Meeting Her Match

April 8, 2024
A derringer-toting matchmaker gets embroiled in a love affair of her own in Turano’s spirited latest entry in the Matchmakers historical romance series (following To Spark a Match). After having her heart “shattered” by fortune hunter George Sherrington, Camilla Pierpont swore off romance forever and dedicated herself to orchestrating others’ relationships instead. Her relatively stable life in the Hudson River Valley is interrupted on a morning horseback ride when she and her assistant, Lottie, are pursued by a band of kidnappers. Thankfully, handsome businessman Owen Chesterfield swoops in to save the day, then enlists Camilla to transform his “ragamuffin” younger sister into a refined debutante. Eager to avoid the newly divorced George Sherrington’s return to town, Camilla accompanies Owen to his West Virginia home, where flirtatious banter and stolen glances spark an attraction. Just as Camilla starts to rethink her “spinsterhood,” however, the kidnappers—one of whom may be closer to home than she realizes—reappear, threatening to curb the budding romance before it can start. Buoyed by self-aware humor (when Camilla confesses her irritation with Owen to his grandmother, the latter suggests they “could very well be experiencing that enemies-to-something-delightful scenario that authors often write into their romance stories”), the propulsive narrative pulls off its twists and turns with aplomb, and the chemistry between the leads will keep readers invested to the last page. Turano fans old and new will be delighted.

July 1, 2024
High-society New York matchmaker Camilla Pierpont has refused to marry and is considering an early retirement. But Owen Chesterfield needs Camilla's help with his social gaffe-prone sister in his rural hometown, and Camilla soon realizes that Owen could use a bit of refining himself. He is irritatingly candid, exasperatingly oblivious, and worst of all, effortlessly charming and kindhearted. Despite her best efforts, Camilla cannot ignore that Owen is nothing like the deceitful suitors of her past and that the next match she makes might be her own. The Matchmakers series continues, following To Spark a Match (2023), with a delightfully entertaining story of the unexpected joy of being loved as one's truest self. Turano's trademark hilarity is on full display when her socialite protagonist finds herself having to adapt to the oddities of West Virginia. From a pet pig perpetually on the loose to a spry pair of elderly matriarchs, fans will find many delights in this tale of a series favorite who finally finds her own happily-ever-after.

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