Sydney Alexander is back and happily married to the man of her dreams. Now, if she can just find great guys for her friends life will be perfect. She’s already done it once - she set up her hippie neighbor Rain with Stinky Nate. They are happily married now as well, so Sydney is convinced she can make the same magic happen for other friends.

Sydney takes on the challenge of matchmaking for a few of her friends including her boss, Lucinda. As she becomes confident in her set-up abilities, she even takes on the role of “Lucy for the Lovelorn,” a syndicated column that could take her career to new heights.

In the midst of it all Samantha, Sydney’s sister, is going through a relationship crises. Well, more like a relationship melt-down. Sydney tries to give her advice, but Samantha soon realizes that she must make the decision for herself - follow her heart and see where it leads.

Sydney’s matchmaking talents rival those of another beloved heroine, Jane Austen’s Emma. And just as Emma eventually comes to the conclusion that meddling rarely changes things for the better, Sydney must learn some lessons through a few matchmaking disasters.

I thoroughly appreciated Banister’s humor and writing style in her first novel, Around The World in 80 Dates, and Meddlers is made up of the same stuff. The story is well-told and filled with compelling characters. Sydney’s experiences made me laugh, made me cry and above all reminded me that giving advice is not always as simple as it might seem.

In the back of the book, readers will find a readers guide, Sydney’s Recommendations For Life’s Little Circumstances and a list of resources for those who want to be a part of promoting music education (as Sydney’s husband discusses in the book).

Posted by jill, in Chick-lit, Reviews