Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball is a charming and heartwarming holiday romance that brings humor, Jewish culture, and an unexpected second-chance love story to the forefront. The novel follows Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, a successful romance author with a secret: she loves Christmas. When her publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, Rachel must confront her own complex relationship with her Jewish identity. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Jacob Greenberg, her childhood summer camp crush and the organizer of a high-profile Hanukkah event known as The Matzah Ball.

Meltzer’s writing is warm and witty, perfectly capturing Rachel’s blend of humor, vulnerability, and resilience. Rachel’s character is deeply relatable, navigating both the pressures of her career and the realities of living with a chronic illness, which Meltzer portrays with empathy and nuance. The chemistry between Rachel and Jacob is electric, filled with both tension and tenderness as they reconnect amid the festivities.

The pacing is delightful, blending romantic tension, family dynamics, and laugh-out-loud moments, all set against the celebratory backdrop of Hanukkah. Meltzer skillfully weaves themes of cultural pride, acceptance, and self-discovery into the story, creating a layered narrative that feels both meaningful and festive. The Jewish cultural references and traditions add authenticity, making the story feel fresh and inclusive.

The Matzah Ball is a heartfelt and joyful romance, perfect for readers looking for a holiday love story with depth and warmth. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Mira Books for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was cute ad funny and I learned a lot about the Jewish religion that I had not known before. However, there were a few parts in the book that were maybe not appropriate. For example, the MC saying that coming out as gay was not as hard as telling someone they like Christmas. While I understand that many in the Jewish community do not like or celebrate Christmas, this was not a good comparison. A cute romance though!

Loved the Jewish rep, but that was honestly the only thing that stuck with me. Same boring tropes done in unfortunately a non-memorable way. This isn't an awful book, it just wasn't a winner for me.

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Jean Meltzer. 🫶

This seemed cute but was simply not for me. DNF in the early chapters because I am a bit burnt out on romcoms and would honestly love to see romance publishers bring back more trad romance instead of using the same tropes over and over until they are no longer appealing, Glad to see Jewish rep, wish it was more interesting.

I loved the idea of this novel! A rabbi's daughter with a chronic illness finds comfort and joy in Christmas and all those wonderful hallmark romances, she becomes an author and writes her own! Then her publisher forces her to write the same but about Hannukah and she has no idea where to even start! She finds said inspiration in a Jewish music celebration (Mahtzah Ball) that will take place in a few days! The only problem, the event organizer is her camp rival that broke her heart and pulled the meanest prank on her! He's not going to make it easy for her because she broke his heart too! I was hooked on both these characters and wanted nothing more than them to figure it out and get their HEA! I will definitely read more Jean Meltzer!

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great winter read. Jean Meltzer did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention on a topic that isn't written about a whole lot! I loved reading more about the way Jewish people celebrate the holidays in a fun, rom-com way. I would highly recommend it!

It took me a long time to finally read this and I don't know if it was worth the wait. The FMC seems extremely whiny to me about her life and the MMC is kind of mean to her. All of this is passed off under the miscommunication trope which I hate so so so so much. Not only is that my least favorite trope when it's used once but it is used for like 3 different things in this book, her disability, her career and what happens at camp. After a while you have to know that being honest would fix literally ALL of your problems.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl....who loves Christmas. So much so, she writes bestselling Christmas romance titles. This year, though, this is set to change. Her publisher wants a Hanukkah romance and she is uninspired. Enter Jacob, her childhood nemesis and best chance to come up with a brilliant story. Can she keep her secret...s and find her happy?

I really enjoyed this holiday title. It included all the rom-com aspects you hope for and I appreciated the authors note sharing her relationship to her main character.

3 stars. The Matzah Ball was an okay read - a funny story about Rachel, a Christmas romance writer who is actually Jewish, and her former summer camp enemy-turned-love interest Jacob, who she helps to create an epic Jewish party. It's got a lot more emotional depth than I expected, especially about the MC's disability and how she works through and copes with it. The romance was a bit left of center on this one, so I didn't feel like I connected enough with the characters. It's a good read if you're interested in the Jewish diaspora (which I am), but it did leave me a bit disappointed. A library read, in my opinion.

