Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker

by Marla Martenson

In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Marla takes her readers for a hilarious romp through her days as an L.A. matchmaker and her daily struggles to keep her self-esteem from imploding in a town where looks are everything and money talks. From juggling the demands of an insensitive boss… to the ups and downs of her own marriage to a Latin husband who doesn’t think that she is “domestic” enough, Marla writes with charm and self-effacement about the universal struggles that all women face in their lives.
Readers will laugh, cringe and cry as they journey with her through outrageous stories about the indignities of dating in Los Angeles, dealing with overblown egos, vicariously hobnobbing with celebrities, and navigating the wannabe-land of Beverly Hills. In a city where perfection is almost a prerequisite, even Marla can’t help but run for the Botox every once in a while.

Genres: Chick Lit, Memoir

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

I everyone, welcome to my author profile. Books are my life. Ever since I was a little girl, I was a bookworm. My favorite genre is memoir, I love digging into a juicy true life story.

As well as being an author, I'm also a professional matchmaker, helping people connect with their soul mate.

I also love travel, learning about far away places, other cultures and learning new languages. I have lived in Seattle, Tehran, Chicago and Los Angleles.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this kind of book and was looking forward to reading this one but I felt it fell flat. It reads like the matchmaker’s diary and honesty it was a bit boring. It didn’t seem like she put much effort into her role as a matchmaker as it seemed like all the guys wanting to be matched were just looking for a good time....seemed more like an escort service. And her own personal story, while interesting, doesn’t equate to a best selling story.

[Mayra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be the head matchmaker of a high-class Beverly Hills dating service? In this her candid and witty memoir, Marla Martenson takes you on a humorous ride through the ups and downs of her life working for such a place, as she struggles with the often unreasonable demands of her wealthy clientele.

"I honestly had no idea how shallow, picky, selfish, and entitled some clients could be. After six years of feedback, demands, and expectations, I'm still thrown for a loop now and then," says Martenson. But what can you do when her clients pay $40,000 and up to find the right woman?

The author starts off by showing us what a regular day for her is like, answering annoying emails and trying to understand her clients' often incredible and unreasonable requests, as they continually find faults with their gorgeous, perfect Barbie-doll dates.

After this initial glimpse into her 'regular day,' Martenson goes back in time to recount how she got started, working at restaurant jobs and waiting on rude celebrities such as Joan Collins, who once barked at her for forgetting a fork. "For all my work, she left me a $2 tip on a $120 tab. The woman was clearly typecast as Alexis, right?" says the author.

She also talks about her dreams of becoming an actress, her marriage, divorce and remarriage to the perfect guy, her father’s death and, finally, taking charge of her life. Eventually all fell into place and she started earning good money making commercials and getting small parts in films and print modeling work. She even got a couple of lines in the Mel Gibson film, What Women Want. Then, finally, how she got started as a recruiter for the dating service, on the lookout for what she calls "a fresh supply of goddesses” and her life as an author—a calling she never suspected she had.

The book is full of interesting anecdotes about Martenson’s work in Hollywood with the stars. The writing is simple, straight forward, witty and honest. This is the perfect fun, beach read. I like the author’s satiric slant on beauty and the mystery of dating and relationships, as well as the shallowness of Hollywood and the pressure put on women to look good. The book, though a light read, makes you think about society and the role of women and men in it, and explores interesting issues of gender.

Martenson is the author of two best selling relationship books: Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting and Good Date, Bad Date.

[RYCJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part way through reading I had to laugh at myself after re-examining the cover and synopsis of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker. Marla says nothing about providing *insight* on matchmaking, though it was what I mostly expected. It was all in my imaginings however. She delivers EXACTLY what the back cover promises, and one big unplugged surplus more.

I mean, will all the Adolfo's in the world please stand and step forward!!! Marla does a wonderful job lavishing her diary with accounts of how she met and married her amazing husband Adolfo. Their relationship really made this book fizz and sparkle.

