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thebookishwizard's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jesserenn's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was not a huge fan for most of the book. I was unsure if I'd finish it. But the character growth by the end kept me interested and overall it was a fine read.
boggremlin's review
2.0
This was an interesting novel. I don't agree with its categorization as a romantic comedy (or as a romance novel in general); it's much more a coming of age novel, albeit one where the protagonist, despite a too-neat ending, doesn't know what she wants.
Raina is a half-Indian Canadian woman who was raised by her grandparents. Nearing 30, she feels deeply unmoored. Two years prior to the start of the novel, deep in the throes of a breakup, she agreed to start dating people her grandmother suggested with the goal of getting married--an arranged marriage. Many of the dates are duds, but it's hard to tell if that's because the guys she meets are jerks or because Raina is still hung up on a very charming, pretty terrible ex-boyfriend (who may not be entirely out of the picture). To cap it all off, her best friend is getting married, and the enormity of a formal Hindi wedding is causing tension.
Overcome by the pressures of finding a husband (and making up for her mother's wild youth), Raina gets caught in a lie: she allows her grandmother to think that Raina is gay. Raina is not, in fact, gay, or even remotely queer; but this revelation causes an enormous rift in her community, and causes problems for a close friend, who is gay, and who fears coming out in their close-knit South Asian immigrant community. ON TOP OF THAT, Raina may be finally falling out of love with her ex, and falling in love with Asher, who doesn't appear in the novel enough for me to get much of a read on other than "generic charming white guy."
There's a lot going on in here.
The writing is very good and very compelling; I finished the novel in one sitting, and I was honestly curious to see how things turned out ("I'm at 87 percent and I still have no idea where the romantic comedy part of this book is," I said to myself.) I didn't find many of Raina's choices very comprehensible; I cannot fathom thinking that it's easier to claim a queer identity than it is to just say, "I am really overwhelmed and I do not want to go on any more dates right now." Even if the novel is set in the tolerant, mythical land of Canada, that plot choice did a disservice to the queer stories that were already present.
I think it will make an excellent book club title; there's a lot to unpack here. I've rated it as 2 stars, but I think it's closer to 2.5; I didn't dislike the novel, but there are a number of sections that are a little unwieldy, and it's hard to take the happy ending very seriously. It's just too easy, and it doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the book, which has Raina striving to figure out what she really wants.
Netgalley review.
Raina is a half-Indian Canadian woman who was raised by her grandparents. Nearing 30, she feels deeply unmoored. Two years prior to the start of the novel, deep in the throes of a breakup, she agreed to start dating people her grandmother suggested with the goal of getting married--an arranged marriage. Many of the dates are duds, but it's hard to tell if that's because the guys she meets are jerks or because Raina is still hung up on a very charming, pretty terrible ex-boyfriend (who may not be entirely out of the picture). To cap it all off, her best friend is getting married, and the enormity of a formal Hindi wedding is causing tension.
Overcome by the pressures of finding a husband (and making up for her mother's wild youth), Raina gets caught in a lie: she allows her grandmother to think that Raina is gay. Raina is not, in fact, gay, or even remotely queer; but this revelation causes an enormous rift in her community, and causes problems for a close friend, who is gay, and who fears coming out in their close-knit South Asian immigrant community. ON TOP OF THAT, Raina may be finally falling out of love with her ex, and falling in love with Asher, who doesn't appear in the novel enough for me to get much of a read on other than "generic charming white guy."
There's a lot going on in here.
The writing is very good and very compelling; I finished the novel in one sitting, and I was honestly curious to see how things turned out ("I'm at 87 percent and I still have no idea where the romantic comedy part of this book is," I said to myself.) I didn't find many of Raina's choices very comprehensible; I cannot fathom thinking that it's easier to claim a queer identity than it is to just say, "I am really overwhelmed and I do not want to go on any more dates right now." Even if the novel is set in the tolerant, mythical land of Canada, that plot choice did a disservice to the queer stories that were already present.
I think it will make an excellent book club title; there's a lot to unpack here. I've rated it as 2 stars, but I think it's closer to 2.5; I didn't dislike the novel, but there are a number of sections that are a little unwieldy, and it's hard to take the happy ending very seriously. It's just too easy, and it doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the book, which has Raina striving to figure out what she really wants.
