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The Matchmaker

A Novel

Contributors

By Elin Hilderbrand

Formats and Prices

Price

$19.99

Price

$25.99 CAD

In this moving story about losing and finding love again, a woman sets out to find the perfect matches for those closest to her.

Forty-eight-year-old Nantucketer Dabney Kimball Beech has always had a gift for matchmaking. Some call her ability mystical, while others, her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech, and her daughter, Agnes, who is clearly engaged to the wrong man, call it meddlesome. But there’s no arguing with her results: With 42 happy couples to her credit and all of them still together, Dabney has never been wrong about romance.

Never, that is, except in the case of herself and Clendenin Hughes, the green-eyed boy who took her heart with him long ago when he left the island to pursue his dream of becoming a journalist. Now, after spending twenty-seven years on the other side of the world, Clen is back on Nantucket, and Dabney has never felt so confused, or so alive.

But when tragedy threatens her own second chance, Dabney must face the choices she’s made and share painful secrets with her family. Determined to make use of her gift before it’s too late, she sets out to find perfect matches for those she loves most.

  • “Hilderbrand has crafted another of her delectable beach reads, complete with a fairy-tale romance. . . . Delicious.”
    Booklist
  • “Charming, poignant…Hilderbrand's narrative is thoroughly readable, with likable heroes and believably despicable antagonists…Hilderbrand's story is an engaging read.”
    Publishers Weekly
  • "The odd thing about The Matchmaker is that I fell for it, not because of the love triangle or Dabney’s matchmaking skills, but because it’s a loving portrait of an island. Hilderbrand has an ear and an eye for the people of Surfside and Siasconset . . . It’s like renting a cottage on Nantucket for the weekend — breezy and sad when you come to the end. The Matchmaker gives you a taste of island life without having to invest in oceanfront property.”
    Boston Globe
  • “My favorite read of the summer so far.”
    Detroit Free Press
  •  “With the idyllic island setting and her eye for details, her books make you want to plan a trip to Nantucket even before you’ve turned the last page. Her stories are always chockfull of relatable characters and situations, sprinkled with a little bit of escapist fantasy for good measure. Like a good summer barbeque, there’s something for everyone here….So get a nice comfy chair in a shady place and dive in!”
    The Book Reporter
  • “If the beach isn’t on your agenda this summer, the novel will transport you to Nantucket’s picturesque seaside in no time. Elin, who lives on the island, delivers an emotional story about a married woman with a knack for matchmaking.”
    Hello! Magazine
  • “The queen regent of the easy-breezy summer read.”
    New York Post

On Sale
Nov 23, 2021
Page Count
416 pages
Publisher
Back Bay Books
ISBN-13
9780316316514

Elin Hilderbrand

About the Author

Elin Hilderbrand is the proud mother of three, a dedicated Peloton rider, an aspiring book influencer, and an enthusiastic at-home cook (follow her on Instagram @elinhilderbrand to watch her Cringe Cooking Show). She is also a grateful seven-year breast cancer survivor. GOLDEN GIRL is her 27th novel.

Learn more about this author