THE MATCHMAKER'S LIST

A woman lets her grandmother run her dating life, with
disastrous consequences, in Lalli’s debut (originally published in the U.K.
as The Arrangement).

Raina Anand isn’t exactly happy that she’s 29 and still single—but
Raina’s grandmother is horrified. In her Indian immigrant community, a single
granddaughter is a scandal. And so Raina finally agrees to let her nani set her
up with a long list of eligible Indian bachelors, none of whom Raina actually
likes. As her best friend, Shay, plans a wedding (that, in a terrible
coincidence, is happening on Raina’s 30th birthday), the pressure is on for
Raina to find a nice man—any nice man—and settle down.
But Raina can’t let go of the one who got away, a dashing charmer named
Dev who broke her heart with his inability to commit. Now that Dev’s back in
the picture, but just as noncommittal as ever, Raina finds herself unable to
stomach the endless list of bachelors. Eager to ease the pressure of being
the perfect Indian granddaughter, Raina lets her nani believe she’s a lesbian.
Now she won’t set Raina up with any men—but Raina’s little white lie threatens
most of her relationships. Should Raina tell the truth even if she risks
hurting her nani, her friends, her family, and the man she thinks she might be
falling for? Less a romantic comedy than a romantic drama, Lalli’s debut deftly
explores arranged marriage and Raina’s conflicting views of her culture and
family. Even as she feels stifled by their expectations and pressure, she loves
the strength of her community and how they always support one another through
hard times. Raina’s desire to both please her family and stand up for herself
is deeply relatable, and readers will cheer for her as she learns to take
control of her life and make her own decisions.