The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli

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One devoted modern girl + a meddlesome, traditional grandmother = a heartwarming multicultural romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it 

Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn't mean she has to like it--or that she has to play by the rules. Nani always took Raina's side when she tried to push past the traditional expectations of their tight-knit Indian-immigrant community, but now she's ambushing Raina with a list of suitable bachelors. Is it too much to ask for a little space? Besides, what Nani doesn't know won't hurt her...

As Raina's life spirals into a parade of Nani-approved bachelors and disastrous blind dates, she must find a way out of this modern-day arranged-marriage trap without shattering her beloved grandmother's dreams.

Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for a honest review


Just the first line of the blurb sold me on reading The Matchmaker's List. Being set up by one's grandmother in hopes that one of those dates sticks, thereby leading to a happily ever after? There's so much that could happen here.

Raina is loyal to the grandmother (aka Nani) who has raised her and will do anything to make her happy including get married to a suitable Indian boy. The problem is that Raina's heart is not exactly in it. She was so close to being with "the one" but life and career demands took them both in different directions. It still doesn't stop her from holding out hope that there could be a second chance for them, slim as that may be. In the meantime, it couldn't hurt to go those dates with the various men her Nani keeps pulling out of the woodwork. It gets to be too much eventually and Raina takes advantage of a minor misunderstanding and uses it to to throw her grandmother off course. This solution, as temporary and harmless as it may be initially, has far-reaching repercussions that Raina must ultimately own up to. Basically, she's a hot mess and isn't ready to face herself or her actions.

The Matchmaker's List starts out humorously enough. I dug Raina's deadpan humour and quick quips at first. I wanted to hang out with her. But then the story plateaus slightly before taking a nosedive when Raina hits her rock bottom. The comedy was missing during the middle of the story. By midway she relinquishes control of her life, of herself, to appease her Nani. She was completely stuck and had given up. As much as I liked Raina, she was also kind of dull by this point, and it came across distinctly that even she was just as bored and fed up with herself. 

Kudos to Sonya Lalli here for writing Raina and her emotions in such a way that I felt her joy at the best parts but also that I was sinking along with her when things were at their lowest. The Matchmaker's List brings the laughs and struggles of family and friends, and the excruciating heartache of letting go of one idea of love before falling in love for real. 

~ Bel