"Arranged", by Catherine McKenzie

“Arranged” is a romantic and delightful story crafted with subtle humour, a fairy tale whose premise explores the process involved if a third party could help find the perfect match. We follow the experiences and results of one such person as she sets the stage for the rest of her life.

After a string of failed relationships, Anne Blythe is slowly giving up hope in finding a person she can comfortably share the rest of her life with. One day she finds a business card advertising what seems to be a dating service however she soon discovers the company’s expertise is geared towards providing arranged marriages. Discouraged with the results of dating up till now she gives the company a call, it is a pricey service but they have an impressive success rate. Wanting what others seem to have and with her biologic clock ticking she takes a chance and gives it a try. A few months after signing the contract she meets and marries Jack Hammer, a fellow writer and the perfect match…….but will he turn out to be her soul mate?.....

I am not a great fan of this type of novel I find them too mushy but I will make an exception with this one. Curiosity got the best of me, I was hooked when Anne made contact with the agency and was highly captivated by her journey to obtain love and marriage. The plot is sweet, has good dialogue, excellent characterisation and page-turning scenes. The author has made this far-fetched idea plausible and entertaining and has delivered it in a fun and at times in a hilarious fashion.

If you are into women’s fiction and partial to love stories, be warned you will most likely have a hard time putting this one down.