This week I've been reading Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean. Ms. Dean is a new author to me and I only picked up this book because it's part of the Power of the Matchmaker series, but there was a lot to like!
The book is set in China, which in itself gives the story another dimension. Our heroine, Savannah, was told at a young age by the matchmaker that she would marry a man named Paul and she's been searching for the right Paul ever since. Her search takes her to China where she will teach English, but her main goal is to meet a famous entrepreneur named Paul that she read about in a magazine. (Her quirky colleagues give a nice secondary cast to the entire China trip and I hope some of them get their own story!)
While she's experiencing China and all it's exotic flair, she meets an American cook at a restaurant called Burger, Burger. Julian seems to have a thing for her, but she's finally met Paul and things are going well between them. Things come to a head when she's torn between following the matchmaker's prediction she would marry a Paul or pursuing what she feels for someone not named Paul. She has a difficult choice to make.
I had a hard time getting into the story at first, and getting used to the first person narrative, but about a third of the way in I really started to identify with our heroine and the pacing picked up for me. I was a bit annoyed about the references to the Red Bird Incident that we aren't given any idea about until near the end, but I loved the setting of China and thought the author did an outstanding job with that. I loved the way the romance was developed and our hero was definitely sigh-worthy. I will definitely look for other titles by Ms. Dean.
Here's the back copy:
My sisters think I’m crazy.
But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love.
She told me to search far and wide for him.
I haven’t stopped looking ever since.
When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence.
It’s destiny.
My sisters say I’m chasing a dream.
Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?
My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand.
Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird.
The memory silences them.
The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.
I will find Paul . . . I will.
You can download your Kindle copy here
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