Such a sweet story about love, loss, forgiveness and healing! Leah is a Jewish girl with a "past", searching for God's blessing in finding a devout Jewish husband. Yaakov is a widow with 5 childen. The story is quite predictable, but Naomi Ragen weaves social norms and prejudices throughout, and sweet emotion emerges.

This story is quite long, and full of unfamiliar terminology. I almost abandoned the book, because I didn't understand the words, and I didn't know about the glossary until I had completed the story. I highly suggest moving the glossary to the beginning of the book. I also believe the story should be edited down by maybe 25%.

It has been a while since I have read anything by Naomi Ragen and I had forgotten how strong of a writer she is. I love her descriptions of life in an Orthodox Jewish home. She shows both the good and the bad of society. She creates strong females who are truly the heart of the home. I loved her descriptions of the food , so much that I can almost smell the scents of the community. She also recreates the sounds and accents of the people. Her writing style reminds me of Chaim Potok but with a focus on the females rather than the men. I enjoyed the plot and the fact that it involved several generations dealing with each other and the changes that inevitably happen. This is a must read book. So grab a pot of tea and a plate of Rugalach and settle in for a great read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Naomi Ragen tackles a long running issue in the Jewish faith. While many think of a convert as one who turns to one religion from another in Judaism one can be ostracized for the type of Jew they are (reform, conservative and orthodox) and within each segment there are "degrees" of observant. Ragen's main character, born Jewish with an unobservant background wishes to join the ultra orthodox community in NY. The novel is about the prejudices of the community members. It addresses teachings of the doctrines, hierarchy of the community members and their influence. Matchmakers abound and the influence of the outside world cannot be ignored. It interferes with dating and child rearing and of course the life led before wanting to "convert." In this case the subject is moving from non observant to ultra orthodox, not really a conversion but there are steps to be taken to achieve the goal. Part of the story is predictable but it is engaging; as a reader I wanted to know how the outcome came about. The glossary at the end of the book is necessary to define the abundance of Yiddish/Hebrew words used by the interesting and well developed characters.

I loved this book,I must start by saying I’ve been a fan of Naomi Raven sine Sotah. This was a beautifully written book with so many different angles. The gist is the story of very Orthodox Jews who seem to forget their faith. A widower with five children is trying to cope after his wife’s death last year. An older woman has also suffered a loss and realizes sole loves taking care of the widower’s family but the extreme Orthdox has deemed her not good enough. I don’t know if you have to be of any specific faith to enjoy this book but I found it enlightening, romantic and fascinating.

Wow. Another powerful novel by Naomi Ragen, examining the beautiful and the ugly inside an ultra orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. A wonderful story about a young woman, entering this religious community, and her struggles to find her way. I loved this book, thought it was AMAZING, however, feel that it's mostly meant for a niche of readers, as there was much Hebrew/Yiddish phrases peppered throughout the sentences, which I appreciated, but may not be for everyone. Thank you NetGalley for the early reader edition. All opinions are my own.

An Unorthodox Match tells the story of Leah Howard. The author begins the "Lola" story with a few pieces of her growing up. so what I found intriguing was the fact that her father, whom she meets just a few times, is Jewish. Her mother was semi jaded and bitter, the author takes care in addressing a lot of that. Now her mother is with Ravi an man from India that doesn't embrace his beginnings either. They lead a life in California living together and not doing anything to help Lola with her troubles. She was born Lola but changes her name to Leah when she decides to embrace the world of Orthodox Judaism. This is what I found so interesting. Leah's father was a Jew too and she sort of suddenly embraces this religion because she has always been searching and never belonged to anything. 

Leah moves to Boro Park, Brooklyn- the place where I grew up. She is trying to recover from the death of her fiancé. This is the first huge plot twist. The death is finally spoken of. Leah finds a place to volunteer, a purpose, a way to give back, which is a huge part of her religious exploration. Sometimes the rules are not easy to follow. I know a lot of people may not get the book like I did, but growing up around Chassidic Jews, I found it very interesting. 

