Review: Calling on the Matchmaker
Today I’m sharing a book review for Calling on the Matchmaker, a Christian historical romance novel by Jody Hedlund. It is Book 1 of A Shanahan Match series.
Disclosure: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the author as part of Austenprose PR publicity tours. All views expressed are my own. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.
My Review
Calling on the Matchmaker is set in St. Louis in the 1840s. Fiona, the heroine, belongs to a wealthy, socially prominent Irish-Catholic family who is determined that she should get married. She is equally determined not to. So her parents resort to “calling on the matchmaker,” causing Fiona to sabotage their efforts. What she didn’t count on was falling for “Saint Riley of the Kerry Patch.”
I love reading historical novels because I learn so much from the author’s research. The setting is unusual for typical stories of this era. I was fascinated with the culture and history of St. Louis, particularly the Irish immigrants.
Fiona and Riley are believable characters, and their romance story is highly entertaining. This is a fun read!
From the Publisher
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. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won’t work on him, however, as she cannot 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.
About the Author
Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of over fifty novels and is the winner of numerous awards. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle.
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