Little Gay Book Reviews [Best LGBTQ+ Matchmaker For You?]

Wondering if Dr. Frankie Bashan is the right Oakland matchmaker for you? This Little Gay Book review has all the details you need to help you make an informed decision.

Our team of experts has over 14 years of matchmaking experience, so we know firsthand what clients value most in a service.

We’ve reviewed over 200 matchmaking services, digging deep into their processes, success rates, and customer experiences. These reviews are built on comprehensive research and a keen understanding of the matchmaking industry.

Let’s get started!

Meet Lesbian Matchmaker Dr. Frankie Bashan

Dr. Frankie Bashan didn’t begin her career as a matchmaker - she was a clinical psychologist before launching Little Gay Book. 

Through her interactions with patients, one recurring challenge stood out to her: professional women grappling to find a meaningful relationship  due to a hectic lifestyle.

As the idea of starting a matchmaking service took root, Dr. Frankie also began to realize there was a noticeable lack of matchmakers who specialized in helping lesbian, bisexual, and trans women find a partner.

Believing she could help fill that niche, Dr. Frankie founded Little Gay Book in Oakland, CA, in 2009. 

Her service caters primarily to lesbians, bisexuals, and trans women looking to find a long-term partner. Her clients are typically 30+ years old, with the average client age around 45. 

In an interview, Dr. Frankie articulated the driving force behind her mission:

“I help women get in a better headspace. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to help so many people with such a difficult challenge in their lives.”

Dr. Frankie’s Best Dating Tips

In addition to matchmaking, Dr. Frankie also dispenses insights into how women can best navigate the seas of dating and relationships.

She has been featured as a relationship coach, dating expert, and counselor in interviews and on various media platforms, and is also a contributing author on Your Tango. 

In one of her pieces, she shared her advice for those weathering the storm of a breakup. 

According to her, newly single people tend to react in a few different ways. They lean on friends for solace, pour their energy into work, or elect to isolate themselves as a way to cope. 

Rather than succumbing to these common tendencies, Dr. Frankie offers a few alternate suggestions for dealing with the aftermath of a painful breakup:

Becoming A Little Gay Book Client

Little Gay Book's matchmaking process begins with a compatibility consultation. This 90-minute call requires a little prep work on your part - when you book it, you’ll receive a “special assignment” to complete beforehand.

During the call, you’ll describe yourself, your lifestyle, and your dating and relationship challenges. You’ll also learn about how the service works and the packages they offer.

The cost of the consultation depends on who you book it with. Talking directly with Dr. Frankie for the 90 minutes costs $750, while speaking with one of her team costs around $500.

The fee is due upon booking the call, and is non-refundable. However if you happen to meet someone before your consultation takes place, the fee can be applied to relationship coaching instead.

Singles who pay the fee and have the consultation are automatically included as a 'Prescreened Catch' in Little Gay Book's singles database. 

As part of this level of membership, clients also receive invitations to private social events held across select cities spanning from San Francisco to New York City.

Events range from speed dating to intimate gatherings of about 20 singles to mixers closer to 100 attendees. As Dr. Frankie shared, the events are “growing like wildfire.”

A boutique matchmaker, Dr. Frankie works with only 10 to 15 active clients at a time. Completion of the compatibility consultation also adds you to the waiting list for when a matchmaking spot becomes available.

Matchmaking packages typically span between 6 and 18 months, during which a pre-agreed number of introductions are made depending on the timeframe. 

Little Gay Book also offers add-on services like image consulting and dating coaching for additional fees. 

The Little Gay Book Price Tag

Little Gay Book offers a variety of matchmaking and coaching packages. Package specifics are based on factors such as the scope of your search, duration of service, and how restrictive your match preferences are. 

The pricing is not openly disclosed on the Little Gay Book website. However in their online reviews, some former clients mentioned packages costing anywhere from $9,000 to $19,000. 