The other component is Yaakov Lehman, a widower who has five children. His wife passed and through the struggles with his Mother-Inlaw, he accepts volunteer help. This part of the story has a lot of DRAMA. His oldest daughter Shaindele is a B*tch. A somewhat troubled teen. This is exposed as well as his wife's death. HUGE

Will Yaakov and Leah be able to overcome these family obstacles? WOW what a book. I hope that IF you are searching for something to quench your thirst in the heat, you grab this. I totally loved the author's style, the scenery in Brooklyn and the tale of how the community can help and hurt a person. For me, the book brought back very happy memories.

I admit that I’m not well educated in the different sects of Judaism. I depend on great authors like Naomi Ragen to help me understand that extremely complex world. Usually, she does a great job.

Lola is looking for a sense of purpose and roots. She has known the world and all it’s twenty-first century trappings and tragedies. Yet she longs for a simpler life. That is why she has decided to join a Jewish Orthodox community in Brooklyn, New York. She has even changed her name to Leah.

Yaakov has recently lost his wife. He is struggling to raise his five children and continue his studies of the Torah. He has gotten a lot of support from family and friensds, but he know she needs more; he needs a wife.

As Leah and Yaakov navigate the idea of an arranged marriage, the attraction the feel for each other creates problem after problem.

I had an extremely difficult time with this book. At times, as in the first 40 pages, there was too much information on the various forms of Judiasm, which I had to read at least three times. I was never clear if some of the words were Yiddish or Hebrew. And if it was explained, I missed it. I’m sure that this is why I didn’t care about the characters for the rest of the story.

The story seems well-written, the plot seems strong. But this just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s the reader, not the writer in this instance. I feel bad about my ranking, but it’s an honest opinion. “An Unorthodx Match” receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Leah Howard feels ungrounded in life. When she suffers the greatest trauma, witnessing her fiancé’s death, she makes a decision that is dismissed by her mother as insane. Traveling to Brooklyn to learn about the orthodox Jewish community, she finds a new peace. Trying so hard to learn, understand and embrace the strict laws and practices, she meets several members of the community resistant to accept her.. While volunteering to help a widowed scholar with keeping his household, she falls in love with caring for his young children. Yaakov Lehman, the scholar, is lonely, troubled and miserable, bearing a guilt for his wife’s death. Experiencing firsthand Leah’s compassion, he sees a new light in his dark existence. Naomi Ragen pits this couple against the hypocrisy of a community which preaches acceptance but practices intolerance. Facing what seems to be insurmountable obstacles, will they find a solution? Another richly textured work by this author.

First of all I want to thank Netgalley and St Martins Press for the arc. of this book. I have always been a fan of Naomi Ragen. This was a very interesting and eye opening read. I loved the story and the character development so much. If you don't know anything about the Chassidic community, you will certainly learn a lot from this read.

I was very disappointed in this book. I have read almost all of Naomi Ragen's books and have really enjoyed them. However, I just didn't like this one. I found the story to be very predictable; you knew how it was going to end up both with Leah, her mother, Jacob and his children. The book became bogged down in the middle. I felt that some of the time the ultra orthodox community was accurately portrayed while at other times it just seemed a little too far fetched such as some of Leah's "dates" and her comments following them.
I, also, did not like all the jewish/yiddish/hebrew words throughout the book. Some I knew, some I didn't but I didn't find the glossary until I was at the end of the story. When reading an advanced copy on a kindle/ipad you have no idea there is a glossary at the end of the book until you get there. By then it was too late to go back to try and figure out which sayings I didn't understand. I think there was just too much of that throughout the entire story.

A very interesting a slightly unusual look at a woman, a man, and an Orthodox Jewish community. It did slow down a bit in the middle which was unfortunate because I liked the idea of the woman finding herself in the community but it made the book more of a slog than it could have been.

Not sure if this is a three or four star book for me (maybe a 3.5?) It's a unique and compelling romance that's also doing a lot of cultural heavy lifting. The first element, I perhaps appreciated more than the later. I think I struggled that this book sometimes wanted to have it both ways--to be both an outsider's tale, while selling us on the value of being an insider too.

I can see where this book might not be a hit with wide audiences. There is a lot of terminology specific to the Orthodox Jewish community in it. If you're reading on a Kindle, it's easy to look up most of these terms. (Less so if you're reading in print.)

