Calling on the Matchmaker
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Jody Hedlund's novels are a joy to read."--ELIZABETH CAMDEN, RITA and Christy Award-winning author
"A historical romance reader's delight. Treat yourself! Jody Hedlund does not disappoint."--ROBIN LEE HATCHER, Christy Award-winning author
Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she's not worthy of a family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won't work on him, however, as she cannot outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.
A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning--and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hedlund (The Last Chance Cowboy) sets this slow-burning historical romance in a 19th-century St. Louis gripped by a cholera outbreak amid a wave of Irish immigration. In 1849, handsome Riley Rafferty narrowly rescues Finola Shanahan from certain death beneath the wheels of a runaway horse and wagon. Riley's well known for his acts of bravery around town, earning him the nickname "Saint Riley" and making him a shoo-in as the city's next mayor. He's immediately smitten with sassy, independent Finola, who's intent on becoming a nun, though she's not immune to Riley's charms ("He had the kind of body that could make a nun blush"). Things get complicated when Finola's parents turn to matchmaker Bellamy McKenna, who hopes to pair the two together. Though sparks fly, Finola remains skittish about marriage and children—a fear rooted in a buried childhood trauma she must grapple with as she weighs a life of service against the chance for once-in-a-lifetime romance. Hedlund's textured historical backdrop brings the city's Irish tenements to life, and the romance between Finola and Riley, full of longing and barely contained passion ("She was like a fire burning down a building. And he was walking straight into the flames"), is a treat. Readers will revel in this charming romp.
