Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club

emma

Rating: really liked it
the real romance in this book is between the protagonist and desserts.

and that's a love story i can get behind.

there are such insanely, wildly yummy food descriptions in this book that it's almost impossible to focus on anything else. and i am double not complaining, because 1) food is the best thing about being alive, and it isn't close, and 2) ...i didn't like a few of the other aspects.

this book was, to put it simply, very silly, both in good ways and bad! it's light magical realism about matchmakers who can see connections (literally), and our protagonist is cute and goofy and (dare i say it) quirky and spends most of the book befriending septuagenarians. it's fun.

but the same unrealistic vibe was brought to other, more serious storylines? our main character's relationship with her parents was almost surreal in how non-negotiably awful and almost cartoonish it was, to the point of being out of tune with the rest of the book. a subplot involving said protagonist's financial status was nearly absurd. there was a nightmarish third-act plot point that i felt did nothing but detract from the rest of the story.

and yet...the lighthearted parts were completely adorable?

i untagged this as romance (because it really isn't one!) but it's a very sweet contemporary, with bonus fun magical realism components, and i'll try this author again for sure!

bottom line: a very fun time, except for when it wasn't!

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currently-reading updates

i added this book to my tbr and then 2 days later the publisher sent it to me.

i love my life.

(thank you netgalley etc)

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reading books by asian authors for aapi month!

book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
book 7: disorientation
book 8: parade
book 9: if i had your face
book 10: joan is okay
book 11: strange weather in tokyo
book 12: sarong party girls
book 13: the wind-up bird chronicle
book 14: portrait of a thief
book 15: sophie go's lonely hearts club

Nilufer Ozmekik

Rating: really liked it
I think this is the finest, sweetest, most well executed work of Roselle Lim. Another exemplary story of vivid magical realism meets with Eastern symbolism with romantic vibes. This is more a self growth, learning to love yourself women’s fiction than a romance ( actually our smart, gold hearted , determined heroine Sophie’s love story takes only minor part of the book)

The book is mostly focused on Sophie’s working too hard to sharpen her matchmaking skills to bring octogenarians together for helping them have their HEAs by acting against very demanding and strict Chinese mother’s wishes.

There are so many lovable crowd of supporting characters in this book with their well crafted stories that make you sigh and put a smile on your face. But I have to admit I was so close to punch Sophie’s mother at several times for treating her daughter so unfairly. She acted a worse kind of villanelle and I hated the guts of her! But Ms. Lim is talented enough to find a way to make us forgive that character by wrapping up the story in a most harmonized way.

If you read the previous books of Roselle Lim, you already know how she can create real magic with words, melting our hearts with dreamy and promising stories that give us hope, happy smiles and cries at the same time! This book is truly special and you shouldn’t miss it!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Carrie

Rating: really liked it
Review coming soon.

Linden

Rating: really liked it
Sophie has come back to Toronto after attending a matchmaking school in Shanghai. Her first clients are a group of older gentlemen who call themselves the Old Ducks. Her mother is a greedy harridan who has tried to undermine Sophie at every turn, disrespecting her daughter--demanding money to satisfy her need for prestige and higher status. (Mother wants a diamond tennis bracelet? A dinner at an expensive restaurant to impress her new friends? Sophie must pay for them, or else she is an ungrateful daughter.) Sophie learns the hard way that family isn't always our blood relatives, and that she is indeed worthy of love. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Shannon

Rating: really liked it
I loved this heartwarming, feel-good coming of age story featuring a young Chinese Canadian woman who returns home to Toronto to help establish herself as a matchmaker.

I loved the touch of magical realism in this story that has Sophie gifted to see people's 'red strings' - the thing that indicates someone's potential for love matches. Sophie gets taken in by a group of seniors she calls the old 'ducks' and sets about making matches to win them over and get endorsements. She also has to deal with a toxic mother who belittles her work and is constantly putting her down.

Great on audio and truly a pleasure to read. This was a magical story in so many ways, full of found family, memorable characters and perfect for fans of books like Jean Meltzer's Mr. Perfect on paper. Much thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wendy W.

Rating: really liked it
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑
Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim is a heartwarming story of love, loneliness, and the power of love to heal.