Little Gay Book offers a free 15-minute discovery call, with the next step being the 90-minute compatibility consultation with Dr Frankie which is priced between $500 and  $750.  

Dr. Frankie also offers stand alone dating and relationship coaching, which costs $400 for one session or $2,100 for 6.

The 6-session package must be completed within 8 weeks.

Clients also have the opportunity to work with other therapists and counselors on staff, the pricing for which varies. Little Gay Book also provides sex therapy with single sessions.  

Little Gay Book Reviews  

On Yelp, Little Gay Book has a 4.4 star rating based on 60+ reviews. 

The majority of the 5-star reviews were from singles who had attended their speed dating events, either held virtually or in person:

There were also a small handful of reviews of the Little Black Book matchmaking service.

This former client reported a positive experience working with Dr. Frankie, both as a coaching client and a matchmaking client:

This former client expressed a few complaints she had about her experience with matchmaker Dr. Frankie in her Little Gay Book review:

She was not a fan of the “free database member” and “paying client” format, as she felt the women she met from the database weren’t as invested in the process:

The former client wrapped up her lengthy Little Gay Book Yelp review by expressing frustration with the perceived lack of customer service:

There were a few older 1-star Little Gay Book reviews on Yelp, including one from a free database member who was upset that they were then asked to pay the consultation fee. 

The other was from someone who only participated in the initial call, and was never a client.

Reviewers also praised their coaching experience with Dr. Frankie:

There are also 40+ “not currently recommended” Yelp reviews for Little Gay Book, the majority of which 5 stars are from singles who attended events.

Little Gay Book has yet to be reviewed on other platforms like Trustpilot, Google, or the Better Business Bureau. 

Is Dr. Frankie Bashan The Right Gay Matchmaker For You? 

Deciding to engage a matchmaking service is a significant commitment, both financially and emotionally. It involves a certain level of trust, so choosing the right service for you is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly.  

You'll want to take advantage of the complimentary consultation to discuss any lingering questions about how the service operates, how they select your matches, the size of the singles pool, etc. 

In fact, where your matches come from is one of the most important aspects to consider no matter which gay matchmaking service you’re thinking of hiring. 

Boutique matchmakers often rely on an internal database for matching, whether it’s pairing clients with clients, or singles who have submitted their profiles via the website. They seldom, if ever, do any proactive scouting for candidates outside of that dating pool.

And while your ideal partner may have signed up for the same service you go with, you’ll want to keep in mind that compatibility has to flow both ways. 

Finding someone who fits what you’re looking for is only half the battle. The reverse is also true, because you need to fit that match’s boxes too. Otherwise the pairing likely won’t result in the relationship you’re looking for.

Finding mutual compatibility consistently is almost impossible to do from a database of singles in any one city, because the required numbers simply aren’t there. That’s why incompatible matches is such a common complaint about the industry in general.

It’s not that your matchmaker isn’t good at her job, she’s just matching you with who she has available at the time.

For that reason, you’ll likely want to also consider a service that proactively scouts outside of an internal rolodex.

Enamour, for instance, offers the best of both worlds. 

Not only does the Enamour team have access to a highly curated, invitation-only database, they also utilize recruiting technology and an extensive team of scouts to identify candidates from sources both offline and online.

Enamour’s packages start around $20,000 for a 6-month contract.

VIDA Select is another option worth considering, due to their extensive reach. VIDA’s matchmakers take a modern approach that unlocks the largest source of eligible LGBTQ+ singles there is!

Rather than investing in a long-term contract, with VIDA you can pay as you go. 

Packages are offered on a monthly basis. The cost highly aligning with the number of hours your matchmaker will spend on your search, given the geographic scope, complexity of matching criteria, etc.

Basic services start at $1195 per month, with Premium options beginning at $1795. Elite matchmaking packages start at just $2595 per month. On average, VIDA clients meet someone special within 3 months of beginning service.

Intrigued? Find out how VIDA can find your perfect match by going here.

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