Matchmaking For Beginners by Maddie Dawson

Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would. When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.  And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.Two ladies with a gift for matchmaking have their lives intersect in this story of quirky imperfect protagonists trying to read the signs that life puts in front of them.I loved the two main characters- Marnie and Blix. I've read a few reviews that found them to be quite annoying- and Marnie really can be, but I enjoyed reading in her tone of voice.  They were both such characters with amazing quirks that it was really fun to be in their heads.  Also I loved their names - nice going, Dawson!I also loved reading about a newbie in NYC educating themselves on what the lingo and the culture is there - that was so entertaining to me.  Is anyone else fascinated by the appeal of living in NYC? And really, why do they call it the subway when the cards specifically say "Metro?"There is magic in this book! Okay, so it's not like Harry Potter magic- but it is magic nonetheless! The magic of love and of matchmaking! It was a cute plotline to read about and it felt so believable to me! I thought to myself, "Self, if you were to look at a couple and had the gift of matchmaking, you too would see sparks and colors and sparkles radiating from people who were truly in love." And I liked that idea.There was a plotline with Marnie and Noah and it was just too much. No one at 29 is that stupid. I won't give any spoilers- but it took away a star from this book.  I think it could have been accomplished in the plot without Marnie being so unfortunately annoying in her responses.Listen to: When We Were Young by AdeleWatch: WonderEat: PieClick here