Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Traveling Matchmaker #1

Emily Goes to Exeter

Rate this book
Miss Hannah Pym, middle-aged spinster and housekeeper, longs for adventure, though she's attained the pinnacle of a servant's career, running the household of Thornton Hall for her melancholy employer, Mr. Clarence. Thornton Hall has not been the most cheerful abode, however, since Mrs. Clarence ran off with a footman, and when Mr. Clarence dies, Miss Pym wonders what will become of her--until she learns that her late employer has left her a legacy of five thousand pounds! It takes little persuasion from Mr. Clarence's distinguished brother, Sir George, for Hannah to fulfill a secret dream. Taking to the roads of England on the perilous and uncomfortable stagecoaches known in 1800 as "Flying Machines," Miss Pym will encounter all manner of men and maids--and her inquisitive personality and kind heart will lead her to become "The Traveling Matchmaker." Miss Pym's wish for adventure is fulfilled almost immediately on her first wintry journey aboard the Exeter Fly. Accosted by a highwayman, then overturned in the snow, Miss Pym and her shaken fellow passengers repair to the nearest inn to wait out a vicious snowstorm--giving Miss Pym ample time to get to know her fellow travelers, including one pretty young gentleman who is not quite what "he" seems. "He" is, in fact, Miss Emily Freemantle, a Young Lady of Quality fleeing an unwanted marriage--with Lord Ranger Harley, another passenger. Pursuing Miss Freemantle to bring her back to her doting parents, Lord Harley soon finds--with some gentle hints from Miss Pym--that he may be pursuing something else. In her element in the absence of servants, Miss Pym marshals her fellow passengers and puts them to work cooking and cleaning, just as she herself goes to work untangling and retying the romantic knots that bind them.

Audiobook

First published November 1, 1990

159 people are currently reading
989 people want to read

About the author

Marion Chesney

139 books750 followers
Marion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.

Marion Chesney was born on 1936 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and started her first job as a bookseller in charge of the fiction department in John Smith & Sons Ltd. While bookselling, by chance, she got an offer from the Scottish Daily Mail to review variety shows and quickly rose to be their theatre critic. She left Smith’s to join Scottish Field magazine as a secretary in the advertising department, without any shorthand or typing, but quickly got the job of fashion editor instead. She then moved to the Scottish Daily Express where she reported mostly on crime. This was followed by a move to Fleet Street to the Daily Express where she became chief woman reporter. After marrying Harry Scott Gibbons and having a son, Charles, Marion went to the United States where Harry had been offered the job of editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian. When that didn’t work out, they went to Virginia and Marion worked as a waitress in a greasy spoon on the Jefferson Davies in Alexandria while Harry washed the dishes. Both then got jobs on Rupert Murdoch’s new tabloid, The Star, and moved to New York.

Anxious to spend more time at home with her small son, Marion, urged by her husband, started to write historical romances in 1977. After she had written over 100 of them under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and under the pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester, she getting fed up with 1714 to 1910, she began to write detectives stories in 1985 under the pseudonym of M. C. Beaton. On a trip from the States to Sutherland on holiday, a course at a fishing school inspired the first Constable Hamish Macbeth story. They returned to Britain and bought a croft house and croft in Sutherland where Harry reared a flock of black sheep. But Charles was at school, in London so when he finished and both tired of the long commute to the north of Scotland, they moved to the Cotswolds where Agatha Raisin was created.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
648 (23%)
4 stars
1,018 (36%)
3 stars
927 (33%)
2 stars
166 (5%)
1 star
41 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
Profile Image for Zain.
1,884 reviews287 followers
September 18, 2023
A Regency Romance and Mystery

Miss Hannah Pym was once a housekeeper for Thornton Hall . When the owner and master of the Hall dies, he leaves Hannah money in his will.

Hannah decides that she will use some of the money to travel on the stagecoach. She is hoping for an adventure and adventure is what she gets.

She meets exciting characters along the way and becomes friends with some of them. For Miss Hannah Pym, it’s a dream come true.

Highly addictive and highly recommended.

