Fourth-generation matchmaker and Greek-American entrepreneur Maria Avgitidis has released her debut book, Ask a Matchmaker: Matchmaker Maria’s No-Nonsense Guide to Finding Love, through St. Martin’s Essentials. In the book, Avgitidis offers a practical and empowering roadmap for singles, blending time-honored values with modern sensibilities.

“I wrote this book for anyone who wants to stop dating passively and start dating intentionally,” says Avgitidis, who was raised in the St. George Greek Orthodox community of Piscataway, New Jersey, where her parents settled after immigrating to the U.S. when she was a young child. “I come from a long line of matchmakers, and the values I was raised with — family, faith, and philoxenia — are woven throughout this book. Greek culture has always honored connection, and I continue that legacy today through my work, my family, and my service on the parish council at my church.”

Drawing on over 15 years of experience through her acclaimed company Agape Match and her popular podcast Ask a Matchmaker, the book provides tools to help readers date with clarity, confidence, and compatibility.

Using her signature “Five Pillars of Compatibility” — physical, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and emotional — Avgitidis addresses topics from first impressions and online dating to breaking unhealthy patterns and choosing the right partner. The book also integrates Hellenic identity, tradition, and community values into dating advice.

To talk about her book, Avgitidis will appear on CBS Mornings with Gayle King on May 21, and take part in events at New York’s 92nd Street Y (May 28) and Washington, D.C.’s Sixth & I (June 17).

Ask a Matchmaker: Matchmaker Maria’s No-Nonsense Guide to Finding Love now is available at major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.