The Fake Matchmaker by Sonya Singh Review: A Sweet and Funny Romance About Family Pressure and Finding Love

The Fake Matchmaker follows Manisha Patel as she launches a fake matchmaking service to find a husband, only to discover love may already be closer than she thinks.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Doubleday Canada and Libro.fm for the ALC of this audiobook. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Summary:

While her brothers settle down and plan their futures, Manisha Patel finds herself moving back home, ignoring calls from her cheating ex, and fielding awkward questions about her love life. Things get even more complicated when she’s forced to work with Rohit Khanna—her father’s friend’s son—who may be handsome and stylish but also seems arrogant and rumored to be a cheater. Just as Manisha is trying to navigate the mess of her romantic life, she receives devastating news that her dream of having a family one day may be at risk. Desperate to take control of her future, she comes up with an unconventional solution: a fake matchmaking service with only one client—herself—giving her access to countless potential partners in hopes of finding the perfect husband and the happily-ever-after she’s always imagined.

My Thoughts:

Living in a community with a large Indo-Canadian population, I always enjoy reading ownvoices authors who offer a window into this vibrant culture. The Fake Matchmaker by Sonya Singh explores family expectations, cultural pressures, and the messy path to figuring out what you really want in life. The story follows Manisha Patel, who seems to have it all together—she’s a partner at a prestigious London law firm and on track for the kind of success her parents dreamed of. But when her career falls apart and she discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she retreats to her parents’ home in the United States to regroup and rethink her future.

Back home, Manisha quickly feels the familiar pressures of family and community expectations—especially when it comes to finding the right partner, building a successful career, and eventually giving her parents grandchildren. She also meets Rohit Khanna, the handsome but frustratingly arrogant son of one of her father’s friends. Community gossip paints Rohit as a cheater, and although Manisha initially believes the rumours—especially given his attitude—she can’t deny that he’s also extremely good-looking. When Manisha receives heartbreaking news that forces her to rethink her priorities and her hopes for the future, she comes up with a bold idea: create a fake matchmaking service where she’s the only client. By setting up dates with a series of potential husbands, she hopes to find “the one”—not realizing that the right person might already be closer than she thinks.

This was a sweet and enjoyable story with several genuinely funny moments. While the plot is fairly predictable, it didn’t take away from the overall charm of the book. Sometimes a light, comforting romance is exactly what you’re in the mood for, and this one delivered. One thing that did make me pause, however, is that Sonya Singh is a Canadian author and the publisher is also Canadian, yet the story is once again set in the United States. Given the large and vibrant Indo-Canadian communities across Canada, it would have been nice to see that setting reflected on the page.

The Narration:

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ana Sani, who gave a very strong performance. I especially enjoyed the Indian accents she used for the older characters and her excellent comedic timing, which really brought the humour of the story to life. I would definitely recommend experiencing this book in audiobook format.

Final Thoughts:

The Fake Matchmaker is a warm, humorous romance about expectations, family pressure, and learning to follow your own path. Even if you can guess where the story is heading, the journey is still a fun and heartwarming one.