I loved the way Adolfo supports her, falling in love with the part when he has the premonition about Marla pursuing writing. And the bit in the car dealership, Marla and her mom waiting on Adolfo to select and finalized a car purchase, I fell out the chair laughing. Absolutely hilarious! Wished I could have been there to see (and hear) them two. The letters accompanied with Marla's tacit retorts were pretty comical too. Otherwise, GEESH! One would need all of the magical thujone green stuff there was to drink imbibing those rich grade D men on the dismal quest for companionship.

Really, really enjoyed this read.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading ‘Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker’ by Marla Martenson. It was light, breezy, and witty and funny. It was exactly what I needed after the dark and gloomy book before it. She nailed Los Angeles for the people living there with oddball characters, the demand for being physically fit and underweight. I was relieved when she discussed that because I moved from the Midwest where people don’t work out hours at a time every day and all the women are not size zero. She also got into the celebrity spotting game where there are limos everywhere.

Sprinkled throughout the book are e-mails from happy clients who fell in love and got married and disgruntled ones who threatened to quit unless they had their ideal date. Some of her clients are common sense deficient when it comes to dating, some are gold diggers, and a few want the impossibly perfect date.

Marla also tells of how she met her husband, Adolfo. He is her Ricky to his Lucy. She visits with her mother, who turns out to be very down to earth and funny too.

At the end of each chapter are the author’s affirmations, some of which cracked me up. So if your last book left you gloomy, be sure to read this one.

I recommend this book to all people who need a little humor in their lives.

[Rob Mathison · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much I enjoyed this book! It was a slow start for me, maybe because Marla started out with emails from such shallow clients that I was repulsed just a bit, but once I got past those first few pages I couldn't put the book down. I thought she and her writing were interesting, vulnerable, funny, and just had that indefinable "readable" quality that made it a page turner for me in the same way that Lori Gottleib is a page turner.

On a personal note, I'm going through a divorce from someone who I now believe never actually card about me as an individual human being but only what I did for her through the various stages of her life. The irony is, I never cared about financial success and never wanted a trophy spouse. But once I personally no longer matched her stage and couldn't bring the level of financial support she wanted to support her own dreams then I was disposable and thus cast aside after 30 years. In short, *I* was the trophy spouse without realizing it hahaha Anyway, this recent personal history made it painful for me to read about these dudes who were obsessed about boobs/looks and women who were attracted to wealth/success -- how much I despised these people as I read about them -- but Marla's writing is so readable and there were enough "good" people in her life that I was able to read through the pain :)

I'm looking forward to reading about her book about Buddha.

[Eve Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This great beach read is a general introduction to the world of dating for the very rich in L.A. and Marla. She's wonderfully quirky and funny, the type of person you would love to be friends with.

I don't have much to add to what previous reviews have said. It was an enjoyable book. I enjoyed reading about her life and all the drama surrounding her job. I wish there was more of an ending that wove all the parts of the book together. I felt like I was at a dinner table with a good friend who got up and walked out in the middle of a story, but this abrupt ending doesn't detract from the book and considering it's a memoir, probably appropriate.

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads with an unsophisticated and borderline lazy, casual tone reminiscent of the chick-lit rage of the nineties. But the more tedious aspect of the book was the pointless recycling of exactly three topics: the superficial dating woes of rich and pretty people in LA; the author’s humble marriage that she promoted as enviable; and chapter deadlines both met and missed. It felt utterly redundant, most likely the result of failing to incorporate a single plot line or arc.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully light and enjoyable summer read. It’s essentially a diary (as the title says) with lots of little stories that don’t always connect. There is no plot build up to a climax or major character arcs. But this is why the book is so good—it’s just a true look into her daily life, sometimes glamorous and sometimes mundane, with subtle shifts in perspective. Refreshing, fun, with an uplifting ending.

[sue ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Really enjoyed reading this book. I felt like I really got to know the author and became quite involved in her life 😂
Can’t wait to read the next one.
Highly recommend you give it a go. It won’t disappoint

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

Not bad for a free book ! I am looking forward to reading the second book as a nice stress free read.

[Nfreynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious if you've ever been in the dating scene in LA.

