Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund is first in her Shanahan Match series. Finola Shanahan believes her place is with the church and not to be a wife after the death of her sister. She has turned, tricked, and forced away many men. Her family has called on the local Irish matchmaker to hopefully help her marry. Riley Rafferty is a successful wagon maker running for mayor. He wants to win Finola’s hand, but does he have a chance?

This was all things sparkly for me. I loved the banter, romance and push and pull between Finola and Riley. The author writes characters who are so fascinating and with great depth. The Irish matchmaker brought some mischief and comic relief to the story. The Shanahan family was so interesting and I look forward to getting to know them better in future books. I enjoyed learning about mid eighteenth-century St. Louis, MO. The ending gives a hint to the next book in the series, and I cannot wait.

Calling on the Matchmaker has great romance, fun banter, and an interesting setting. I found myself turning pages into the night. I highly recommend it!

I was a given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!). When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.