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Reinventing Lindsey

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Studying the past hasn’t prepared Daisy Parker—anthropologist-turned-matchmaker—for her latest client. Finding Lindsey Jamieson-Ford a life partner isn’t exactly a simple exercise. Not only hasn’t Lindsey dated for years, the prickly reclusive scientist relates better with her robots than with people.

Lindsey has no idea what matchmaking involves when she hires Daisy. She’s never met anyone quite like the bubbly matchmaker and doesn’t know how she’s going to survive the infuriating woman. Now her life has lurched onto a roller coaster that just won’t damn well stop.

Guiding Lindsey through the courtship process is a challenge. Before the reticent scientist can move forward, Daisy has to teach her to leave the past behind. But another problem soon enters into the mix…How can Daisy stay detached when her body seems to be answering Lindsey’s mating call?

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2019

45 people are currently reading
259 people want to read

About the author

Maggie Brown

15 books115 followers
Born and bred in Queensland, Australia, Maggie Brown has always been an advocate for women’s rights. An avid reader, she only discovered lesbian literature ten years ago, which opened a whole new world to her. A long-term artist, she turned her hand to writing for a different challenge. It’s become her passion, and she now has eight books on the shelves, two of which were finalists in the Golden Crown Literary awards. Her novels vary from thrillers to romances. Maggie loves dotting her pages with lots of interesting characters, and writes about relationships with a humorous eye. When she’s not writing, she’s a golf hacker, card sharp and movie buff, and particularly likes to chill out at night with a glass of wine and a good book.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Lex Kent.
1,683 reviews9,856 followers
March 29, 2019
3.5 Stars. Maggie Brown is one of those authors that I seem to forget about. Then I read one of her books and it’s like oh now I remember how much I like her writing. I’ve read enough of her books to know better by now. She really is a solid author. This was not my favorite book by her, I would put Playing the Spy and In the Company of Crocodiles in that spot, but this was another good book by Brown.

There is something I like about matchmaking books. Maybe it’s that search for “the one” but whatever it is it works for me. This book is about a matchmaker named Daisy, who specializes in setting up het couples looking for marriage. When she is contacted by Lindsey, a smart and successful woman who owns a robotic company, Daisy is excited to make a match. But it won’t be easy because Lindsey is a homebody who has locked herself away from the public. Lindsey has never dated before and she is Daisy’s first lesbian client. Can Daisy find Lindsey a perfect match before her own feelings get in the way?

As you might be able to guess, this is a very slow-burn romance, but I love a good slow-burn so no complaints on my end. There was definitely chemistry and I enjoyed the coupling. There is some manufactured angst that I wasn’t crazy about. I don’t mind some angst but it did feel a little forced. Luckily it wasn’t too much so most of the book had a good flow.

One little pet peeve for me was the choice of the names Lindsey and Daisy. I don’t like when mains have the beginning or ending or a similar name. Both characters having that “ey” sound at the end, made it confusing and took me longer to remember who was who. I’m bad enough when it comes to names that I hate when they sound similar.

The main point that kept me from rating this higher than a 3.5 was the character development. First, I did enjoy both characters. Both are pretty easy to like which I appreciate. The problem was Lindsey was so much more of a fuller character than Daisy was. Lindsey had this big background with complications that made her who she is today. She was just really well thought out. Daisy on the other hand was matchmaker who didn’t like her sister. If she just would have had more of a story, more to connect too, the book overall would have been much deeper.

Even with my few complaints I still enjoyed this. I think most slow-burn romance fans will like this book. There is also a cameo by Mac and Rachel from Mackenzie's Beat, so if you enjoyed that book you might want to read this one too. This is not Brown’s best, but she’s a solid writer and it’s a good read.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
Profile Image for Pin.
457 reviews380 followers
March 28, 2019
Reinventing Lindsey is a contemporary romance set in an unnamed Australian city. The protagonists are scientist/businesswoman Lindsey (35) and anthropologist/matchmaker Daisy (29). Lindsey is a recluse and troubled soul seeking a partner by engaging a matchmaking agency. Daisy will try to help/teach her to find a perfect match.
The book is well written, but for some reason, I did not quite click with the story in general. It has a fine dose of humor and some witty dialogue, but it lacks depth in some essential things for the chosen plot/theme. The whole matchmaking business is not well matched with the seriousness of Lindsey's situation. I ended up not convinced that a person like her would choose to do what the author tried to convince us. The story (and history) of her very trying life troubles (I am intentionally vague because I do not want to spoil) is rather thin, not sufficiently explained nor layered. The author missed her chance for a deeper and more meaningful love and life story, and ended with just a mediocre one, a very lightweight version of what might have been. However, I find it sufficiently enjoyable despite the thoughts I share here, and may recommend it as an easy way to spend a couple of hours.

