Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker

Here's a secret: Hollywood insiders aren't better at dating than the rest of us. They just have elite help.

The age-old art of matchmaking meets Hollywood as Jaydi Samuels Kuba, founder of LJMatchmaking, takes us behind the scenes of her work as a matchmaker and date coach for the entertainment industry's most eligible singles. Even the glitziest picture-perfect set-up could flop due to bad dating habits, a frustration that Jaydi specializes in solving. Now, in Your Last First Date, she's sharing her incredible stories, along with the exclusive practical wisdom we all need.

Meet our real-life characters:

Meera, a young film publicist and hopeless romantic who falls for nearly every guy she meets. When she finally finds a man who matches her intensity, she's thrilled--but Jaydi warns her that her "twin flames" relationship is likely to combust.

Kent, a seasoned, award-winning director and vineyard owner who refuses to date anyone his age. He treats matchmaking like ordering off a menu until Jaydi introduces him to someone who makes him wonder if he might just be better off trusting the chef.

Callie, a high-achieving studio executive over forty, who is still yearning to start a family. She presents Jaydi with an ultimatum: find her a partner within the year, or she'll give up on dating, and pursue motherhood on her own.

And Jaydi herself, a candid voice who offers up lessons learned from her own dating history, such as how to leave a controlling relationship and how to recognize your future husband when he walks into your life--even if he's your client.

Whether you're the one in a rush to "make it happen," the one who's convinced yourself you're better off alone, or even the one who's "figured it all out" but wants to play matchmaker for your friends, you'll recognize yourself in these pages--and in the process, learn more about who you are, and how to achieve your "Hollywood" ending.

Author: Jaydi Samuels Kuba
Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Published: 01/27/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.70w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781668079645


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 78
Publishers Weekly 11/03/2025
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2025

About the Author
Jaydi Samuels Kuba got her start in television writing, with credits on shows from Family Guy to Salem. After watching her colleagues in film and TV struggle to find grounded and meaningful relationships, she started LJMatchmaking, her couple curation service for people in the industry. Today she and her business partner are known as the "Love Agents of Hollywood." A certified date and relationship coach, she's set up dozens of couples since, inadvertently finding her own match in the process. A nationally rated table tennis player, Jaydi resides in Sherman Oaks, California, with her beloved daughter and husband, with whom she cohosts the podcast Match Made in Hollywood.