[Kari Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marla went to Beverly Hills to become an actress, why else to people move to Beverly Hills? But she ended up behind a desk, trying to match the filthy rich men of Beverly Hills with women 20 years younger and a few notches prettier. This book goes through a period in Marla’s life where she is writing her second book, contemplating getting out of the matchmaking business to become a full time writer and trying to prove to people that she’s good at her job and knows better than they do what kind of relationship will work best for them.

I didn’t realize when I first signed up for this book on Crazy Blog Tours that is was a memoir. I have a bad habit of seeing a cute cover and a catchy title, and jumping right in. After I read the few page, I realized that the author’s name was Marla and so was the name of the main character in the book. Then I found on the first page, it said the book was based on true events. For some reason, I immediately started liking it more.

Even though Marla and I aren’t in the same business, I feel like I really connect with her. We both deal with crazy people. Throughout her book are emails laced with conversations with clients that I totally related to. I actually started keeping track of conversations that I have had with viewers because they were the ones that made you say, “You can’t write this stuff.” I am hoping that I’ll get enough to eventually put together for a book, but here’s one of my favorites:

7/16/09 Me: WSAZ…
Caller: Who’s this?
Me: Kari
Caller: Did I talk to you before my doctor’s appointment?
Me: No
Caller: Well I had a good physical… what’s half of 29?
Me: 14 and a half
Caller: That’s what I thought. Thanks!

Seriously! What kind of conversation is that? I think it could be a best seller! What do you think?

Anywho, back to the book I am reviewing lol. I also feel like I can relate with Marla on writing. I started writing a few months ago and don’t get to do it nearly as much as I would like. I would love to wake up in the morning, write all day and churn out a book like crazy. But that’s not the reality for me. Granted, Marla has a few under her belt, and I’ve just finished the first draft of my first ever book. She’s quite a bit ahead of me, but I know how she feels just wanting to write all the time and putting everything else behind her.

I caught myself laughing at the ridiculous requests through the emails in this book and loved the I Love Lucy references between Marla and her husband. I normally don’t go for memoir books. I like fiction and the line of almost real, but not really. But this definitely pushed those limits. Marla’s life is one of stories that most people couldn’t write.

I will definitely be looking up her other books.

I give Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker 4 bookmarks.

[baggyparagraphs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting one’s match might be left to the vagaries of Internet dating sites, but couldn’t a professional matchmaker refine the search? Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is Marla Martenson’s account of her duties with “Double D Dating Service” in the rarified atmosphere of Beverly Hills. The book is a deftly handled dual narrative as Ms. Martenson wryly recounts episodes from her own fraught life in addition to presentations of home runs and strikeouts in the world of dating, where “clueless dickheads” tend to call the shots. Her gift lies in the ability to balance comic and pathetic aspects on all sides of the story. The revelation about parking her car three blocks away from a restaurant in order to avoid paying for a spot is just as significant as that about her matchmaking client Phil: “He drives a red convertible Infinity [sic], and actually brags about his speeding tickets.” She sets him up with Natasha, who “goes ape-shit over expensive sports cars.” Ms. Martenson handles her scenes and dialog effortlessly. The same is true of the social satire: at an art party, an older woman’s face “is pulled so tight, she looks like a bass.” The vulgarity of the car-buying experience is perfectly encapsulated in Ms. Martenson’s remark about the saleman’s offer of paint sealant for $495 extra: “Only five-hundred smackers to protect the car against bird shit!”

While the natural voice is her most winning quality, use of the first-person can overwhelm the narration when Ms. Martenson emerges as protagonist. A passage about her return to Chicago gets all balled up: the work is best when she moves back and abandons self-scrutiny. Relying on her powers of description, with the addition of tart commentary, pays off big, as in the wonderfully sweet passage about getting away with her husband to Mexico for a family wedding. There’s also the occasional unfulfilled need for data to amplify her keen observations. “Do they think they’d rather have a momentary shot at biological perfection than a lifetime with a loving mate?” she asks of men who yearn for a perfect and much younger woman. Well, that would be interesting to know. What social factors form the basis of this superficiality? Someone must have researched the subject.

