Facebook book club meeting we got to hear the motivation and inspiration behind the story from the author herself, which made me fall even more in love with Chasing Fireflies. It was the author’s daughter that had taken the month-long trip to China and it was her experiences that Taylor Dean drew the majority of her inspiration from.
Learning the backstory made Chasing Fireflies that much more meaningful. The heartfelt and wonderful writing, along with wonderful characterization and descriptions, made this an incredible read, and is an excellent installment in the Power of the Matchmaker series.
I’ve read a number of the Matchmaker books now, and I’ve liked them all. I wish this one had a bit more of Pearl, but I still liked how Taylor worked her in. I kept thinking Savannah was a bit TOO obsessed with finding her Paul to the point that it ruined her judgment over men. I would’ve liked to see the stories in her past have her show herself to be a bit smarter than she was. Why her one serious relationship ended was handled very well though. I liked all the characters that went to China with her, and I liked how things grew with Julian. Overall, it was a fun book. Taylor’s writing was enjoyable, and she developed all her characters and made them likable instead of figures filling space. I think you’ll like this one.
I received a copy of this for an online book club, but all opinions are my own.
I’ve read a few other in the series the power of the matchmaker and have enjoyed them all including this one. This was told through first person. Sort of like two friends sitting together and one is retelling her time in China or reading her journal. At first it kind of threw me off but then I just embraced it and would stay up late to read it. We got to hear a bit about the culture so that was a nice addition to the story. Loved the H. It had good supporting characters and dialogue. The ending was satisfying and the whole process of the h growing as a person and the romance felt authentic.
Ok guys… this is going to be one of the hardest reviews I have ever written! Why?! Because I absolutely LOVED this book but I can’t write my review the way I normally do because I will take the chance of giving things away! And I really, REALLY don’t want to ruin it for anyone! Part of me wants to tell you to stop reading my review right now if you have not read this book just in case I let something slip. But the other part of me wants to share the awesomeness of this book by telling you to stop what you’re reading right now and read this book! Yes… it is THAT good in my opinion!
Savannah met Miss Pearl when she was only 11 years old. From that moment on, she knew that she must follow what Miss Pearl tells her to the letter. She devotes her life to finding Paul. When she gets discouraged she thinks of other things Miss Pearl has told her that came true and she knows she must keep on searching for Paul. He is out there, he is real and she must search far and wide for him. After reading an article in her college magazine, she decides to take her search to China. Everything is falling into place and she just knows she will find Paul in China.
She does indeed meet Paul while she’s there. But there is another that catches her eye as well. The only problem? His name is not Paul… it’s Julian. The more she gets to know both Paul and Julian, the more confused she becomes. Savannah will have to do a lot of thinking and soul searching. Her destiny has always been Paul. But why does she feel such a strong pull towards Julian? Will she chose to stay true to what Miss Pearl has told her? Or will she venture on a different path to see if she can find happiness on her own?
I seriously LOVED this book! I had a hard time putting it down and got frustrated when real life got in the way. I wasn’t able to read it for 2 full days and I found myself thinking about Savannah’s story, wondering who she would pick, how it would end and wishing I could just pick it up and read! From the friendships, to the relationships, to the food and the different adventures the group went on… it was a perfect read for me! There was not one thing I disliked about this book!
This is my very first book by Taylor Dean and I can tell you without a doubt that it will not be my last! She literally sucked me in from the very beginning and I loved the journey she took me on! This is an AMAZING addition to The Power of the Matchmaker series. I am SO glad I picked this one up! Have I told you yet that I loved it and that it’s AMAZING?! 😉