Summer

by Lynn Mapp, Janis McCurry

Mothers. Meddling. Matchmaking. What could possibly go wrong? Best friends Rina Thorn and Maggie Barnes decide it’s time to help their not-even-looking-for-love children find their happily ever afters. Ander Thorn will do anything for his mother Rina—except get married. But when he collides with his mother’s beautiful home renovator, more than walls come tumbling down. Noelle DeWitt refuses to give into her attraction to the arrogant and aggravating man. At first. Time and proximity chisel her resolve. She falls hard for a commitment-averse Ander, which poses a dilemma because she wants forever. * * * Police officer Finn Riley reluctantly agrees to help his neighbor Maggie find a husband for her daughter, Jennifer. After he meets her, Finn puts his name at the top of the soul mate list. Romance is on Jennifer’s backburner until she meets Finn. Their strong attraction seems impossible to ignore until Jennifer discovers he’s been helping her mother in the crazy matchmaking scheme. Can their relationship survive when it began with deception? Buy Book One of The Matchmaker Chronicles because who doesn’t love Margarita-sipping, meddling, matchmaking mommas.

422 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2016

Reviews

[Kim Bakos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very fun read. I finished in a couple of evenings and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I could have done without the hot and heavy scenes, but they were short enough to skip over easily without missing out on any of the story.
My favorite thing about the book is that the two main characters are best friends even though they are of two different races. Having grown up as a white girl with a black best friend, it was great to see that story line. I also like the interracial couple aspect of the younger couples as both friends and as marriage partners. It was great that all of the other characters in the book were totally accepting of that, although I'm not sure such relationships always go over as well in real life.
The two moms are a hoot, and it was fun to see their original plotting and how the final outcome varied from what the moms had in mind. Thankfully, the moms had the grace to accept how things turned out.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, and the couple of sneak peeks for other books coming out soon were quite enjoyable and will be on my "to read" list in the future.

[Elayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matchmaking Mommas - or interfering Mommas - or loving Mommas? Your choice here as 2 friends decide that their children are old enough now to get married. And had enough experience of relationships that have gone wrong to be ready for the one relationship that will go right. And no, they don't want their children to marry each other. That would have been too far into the trope!
But of course, one of the kids chooses the exact partner that Momma doesn't want her to have - for legitimate reasons it would turn out, and the other surprises his mother with his choice.
There are the usual ups and downs in the relationships, but overall a nice Summer read about that Summer when romance was supposed - according to the 2 mothers - to flourish and take root.
Gentle humour - I particularly liked the bit where the 2 mothers are in the park, to firm up their figures for their 'mother-of-the- bride/groom outfits. One turns to the other, puffing and panting and asks have they finished running yet? The other responds - they had only been 10 minutes and walking not running!

[Jodee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Mapp and McCurry LLC for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie and Rina are two bestfriends who want only the best for their kids. They want them to be in honest and happy relationships. So to help their kids Anders and Jen to reach this point, they decide to play matchmaker. Maggie decides that it is best not to tell Jen, but Rina tells Anders and he wants no part of their scheming. But of course mother knows best so they continue on with their plan.

This was a great, quick read. I mean who doesn't like a good matchmaker story?! The story flowed well. It is definitely a great book to have when you're poolside or taking a plane or train ride.

After all what could go wrong when you mix Moms and Margaritas :)

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who does not have an old aunt who wants to play the matchmaker for yourself or some of your relatives?! They can be fun to mingle with although not when the matchmaking is directed to you. This story is about the ups and downs of the business and how things can go horribly wrong because of the interference plaid between the pair. It makes an interesting reading although, in my opinion, it could be shorter.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Meddling mommas and margaritas - what could go wrong?

Rina and Maggie want the best for their kids - happily married and grandbabies!!!!! They decide that their kids are not moving along in the romance category and decide to play matchmakers and set up their kids. Rina's son, Anders, does not want to be part of this. His mom was upfront and let him know what she was up to. Maggie's daughter, Jenn, is kept in the dark.