But I don’t mean to overemphasize my quibbles. Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker consistently charms and amuses. Without having met Ms. Martenson in a writers’ group, I wouldn’t have picked up her book; whether it’s chick lit or not, it made me laugh aloud while also touching my heart. So much for trolling Amazon.com for something good to read! I wonder what the group’s other members have written.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s tough when you’re a matchmaker to the exorbitantly wealthy male population in Beverley Hills. With demands coming in from both her clientele at the busy Matchmaking firm she works for and from her book publisher, Marla’s life is a roller coaster of excitement. Busy days answering emails and star gazing nights leave her with enough material to fill book after book. Now, if only she could focus on writing and not so much on the temperamental demands of her clients, her life would be perfect.

Marla Martenson’s life is extremely comical. Well, maybe not her life so much as the people she has to deal with on a daily basis. From men demanding smaller waists and larger busts to women in need of a man to supply their laundry list of bills relating to their “acting career”, no request is too absurd for the clients she’s trying to appease. Just when you think the next email can’t be worse from the last, it gets even funnier and more outlandish. It’s definitely a laugh a minute when Marla steps into work each day.

Some of the things I loved about Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker were the hilarious emails scattered throughout the book, Marla’s wit and sense of humor, and the fantastic relationship she has with her husband. Her husband, a musician in the LA area also mingles and works with the celebrity elite on a daily basis. Their quirky relationship, including the nicknames “Ricky and Lucy”, make them incredibly lovable and easy to read.

Unfortunately, “Ricky and Lucy” and countless brain-dead guys just didn’t work for me overall. As the funny aspects of email after email wore off I kept wondering exactly where the story was going. Yes, the story is a memoir and to an extent just a recording of some of the instances of her life, but I still felt there should have been more of a resolution. Initially I was also a little put off by the way things were always slanted toward men being the negative aspect of her job. Although, as the book continued Marla was able to share that it wasn’t only the male clients with excessive demands, but many of her female clients as well.

Overall Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker was a fun read. It’s perfect for those looking for an inside peak at the happenings of a matchmaker to the elite of LA. Marla Martenson shares the humorous and often sad story of men and women seeking the “perfect” person. With the added romance of her own personal “Ricky and Lucy” story, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is an enjoyable story that will have readers laughing out loud.

[Orbs n Rings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, whimsical story of a real life Beverly Hills female-cupid preserving the harmony of her own life, those of her clients while also juggling her new writing career.

Breathe... Ah, the crazy dating scene of Beverly Hills and the Hollywood life of Marla Martenson. Marla, the author of this book has quite a unique job. Like an artist, she perfects her art of playing matchmaker. Even if she had this same job in another state, there just would be no comparison. What a stressful job. Marla surely pays the price of living in this area of California, sometimes with her health, other times with the frustrations of not being able to find a decent home, in a decent neighborhood at an affordable price.

Marla had me laughing many times throughout this book. Many times I could totally relate to Marla and her relationship with her latin husband. Whether during her excitement when house hunting or other times as her and her husband have little spats and disagreements. I knew exactly where she was coming from. Being latin myself, and my husband not, we have similar silly situations that happen between us. I love how Marla and her husband refer to themselves as Lucy and Ricky, which enlightens their relationship and sets an even funnier picture of the couple for the reader. Marla is truly blessed to have her husband, who is her guiding light and helps her fight her insecurities, that come along with her matchmaking job.

I found this book an enjoyable read. In fact, the day I started the first chapter I lost my footing on my elliptical while laughing. Marla describes some of her clients, their requests, circumstances and conversations throughout the book. It is kind of sad that some of these male clients may never find real love because of their high expectations of women. Other times, while reading this book, it makes you wonder if wealth is a curse for some of these men. But it is not a completely unsuccessful endeavor as Marla does have some success in matching couples together.Some do end up finding true love and even marriage.

Although this book is a peek at Marla's real life, it just cannot be taken too seriously. Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is one of those books one reads because it is fun, funny and even funnier. It is a well written pick-me-up book that will help you leave your cares behind, while you join Marla on her matchmaking journey and life adventure, because life is what it is.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the memoir of Marla, a matchmaker in Beverly Hills. She'd had high hopes of making it as an actress but it didn't really happen as she had wished (she'd had some parts including a small one in What Women Want). She ends up working as a matchmaker for a dating company, matching rich picky men with the women who are looking for them. On the side, she had become an author of dating books. She was hoping to make enough as an author to be able to leave her job at the agency and focus on writing full-time.