Netgalley review.
sio92510's review against another edition
1.0
did not like. this book had so much potential, but was so poorly executed: annoying characters, poor writing decisions by the author (why is your main character pretending to be gay?!) and really never redeemed itself.
siritheowlcat's review
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Not too bad for a pick up from Dollar Tree tbh!
I was so nervous about picking this up considering where I bought it, but I really enjoyed it! Honestly the only thing that knocked this down a star was Raina pretending to be a lesbian just to avoid getting set up on dates and dealing with the INTENSE homophobia was not something I expected until it was actually happening. Not really a fan, but the book went on regardless.
I was so nervous about picking this up considering where I bought it, but I really enjoyed it! Honestly the only thing that knocked this down a star was
lisawreading's review
2.0
The Matchmaker's List had been on my to-read list for a while, and after a few heavier books, I thought this would make a nice, light change of pace. And yes, it did, but it was also frustrating and ultimately disappointing.
In The Matchmaker's List, Raina is 29 years old, a serious career woman -- an investment banker -- coming off a break-up with the love of her life. Dev is another investment banker, hard-driven in a way that Raina isn't, and always puts his career ahead of their relationship. Raina is so blinded by love that she puts up with it, until she just can't any more. As the book starts, Raina is living back in Canada after her time in London with Dev has ended, single, and devoted to her grandmother Nani, the woman who raised her.
Raina's best friend Shay is newly engaged, and Shay's mother Sarla is planning the ultimate Indian wedding bonanza. Nani just wants to see Raina settled as well, so she convinces Raina to go on a series of blind dates with suitable men from Nani's list. The men are, for the most part, duds -- arrogant or looking for an insta-mommy to their kids or just plain strange, and Raina is so not into it.
It's a fairly cute set-up so far, right? Raina wants to please her Nani, and she's not having any romantic success on her own, so why not try some traditional matchmaking? Except Raina is still hung up on Dev, who stays in touch just enough to keep Raina on the hook.
And here's where I got really turned off by Raina's character: After a misunderstanding, Raina lets Nani think she's gay. In fact, she confirms it, thinking it'll stay between the two of them and keep Nani from pursuing even more extreme measures to find her a prime Indian man to marry. Of course, it doesn't stay between them, and soon, the entire Indian community knows the "truth" about Raina, causing a huge amount of scandal and division, and leading to Nani being shunned by the women she used to be friends with.
Still, Raina keeps up the fiction, even when she sees that Nani has been browsing the internet to learn more about gay rights and how to support one's gay chldren, even investigating reproductive options for lesbian couples. Yup, Nani is ready to become a gay rights activist in defense of her beloved Raina. Raina still doesn't back down -- not even when the boy she used to babysit, now 18 years old, uses Raina's "coming out" as inspiration for his own, pushing him out of the closet before he's really ready and causing a huge rift within his family.
On top of Raina's ongoing lie, which feels like a cop-out to me, so unnecessary and causing so much drama and tension, she just doesn't strike me as a particularly good friend or nice person. When Shay mentions that she'd like to introduce Raina to one of her fiancé's friends who's just back from traveling the world for the past few years, Raina labels him a drifter and dismisses him -- and when she meets him, she immediately decides he's a stoner with no real evidence to support her conclusion, and continues to refer to him that way to his face even during additional encounters. Judgmental much?
What seems the most unforgivable to me is the huge fight she and Shay have during Shay's bachelorette weekend, when Shay hears from Sarla that Raina is a lesbian. Shay knows that that's a lie, and confronts Raina, and the two end up in a screaming match, during which Raina says this awful thing to Shay:
Really? Slut-shaming her best friend? And threatening her this way? Just disgusting.
As is the way with what's supposed to be a breezy romantic story, things of course work out for Raina and she ends up meeting the man of her dreams, getting the awful ex-boyfriend out of her life, telling the truth to Nani, and making up with the boy who came out because of her and felt horribly betrayed. And of course, she and Shay make up and are closer than ever, with Shay supporting Raina every step of the way.
And really, I just couldn't. How could Shay possibly forgive Raina after the horrible thing she said? I'm sorry, I don't care how angry Raina was (without justification, I might add) -- I think her actions and statements were pretty unforgivable.
Also, by allowing Nani to believe she was gay, she thrust her unprepared grandmother into a controversy that caused her all sorts of grief and turmoil. Raina later seems to be using the experience to show how sexual orientation shouldn't matter in terms of being loved and supported by one's family and community, but it felt like co-opting someone else's struggle. Raina, a straight woman, pretending to be a lesbian for her own convenience, and somehow holding herself up as a symbol of pride and equality? No.
