By Anita Higman
Sequel to A Marriage in Middlebury
The Sunnyside Press, 2014
Summary
Meredith Steinberg takes the stage again in A Matchmaker in Middlebury and is given another chance to dance with destiny and meddle in the romantic affairs of two lovelorn singles. But Meredith’s skills as a yenta are stretched to the limit as she discovers that her golden egg-of-a-plan has a perilous crack. In the end, however, heartstrings are indeed knotted together as two singles find tender love—they’re just not the two people Meredith paired for marital bliss…
My thoughts
I love how authors often publish a short story or novella in order to further develop a character from a previous book, and Anita has done a beautiful job with that in A Matchmaker in Middlebury. This short story can stand alone, but it is a great follow-up to the full-length novel, A Marriage in Middlebury, which I loved (see my review here).
We return to the fictional Gulf Coast town of Middlebury, Texas, a quaint small town filled with sweet and sometimes quirky characters. Meredith, owner of the antique store Somewhere in Time, now steps into the spotlight with these beginning words: "Boredom is one of the most perilous nouns on earth, Meredith's mother had always said. Why? Because each time Meredith Steinberg got bored - things happened. Good things and sometimes bad things."
A Matchmaker in Middlebury is a romantic comedy, and while I've always enjoyed the romance in Anita's books, she can now add humor to her list of writing skills. I suspect that, like me, most readers will have a smile on their face the whole time. Starting out with the best of intentions and plans well thought out, Meredith quickly learns that matchmaking is indeed a risky business and that plans can swiftly go awry. And one of my favorite parts was being reunited with Charlotte and Sam at their Austen-themed party.
Anita has a gift for making her characters so relatable and real. Bernard is a sympathetic character that I cared for, and I love being reminded of God's grace through Meredith's words to him: "None of us are worthy of anything, but God sees fit to love us anyway - lavishly, unconditionally, and foreverly."
A Matchmaker in Middlebury is a short novella, approximately 50 pages in length, and can be purchased online at Amazon for only 99 cents. Highly recommended to fans of romantic comedy, and especially those who have read Anita's previous story, A Marriage in Middlebury.
Anita
Higman
Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has forty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.
Meet Anita online at anitahigman.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
I like romantic comedies, this book sounds great! =)
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Melissa, I think this was Anita's first try at making humor central to the story, and she does it well. It's more like a short story, but very enjoyable.
DeleteGreat job, Carole, on your interview. Sounds like a really great book with lot of funny parts. Yes Anita has a way with her words and i really love the way she brings God in the books in different ways, she is a great author. God's blessings.
ReplyDeleteNorma
Thank you for your sweet comments, Norma, and I totally agree with you about Anita's writing. Her sense of humor really came through in this one. It's short and I think you'll enjoy it. God bless you, Norma.
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