Grab this book - find a comfy area - and read. I would love to be friends with these momma's. Not for the matchmaking side, they just sound like they would be a hoot to hang out with.

I cannot wait for book #2.

[Manisha Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this book is a funny romcom with alot of humor. Maggie and Rina are the meddling matchmakers . This book is good I couldn't put it down nice pagetuner you won't regret it .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fleur]

Rina and Maggie are an absolute hoot, I love how they want their children in happy relationships and to be honest they didn't do too bad a job with their first go ......even though it was by no means smooth sailing for anyone!
Ander and Noelle are fantastic and the way they meet has you giggling, there are times you want to strangle Ander but you also get up to now he was all about work not relationships so he is a bit awkward, which gives us laughs but at times Noelle not so much. This couple had a lot to work through to get on the same page and it made you love them even more..

Finn and Jennifer are the perfect no one saw it coming match and I felt so tortured for Finn as he was in such a difficult position and boy there were times I wanted to tell Maggie to back off, but he handled things as well as he could. While Jennifer is just the sweetest you have ever meet and you wanted nothing more for things to work out but ugh Maggies meddling may have gone too far so there are some tense and sad times waiting to see if both she and Finn get their happy ever after.

I am soo looking forward to seeing what mischief and mayhem Maggie and Rina get up to next!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the playfulness throughout the book. The romance was presented in a classy manner -- a step above the other romance novels I've read.

I found myself envious of the relationships between Ander and Jenn, Maggie and Rina, and Maggie and Finn. Everyone was so down to earth and relatable. I couldn't help but wonder if Maggie and Rina were patterned after the two authors. Wish I had a chance to hang with them.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting off with two friends, Maggie and Rina, determined to get their children happily married, the reader can almost guess that this is going to be a fun, hilarious story line. Very few people these days will allow their parents to play matchmaker and “fix them up” with someone. But love, if meant to be, will always find a way!

Grab your copy and settle in for great story line and remarkable characters who will keep you laughing. You won’t be sorry!

[Heidi Brown - Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recieved this autographed book by Lynn Mapp. This book is hilarious with great characters. I could not put this book down. I was laughing so hard reading this book. This is a carefree romance book. I believe everyone will enjoy this book. I am so looking foward to the next book in the series to come out. Definately recommend to my family and friends men and women.

[SEng · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two meddling moms, Maggie and Rina get their heads together as they scheme to play matchmaker for their children. This is a fun, entertaining story as they match up Noelle with Ander and Jenn with Finn. I can’t wait to read more. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An hilarious series of efforts two moms make trying to find mates for their kids.

Margaritas are drunk, horrible efforts fail spectacularly, and complicated happy along the way.

Fun and funny!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a fun and entertaining read. You can't help but laugh out loud at times when you have 2 meddling moms each trying to set up their adult children. A great quick read you'll be glad you read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute and funny read, and pretty unique! I enjoyed it and will need to check out more by this author for sure! I also think the cover is super cute. :)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LadyT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. There were several parts of the book that. Had me laughing so hard I cried. Great read.

[Dawn Scharmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect beach read!!

[AvidReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Funny. Love the idea about a matchmaker.

