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If you're frustrated with trouble on the dating front, not to worry:
even the professionals don't always get it right. That's one of the big
lessons of Matchbook, an entertaining whirlwind glimpse of the
life of a professional matchmaker (in particular, the one whose life is
the basis for the LivingTV series "Miss Match"). Samantha Daniels mixes
her career--setting up big-bucks clients with the aim of living happily
ever after-- with her personal life--where she has her own dreams of a
happy ending.
It's a fun, fast beach read that hides solid dating advice in
slightly disguised real-life adventures of Daniels and her clients. Each
receives a nom de guerre--Ms. Boobs, Brad Pitt Guy, Mr. Metrosexual and
The Girl I Always Thought Hated Me are just a few of the bicoastal mix.
Daniels realizes that matchmaking is more than just introductions; she
recommends therapists, personal stylists, and nutritionists, and
provides lessons in body language and dating etiquette. While none of it
is necessarily phrased as advice to the reader, there's plenty to learn
if you're trying to improve your own romantic life.
The upscale, urban setting is more like Sex and the City than
real life for most of us--designer shoes, private cars and trendy
restaurants are the rule, rather than the exception. Nevertheless, the
background is a big part of the fun; being reminded that millionaires
need love too is a fun break from the reality of blind dates and
evenings alone. The ending chapter is a list of 101 dating tips, proving
that Daniels knows her stuff. Whether she's urging "never give up on
love", or "sometimes the more social you are, the more alone you feel",
the combination of self-esteem pumping and pointed behavioral
suggestions sneaks solid advice into the high-flying fun. --Jill
Lightner
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US Weekly--
"A single divorce attorney turned
matchmaker, and the inspiration for Alicia's Silverstone's former TV show, Miss
Match- tells tales about her clients as well as her own personal search for Mr.
Right. In delicious diary-style entries, she discusses the lonely hearts who
come to her office, such a gold-digging "Miss Manhunt" and the presumptuous
"Brad Pitt guy" (he only dates Brad Pitt-worthy girls). She also offers romance
do's and don'ts. "If you are in a bad mood, you are better off canceling your
date."
Tango Magazine--
"It goes down like handfuls of popcorn
and contains valuable lessons to boot!"
Pages Magazine--
" It's the humorous and
generally relatable stories of the Desperados' relentless pursuit for the
perfect mate that gives Matchbook its unique angle.
It's a book with two important messages. The first is that the
challenges of finding that special someone, particularly in today's society, are
not unique to any one person.
Although at times readers may giggle at some of the more outrageous
dating scenarios-"Mr. Bonus with the Pinky Ring," who offered an
additional $60,000 for a successful match, "Brad Pitt Guy," whose
obsession with the actor plummets full-throttle off the edge of reason,
"Miss 39," whose code-red obsession with her single status given her age
leaves her perpetually on the verge of tears, and the many other
Desperados of equally entertaining names-they also may find something
familiar in at least one of the singles' circumstances. "I think that
every single person in America will recognize a little kernel of
themselves in the book," Daniels says. "It's the same with everybody, so
even when [dating] feels really hard, you can feel better in knowing
that you're not the only one."
The second message is simple: Never lose
hope. "There's always someone else coming around the corner." All you
have to do is be ready, root yourself in reality, and, if you get
invited, go."
San Francisco Chronicle--
"Wisdom is peppered throughout Daniels' book, "Matchbook."
It is a novelized account of one year in her life, via diary entries.
She lampoons her own trade by giving nicknames to some of her clients:
Mr. Gazillionaire, who owns nine houses and offers to pay her an extra
$100,000 to marry him to a supermodel; and there is Miss Fantasy, whose
laundry list of the perfect mate prevents her from actually considering
anyone human."
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