Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund Book Review
Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund is a historical romance set in 1849 St. Louis. It is full of humor, a charming and sweet romance, and discussions of harder topics like death, sickness, and discrimination.
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Calling on the Matchmaker
Author: Jody Hedlund
Pub. Date: Dec. 12, 2023
Series: A Shanahan Match book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 352
Rating: 5 stars
Spice: no spice
Content Warnings: death of a child & parents, sickness
Synopsis:
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. Unwilling to consider marriage, Finola has perfected the ability to sabotage the relationships her parents arrange for her. At wit’s end, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. After her usual tricks fail, Finola quickly realizes she can’t 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.
Book Review
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund. All opinions are my own.
Thoughts
This is my favorite Jody Hedlund book yet! Such an easy five star read.
One of my best discoveries of 2023 was Jody Hedlund, and now I want everyone to read her books! If you haven’t read any, I definitely recommend starting with this one. It’s the first in a series and can be read as a standalone.
This book is fun, charming, and sweet while also discussing harder topics like death and the treatment of immigrants in the 1800s.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a good historical romance without the spice, I would suggest you read this one.
I am so excited to re-read this book in the future and the sequel coming out in 2024.
Where to Read & Purchase
You can purchase a copy of this book at the following retailers:
Bookshop.org (supports independent book stores) [affiliate]
Libro.fm (audiobooks that support independent book stores) [affiliate]
→ get a free audiobook when you start a membership
Amazon [affiliate]
Books a Million (BAM) [affiliate]
AbeBooks [affiliate]
Have you read Calling on the Matchmaker or any other books by Jody Hedlund?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment down below.