I wish I could say the story itself is charming enough to get me to see past these issues, but it's not. It wasn't a slog to get through or anything -- the narrative moves along quickly, and there are plenty of amusing incidents and vignettes that keep the pace going. Nani is a great character, and I enjoyed the sections that showed the complications of Raina's childhood, her mother's life, and the backstory for her relationship with Nani.
The cultural elements are also quite good -- I loved getting the little snippets about Raina cooking with Nani or enjoying their favorite Bollywood movies together, as well as the customs surrounding a traditional Hindu wedding, and can only imagine how spectacular it might be to actually be there and experience the gorgeous clothing and amazing tastes and sounds and smells.
Still, that doesn't outweigh how offensive I found so many of Raina's actions. I'd love to hear opposing thoughts, of course. But for myself, I can't really recommend this book, despite its occasional amusing and entertaining parts.
In The Matchmaker's List, Raina is 29 years old, a serious career woman -- an investment banker -- coming off a break-up with the love of her life. Dev is another investment banker, hard-driven in a way that Raina isn't, and always puts his career ahead of their relationship. Raina is so blinded by love that she puts up with it, until she just can't any more. As the book starts, Raina is living back in Canada after her time in London with Dev has ended, single, and devoted to her grandmother Nani, the woman who raised her.
Raina's best friend Shay is newly engaged, and Shay's mother Sarla is planning the ultimate Indian wedding bonanza. Nani just wants to see Raina settled as well, so she convinces Raina to go on a series of blind dates with suitable men from Nani's list. The men are, for the most part, duds -- arrogant or looking for an insta-mommy to their kids or just plain strange, and Raina is so not into it.
It's a fairly cute set-up so far, right? Raina wants to please her Nani, and she's not having any romantic success on her own, so why not try some traditional matchmaking? Except Raina is still hung up on Dev, who stays in touch just enough to keep Raina on the hook.
And here's where I got really turned off by Raina's character: After a misunderstanding, Raina lets Nani think she's gay. In fact, she confirms it, thinking it'll stay between the two of them and keep Nani from pursuing even more extreme measures to find her a prime Indian man to marry. Of course, it doesn't stay between them, and soon, the entire Indian community knows the "truth" about Raina, causing a huge amount of scandal and division, and leading to Nani being shunned by the women she used to be friends with.
Still, Raina keeps up the fiction, even when she sees that Nani has been browsing the internet to learn more about gay rights and how to support one's gay chldren, even investigating reproductive options for lesbian couples. Yup, Nani is ready to become a gay rights activist in defense of her beloved Raina. Raina still doesn't back down -- not even when the boy she used to babysit, now 18 years old, uses Raina's "coming out" as inspiration for his own, pushing him out of the closet before he's really ready and causing a huge rift within his family.
On top of Raina's ongoing lie, which feels like a cop-out to me, so unnecessary and causing so much drama and tension, she just doesn't strike me as a particularly good friend or nice person. When Shay mentions that she'd like to introduce Raina to one of her fiancé's friends who's just back from traveling the world for the past few years, Raina labels him a drifter and dismisses him -- and when she meets him, she immediately decides he's a stoner with no real evidence to support her conclusion, and continues to refer to him that way to his face even during additional encounters. Judgmental much?
What seems the most unforgivable to me is the huge fight she and Shay have during Shay's bachelorette weekend, when Shay hears from Sarla that Raina is a lesbian. Shay knows that that's a lie, and confronts Raina, and the two end up in a screaming match, during which Raina says this awful thing to Shay:
"I wonder if Julien would still marry you if he knew what a slut you used to be."
Really? Slut-shaming her best friend? And threatening her this way? Just disgusting.
As is the way with what's supposed to be a breezy romantic story, things of course work out for Raina and she ends up meeting the man of her dreams, getting the awful ex-boyfriend out of her life, telling the truth to Nani, and making up with the boy who came out because of her and felt horribly betrayed. And of course, she and Shay make up and are closer than ever, with Shay supporting Raina every step of the way.
And really, I just couldn't. How could Shay possibly forgive Raina after the horrible thing she said? I'm sorry, I don't care how angry Raina was (without justification, I might add) -- I think her actions and statements were pretty unforgivable.
