Heartstrings and Diamond Rings    by Jane Graves Order:  USA  Can Forever, 2011 (2011) Paperback, e-Book     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Alison Carter knows her time is running out - she's thirty and counting and still has no husband and kids. Why is it she only managed to attract the jerks, and not guys who would make solid, dependable, loving husbands? Desperate to find the one, she signs up with a matchmaker. She's somewhat disconcerted to discover that the woman who ran the successful home business has died - and that her grandson is now running the show. Can she trust a man to - well - find her the perfect man? Brandon Scott was doing just fine, thank you very much, buying and selling real estate - until the market tanked. Now he owes the bank a pile of money with no way to pay off his considerable loans. Then his grandmother leaves him her matchingmaking business. He'd rather sell the house and property outright, but it's not that easy. Her will stipulates he make a go of matchmaking. He doesn't have a clue how to begin - until Alison Carter walks into his office. Who better to help him understand the business than a marketing whiz? It soon becomes clear to Alison that the man of her dreams is right under her nose - but how can she convince Brandon - who wants nothing to do with ties that bind - to see the light and settle down? Jane Graves always puts a clever spin on tried and true plots, often adding humour and wonderful, sometimes zany characterizations. This time though, she doesn't quite deliver the usual polished tale. Alison in particular, doesn't manage to step outside the cliché of desperately seeking a husband and Brandon, while likeable enough, also falls victim to a hackneyed back story. Heartstrings and Diamond Rings does deliver a pleasant story, but lacks some of the sparkle of Graves' past romances. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews