Series:
Matchmaker, Matchmaker (Book 1)
Can opposites attract when tradition stands in the way?
Josh Axelrod is incensed! His matchmaker date brought
along her annoying best friend -- Emma something-or-other. The same Emma who's
ruining the house filled with the young rabbi's childhood memories and turning
it into a bookstore. Sure, she captures his attention but -- no. Just no. Emma
is too impulsive. Too out there. And he's a Rabbi, for God's sake! Except now,
it seems impossible to avoid her. And with every encounter, "no"
feels more like "yes." Perhaps the unwitting Josh and Emma were
always the match meant to be…
Good small-town, enemies-to-lovers story. Emma is a young
woman who dreams of owning a bookstore. After years of saving, that dream is
about to come true. She purchased a Victorian home just off Main Street and
plans to turn the first floor into a bookstore and live on the second floor.
The owner is a feisty older woman who wants to move into a senior living
complex where many of her friends already live. The only fly in the ointment is
Muriel's grandson, Josh.
Josh doesn't like change. He grew up in that house after
his parents died and Muriel took over raising him. Though he is now a rabbi in
Manhattan, he hates the idea of his grandmother not being in her home, despite
her desire to be with her friends. His hostile attitude at the closing irritated
me, and I liked how his grandmother called him on it after it was over. Being
the terrific grandmother she is, she used his remorse to get him to accept a
matchmaker's help finding a date.
In an ironic twist of fate, the matchmaker sets Josh up
with Emma's best friend, Samantha. Emma and a male friend insert themselves
into Josh and Samantha's first date, creating a very awkward situation. Though
Josh tries to focus on Samantha, his attention keeps drifting to Emma.
Meanwhile, Emma makes no secret of her opinion of Josh.
But it is a small town, and with Emma buying his
grandmother's house, they run into each other often. It doesn't take long for
them to realize that beneath the antagonism is a growing attraction. I liked
seeing them get to know each other. Emma helps Josh understand that his
grandmother moving on to the next stage of her life isn't the end of the world.
I loved how Josh gave Emma the emotional support she doesn't get from anyone
else and desperately needs. While Josh quickly understands how his feelings for
Emma have grown, her experiences left her wary of believing his feelings are
real. It takes time apart and some straight advice for them to get past their
insecurities and find their way back to each other.
I enjoyed seeing Emma's determination to make her dream
come true. It isn't easy, and a renovation disaster creates even more stress.
At the same time, Josh is at a crossroads in his personal and professional lives
and has some hard decisions to make.
Secondary characters play an important role in the story.
The best of them was Josh's grandmother, Muriel. She is feisty, loving, and
doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. Her close relationship with Josh is
undeniable. I laughed at so many of her antics. On the other hand, Emma's
parents and best friend were awful. Emma's parents constantly compare her to
her sister and are entirely unsupportive of her bookstore plans. Though they
somewhat redeemed themselves in the end, I'm not sure if it will last. Samantha
was just plain awful. She is self-centered, has zero empathy for anyone else,
and constantly brings up things from the past that shouldn't matter anymore. I
could tell from their first date that she and Josh weren't at all suited for
each other. She desperately needs an attitude adjustment, and I hope she gets
it.
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