Melinda prides herself on her matchmaking ability as evident by the number of couples getting hitched in the town of Chester. She wants everyone to find the kind of love she shared with her late husband. Melinda is satisfied to remain the mysterious widowed matchmaker. Facing her future alone is less painful than risking her heart again. Adam is a retired Marine. He longs to have a partner but … partner but carries the physical and emotional scars from his last tour of duty. He protects his heart as fiercely as he protects his scars. Until a chance meeting with the highly successful matchmaker, Melinda changes his ideas about his future.
Taking a leap of faith Adam signs up for her matchmaking services. In turn Melinda hires Adam as a carpenter to fulfill her wish to have a pergola in her back yard. As the structure is constructed piece by piece their friendship grows.
Will Adam and Melinda’s relationship develop into something deeper or will the scars from their past keep them from finding love?
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The Matchmaker and The Marine: A Second Chance Small-Town Romance
By Lucinda Race
5 stars
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I absolutely loved it! I was a really easy read and had wonderful characters. The authors writing style was really relaxed which made the book such a pleasure to read and that along with the pace and flow definitely made it a 5 star read in my opinion. I think I fell in love with Melinda and Adam from the very beginning, both of them with their own issues to overcome and I could feel the genuine connection that they seemed to have.
This was a really lovely second-chance romance story and one that I would absolutely recommend to other readers! I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author again in the future.
This is a lovely sweet romance book all about second chances.Ms. Race is a new author to me and I am so glad to have the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed how clean this book is and how you feel for the characters. This is a lovely relaxing read for those long days Lucidina has a great way of drawing you into this little world.
Matchmaker Melinda is exceptional at her job in the town of Chester where she’s coupled almost everybody around. As a widower, she aspires to help everyone find the love she’s experienced with her late husband. She’s protecting her own heart by being one and done with marriage after the loss.
Adam is a retired marine who has great pain from the war and his heart is no exception to being bruised and battered so he strives to protect it. Melinda opens a part of him he’d thought had died and brightens his outlook on life.
Melinda hires the marine as a carpenter to create a pergola in her backyard while he’s now open to what services she provides but there’s a friendship developing between the two. The only problem is will they bypass their past to create a future together?
This story was sweet in the best ways. I loved how their chemistry was natural. Great characters with steamy and romantic interests made this book an easy read which I could not put down. This book makes you believe in love again and shows it’s okay to put your heart on the table for love.
The Matchmaker and the Marine is the perfect second chance romance book. Ms. Race is a new to me author and I am so glad that I read this book. This book drew me in from the very first page and I could not put it down until the very end. I loved the chemistry and back and forth banter between Melinda and Adam. After some tragic times for both of them, they are brought together when Adam goes to Melinda for help. This book will pull you in and keep you wanting more.
When your love of your life is no more and you have sworn to dedicate your life to helping others find the same love, will an unexpected person offer hope that you can have that again.
Melinda is a matchmaker, after the death of her husband the love of her life she has vowed to find that passion and love for other people. She believes that she will never feel that love again not in her life time until she meets Adam at a friend’s wedding. As there friendship goes on is there a glimmer of hope that he could be the one to re-enlight the love in Melinda’s heart.
Adam is a marine but after an attack he has been discharged and has lost what feels like everything, once his girlfriend saw the scars of war all over him she bailed on him and after talking to a buddy has ended up in Chester looking to start over again. He is now at a friend’s wedding talking to a woman who seems to look past the scars and they have a lovely conversation. Melinda then starts to set him up on dates which don’t go quite as planned but he can feel the emotions running through him when he speaks to her.
But will a secret break this bond and ruin everything?
I loved this story from the first word to the last, the story is well written and flows brilliant through the emotions and chemistry of these two brilliant matched characters. The characters are both flawed in different ways and the friendship and trust comes through the story and builds to a great ending. I highly recommend this book to those who love a good story with chemistry and banter.
