Find out the latest indie author news. For FREE.

ADVERTISEMENT

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 09/2024
  • 979-8988009726 B0D7KLZ67M
  • 338 pages
  • $9.99
Paperback Details
  • 09/2024
  • 979-8988009726 B0DCFXH9ZN
  • 338 pages
  • $17.95
Michelle Cox
Author
Matched in Merriweather
Michelle Cox, author

Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)

A delightful 1930s retelling of Jane Austen’s beloved classic Emma.

After receiving a desperate letter reporting her father to be gravely ill, inveterate matchmaker Melody Merriweather leaves college and rushes back to her small hometown of Merriweather, Wisconsin—only to discover that she’s expected to take over the running of her family’s general store, the Merc, until he recovers.

There, Melody tries to liven up the dusty old shop by selling luxury hats and gloves while also managing the handful of eccentric employees she’s inherited—the sweet, impressionable Harriet; the crabby Mrs. Haufbrau; and the overly critical but irritatingly handsome Cal Frasier. In typical Melody fashion, it isn’t long before she sets her sights on helping Harriet find a more suitable match than the local farmer who supplies the Merc with eggs.

All of Melody’s fanciful ideas suddenly fly out the window, however, when she learns that the Merc is not so well off as she imagined and that her father has borrowed money from loan sharks to keep it afloat. With the help of a surly Cal, Melody concocts a plan to brew cider as a way to resurrect the failing store. But when her attempts at both cider- and matchmaking go awry in spectacular fashion, it throws the Merc—and her own self-confidence—further into jeopardy . . .

Reviews
Set in the small town of Merriweather, Wisconsin, during the Great Depression, this endearing story tracks the reluctant return of Melody Merriweather from her vibrant college life in Chicago to the helm of the family business following her father's heart attack. Eager to revitalize the quaint yet quiescent Merriweather Mercantile, Melody introduces chic products like silk scarves and velvet hats, but her modern flair clashes with the old-world pragmatism of Mrs. Haufbrau, her father's immutable staff member, who regards such luxuries as frivolous amid the economic despair. As Melody's inventory languishes, her initial optimism is further dampened by the revelation of her family's debts.

Cox’s spin-off of her Henrietta and Inspector Howard series offers a cozy, intimate glimpse of Melody's trials amidst economic woes, rendering a historical fiction that does not overwhelm with a broad geopolitical plot. Desperate to fix her family’s financial woes, inspiration strikes when Melody learns of her father’s prohibition-era moonshine business. Warned by Cal, the surly but handsome butcher at the Merc, she pivots to his suggestion of selling cider, hoping for a lucrative turnaround. The arrival of lodgers Frank and Julius, restorationists bent on preserving traditional craftsmanship, adds to the intrigue.

The novel shines in its palpable sense of place—from the spirited Harvest Fest to badger holes, old zinc mines, and quaint Cornish cottages. Cox favors small-town charm exploration, infused with humor and romance, with Melody's matchmaking schemes that soon become dramatic, her hanging engagement with her old beau, and her complicated moments with Cal. Melody's strong character development, humorous interludes, and the underlying themes of dreams versus familial obligations, tradition versus modernity, and community spirit compensate for the repetitive minutiae of daily store operations that occasionally drag the narrative. Though the ending is neatly tied, it hangs with a surprising romantic twist, leaving readers of lighthearted historical fiction eager for the next installment.

Takeaway:Small-town saga of matchmaking and family business during the Great Depression.

Comparable Titles: Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 09/2024
  • 979-8988009726 B0D7KLZ67M
  • 338 pages
  • $9.99
Paperback Details
  • 09/2024
  • 979-8988009726 B0DCFXH9ZN
  • 338 pages
  • $17.95
ADVERTISEMENT

Loading...