Sophie Go is back in Toronto after attending a matchmaking school in Shanghai. She’s ready to take on the Toronto matchmaking scene with her new skills. However, her own mother outs her at a large party as a fraud. Her mother is partially right, she did fail to graduate from the matchmaking school, but all she needs are a few clients to prove herself and she’ll be able to petition the school to get her qualifications.

Sophie, now unable to find any clients due to her mother’s interference, is determined to prove herself as a matchmaker. She stumbles upon a group of older Chinese men who meet regularly in her apartment building and they call themselves the Old Ducks. She overhears them discussing their loneliness, and decides to make a deal with them to find matches for them.

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club is a very heartwarming story. Sophie has a terrible relationship with her family, especially her mother, and only has her best friend, who still lives in Shanghai. Her mother is horrible, and a bit over the top terrible, and I never did understand her relationship with her parents.

The romance was pleasant and I was rooting for both of them to figure it out. Sophie doesn’t believe that as a matchmaker, she can be matched to anyone. But, the romance was definitely the second place to Sophie’s own growth and realization of her own worth. Working with the Old Ducks and finding clients, and making impossible matches does more for her self-esteem than anything else.

There is a bit of magical realism which just added to the beautiful story. I loved how Sophie could see the red threads and know who was destined to be matched and to whom. For me, it added a bit of whimsy to the story that I just loved.

I highly recommend Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club to anyone who enjoys Women’s Fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Melissa

Rating: really liked it
After enjoying Roselle Lim's previous novels, I was excited to read Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club. I can easily tell you that this is her best one yet. This is also the second book I've read about matchmaking this year that I've fallen in love with. (The first being The Matchmaker's Gift.)

The story was just fantastic the whole way through. I loved Sophie's relationship with the Old Ducks and how they looked after her. Sophie's mom was so frustrating and borderline abusive. She was definitely the conflict in the story, since Sophie would have been on the road to success if not for her. Even so, she did her a favor because Sophie might not have met the Old Ducks otherwise. In any case, I just wanted Sophie to just cut her mom out of her life without any regrets.

I like how Sophie went about making the matches. She was so genuine and thoughtful about each one. The nicknames she gave everyone were great, even though I ended up forgetting why some had the nicknames they had earned. Confession: I almost confused Mr. Particular and Mr. Porcupine a couple of times. However, Mr. Particular was a lot easier to warm to...

The story just felt so honest and earnest. There were also great descriptions of people, settings, and even food. It made me wish I could go to Toronto right now! I encourage you to check it out as soon as it hits shelves this month. It's a sweet and unique love story that will get you teary-eyed at times!

Movie casting suggestions:
Sophie: Adeline Rudolph

Literary Redhead

Rating: really liked it
Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club
by Roselle Lim
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Pub Date: Aug 16

Sophie, the diffident but lovable MC, is a matchmaker without credentials trying to succeed in the tough Toronto market. Her mother is emotionally abusive and it's no wonder Sophie lacks confidence.

But all that is soon to change when she discovers a secret group -- the Old Ducks -- in her condo community. They're seventy-something men looking for love and the relationship she develops with them is my favorite part of the book. Poignant, hopeful, utterly compelling, and highly recommended!

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#SophieGosLonelyHeartsClub #Roselle Lim #berkleypublishinggroup #NetGalley #matchmakerfiction #HEAfiction #bookstagramcommunity

calypso

Rating: really liked it
i haven’t smiled this much in my entire life i hated her mom so much i wanted to throw my kindle but the rest of the time i was absolutely giddy

Fanna

Rating: really liked it
April 17, 2021: author says 'magical matchmaking' and 'slow burn romance', okay sounds so good.

Stacy40pages

Rating: really liked it
Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim. Thanks to @berkleypub for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sophie Go is a new professional matchmaker but after her community finds out she didn’t actually graduate matchmaking school it’s difficult for her to find clients. Until she finds the Old Ducks, a group of bachelor Chinese septuagenarians open to finding love.

The best part of this story was the characters! I loved each of the old men and while there were a handful of them,
I didn’t get them mixed up. The author did a great job of writing unique personalities to remember. I also liked how there was a bit of magical realism, and also all the good food descriptions!! In the end though, it’s just not really my genre. I think if you like rom coms, you will enjoy this but it wasn’t my favorite.