3 stars
March 28, 2019
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*
Profile Image for Megha.
35 reviews13 followers
April 16, 2019
I totally forget this author wrote In the company of crocodiles,which was an amazing book. And I'm happy to say this one is also beautifully well written and I liked it very much.

We have two very likable MCs. Daisy is a matchmaker and really good at her work. Lindsay,a richrobotic company owner hires Daisy to find her a match. Lindsey hasn't dated for years and she have some personal problems. Daisy give her a make over and help her to get into dating track.

They have great chemistry and romace is slow burn. There is a little bit of angst, their breakup was solved pretty quickly. We have some great secondary characters but we don't get much of them.

There is cameo by Mac and Rachel from Brown's other book Mackenzie's Beat. I haven't  read it yet but planning to.
As for 'Reinventing Lindsey', I do recommend it to those who love a good slow burn romance.
4☆
Profile Image for Tiff.
385 reviews236 followers
May 16, 2019
Slow burn romances are totally my thing. I love how the tension and angst ramps up over time till its practically vibrating off the page. Melt my heart with your loaded glances, please! Maggie Brown's latest book, Reinventing Lindsey does just that.

Daisy Parker is an anthropologist who has made a very successful career at being a matchmaker. She is amazing at pairing people and has worked her magic in the love department many times over. Just ask all the happy couples she has helped. Until now she has worked with strictly male/female relationships, but the reclusive scientist Lindsey Jamieson-Ford has reached out to her for assistance. This is a big coup to get one of Australia's leading scientists on her client list. The only problem is Lindsey is going to test her skills and patience many times over.

Lindsey Jamieson-Ford is a recluse who has locked herself away with her groundbreaking work. She may be leading the field in scientific breakthroughs but she has done nothing at all for her personal life. Lindsey has come to admit she is lonely and would like to meet someone for a longterm romance. It is time to put the past aside and begin meeting people again.

Daisy and Lindsey could not be more different. They clash time and time again as Daisy works to get Lindsey ready to meet her perfect match. The reserved scientist fights her matchmaker every step of the way. These two spar time and time again all the while developing fun and delightful back and forth banter. You can definitely see where this one is going long before our two MC's figure it out. Once they do, the glorious sparks fly.

Overall I thought the premise was fun, I really liked both of the two protagonists. The first half of the book was really rich in detail and took its time building the budding friendship between Daisy and Lindsey. I wish the last portion would have has a little more depth, it felt a bit glossed over once the relationship hit the next level. Overall a really delightful story that was a great escape from the daily grind. 3.75 stars
Profile Image for Nicole.
35 reviews
April 26, 2019
Had a good premise, the tug and push between the two mains were a little whimsical for me. I enjoyed it, started pretty good but halfway I felt the chemistry staled out, perhaps because the relationship developed too quickly for someone who seeked out help on how to fall in love by a matchmaker? Dunno. But ok read for anyone looking for an easy read.
Profile Image for Celina.
1,545 reviews67 followers
February 25, 2022
I loved this one. It was so sweet. Especially when Lindsey and Daisy deceived to have their HEA. That scene was out of a fairy tale. I LOVED IT.

The way Daisy could make Lindsey smile when I think the moment is going to be a disaster, truly cute.


I wonder if there is a book on Rachel and Mac, because I would read the heck out of that story. Just saying.
522 reviews53 followers
May 16, 2025
This was an enjoyable read with a slow burn romance that I liked. I also liked the humour in this book and I loved some of the dialogue. Though I liked both main characters, the character of Lindsey had more depth than Daisy’s. Compared to Lindsey we learned little about her. I would have liked to have known a bit more about Daisy. This is a small complaint though. It’s still a nice light read. I can recommend this book. 3.8 stars.
Profile Image for Tara.
783 reviews372 followers
July 21, 2019
I was intrigued by the blurb for Reinventing Lindsey (I’m a total sucker for matchmakers falling in love), so I leapt at the chance to review this one. Despite being into the premise, I was still pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and I couldn’t put it down! I was totally engrossed by Lindsey and Daisy and the slow burn that crackles between them. Everything about the writing style worked for me.

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/rein...
Profile Image for currentlyreadingbynat.
871 reviews103 followers
April 14, 2023
A matchmaker who falls for her client - for me, this is always an intriguing premise!

Lindsey hires Daisy to find her a wife and although Lindsey is slightly prickly to begin, she soon thaws once she becomes friendly with Daisy.

