A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.“A delightful, light-as-air romance that successfully straddles the line between sweet and smart without ever being silly…The novel is simply captivating from beginning to end.” —Associated PressMarnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the … her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.
When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.
And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.
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Favorite Quotes:
Pay no attention to Wendy… She missed the class on manners because she was attending two extra courses on personal intimidation.
The life force is running out of this room! I’ve been at funerals that had better vibrations than this.
We never got married because I’ve finally learned that if you have to bring the law into your personal relationships, then you’re doing it wrong.
One time he said to me, “You know, I had a great six-pack when I was young,” and I said to him, “Bragging about beer is so unbecoming for an old man.”
It’s like he’s a person who has his emotions in a safety deposit box somewhere, and he forgot where he put it.
My Review:
Matchmaking for Beginners was the second superbly written book of Maddie Dawson’s that I have had the pleasure of reading. It produced a near-constant smirk and frequent subvocal chuckling. I have a strong compulsion to stop everything and simply indulge in all the various publications of this woman’s clever and creative work as I reveled in her word skills. I adored her highly amusing, clever, and keenly crafted storylines from start to finish. Her quirky characters were each uniquely, inexplicably, and magnetically intriguing, even the villains.
The main character of Marnie was an oddly unobservant bubblehead who was all too easily tilted off the rails and careening towards ruin. While I may have wanted to give her a few smacks to the head with my Kindle, I also found her extraordinarily endearing and held my breath for her on numerous occasions. Ms. Dawson’s humor was well-honed, shiny, and crisp. I particularly enjoyed the witty exchanges between Marnie and Patrick, the “luminous” misanthropic hermit living in the dank basement. Sigh, more, please!
Maddie Dawson’s latest book is a marked departure from her previous delightful books with characters in their 20s, 30s and early 40s. This work presents an amazingly intimate portrait of the character Blix , an over 80s woman of grit and self awareness who is dying of a tumor she names Cassandra. What’s remarkable about Blix is her courage, combined with her deep commitment to loving others exactly as they are. Her relationships are made continually surprising and compelling throughout this story. The young woman she befriends, Marney, is transformed by her relationship with Blix, both before and after her death. I became truly engaged in the story of these protagonists, and relished the way the book was shaped.
A fun read for all‼
Delightful characters, interesting setting and a heart-touching story with a good ending. Perfect!
Endearing and fresh! No wasted words… loveable characters. Modern and “with it.”
Really funny. It amazes me how authors can instill their sense of humor in their audience
best book of the year only if the year is eternity.
This is the story about Marnie. She thinks she has found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. At a party to meet his wealthy parents for the first time, she is humiliated. An older aunt named Blix, pulls Marnie to her and they quickly become allies.
When Marnie’s marriage falls apart, she moves home to her parents to try and figure out what she wants to do with her life. As she starts a relationship with an old boyfriend, she receives a letter from Blix’s lawyers that she has left her New York house to Marnie in her will. Bewildered on why a woman she met twice would do this, Marnie travels to New York to try to figure out Blix’s reasoning and to figure out what she wants to do with her life. There she meets the renters in Blix’s building and starts to realize where she wants to belong.
This book isn’t literature. Not even by a long shot. It is as cheesy as a Hallmark Christmas movie. It isn’t deep and Marnie is just an okay character. The things she does in this story aren’t great. Some of the lines that are written in this book are so bad, you can’t help but shake your head. However – it kept me painting and kept me entertained while we were remodeling, so I will give it that.
However – if you are looking for a story about love and life changing decisions – skip this
This is a fun book. Join the main character, Marnie, as she searches for love in all the wrong places.
From my bookshelf: Marnie MacGraw wants what we all want (or most of us, especially in these tough times) and that’s a normal life. She intends to get it, too. Until she meets Blix, a one-of-a-kind matchmaker who happens to be her fiance’s great-aunt.
Nothing that happens after meeting Blix is what Marnie could call normal. Including her marriage, which ends after two short weeks. And when Marnie
inherits a brownstone in Brooklyn from Blix, life as she knew it changes forever.
Matchmaking for Beginners is charming in its portrayal of a woman starting over, learning how to recognize a good man when she isn’t expecting to,
and how she follows her heart where it leads her.
This is the first Maddie Dawson book I’ve read and I’ve come to love her quirky characters. I’ll be looking to put another of her books on my bookshelf!
This was cute and fun.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I laughed and cried but most of all I enjoyed.
A nice, light read. Entertaining and quick to get through. I loved the opening, but grew to find the romance predictable, and some of the protagonist’s choices cringe-worthy, which made the second half a little more dull.
Wonderful “magic” here!
Not the kind of book I usually read, but sooo glad I did. The writer did a wonderful job of defining the characters. The story line moved along so well I was sad when the book ended and have preordered the next with these characters. Makes you remember to thank talented authors for their hard work!!!
Wonderful, delightful, book. A perfect nighttime read.
I love Blix and Houndy! Marnie grows, give her time. But this is an amazing story of figuring out who you are and who your people are. Love comes in many packages.
Maddie Dawson, author of “Match Making for Beginners” has written an entertaining, witty, enjoyable, and captivating novel. The Genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Fiction, and Romance. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes the characters as complex, complicated, and quirky. Some are dysfunctional. There are an adorable dog and cat in the story as well for animal lovers.
Marnie MacGraw works with young children and is now the fiance of Noah. Noah brings her home to meet his family. The only one Mannie seems to relate well to is Noah’s quirky great aunt, Blix Holliday. Blix Holliday is eccentric and has been the black sheep of this wealthy and snobby family. Blix is also known for having a “sense” of matchmaking. Marnie also has been able to tell when couples will get together. What Blix doesn’t feel is that special glow circulating around Marnie and Noah.
Marnie gets a letter from Blix’s attorney informing her that Blix has passed away, and Marnie will inherit the house in Brooklyn with some stipulations. It seems that Blix also has made an informal family, and has had a special bond with some people in the apartments in her building. Each has problems of their own, and Blix had been taking care and helping them in unusual ways.
What has Marnie gotten herself into? I appreciate the author’s vivid descriptions of the characters and events in the story. The author has a great way of telling this story. The themes are self-worth, finding love, the importance of family, friends, neighbors, community and having hope. I would highly recommend this entertaining and emotional story for those readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and romance. Happy Reading!
Ah . . . this book is what reading fun is all about. I smiled through every chapter and hated to see the story end.
Cute read. Light, easy.