An absolutely gorgeous standalone tale from one of the most astute and compassionate observers of humanity. Katie takes over the stewardship of a dating company in Edinburgh while her cousin travels to Canada for a grown-up gap year. This relationship tale sings with gentle humour and wry observations that detail the sometimes ridiculous and yet wonderful nature of attraction and love. Alexander McCall Smith has the ability to make you feel so at ease as you read, it's almost as though you are there with the characters as they wander or race through life. While the main tale focuses on Katie and Edinburgh, we also visit Canada and are allowed to gain a greater understanding of the woman who started the Perfect Passion Dating Company. A number of relationships are introduced and tested, each potential couple sits within their own story and also become a part of the whole. I loved this tale, it made me smile and nod in agreement as I read. Highly recommended, The Perfect Passion Company is oh-so engaging and enjoyable as it explores our human need for love and companionship.
The Perfect Passion Dating Company at No. 24 Mouse Lane in Edinburgh's New Town is run by Katie Donald who has an innate instinct for bringing people together. She has developed a skill for finding out what it is that people really want. Along the way, Katie learns profound lessons about her own desires as she works at better understanding others. Although Katie has little in the way of direct experience, with the help of her amiable and handsome office neighbour William Kidd, she soon finds herself making matches for the lonely hearts tired of meeting online – and who want a more personal touch. For fans of Alexander McCall Smith's many beloved series and romantic standalone novels, The Perfect Passion Company shows him at his most perceptive, playful, and generous. In the way that only McCall Smith can, this novel offers a glimpse inside the psychology of matchmaking, the search for love and companionship, and the mysterious spark of attraction that can, at times, catch hold of us all. Two stories that wind their way into this wonderful novel were previously available in different forms as e-book only shorts.