Five fabulous stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
Profile Image for Treece.
521 reviews150 followers
December 8, 2018
Rating: 5 stars

This book had all the wit, charm and sly humor to fulfill my inner English snob. Miss Hannah Pym is an entertaining, very likable, capable and kind character who is at peace with her faults and makes ready use of her most important skill: Managing people.

I had the pleasure of enjoying the audio version of this quick-paced, historically accurate, intelligent , character rich work. The description and setting details make this a thrill to listen to! Although I unraveled a few plot threads effortlessly before the Big Reveal, I was never bored or less delighted. At this this point, I can't wait to see what new adventures Miss Pym will charge into because there is so much more the explore and to come with this fascinating spinster.
Profile Image for QNPoohBear.
3,582 reviews1,562 followers
February 7, 2014
(This story is set in 1800, so not quite the Regency)

For nearly her whole life, Miss Hannah Pym has faithfully served the same employer. She has achieved her life long dream of becoming a housekeeper, however, she longs for something more - an adventure on one of the new fangled "flying machines" (stage coaches). When her employer dies and leaves her a legacy, his brother takes an interest in Hannah and encourages her to fulfill her dream. Hannah sets off on the stage and meets several eccentric characters along the way. Hannah and the other travelers become stranded at an inn during a snowstorm and most of the adventure takes place there. Hannah takes charge running the inn as well as playing matchmaker to some of her fellow passengers. This story is one of Chesney's better ones. The romance develops plausibly and nicely. I really like Miss Pym and can't wait to read more of her matchmaking adventures!
Profile Image for Amy.
3,051 reviews619 followers
October 16, 2018
A very fun story about a housekeeper turned lady who decides to use her newly acquired independence to travel. But of course, travel alone will not sake her thirst for adventure, she must cause chaos for those around her by matchmaking!
This book is primarily a "rom com" with the middle aged matchmaker tying together her couples. However, it also throws in a mystery so it kind of has that going for it.
I liked Miss Pym a great deal more than the Tribble sisters. Despite some shoe-horned 'ah, I'm a servant and not equal!' psychology, she is overall much more competent and less prone to stupid decisions.
Overall, though, this book melts like cotton candy. It tastes sweet and makes you smile but in the end has little else going for it. The mystery was...bad. Maybe I'm being overly harsh. I do like that the author added another element. It just seemed more than a little far fetched. Further, the main couple's relationship was.....ehhhh. I'm starting to recognize it as a pattern with Marion Chesney books. Cosseted young lady barely out of the school room meets charming older man who is perfectly kind to old spinsters but holds her in contempt. Young lady feels miffed. Older man feels desire. Wallah, romance. There is a lot about the formula I find uncomfortable. But for something fluffy to listen to while going about the day, this was pleasant. I'll definitely hunt up the sequel.
Profile Image for HR-ML.
1,270 reviews54 followers
October 30, 2021
England 1800.

Late author Marion Chesney also wrote as M.C. Beaton.
I previously read #4, then #5 of this series. And now #1.

This author made all her characters come alive, those with
an inside seat and outside seat of a stagecoach. Heading
toward Exeter. She added an attempted murder and 2
romances. Lord Harley + spoiled beauty, Emily, though
considered engaged by both sets of parents, had never
even met before. No official engagement. Em ran away &
ended on the same coach as the hero. She was 18 & he 33,
but somehow they worked as a couple. She learned a little
humility on their adventure.

Hannah Pym, former housekeeper, inherited a hefty sum
from her late employer. She decided to travel & still remain
thrifty. She helped fellow passengers sort out problems &
became a 'traveling matchmaker.' Hannah had humor, heart
and smarts. While others reviewed options, Hannah already
had a plan in place.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
363 reviews54 followers
February 1, 2015
Amusing first book in 'The Matchmaker' series. Loved the adventurous Miss Pym and her thirst to experience more of life.
Profile Image for Ruth.
1,438 reviews45 followers
April 17, 2017
Quaint, charming, clean, late Georgian/almost Regency romance where the main character is a retired housekeeper who has decided to take a stagecoach journey just for the fun of it. She's also an inveterate gossip and a busybody, so she turns to matchmaking when their coach is stuck for several days as a tiny inn because of a blizzard.

Not a lot of character development, and at times it felt like a farce, or an amateur theatrical, as characters shifted partners like they were at a dance.

Light and fluffy, and while sometimes that's what I like and want, this left me wanting, probably because Emily, the romantic heroine, is such a spoiled ninny that I couldn't believe that she grew up in just the few days of the story. I mean, the potential for her to be a lovely person is there, but marrying based on potential is such a huge risk.
Profile Image for Dianna.
1,954 reviews43 followers
March 8, 2022
I picked this up because it was giving off Georgette Heyer vibes, and I was not disappointed!

Miss Pym, faithful housekeeper of many years, receives a significant bequest allowing her to become independent. And what will Miss Pym do with her time as a lady of leisure? Go traveling on the stagecoach, of course—and perhaps do a little matchmaking on the side! Hijinks ensue when the coach is stranded at an inn with no servants. Miss Pym is endearing, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series!

Content: I was a little wary because this book was marketed as a romance (and I was listening to the audiobook aloud with my kids nearby!), but I needn't have worried. There are a couple of eyeroll-inducing mentions of legs and tension, and some kissing, but there's no sex.
Profile Image for Sibel Gandy.
1,040 reviews77 followers
July 19, 2019
Sevimli, hoş, okuması kolay bir kitaptı.
Profile Image for Emmy B..
602 reviews151 followers
December 8, 2020
Not terrible but really, extremely predictable. The romance has no suspense at all, and though we are blissfully saved from lust at first sight, the feelings come swiftly and are unrealistic. There is an attempted-murder-mystery, too, but unless you are brain dead you can guess whodunnit it pretty much immediately. All problems are set up and resolved within five pages. I finished it, which must count for something, but altogether I was disappointed. It did not make me laugh, sigh or cheer. I am pretty sure there were some historical inaccuracies too, but that was certainly a minor problem in comparison with what I said above. Some of the dialogue is stilted.

Profile Image for Kovaxka.
768 reviews44 followers
July 21, 2023
Újabb Beaton-sorozattal próbálkoztam, és határozottan nem fogtam mellé! Valóban nagyon fekszik a szerzőnek a regency korszak, igazán hangulatos és vicces történetet kerekített Miss Pym első kalandjáról. Nekem a legjobban a fogadóbeli jelenetek tetszettek, ahol személyzet hiányában összefogásra kényszerültek a különböző néposztályok tagjai. Jók a karakterek, nem csöpögős a romantika, és még egy kis izgalmat is kapunk egy nem várt krimiszállal. Könnyed, bájos és szórakoztató! Biztosan folytatom a sorozatot.
Profile Image for Aarathi Burki.
408 reviews6 followers
April 2, 2024
What a superb novel this was, I don’t remember when I last laughed so much while reading a book, miss pym is now one of my favourite characters and I would love to have her as my friend and confidant. Hannah pym is such a loveable caring and when needed authoritative lady that you can’t go wrong with her. I happened to find this book by chance but I am so happy to have discovered this series which has 5 more books

This book had so many interesting components that I could not stop until I finished reading it. There was love,humour, a villain, a murder attempt, and miss pym at her matchmaking best.

I would recommend this book to one and all and will assure you you won’t be disappointed
5/5
Profile Image for Anne (In Search of Wonder).
747 reviews101 followers
January 18, 2021
I picked this one up because i like Regency and this new-to-me author has written a decent collection with a reputation for being well-liked. It was an enjoyable read and had some unique aspects - i appreciated how the author uses the unique person and circumstances of a Miss Hannah Pym to both narrate and execute the plot. She's a main character who is central to the story, although most of it is not really about her.

However, i felt the dialogue was not as witty and sparkling as i have come to expect from a really good Regency novel, and i found the characters to be flat and one-dimensional.

In the end, i think this is author is a solid option for me when i need a quick, light read.
Profile Image for notyourmonkey.
342 reviews55 followers
July 18, 2018
An effervescent froth of a novel, with a pleasingly older heroine, a book I should have forgotten about almost as soon as I turned the last page. But over the last day, I've found myself mulling on some character descriptions and a humorous (well - "humorous") scene again and again, and I have to say it: I am so. goddamn. tired. of Fat Person As Comically Disgusting And Embarassing trope. Is this a major part of the novel? Not at all. Has it ruined it for me? Yep.



Profile Image for Penelope.
1,465 reviews15 followers
September 7, 2023
MY RATING GUIDE: 3 Stars. This was okay/decent and read very quickly.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

A Georgian novel, Winter, 1800.
Miss Hannah Pym, at 45, is the former housekeeper of a wealthy and reclusive man with a home in Kenningston. When her employer dies, Hannah is bequeathed with a generous gift of 5000 pounds in appreciation of her 33yrs of service. Suddenly finding herself a gentlewoman of means, Hannah decides to indulge in a lifelong dream - she will travel and experience England by stagecoach.

In EMILY GOES TO EXETER, Hannah explores her romantic (meddling) nature by attempting to re-match a spoiled young lady of the ton with the wealthy and experienced 33yr old lord her parents had chosen for her but whom the lady had refused. Hannah’s first journey, a stagecoach ride destined for Exeter, is filled with adventures - an attack by highwayman, an overturned coach, a few winter hardships and a possible romance.

Comments ~
I have been reading through Beaton’s Constable Hamish Macbeth Cozy Mystery series and thought I might check out other books written by Beaton currently free through my audiobook subscription service. EMILY GOES TO EXETER, bk1 in Beaton/Marion Chesney’s Traveling Matchmaker series was my first pick. The new-to-me narrator, Helen Lisanti, pulled me into the story and it read very quickly. Her voice was a bit older sounding than I expected but as Hannah is 45, I guess that was fine.

I plan on listening to the next book in the series although my feelings are mostly ambivalent at this point. I would consider EMILY GOES TO EXETER a “Comfortable” novel - Clean & slightly Quirky, a Historical Romance with a bit of Adventure. I thought it a very easy read but not particularly memorable. It might be a good book to use as a light palate cleanser or that quick novel read before heading off to bed (I completed it in under 4hrs).

READER CAUTION ~ None. Suitable for most read.
PROFANITY - None.
VIOLENCE - PG.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
Profile Image for Emma Rose.
1,358 reviews71 followers
July 30, 2025
I’m shocked this is my first Marion Chesney book, what a wonderful ride! This is exactly right up my alley.

Miss Hannah Pym is a housekeeper who inherits a large sum of money from her employer upon his death and decides to travel the length of England by stagecoach - her lifelong dream. A snow storm has her and her fellow coach travellers stranded at an inn for several days - she takes care of them all and does some matchmaking of her own.

Adored this!! It’s great great fun, there are lots of adventures and a few light mysteries, lots of cooking and housekeeping and rather silly secondary characters, my favourite kind. So happy it’s part of a series!
Profile Image for Eden.
2,218 reviews
October 19, 2021
2021 bk 322 When Miss Pym inherits money, she chooses to spend it on travel. As a servant she had spent almost all of her life working in different positions in one home along the main road out of London. On her journey to Exeter, she encounters runaway lovers, con artists, and a blizzard, more adventures than she ever expected. A fun regency - and after having read the rest of the series from the libraries over the years - I'm glad to have finally found the first one of the series. Now I'll have to track down the others.
Profile Image for Judy.
404 reviews6 followers
June 20, 2017
The traveling matchmaker series is an interesting historical series. I read these number of years ago and was just minded of them. I need to look at this author again.
Profile Image for Emily Guscott.
117 reviews5 followers
March 30, 2020
Reall enjoyed listening to this audiobook. At a glance I didn't think it would have been my thing but I am hooked on the series already! Bring on the next book!
Profile Image for Whitney.
256 reviews
June 27, 2021
The first physical book I've read in a long time. Fun, fast. Just delightful.
Profile Image for Gina.
872 reviews10 followers
April 20, 2023
"A little housewifery was the way to a man's heart."

Someone more or less dismissed this book as "basically Jane Austen with a dash of Agatha Christie", but it is more akin to the meeting of Georgette Heyer's Regency romance novels and her mystery novels.

The set-up is long, and the resolutions of both the mystery and the romance felt a bit rushed, however this was the perfect light, quick, and enjoyable fare!
Profile Image for Rebecca is book-hooked.
521 reviews14 followers
October 27, 2024
3.25 ⭐️ One of my favorite authors. She has so many books, but I’m not sure this series is for me. The plot and characters were too mild for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.