I enjoyed this second chance romance story. This is my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more from her. This is a well written story that is full of heart and undeniable chemistry. I had no issues connecting to the characters as they took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was pulled in right from the beginning of the story. It is an engaging, fast paced story that had me turning pages fast. Melinda lost her love and led a lonely life. She is determined to bring couples together to find their true love. Adam is a handicapped Marine whose girlfriend dumped him after he came back home. What will happen when Adam goes to Melinda for help? What happens next neither one expects and neither will you. I highly recommend reading this book. Their chemistry will pull you in!
Two people who cling to the past and have trouble to move on to a happy future as a couple.
Melinda is a matchmaker by profession, but as she already had her happily ever after with her late husband, she does not believe there is another man out there for her. When James asks her to find a match for her, she easily agrees, but over time she finds it more and more difficult to match him with someone else. James has different issues. As an injured war veteran he feels out of his depth, after his then girl friend drops him because of his injuries.
It is a long and difficult road for both to find trust in each other.
The story itself is nothing special, but it is written in an engaging way, the reader wants to continue to find out when they will finally make it. An entertaining, enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is filled with a complex and relatable story you can fall in love with, I definitely did. Lucinda is a fantastic Romance writer, you will be happy with any book she writes. Looking forward to your next book.
Melinda gets satisfaction and happiness from matching people together but never for herself but all that changes when she meets Adam the best friend to one of her matches and now friend Will. Adam has moved into Will and his new wife Stacey’s place after not knowing what he wants to do in life and deal with his new life after an accident finished his career as a Marine. Neither see it at first but there is an attraction between them unfortunately Melinda doesn’t want to acknowledge it and Adam doesn’t see him self as a whole man for her or any other women. This is a heartwarming read about moving on and finding out what your next steps in life are along with your self worth is and everyone deserves someone mixed with laughs, sadness, weddings, interesting dates and a fantastic pergola!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first time reading anything by this author. The plot is a really sweet one. The characters are well written, and both have a past that has left them scarred.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A well written story that held my interest throughout. Matchmaker, and widow Melinda and damage retired Marine Adam’s story. It had me rooting for them. This is a new Author to me and I will be looking for more by her. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a great book that was full of pages with well developed characters and engaging storyline and plenty of chemistry to keep me entertained. I am looking forward to more By this author.
This is a book that has all the feels that you could ever want A scarred returned marine and a widowed woman what more could you want
Melinda had the perfect marriage and partner but she lost him so now she spends her days working as a match maker determined others will have what she once had. Adam is a returned marine who has not onlt physical scars but mental once as well he sign up to Melinda’s program and at the same time she employs him to build her a pagola As there friendship develops Melinda tries to find him a match but he already knows who his match his but will she give him a chance.
I think it’s wonderful that the author tackled this difficult subject and created such a heartwarming story.
Will the talented matchmaker make her own match? Retired and injured Marine Adam hopes she’ll find him a match, but isn’t ready to reveal his vulnerability to a potential partner. Meanwhile, the matchmaker is trying to avoid being hurt as she has been in the past. Is it possible these two will be a match for one another?
What a fun book! Melinda had helped numerous couples find happiness. She thinks the love she shared with her late husband can never be duplicated for her but she’d happy to help others find that wonderful relationship. Life always has surprises waiting for us and Melinda finds hers. Read the book to learn what happens to Melinda and why.
I’ve been waiting for this one! I love matchmaker stories and this one is perfect!
The Matchmaker and the Marine by Lucinda Race is that rare book that makes me smile.
A slow burn romance about two people who’ve suffered loss ( one a loved one, the other, physical loss) and yet find the courage and faith to take a chance on love again.
There’s nothing I like better than reading about people who don’t hop into bed the moment they meet, but become friends first, and then realize the person they’ve been looking at is the one they want to be with forever.
This was a sweet tale of second chances and I highly recommend it.
A wonderful emotion-packed romance.
Who doesn’t love books about military men? This is a slow burn romance!