The Matchmaker (audio)

48-year-old Nantucketer Dabney Kimball Beech has always had a gift for matchmaking. Some call her ability mystical, while others - like her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech, and her daughter, Agnes, who is clearly engaged to the wrong man - call it meddlesome, but there's no arguing with her results: With 42 happy couples to her credit and all of them still together, Dabney has never been wrong about romance.

Never, that is, except in the case of herself and Clendenin Hughes, the green-eyed boy who took her heart with him long ago when he left the island to pursue his dream of becoming a journalist. Now, after spending 27 years on the other side of the world, Clen is back on Nantucket, and Dabney has never felt so confused, or so alive.

But when tragedy threatens her own second chance, Dabney must face the choices she's made and share painful secrets with her family. Determined to make use of her gift before it's too late, she sets out to find perfect matches for those she loves most.

I discovered Elin's novels by reading The Castaways.  After enjoyed it so much I quickly looked for her previous books.  Elin's books are great for summertime -  this book was saved just for that, but with the early birth of my grandson it took me until now to get to this audio. The story is told in the voices of Dabney, Box, Clem, and Agnes along with a few of the couples that Dabney matched.  Nantucket is a character as well. Without spoiling the major plot, this book was different than what I expected.  I liked the secondary characters better along with the matched couples stories.  Erin Bennett did a fantastic job narrating that kept me engaged in the story.  I  hate to say it, about a loved author, but I may have put this book down if I was reading instead of listening. 

Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Published: July 2014
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Source: Hachette Audio
Finished: 10/23/14


This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Mitch @Hachette Audio and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.