Also, by allowing Nani to believe she was gay, she thrust her unprepared grandmother into a controversy that caused her all sorts of grief and turmoil. Raina later seems to be using the experience to show how sexual orientation shouldn't matter in terms of being loved and supported by one's family and community, but it felt like co-opting someone else's struggle. Raina, a straight woman, pretending to be a lesbian for her own convenience, and somehow holding herself up as a symbol of pride and equality? No.
I wish I could say the story itself is charming enough to get me to see past these issues, but it's not. It wasn't a slog to get through or anything -- the narrative moves along quickly, and there are plenty of amusing incidents and vignettes that keep the pace going. Nani is a great character, and I enjoyed the sections that showed the complications of Raina's childhood, her mother's life, and the backstory for her relationship with Nani.
The cultural elements are also quite good -- I loved getting the little snippets about Raina cooking with Nani or enjoying their favorite Bollywood movies together, as well as the customs surrounding a traditional Hindu wedding, and can only imagine how spectacular it might be to actually be there and experience the gorgeous clothing and amazing tastes and sounds and smells.
Still, that doesn't outweigh how offensive I found so many of Raina's actions. I'd love to hear opposing thoughts, of course. But for myself, I can't really recommend this book, despite its occasional amusing and entertaining parts.
lsmarenghi's review
3.0
The Matchmaker’s List was published in 2019, but already feels outdated. The repeated mentions of the protagonist’s BlackBerry are distracting. I thought BlackBerries were defunct...
The narrative switches from 1st person to 3rd person for flashbacks, which is a choice I’m not sure I like.
The lead comes off as rather immature and lets things spiral unnecessarily out of control.
The narrative switches from 1st person to 3rd person for flashbacks, which is a choice I’m not sure I like.
The lead comes off as rather immature and lets things spiral unnecessarily out of control.
guylou's review
4.0
BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY
One devoted modern girl + a meddlesome, traditional grandmother = a heartwarming multicultural romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it.
This was such a charming book and a fun read. It opens a window on the world of modern arranged marriages in the Asian community. The story is entertaining, and each character adds colour to the story. I enjoy this book particularly because it takes place in Toronto and the area. I am very familiar with the different locations in the book and it makes it even more relevant to Toronto readers. If you are not from Toronto, you will discover some of the great spots in this beautiful city.
This book deals with many subjects such as modern arranged marriages, pleasing family, deception, and repairing damaged relationships. Sonya Lalli provides you with all the right ingredients for a fun and light love story with all its ups and downs. Don’t wait and get a copy; you will enjoy this book!
Thank you Penguin Random House for sending me an advanced copy of The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli and for including me in the blog tour.
Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:
1. Congratulations on your debut novel! What inspired The Matchmaker's List?
Thank you so much! I came up with the idea for the book in my mid-twenties, and often that point in life where one is done university and has started working. Overnight it seemed I had gone from a kid into being a woman, and I remember getting ‘looks’ from some of the aunties. One even offered to try and set me up! I’m not sure exactly where Raina’s story came from -- it just sort of appeared -- but it definitely happened around that time…
2. Did you know everything that was going to happen in The Matchmaker's List, or did you decide as you wrote?
Not exactly. This is my first book so it was a very steep learning curve. I plotted out everything, and even though the story is still roughly the same, there was quite a bit of editing and refining to be done with my agents and editors.
3. What other books have influenced you as a writer?
The biggest one for me is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I talk about it a lot, actually. There weren’t a lot of books about the South Asian immigrant experience in North America when I was growing up, and I identified a lot with the main character Gogol.
4. What is the best advice you have ever gotten as a writer?
Keep your butt glued to the chair, even if you have writers’ block. It can be hard to make yourself write when you don’t feel like it, but do it anyway. Even if it means doing character development, refining your plot, or research instead of upping your word count. Eventually, whatever you’re doing will get your creative juices flowing again, and you’ll be able to push on with the writing.
5. What projects are you currently working on now? Perhaps the sequel to The Matchmaker's List (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)?
Heh heh. I have another book coming out with Berkley in 2020, but it’s another standalone romantic comedy, sorry! I do have an idea for a sequel/prequel that would more be about Raina’s Nani and mom, but I’m pretty sure it’ll just stay an idea.
Thank you so much for having me!
BOOK GIVEAWAY:
You can win a finished copy of The Matchmaker’s List. Please visit my Bookstagram account @twodogsandabook to enter.
This giveaway is not affiliated with Goodreads.com and is opened to Canadian residents only!