a matchmaker creates connections

our passion is connecting you with your next read. because we’re book people.

And book people never keep their favorites to themselves! We can’t wait to welcome you in so you can discover what we have to offer firsthand.

A little about us

at matchmaker bookshop, we believe reading is unequivocally good.

No matter what you like to read, reading itself is a very good thing. Books can take you on adventures without leaving your favorite chair. They can introduce you to new and diverse perspectives, or welcome you home like an old friend. They can answer the questions you’ve been asking, or raise ones you’ve never considered.

Reading may seem like a solitary pastime, but a love of books thrives in a collective. Matchmaker Bookshop is a place to browse, linger, and engage with other bibliophiles. Welcome to your new “third space.”

Lauren CardicK, Owner

Lauren (she/her) lives in Highland Park with her husband, two darling boys, and a Cavalier named Bess. She loves to throw parties for family and friends and can’t resist starting a craft project. She’s never met a book she doesn’t finish. She’s a Libra sun (with strong Virgo energy), and like every millennial woman of a certain age, has wanted her own library ladder since she first saw Beauty and the Beast.

meet our amazing team

children’s specialist

Cathy (she/her) moved to Deerfield 25 years ago with her husband and four children. She has over 30 years of experience both teaching and directing preschool programs. She loves to help children discover the wonder of reading and storytelling, and has helped them to use the printed word for gaining information. She is thrilled to be sharing her love of books with our littlest customers!

Cathy cohen

Elissa DAURIA smitH

events and marketing coordinator

Elissa (she/her) is a recent transplant from the East Coast and spent 15 years in New York City before moving to Highland Park to raise two beautiful girls and one crazy dog with her husband Jason. She is a book-to-screen consultant and founder of Evolving Story Book Scouting. She has been matchmaking books with film and TV producers for over a decade and can’t wait to do it for readers too! Her reading sweet spot is books in translation, fresh voices, dark comedies, coming of age, historical fiction, literary horror, and distant lands.

HEATHER METZ

BOOKSELLER

Heather (she/her) lives in Wilmette with her husband, two sons, and daughter. She believes there’s nothing better than helping friends discover something new to read. Growing up, Heather turned her childhood bedroom into a make-believe library, where her sisters were her first “customers” checking out carefully selected titles. An avid reader, she loves connecting people with the perfect book and is most comfortable with a book in hand!

Books and a coffee cup sitting on a chair

LEAH SUNDHEIM

BOOKSELLER

Leah (she/her) grew up in Highland Park and, after living in Hawaii and Las Vegas, is very happy to be home. She lives in a lovingly restored fixer-upper with her dog Betty. After creating her dream kitchen, nothing brings her more joy than baking for and hosting loved ones. Books have always been a source of adventure and escapism. She believes few things are more healing for the soul than a comfy spot, a cup of tea, and a good book.

ELISA THOMAS

STORE MANAGER

Elisa (she/they) arrived in the Chicago area by way of Seattle after growing up in Los Angeles. She lives with her partner, three rescue dogs, three rescue cats, and the occasional foster pup. She is a lifelong reader and affectionately likes to refer to herself as an independent bookstore lifer, with almost 15 years of working in the indie bookstore sphere. You can often find her searching for escapism in the horror section or getting lost in the beautiful prose of literary fiction. When she’s not reading, she’s often floating around her kitchen cooking or baking with headphones on and an audiobook or R&B thrumming in her ears. When you meet her, she’s sure to ask “What’s the last thing you read that you absolutely loved?”