My Heart's Desire

By Matilda Martel

Lana Howard is a modern-day matchmaker with the happiest clientele in Manhattan. She promises to learn your heart’s desire and she delivers.
Liam Fitzgerald wants nothing to do with a matchmaker. He’s fine, the way he is. But before his beloved mother passed away, she fought tooth and nail to book his secret appointment fearing her first born son would never marry.
One look at Lana and he’s sold. He knows what he wants. He wants her. But Lana has a system. She doesn’t give people what they want- she gives them what they need.
According to her blueprint, they’re not compatible. She has a code. Flings don’t turn into true love. There must be something that’ll stick---or maybe this matchmaker’s been afraid of love all along.
Can Liam convince Lana they’d make the perfect match?
This is a steamy instalove, matchmaker, fling to true love, older man younger woman romance with a guaranteed happily ever after. Happy Reading!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matilda Martel
• Release date: Sep 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005721190

Matilda Martel

Matilda loves many things---her husband, dachshunds, cats, the two terrible Chihuahuas who live with her, Paris, New York, a few select friends and family, Nutella, books, lots and lots of books, and writing sweet, steamy romance for nerdy girls-- because that's who I am.If you like your romances steamy but sweet. Sexy, but on the shorter side. With smart and sassy heroines who fall for soulful Alphas- then you might like my books.I write A LOT of OMYW, cause that's just my bag. But no matter what kind of story it is, my ladies are always adored and my endings are always HEA.Please head to my blog: www.matildamartel.com, to learn what's in the final stages and will be coming out soon!Want a free Ebook? Join my mailing list to get my monthly newsletter at : www.matildamartel.com/mailinglist/

Book preview

ONE

LANA

It’s crunch time. Time to rise, shine, and change people’s lives for the better. I fling my arms over my head, stretch my legs, and sigh with contentment. Good things will happen today---I can feel it. Someone’s going to find true love, and this time next year, maybe a baby will be on their way. 

Can you think of a better reason to get out of bed? 

With my motivation speech recited, I roll out of my warm sheets and face the dread of this vicious day. I inherited this antique bed from my grandmother. It’s gorgeous Victorian walnut, and it was a wedding present from her mother. It’s, by far, my favorite piece of furniture. I think she conceived my mother on it. The frame, not the mattress.  

That’s a horrible thought to start this day.

Shake it loose, Lana. For the love of God, shake it loose.

I pad across my bedroom and snatch my overstuffed agenda off the cluttered vanity table. This worn leather binder probably needs an upgrade, but I won’t part with things that do their job well. It’s gone beyond the call of duty and surpassed all my expectations. 

In two years, it’s stood by my side and helped me unite fifty-five successful couples. I’ll attend my forty-seventh wedding next weekend in Brooklyn. And it’s only a matter of time before the others make it down the aisle. This datebook is my lucky charm. Her name’s Belinda, and wherever I go, she goes. Tried and true, I am loyal, through and through. I never give up on a winner.

And today is game day. 

In approximately nine hours, the city officially kicks off Labor Day weekend, and the life of every matchmaker in Manhattan spins into a whirlwind of pandemonium for the remainder of the year.  

These are the times that try women’s souls. 

For the average New Yorker, it’s one last chance to hit the shore, barbecue with friends, or spend three lazy afternoons outdoors before the cooler weather rolls in with Autumn. But that’s not what it means to me. For me, this is the time of year people get serious about falling in love, which means my business skyrockets.  

Summer is all about fun. The heat makes people crazy. We shed our inhibitions right along with our clothes, and the last thing anyone wants to consider is settling down into a long-term relationship. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course. 

I shed nothing. There’s no time.

My summer is jam-packed with chasing leads, fine-tuning my algorithms, and ensuring everyone’s background check clears before I allow them to move into phase two—face-to-face interviews.

As summer draws to a close, priorities change. Cooler weather ushers in snuggle time in front of the fire. Family and work parties require steady dates. No one wants to be alone over the holidays, but meeting the right person requires more time and finesse than most people are willing to invest. And that’s where I come in.  

I handle the delicate matters that most people want to avoid. Everyone has prerequisites and deal breakers. If I find something too distasteful, I simply eliminate them from consideration and tell them they’ll be too hard to place. 

I’ve earned a reputation for success. Unlike my first year, I’ve secured enough clout to turn difficult people away. When I take someone on, I pull out all the stops. I weed through the muck and eliminate the crazies. I promise your heart’s desire, and so far, I’ve delivered.   

This season will be no different. This season I’m more prepared than I’ve ever been. 

My family’s connections helped me get my start. As much as I hated relying on my name, discretion is critical in this business. I couldn’t buy ad space or target clients online. We matchmakers operate by word of mouth. Fortunately for me, my references are impeccable. 

But two years in, I’ve earned my place and built my brand. There are no easy matches---each one takes hard work and dedication. Everyone deserves my elbow grease, and they get it from day one.  

I didn’t fall into this profession on a whim. It’s not a hobby gone mad. I’ve got degrees in Psychology and Human Behavior, a talent for math and statistics, and most importantly, I’ve got the gift. The knack to see beyond what people say or want you to know. Any matchmaker worth her fee needs to read people with the ease of a first-grade primer.

No one comes to me knowing what they need. They think they want blue eyes, a hot body, and high-earning potential. They check a list of superficial qualities and wonder why true love has eluded them all these years. 

I ignore most of what they say and listen to cues within the silence. Their heart tells me precisely what I need to know. Their soul knows what they need. 

And the silence speaks volumes. 

TWO

LIAM

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Is this a joke? Strangled words emerge