I'm partial to a makeover in a book and movie, and I think this novel has an exceptional one. Although it doesn't take much for Lindsey to become a better version of herself, the transformation of Lindsey throughout the novel is great to read. Her relationship with Daisy truly alters her life and brings out her personality after being a recluse for so long. It was very sweet to follow. However, although Lindsey was a well developed character, I thought Daisy was a little hard to pin down as we aren't really told much about her. It would've been great to have that same level of depth to her character development as well.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention as aspect I particularly loved about this book - it's set in Australia. I loved reading a book that felt familiar due to the language and its setting. There were even a few local spots mentioned (for example the Coffee Club reference, as it's a chain of cafes here in Oz).

This book is a sloooooow burn and although I enjoyed it, there were moments were I thought the plot wasn't convincing or where the dialogue or actions were a bit unrealistic. Regardless, it was a charming novel and I'll be reading more by Maggie Brown in the future.
Profile Image for AnnMaree Of Oz.
1,510 reviews131 followers
July 2, 2020
It's rare that at the end of a romance novel I feel uneasy with a knot in my stomach.

Unfortunately that's how I felt when lonely, socially inept, PTSD ridden and bullied Lindsey ended up with flighty, pretentious Daisy who couldn't seem to commit to her properly.

There's just no way I could see their relationship lasting past 6 months and her leaving Lindsey a sad shell again.

Daisy was arrogant and her dating advice was utterly cringe worthy (How we're supposed to believe she manages a successful matchmaking business is ludicrous! Her ethics cross the line and are unprofessional). Her moods were selfish and erratic, and I simply didn't like how she held herself, how she worked, and most importantly how she treated Lindsey and set her up.

Maybe I was just not in the right frame of mind. Often times this book seemed seriously dated, despite being released last year! It just really didn't work for me.
Profile Image for MaxDisaster.
677 reviews89 followers
February 28, 2024
3,5
This was nice. Decent. Probably won't need a repeat performance, but I liked both MCs, especially Lindsey, and I had fun when reading it, so I'm happy. Especially after the letdown of the last book I read. This was a nice palate cleanser.
Profile Image for C.
737 reviews77 followers
May 25, 2019
I liked it

I read one book before but this author and didnt like it. After reading reviews from my Goodread friends I decided to give this one a chance and I am glad I did. In the end I really liked both characters who are flawed but not to the point of hatable. The story was a nice one and flowed well. If you have some book budget left, give this one a try. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for C. Mack.
Author 2 books20 followers
May 25, 2025
Reinventing Lindsey

Although it felt fairly obvious from the off what would happen at the end of this novel, it was still an interesting journey with lots of character development and a winding plot that kept me reading and reluctant to put it down. Can easily recommend this novel.
Profile Image for XR.
1,979 reviews106 followers
February 1, 2020
This was so much fun to read. I loved the slow burn between Daisy and Lindsey, and their little jealous moments were cute as heck too.

If only real life robotics were as advanced as this book. It's like having lots of one armed detectives like Del Spooner from iRobot - minus the crazy AI who controlled all robots, 'cause YIKES!
Profile Image for Anja.
179 reviews2 followers
July 29, 2019
Fun story, nice characters with lots of chemistry
Profile Image for MZ.
432 reviews134 followers
May 21, 2020
3.75 stars. This is the first book by Brown that I read and I enjoyed it a lot. She has an easy and fun writing style and I will for sure read more of her books. The behavior of some of the characters is a bit over the top, so I found this not to be the most believable story, but books are there to escape from reality, and this slow burn romance kept me very well entertained.

Daisy is a matchmaker who has to find the perfect match for Lindsey a very reclusive scientist who develops high tech prosthetics and robots. This proves to be somewhat difficult as Lindsey is socially inept and the two clash enormously. Daisy has to groom Lindsey for the dating scene, so they spend a lot of time together during which Daisy learns another side of Lindsey. Soon her own feelings are starting to interfere with her task of finding a wife for Lindsey.

I really liked the interactions between Daisy and Lindsey and they have good chemistry. I liked the character of Lindsey best, but that is likely because she has a far richer backstory than Daisy. I loved the description of her (rather awkward) house, this intrigued me immediately and it made me wonder about Lindsey’s personality. As I said before the characters are a bit over the top and that is especially true for the secondary characters. Lindsey’s mother is some sort of Cruella DeVille and also Daisy’s sister is definitely not a likeable person (and I did not really get why she is like that towards Daisy).

