The Merry Matchmaker
A Novel
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- £1.99
Publisher Description
“Sparkles with warmth, wit, and a sweet helping of holiday charm! The perfect stocking stuffer for readers who crave all the holiday feels and a happy ending!” —Rachel Linden, bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie
Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this joyful Christmas romp tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after—even when her help leads to disaster.
Frankie Lane knows what’s best for just about everyone but herself. Her divorced sister, Stef, who is too young to give up on love; her shy employee, Elinor; and her daughter, Natalie, who works in Frankie’s shop, Holiday Happiness, and really needs to start her own business selling the delectable chocolates she makes at home; even her best friend, Viola, who is trying to renovate her old Victorian. Frankie knows she could help all of them, if they’d just let her—and if all of her help didn’t end in utter disaster.
Then there’s Mitch Howard, the owner of the local hardware store. They’ve been friends ever since Frankie opened her store, nine years earlier. He got her through the nightmare when she lost her husband in a freak accident, and he’s her favorite shoulder to cry on. He’s been divorced for years, and it’s such a waste of man! Mitch is the fittest, finest man Frankie knows. He’s easygoing, wise and kindhearted. Mitch needs someone. And she’s determined to help him find that someone—whether he likes it or not.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Putting a contemporary Christmasy spin on Jane Austen's Emma, the latest from Roberts (Mermaid Beach) sparkles with joy and humor. Fifty-year-old widow Frankie Lane, a small-town gift shop owner, has a wonderful life—but can't bring herself to stop meddling in the lives of others. Her desire to share her love and good fortune with everyone around her leads her to frequently play matchmaker. One of her favorite targets is Mitch, the slightly older hardware store owner whose attraction to Frankie is perfectly clear to everyone but her. As the local shops prepare for the Christmas rush and the popular Santa Walk event organized by Frankie, she navigates relationships with her mother and her adult daughter and her nascent feelings for Mitch, and must decide if she's ready to move on from the death of her husband four years earlier. Complications abound, particularly in the form of an amorous younger man, a female hardware store employee with a crush, and Barbara, another middle-aged woman, who's attempting to usurp Frankie's status in the town. A richly drawn secondary cast on their own romantic quests adds depth and heart, making this quaint town feel cozy and lived in. It's an instant holiday classic.Correction: A previous version of this review identified the protagonist's love interest by the wrong name.
