Jaydi Samuels Kuba
Author Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba
Author of 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 Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba
Author I draw inspiration from:
Lori Gottlieb's "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone"
Author Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
snuggled up cozy in my bed or on the couch
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Dunbar from Joseph Heller's Catch-22. He's the only one in the book who seems to recognize there is an actual war going on, and because he assumes his life will end soon, he tries to pass the time as slowly as possible (to make the days feel longer.) He values boredom and discomfort, and this feels like the exact kind of person I'd want to accompany me in a stuck elevator.
Author Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
In Ms. Feldman's kindergarten class at Country Isles Elementary in FL when we were asked to write our first short story. Mine was about a vacation to Sanibel Island.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I'm a paperback girlie. There's something special about the way they feel in your hands, how the whole cover and spine has just enough give. And I have to fold pages to bookmark.
The last book I read:
Andrew Rubin's "Come Hell or High Winter." It's incredibly written, and I think I'm a tad bit jealous, because I had a similar premise for a script I wrote at USC film school -- and he just blows my version out of the water. It's also incredibly poignant and relevant to today's society.
Author Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Both. I'm pen & paper (or more like notecards) to outline (probably a result of my TV writing background.) Then computer all the way.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Luna Lovegood from "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling. I tend to gravitate toward people very different than me, and Luna is incredibly loyal and good to all of her friends. Plus who wouldn't want someone with magical powers in their corner?
Author Interview - Jaydi Samuels Kuba | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Matchmaker and dating coach (fortunately, I realized this was a dream of mine a little over a decade ago, and took steps to make it happen!). Or maybe a pro on "Dancing with the Stars."
Favorite decade in fashion history:
late 60s. who doesn't love a good bellbottom?
Place I’d most like to travel:
Japan. I've been twice, and I think I'd enjoy living there.
My signature drink:
mango lassi
Favorite artist:
My mom! She's a digital artist, and I have several of her canvases hanging in my house.
Number one on my bucket list:
I'm looking forward to getting my daughter a season pass to Disney!
Anything else you'd like to add:
I feel grateful to have found my calling at 40. While my identity is strongly linked to being a wife and a mom, two roles I absolutely cherish -- I've found a way to marry my interests of writing and helping people find love. And it's allowed me to find joy in every day.
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/matchmadeinhollywood/?hl=en,
https://www.tiktok.com/@matchmadeinhollywood
About Jaydi Samuels Kuba:
Jaydi Samuels Kuba
Jaydi Samuels Kuba is a TV writer, matchmaker, and dating coach, best known for setting up singles in the entertainment industry. As a writer, she got her start penning the 250th episode of Family Guy, and has written and developed for numerous creators since, from Tyler the Creator and Colin Kaepernick to Jennifer Garner and Margot Robbie. The dozens of couples she's set up over the years affectionately call her and her business partner Lauren the "Love Agents of Hollywood," and her debut narrative nonfiction book about it all comes out January 27th through Avid Reader Press. She's a proud mom to her almost four-year-old Rocky, and a loving wife to Dave, a reality TV producer who also happened to be her client. (Don't worry--she only ever got high on her own supply once!)