There is also quite a bit of anxiety, which I usually like when used to strengthen the story. I feel this could have been the case for this story as well, but it just was not consistent (as that would have slowed the dating process tremendously). So, with the story development as it is, it was a bit much. That aside, this is a nice slow burn romance and I can recommend it.
Profile Image for Ameliah Faith.
859 reviews43 followers
May 26, 2020
Matchmaking Mushiness
Daisy is has a degree in anthropology that she is using in her successful matchmaking business. While she can find love for others, she has not been able to find it for herself. Lindsey has spent all of her adult life alone outside of work and she has had her reasons for that. She has secrets that only a few people know and cause her shame and reluctant to make the effort to meet people. Now, however, has started to feel lonely and decides to use Daisy’s services, mostly because the picture on the website makes her feel calm. When she meets the real Daisy, and not her partner, whose picture is on the website, she is not sure she has made the right choice. When Lindsey gives her the chance to prove herself, it turns out to be a lot harder than she expected it to be especially telling the perky matchmaker she wants a wife, not a husband. When Lindsey finds out the same is true for Daisy, well…what happens next is for you to find out!

This book had me hooked from work one. It was so well written that it grabbed my attention and didn’t let go! I was only going to read a chapter, maybe two before I slept but before I knew it, the end was in sight, not that I’m complaining… quite the opposite indeed. I loved the premise, the characters, the slow build relationship… The story was just fantastic, engaging and interesting. I liked how different Lindsey and Daisy were. Lindsey was just so lonely, shy and broken when she first met Daisy but Daisy got her past all that and showed her just how wonderful she was. Something about the woman struck a chord in my heart and I couldn’t help but want the very best for her and I was so glad Daisy could not only help her with her secret but with her heart as well. Daisy was just so sweet and wonderful. She was so caring and charming…just a delight. The secondary characters, like Daisy’s family and partner and Lindsey’s housekeeper and driver were every bit as lovely. This is a beautiful story and like any of Ms Brown’s books, totally and completely worth the read!
Profile Image for Cecilia.
3 reviews
March 28, 2019
I thought this book was excellent. It's a multi-layered romance about a reclusive woman who seeks the services of a matchmaker. Daisy Parker runs a bouquet agency that offers a more hands-on service than the usual online sites. She is approached by Lindsey Jamieson-Ford who is a brilliant scientist but is woefully behind the times when it comes to dating. Lindsey has had major problems in the past which has to be overcome before she can find herself a partner. The story goes on from there, and as it enfolds, the two women find themselves attracted to each.
I liked how the author did not do an information dump in the first few chapters, but gradually let the story come to life. There was plenty of surprises which kept me wanting to see what was around the next corner.
There are serious parts to the story, but I liked how the book had humor as well. I thought they complimented each other...there are both sides to life.
Lovely HEA as well.

I was given an ARC for an honest review.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
1,317 reviews32 followers
April 8, 2022
This started okay. I appreciated the character of Lindsey being more nuanced than the usual rude dominating ice queen whom the bubbly love interest somehow falls in love with – or in lust. She’s actually quite likeable and relatable. And to be fair, the quiet tender affection that grows between them was endearing.

I could put aside my dislike of the idea of soulmates, and especially that believing in them makes one a romantic, but there was too much pseudo-science about human interactions for my liking (like the HLA gene thing – it has some vaguely accurate basis, but it is certainly not as important and simple as presented – and, worse, the “emotional exclusivity” idea that humans innately cannot love more than one person).

The slightly sci-fi feel of the whole “advanced prosthetics that look completely real and are perfectly and finely controlled by brain implants, and close-to-human robots” thing confused me the entire first half. I didn’t see a reason for it, except maybe for the main character to have made a sex robot for herself or something...

And then my interest completely waned when it is revealed that the main character has . It really felt like a very very lazy way to artificially introduce tension and angst (which there could already be plenty of with her mother and her childhood, and ), to show the love interest as a hero for her acceptance, and to spice up the matchmaker-falls-for-client trope. The fact that the solution her love interest comes up with to facilitate her dating is to this all makes it dubiously consensual and very .

PS: What is it with this trope of the staff loving their employer like a family member………..
Profile Image for Lyn Denison.
Author 15 books60 followers
April 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so likeable and and the story had an interesting facet (no spoilers) I found fascinating. I was totally engaged with Daisy and Lindsey from start to finish. Well worth a read. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did.
Profile Image for Alex.
329 reviews19 followers
May 14, 2019
I enjoy this a lot and I thought I wouldn’t. I’m not sure what to write to convince you of it’s niceness, but give it a try.
Profile Image for t 🍓.
156 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2024
this was just a wee bit curious… moving on!
76 reviews7 followers
February 12, 2020
Nice and sweet kinda soft icequeen-ish romance between two strong academic and successful women. It was a delight reading this, between kind and charming Daisy and tough but wounded Lindsey.