This book chronicles her day-to-day routines including the wacky emails from her clients. A fan of Wayne Dyer, she lists her affirmations at the end of each chapter.

I liked this book and would recommend it. I liked the writing style ... I thought it flowed well. It was a fun topic to reach about. It's hard to believe that men and women are that shallow.

I liked Marla ... she was doing what she had to do to follow and achieve her dreams. She had great support with her mother, friends and husband. Her mom and friends are nice. I can't say I was crazy about her husband, Adolfo, though, who is a musician in a restaurant. At one point Marla says that he considers her a "goddess, a perfect 10" yet at times it doesn't seem like he treats her that way. For example, she has a deadline to write a book (which will hopefully bring in more money so their life will be better) but he bugs her to instead spend the time with him. When they got together, she'd moved into his place so all the stuff except for a couch and an ashtray are his. She wants her ashtray to be on the coffee table along with all his stuff but he keeps moving it to her desk. At one time, they are on a moving walkway and he trips. He gives her a dirty look and "cussed" her in Spanish even though it was his fault ... he blamed her energy for his clumsiness. When she has a car accident, she calls him ... instead of asking if she was okay, he reminded her that this was her second accident. She wasn't feeling well at one point but he bullied her into going to the gym and doing his strenuous workout.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/09...

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker gives readers an inside look at author Marla Martenson’s intriguing life as a Beverly Hills matchmaker. Didn’t know matchmakers truly existed? Oh, they do. Marla worked at an agency in LA where she expertly matched rich, older men with beautiful, young and thin women.

It wasn’t all that simple though, of course. Marla shares several e-mails she received and sent to clients. It was VERY interesting getting a sneak peek at what ACTUALLY happened and how Marla handled sticky situations. I loved feeling like I was reading an ultra-secret e-mail account.

Besides reading about Marla’s matchmaking adventures, we are also privy to details of Marla’s marriage to her Latin lover and her struggles with being a writer, but also holding down a full time job, all while trying to also juggle buying a house and maintaining friendships and relationships.

I enjoyed this book simply because it felt like just what the title says it is- a diary. This is Marla’s diary of a period in her life when she was juggling a whole lot on her plate. However, although I did love this approach, it also got a bit monotonous. As I mentioned, I enjoyed reading the e-mails during Marla’s matchmaking experiences, but after awhile, I got the point of them- the guys she worked with had outrageous requests and demands, and the women were often beautiful gold diggers.

Marla’s writing style definitely pulled me into the book. I felt like I was chatting with a friend the entire time I was reading. I personally love books written in the first person, so I enjoyed this one.

I especially loved learning about how Marla managed to write a book while holding a full time job, as this is exactly what I am doing now!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Author Marla Martenson mixes a little bit of insight about the matchmaking game together with a whole lot about her life. For the first quarter of the book it felt like the balance was leaning a little too heavily on Marla's life and not quite enough on her day to day work of connecting hearts. In fact, sometimes it felt more like I was reading Diary of a Beverly Hills Writer (who's a matchmaker to pay the rent).

However, once I got into the book and connected with Marla and her husband, her memoir became a lot more appealing. That was also when her balance between work life and home life seemed to even out.

This book is not hilarious, but it is an amusing look at one couple's life in Los Angeles. In the midst of a great deal of shallowness and superficiality, Marla and her husband definitely share a very real love, and that shines through her writing.

Although Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker at times felt like it had been written mainly to promote the author's two previous self-help books (but perhaps that was my somewhat cynical nature kicking into gear), it was still a quite enjoyable read. And without doubt, Marla definitely deserves high praise for having incredible tact and skill when dealing with some of her highly delusional, self-absorbed clients.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker reads like an extra-long addition to one of those trashy yet fun to read celebrity magazines. You know the type. Glamorous, exciting, and funny. But this book has something most of those magazines don't have. Those aspects? Substance and an extra-dose of reality.

