Publishers Weekly
In her fast-paced and fun second novel, Catherine McKenzie takes us on a thirty-something woman's journey to find love in a somewhat unorthodox manner. When Anne Blythe's latest three-year relationship goes belly-up, she's determined to get it right—for good. So when she stumbles upon an exclusive company that arranges marriages, it seems exactly what she needs—especially in light of her best friend Sarah's recent engagement. At an exclusive resort, she nervously takes the plunge with a writer named Jack, a stranger who's supposed to be her perfect match. But when Anne learns that Jack has been hiding an important part of himself from her, it seems that saying "I do" was the easy part. In her latest novel (after Spin), McKenzie makes this far-fetched idea plausible and entertaining. With good dialogue, three-dimensional characters, and page-turning scenes, McKenzie expertly explores what makes a successful marriage work and the lengths to which some people will go to find true love. Agent: Abigail Koons, Park Literary Group. (May)
Booklist (starred review)
“This is chick lit for real women, featuring a smart, competent heroine with a hopeless romantic streak…The humor ranges from biting sarcasm to slapstick, and the narrative voice is compulsively readable…Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Jennifer Crusie have found a new author to watch.”
RT Book Reviews
"Anyone who has ever looked for love in all the wrong places will love McKenzie’s latest tale of romance found in the place one least expects it. A real page-turner, Arranged is a perfect beach read. McKenzie will have readers laughing and crying right along with her heroine."
SheKnows.com
“Make a date with Catherine McKenzie’s Arranged this summer. A smart and honest novel about a woman’s desperate search for love and marriage, it will hit home for many.”
Booklist
"This is chick lit for real women, featuring a smart, competent heroine with a hopeless romantic streak…The humor ranges from biting sarcasm to slapstick, and the narrative voice is compulsively readable…Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Jennifer Crusie have found a new author to watch."
Elle Canada
"This zany novel gallops through the perils of one thirty-something redhead’s desperate search for love and marriage, no necessarily in that order."
Cathy Marie Buchanan
"Just when you think you’ve got Arranged figured out, time and again Catherine McKenzie delivers the flawless, unexpected twist that keeps you glued to the book."
Therese Walsh
"A novel that explores what happens when what you think want collides with what you really need. Catherine McKenzie’s Arranged is a rare book: smart, funny, honest, and absorbing."
Leah Stewart
"A satisfying and entertaining romantic tale that puts a contemporary twist on old-fashioned ideas about marriage. I inhaled it in an afternoon, rooting for its heroine to find the love she longs for."
Shawn Klomparens
"Catherine McKenzie brings a smart twist to marriage and relationships in her second novel, the story of unlucky-in-love Anne Blythe. Arranged is crafted with pathos and subtle humor, and through it McKenzie’s heroine learns—the hard way—that the happiest endings are often the ones least expected."
Elle Canada
“This zany novel gallops through the perils of one thirty-something redhead’s desperate search for love and marriage, no necessarily in that order.”
