by Mary Oliver
First published 2021
Mary and Heather operate their Marriage Bureau from a small London office in the 1940s. Clients arrive seeking what dating apps promise today: the perfect partner for lifelong happiness. The two women interview hopeful romantics from all walks of life, learning their secrets and desires as they attempt to forge lasting connections. Some matches flourish into weddings and decades of contentment. Others fail spectacularly, leaving hearts broken and expectations shattered. Through it all, Mary and Heather navigate the delicate art of bringing souls together, discovering that human nature remains constant whether love begins with a handwritten letter or a swipe right. Their bureau becomes a window into the eternal search for companionship, revealing how little has changed in our deepest longings despite the passage of time.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slow-burn
Setting: London
Period: 1940s
158 pages · Paperback · B7 Media