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker tells different tales straight from author Marla Martenson's life. Stories that include dealing with her matchmaker status and the tasks that come with it, to encounters with various celebs, to promoting her first book, to writing her next among many others. These stories were often told in an engaging tone, one never failed to make me feel like I was right there with her the entire time, laughing at the funny parts and cringing and relating at some of the others.

The only aspects I truly disliked about this book were her shifty transitions between scenes and her habitat of reiterating unnecessary info.

Regardless of all that, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is a novel I highly suggest to all of you out there looking for a funny and honest look of life in Beverly Hills. Also, Marla Martenson is an author I'll definitely be going back to for future reading material.

Grade: B

[Wendy Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marla Martenson is a matchmaker. There are people out there who just don't have time to play the meet, greet, and then date game. They go to Marla, explain what they are looking for and want in a relationship, and she does her best to match them up.

Being in Beverly Hills though is more of a challenge. Silicone Valley and high rollers, they want only the best and are willing to pay for it. Marla charges quite a sum for her services but then again, sometimes what they request can be quite challenging.

It's quite amusing what some of these folks desire in a match, and the emails she receives from real clients will have you rolling in laughter. But she does make some matches, and it is a true story of what she does. Marla is juggling her own marriage at the same time, her insensitive boss, and the high demands of the clients. Funny, entertaining, and a look at what egos and self-indulgence can do to a person as well as the joy of finding that successful match.

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

What am amazing story. Part autobiography, part day by day story of her high level matchmaking job, part expose on the vapid values of southern California rich and old vs young and beautiful, and the rest, good clean, hysterical fun! It brought back a lot of memories for me of life in La La Land. Loved the affirmations at the end of each chapter. Glad the author has a real, grounded, loving, supportive marriage as well as friends and family to balance the craziness of her profession. Who said matchmaking was easy. And yet, for all the problems and fussy clients, there are the happy love matches that result. A roller coaster of a ride. And I especially liked the author's gratitude, in spite of her exhaustion and juggling too many balls for a mere one person. Well done. I didn't give the book a fifth star because of some sloppy editing at times.

[Joana Arteaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was going to be more like a diary with dates and page entries. It wasn't exactly like that but it was diary like because she included very personal details about her life. The stories she tells about some of the men and women she tried to match up were pretty funny. Some of those guys were so ridiculous and expected to much. Some of the women were a little crazy. What I enjoyed the most were her own stories about her relationship with Adolfo. They are such a beautiful couple that even their arguments didn't seem so bad they were actually a little funny. It is a fun book to read.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is a fun and quirky read, it's based on the authors own personal journey and you get an inside, behind the scenes look at what actually happens in the life of a Beverly Hills matchmaker. You're privy to e-mails, conversations with clients, handling of sticky situations and happily ever afters!
And, if that's not enough to keep you entertained, you'll also read all about Marla's marriage to her Latin lover and her everyday struggles with her job, home, friendships and relationships.
I thought, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker was charming; the perfect book for the holidays or for any time you just want to escape your "real" world!"

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book I won here at GoodReads! this one looks very interesting... :)

This one was so fun to read. And made me SO HAPPY to be married to a man who love me and all my wrinkles. It was interesting to see into a life so different than mine. This was a book you could read a bit, put down, and then pick it right back up and jump back into it. At times I did get confused with all the different men and women she was setting up, but the author did a good job of making them uniquie enough that I was able to remember something about each of them quite quickly.

[Machel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, quirky memior based on Marla's own personal journey. I found it to be utterly charming, fun and just a good read period. It's always wonderful to find a 'disarming' memior that makes you love the person more by finding humor in their own ups and downs, while writing a wonderful story about it. Marla is an excellent writer. I look forward to reading her two other books. m

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. Marla goes to Hollywood to become an actress which did not happen and somehow she fell into matchmaking. With all the rich people she is around it is a pretty good gig, and she has fun doing it. Of course you have to put up with egos and power trip people but i really enjoyed the book.

[Tiffany Millizer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but it fell completely flat. The author was just someone I could not connect with. I wanted more of the matchmaking aspect and not her personal struggles or grievances. This should have been a private journal entry. It just didn’t give what it could have gave.