“By default humans were shallow creatures seeking to mate with another who matched or exceeded the same level of beauty.”

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club comes out 8/16.

Amber

Rating: really liked it
Roselle Lim did a fantastic job of mixing heartbreaking topics alongside a novel that was heartwarming. Adding in the amazing ability to describe food that made me wishing I was eating alongside it, I am now digging into Lim's backlist wondering what I have missed.

I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.

Diyasha

Rating: really liked it
I went into Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Clubs with no idea what kind of book I was reading, and honestly—I was not expecting what the story had to offer. Instead of a mere bubble gum romance, as the title suggests, the novel uses magical realism to further legitimize the professions of matchmakers. While I, personally was rather disinterested in Sophie’s love story (which was—to my pleasant surprise—only a minor plotline!), her attempts to matchmake the octogenarians throughout the novel creates the ultimate heart of the story (especially Mr. Durian and Mr. Dolphin). Despite the large cast of characters, Lim does a good job creating really vibrant characters with distinct personalities that made it easy to remember the sheer number of people Sophie interacted with. Also, Lim’s conscious decision to reference Toronto (and the Great Toronto Area with mentions to the other boroughs) was such a lovely touch to the book overall. Her attempts to create setting were quite vivid without overtaking the narrative itself.

That being said, the structural quality of Lim’s sentences veered on choppy and stilted at times. In fact, I’m quite curious how the novel will translate over to the audiobook format due to the overuse of simple/short sentences. While the characters and the setting were quite engaging, the narrative (due to the writing style) often struggled to move along at a steady pace. As a result, major developments in the plots felt abrupt and this made it difficult to construct a continuous reading process.

Furthermore—and this may be a testament to Lim’s writing ability—but Sophie’s mom was truly one of the worst characters I have ever read. She was just this horrible gaslighting, morally reprehensible, and incredibly abusive mother that I wanted to slap every time she showed up in the book. At times, I just wanted to stop reading because I was so frustrated with the way Sophie was treated. This particular plot-point may be a deterrent for a number of readers (and also quite triggering!), but I do think Lim adds an emotional quality to the book which proves she has the literary chops to build a diverse range of characters (from pieces of garbage to loveable characters).

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Becky of Becky's Bookshelves

Rating: really liked it
"There is an ancient Chinese belief that an invisible, unbreakable red thread connects all those who are destined to be together. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. "

SOPHIE GO’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB by Roselle Lim is a delightful women’s fiction novel with a touch of romance. Sophie is trying to start a new life as a matchmaker. Things are very complicated with her overbearing parents, and the limited amount of time that she has to get accredited as a matchmaker.

This story was delightful, humorous, and whimsical. We are introduced to the idea that Sophie sees red threads in the people who she is trying to match. Her goal is to find someone to connect their red thread to. Sophie starts by working with a group of septuagenarian men in her new apartment complex to find them matches. I fell in love with the “Old Ducks” and rooted for all of them to find a happily ever after. The author uses Sophie’s parents to explore Asian culture and family expectations in such an interesting way. I appreciated her perspective.

I found this a delightful read, and appreciated the whimsical yet serious nature of the story. I recommend Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy, and I was not required to write a positive review.

Brittany | chasingmrdarcy

Rating: really liked it
Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Women's Fiction
Pub Date: August 16, 2022

I went into this book with very low expectations because I didn't know much about the premise or the author...and I was definitely wow'd! This book was such a captivating story, and it pulled me in from start to finish. This is such an exemplary story of magical realism, Eastern symbolism, and romanticism. I found this to be more accurately described as a women's fiction than a romance, but it really had all the elements of both.

I loved Sophie! She was such a caring, kind, endearing character, and I was so invested in her. The supporting characters were also flawless in this story! I just thought everything worked in this book from start to finish, and I was just so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it! As much as Sophie motivated me with her determination...her mother straight up vexed me, and not in the Anthony-Bridgerton-vexing-style. Her mother made me want to scream at times! I know that was the point of her character, but still. By the end, all was forgiven by not forgotten by me. 😂

This book was just magical and I cannot recommend it enough!