In parts, it was a bit too angsty, but not to the point of being eye-rolling
Profile Image for isa Simonet.
378 reviews12 followers
May 17, 2023
I confess that I did not understand everything. Maggie Brown has ceased her collaboration with Bella Books?

If so, for a book of this quality, it is a shame that the cover of this new edition is so amateurish.

This book is simply brilliant, I haven't read for a long time this type of relationship between two characters, both subtly and tactfully. This brings me, even though, it's a different situation, to the interaction between Tyler and Georgie in I Don't Let Go by Sheryl Wright (an excellent book), in the same publisher.

Maggie Brown's other books are not of this quality.

Have I read a book of this quality recently, no!
Absolutely read it!
Profile Image for Evren (Nonbinary Knight Reads).
212 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2021
4.25/5

I love the idea of this book and, in my personal opinion, the author delivered well for the synopsis.
I loved Lindsey and her backstory. She was an amazing character and, for better or worse, I could relate to her quite a bit.
I did have a couple of issues with the book. My biggest issue is that I would have liked to see Daisy explored more. Lindsey felt really well-developed, maybe in part due to her circumstances, but it would have felt nice to get reciprocal development from Daisy. I did however enjoy that the author didn’t just ignore that Lindsey’s experience could have scarred her (mentally and physically). Rather she acknowledged the physical scars and mentioned Lindsey seeing a therapist to help with the mental scarring. I was glad the author at least mentioned something and didn’t leave it up to the reader to determine if they felt that Lindsey would have suffered mental scarring after her experiences.
My second issue is that I would have liked the book to be longer. That might sound weird, but I honestly feel like certain moments were missing. I would have really liked to read about them coming out to Allison as a couple. Also, I would have liked to read more about the process/experience of the tutorials. I do worry that reading all about it might have gotten repetitive, but I also feel like it could have helped to further the developing relationship between the two women. (Also, I’m just interested to see what could have happened on the practice dates.)
Other than those issues, I quite enjoyed this book. It was a great read with drama that didn’t feel forced and rather made perfect sense within the context of the book. The character’s felt like they had good chemistry and I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two develop, especially in the earlier stages where the two were trying to avoid naming what they were feeling for the other woman. It was amusing, especially the body language bar part.
Honestly, I think I would like to see a movie version of this book.
Profile Image for CLAR.
252 reviews119 followers
August 18, 2019
This one's enjoyable enough. I just had issues with some of the actions of the characters, 'cause they're not quite convincing or realistic. Of course I understand this is fiction, which means realism could be blurred to a certain extent. However, truths about how people are expected to react over things still have to be adhered to.

Also, is anyone else confused by the names of the MCs? I didn't think this would be a problem, but I found myself going back to check who's said/done what too many times. I guess this is something authors should take note of. Unless you want to do this deliberately, make sure the names of your MCs sound distinct enough.

I'm not particularly keen on how the MCs got together on the last quarter of the book either. The writing on that part seemed dispassionate. I had to question why it didn't look like there was a sense of euphoria on Lindsey's part when she's falling in love for the first time at her mid-30s. And I'm not sure about Daisy's profession as a matchmaker as well... Honestly, some of her teaching methods made me raise a brow. LOL
167 reviews2 followers
July 19, 2019
3.5 stars

Daisy is a matchmaker who is hired by (millionaire? billionaire?) Lindsey to find her the perfect wife. Keeping with the common trope, Daisy and Lindsey find themselves falling for each other.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it. I liked the romance. It was sweet and believable. However, this book almost feels like it was written in a different era. The strategies that Daisy employs to make Lindsey more dateable -- makeovers, wardrobe changes, classes on how to behave, etc. -- all made me go "huh?" Like why are those the things that Daisy focuses on rather than getting to know Lindsey's personality. It all seemed a bit superficial and catered to a man's definition of an ideal mate.
Profile Image for Rakhya.
160 reviews7 followers
November 1, 2019
Enjoyable, but somewhat irritating.

This book caught my attention fairly easily, thanks to geeky and socially awkward Leslie and bubbly matchmaker Daisy.
It was a fun read, until Daisy started backing her advice with "science".

For someone with an academic background, Daisy seemed awfully quick to pass judgement on the dynamics of human attraction. Her expert opinion on how relationships always start with sexual attraction, and how it's scientifically proven that being in love with more than one person at a time is impossible came across as shallow and rather unscientific.
And while I assume that the author chose the verbiage in good faith, the result was a bit hurtful in its apparent ace and poly erasure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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