[Gail Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - This book was fine. I’ve read quite a few rom-com/romances over the last couple years and this one is just okay. The characters weren’t all that interesting and I didn’t care that much about either of the romantic relationships. The focus on the two women’s children providing them grandkids was frankly just annoying. I also felt there was some chauvinism displayed by multiple characters. Finn describes Jenn as someone he knows will “be a great wife and mother” before he even knows her or knows those are things she’s interested in. He describes the list of men for Jenn in a way that implies she needs someone to take care of her. Also, Ander’s supposed to be a great guy, but says he never planned on telling Noelle he had been engaged in the past.
From the way Jenn’s mother is in a hurry to get her married with babies, you’d think she was much older, but you find out she’s only 25 years old!
When Ander begins to tell Noelle about his ex-fiancé (before hearing she cheated), Noelle calls the woman all sorts of names, including “slutpuppy”. This doesn’t even make sense. Initially Ander says his ex’s complaint was that he didn’t make time for her. For all Noelle knew that could have been completely valid, but before hearing the whole story, she goes on a tirade. It’s just not reasonable.
There were a couple other annoying bits….Finn and Jenn are getting physical and out of nowhere he’s opening a condom packet? Where did it even come from? They were in her office at the time. Also, one of pet peeve romance words was used…”.branding”. One of them was “branding” someone else their “passion”. So incredibly cheesy!
Overall I was just a bit disappointed with this book and don’t plan on checking out the others in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mapp & McCurry for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by this author, and I found it to be a fun, enjoyable read. How can it not be fun when you have meddling matchmaker mamas involved? I also appreciated the interracial relationship aspect of the story. I don't see that all too much, but it is starting to pop up more, which I like. There were of course some ups and downs which adds to the drama, and plenty of humor and laughs. The story flowed nicely and the characters were interesting and fun. Overall, a really nice and relaxing summer read. I would definitely like to read more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Kourtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super cute, happily ever after, kind of quick read.

Tina and Maggie are two meddling mothers, who want to see their children find their soulmates…so they set up a scheme to play matchmaker.

The writing is hilarious. I loved some of the one liners. The characters are just a bit flat and the storyline is predictable.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interfering and matchmaking mother's. Witty and enchanting story of romance. Families always add an interesting dynamic to the story. This one is no exception with the meddling mothers. Entertaining and fun read. Interesting characters to follow along on this romantic journey. There are a few twist and turns and plenty of drama. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, frothy, read. Who doesn’t live a good matchmakers’ story? Plotting to get other people together is so much more fun than focusing on one’s own life. The reading was fast paced and the story flowed well. It’s just the type of book to read by the pool, on the beach, or in a hammock during hot sultry summer days. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

[Rona Nimmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer by Lynn Mapp and Janis McCurry

A story about two middle aged best friends who decide to play matchmaker between their children with rather disastrous results as they are just not interested in each other. What could possibly go wrong?

A quick easy read ideal for a beach or lazy Sunday afternoon. 3.5/5

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer by Lynn Mapp and Janis McCurry is the perfect summer read! The cover caught my attention right away and I was just drawn in from the first page! Maggie and Rina decide they would make the perfect matchmakers for their children. And of course their children want no part of this! Loved the characters and the humor of this book! And the best part - it's the first book in a series!

[Ashley Licht · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much. Margaritas on the cover, the title is “Summer”. It’s all about me! But oh my gosh I cannot keep reading Ander’s arrogant character. The book is way too long, and not done well at all. The “meddling” mom characters are not as good as they could have been. I am dnf this.

Thanks/ sorry NetGalley for the arc!

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a quick, sweet romance, and this is probably one of those. Unfortunately the writing style is not my cuppa tea and I had to DNF it. By writing style I mean it's too much like a script for a cute movie (which I admittedly might watch), all described in quippy conversations with not enough story-telling. Just a personal preference.

[Tammy Conatser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so thankful to netgalley for allowing me to get this book because it made me laugh and smile so much. Two woman who play matchmaker with their kids so that they can have grandchildren... it reminded me of my late best friend and i, and I enjoyed the relationships with the kids and with the parents and children together. Just a fun story.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading Ander and Jenn's story of meddling mothers, how they think they know best, and what they do to get their kids their happily ever afters. Ander with Noelle and Jenn with Finn. Great read!

[Me]

I was hoping for lighthearted reading but this was a little heavy. The two friends are mother who want grandkids and try to force their kids to date. I stopped reading after they plot how to force their kids to meet eligible people. DNF

[Mae B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up to 4 RTC