A Match in the Making by Jen Turano

A Match in the Making
by Jen Turano

ISBN-13: 9780764240201
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: February 21st 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion position for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the summer in America's most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer turning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herself in the company of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gentleman Gwendolyn finds annoyingly set on following society's expectations.

Walter is reluctantly in search of a wife for his unruly motherless children. What he wasn't expecting was Miss Brinley, who turns to be much more interesting the the debutantes that she has lined up for him to get to know. The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife as he realizes his perfect match might be her.


My Review:
A Match in the Making is a romantic comedy set in 1882 in Newport. This is my favorite novel by this author. Gwendolyn's parents married for love, and she learned from them that the best marriages are based on shared interests, compatible personalities, and affection for one another. When tasked to find matches for an increasing list of clients, she challenged them to look for more than lots of money, social standing, or simply being able to get along. She had remarkable success at finding love matches for her clients.

The characters got into funny situations, adding light-hearted comedy to the events. Unlike some of the author's previous novels, the situations happened more naturally rather than being created by the characters doing unrealistic or absurd things. An example from this story: a clueless gal gave a stubborn pony as a gift to three young kids, leading to several funny situations (like the kids fighting over what silly names to name him).

The main characters were nice, interesting people with a good sense of humor. Walter and Gwendolyn got to know and care about each other as they spent time together. Their attraction was based on admiration of each other's character and looks and on how they brought out the best in each other. The characters acted reasonably accurately for the time period, and details about the time period and setting were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.