There is a also a lot of education being provided about this community and why you would choose to join or not join it. Sometimes all of that information can feel a little overwhelming (and, when it comes to the role of women in t that community, perhaps a little shallow in scope?) and some of the side characters (like the doctor friend) seemed to exist merely to present us with differing perspectives, rather than serving a more authentic role in the plot.

Ultimately though, this is a character-driven story and Leah, Yaakov and his children are interesting characters. You want these two to finally end up together, even if you sometimes question their motivations in doing so. I was really drawn in by the central conflict of this community being open to Leah wanting to join them, at the same time they're continually closing ranks to protect and isolate themselves--how piousness can sometimes devolve into exclusion/isolation.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast read, it didn’t take me too long to finish this. It was captivating and enjoyable. It was interesting and different , a bit out of my norm, but so nice to read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I enjoyed the book very much. Part of my enjoyment was, admittedly, because I'm Jewish and there are few books that show Orthodox Judaism with any accuracy. This book shows a specific segment of Orthodox Jews in Boro Park and is a fairly accurate portrait.. Non-Jews reading the book might enjoy a visit to a different culture, with both the joys and the warts. Leah's journey from a secular person to a religious Jew was enlightening and involving, as was the description of her experience in the insular Boro Park community. I admittedly was confused as to why she picked that community, of all places to live in, when there were other, less closed Orthodox communities.. It was never really explained well.. It did make for an interesting plot, though, so maybe I'm being picky. I also felt that things were too neatly resolved at the end - romance novel style. It is a feel good book, cleanly written, about a culture that gets little light shed on it.

I enjoyed the story although I always remind myself that this is a work of fiction and only one woman’s viewpoint. I also thought that Ragen’s characters were sometimes a bit one-dimensional and predictable. That being said, this was a good quick read.

In the beginning, I struggled to get interested in this book. It started slow, and there were a lot of words I didn't understand (I didn't know there was a glossary in the back until I finished the book). The portrayal of the autistic man (and Leah's other dates) were very problematic for me, and at that point, I nearly quit reading. I didn't, and I do think the story did improve somewhat in the second half.

4 Incredibly Insightful Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
No author wants a low scoring review. After all, writing books and then hitting that publish button is like giving birth. Once their creation is out in the world, all control is lost and how it is received is up to the reader. I mention this because I learned of this book through a review which crossed my feed. It had not been well received and I was curious as to why. I discovered it was on NetGalley and was lucky enough to get it.

Now this book may not be for everyone, but for me, I was drawn in from the start. This had moments of clarity and insight. There were moments of pain. But above all else, if you stripped away all of the "extra verbiage and unique cultural nuances", it was a story about who we as people can either be generous and loving or hypocritical and cruel or actually a combination of all of the above.

Which is universal.

It was not perfect for me but it had a definite perspective and was willing to go all-in with it. If you were open-minded, there was much to learn...Again, there was a type of agenda presented...but as an openly religious book, that was to be expected.

For me, it made me think, analyze, be retrospective and appreciative. Any book that encourages all of those actions, is a positive one for me.


A gifted copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley - enjoyable read with a satisfying, if not predictable, ending.

This novel opens the world of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave of Boro Park Brooklyn. A lapsed Jew has returned and become more religious. She lost her fiance in a freak accident. She meets a widower who lost her wife and left him with five children, three of whom are still living at home. The two star-crossed non-lovers -- for after all, the religious don't date the same way the rest of us do -- eventually become more involved, trying to stay in their observant lanes and still work around the limits of their community and faith. There is a lot of Yiddish expressions in their dialogue that is realistic but still some rough going for those of us that haven't brushed up on the language. Having known a few religious members of other communities, it is a very realistic portrait of the foibles, fears, and motivations behind this culture. The issue of accepting converts -- even from someone who was born Jewish, just not Jewish enough -- are also discussed and the characters have some difficult choices to make along the way too. Well worth reading.

This book was very good! It was very interested in the lives of the characters and thought they had well built out lives, including everyone who wasn't exactly on the side of the main characters. There were a few unexpected twists and they were well written. Highly recommend.