This book was such a heartwarming and fun holiday romantic comedy! I appreciate that the holiday romance genre is moving beyond just Christmas and including more voices.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley and author Jean Meltzer for giving me a free E-Arc copy of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
This was a very cute and clean holiday romantic comedy about a lesser known celebrated holiday. I loved the characters, storyline, and of course the holiday atmosphere. I would recommend this book for those who love holiday romances.

This is adorable and funny and sweet and full of nice people who are perfect for each other but keep having misunderstandings and miscommunication and pretty much all the good things you expect from a romance. I love it so far and want 7 more books just like it!
Super cute book! This book was lots of sweetness and light with just a little angst mixed in to keep the story going forward. The constant misunderstandings between Rachel and Jacob made me laugh most of the time, but they didn't feel forced like some books do; it made sense that they were reading the situation that way even though they were reading it wrong. I loved Jacob's bubbe and Rachel's mom the mostest. I also loved learning more about Hanukkah and Jewish traditions. This is a wonderful edition to holiday-themed romances. I will definitely be on the lookout for Meltzer's next book.

Thank you to Harlequin  for my copy of for The Matzah Ball in exchange for my honest review.

I am torn on this one. This was one of my more anticipated HOLIDAY reads for the year. I was really into the concept and did really enjoy elements of the story. But I struggled with several things too. 

Here's my random thoughts:
-I felt like it started strong, but was slower than I like in the middle. Did pick back up by the end. 
-I wanted Jacob to man up more. 
- I appreciated the portrayal of her disease and the importance it played in the story.
-I think I am have read too many second chance romances lately and they aren't exactly my favorite trope, so this opinion may be from that... I got a little hung up on the fact that the they had this crush on each other and a summer camp fling with one kiss when they weren't even 14 and then they act like they were the loves of each others lives and they are hung up on that for 15 years?? It just felt unrealistic for me.

3.5 Stars

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl, daughter of a famous Rabbi and a doctor; but, she secretly writes Christmas romance novels under the pen name Margot Cross. However, her publisher and editor have asked Rachel to change up her formula and write a Jewish holiday romance. Rachel has no idea what to write about, so she decides to try the impossible, to secure a ticket to the swanky Matzah Ball. Only, to do that, she needs to make nice with Jacob Greenberg, her Camp Ahava rival and first kiss/heartbreak. She also has a chronic illness that might make the deal for the ticket hard to do, as she must volunteer daily at the event before the ball.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, heart warming, and cute. I loved how Rachel relearns to appreciate Hanukkah through other people in her life. She realizes that she can love Christmas, but that does not take away from her religion and who she is within her community. She loves writing romance, and realizing that she can write, but finally write about love between people from her own community, is truly wonderful.

I looooooved the tension between Rachel and Jacob, although it was frustrating that all the conflict came from miscommunication. Together, once they are open with each other, they show care and trust. Jacob is especially careful and willing to learn in order to help Rachel in whatever way she needs or wants. He won't push her to do anything she is not ready to, but he also helps her to address her own insecurities around her chronic illness.

This book had several funny moments, moments where I burst out laughing. Especially with Rachel, just perfectly timed jokes and such fun and unbelievable moments. When she wears the Matzah Ball suit I could imagine how uncomfortable and how awful it must be. But her determination was admirable. Also, the food vibes were all there, I was craving all of the things by the end of the book. I even tried my hand for the first time at rugelach, just because the author made it sound so incredibly tasty. I adored the fact Rachel's reworking of traditional recipes was so similar to how she approaches her writing, that mixing of traditions, of savory and sweet.

The Matzah Ball was a really great backdrop for their romance, as they were both trying to create something new for their Jewish community. It was fun to read about how they would incorporate Hanukkah traditions into a ball, making it high end in order to attract a large crowd. Both have such love for who they are, their families, their community, their traditions, that they want to create something that showcases the spirit of that love.

The only drawback was one joke in the book that kind of made me cringe and I felt was in bad taste, I felt it should never have made it into the book. But, otherwise this was such an adorable Jewish romance from and author to watch.

The Matzah Ball was a really fun, cute holiday romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on a typical Christmas romance because it was focused on an entirely different holiday. I highly recommend as a holiday read.

If you like an good enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers story, this one’s for you. After meeting at a Jewish summer camp, Rachel and Jacob engaged in a prank war that continued as a cover once they discovered feelings for each other, but misunderstandings drove them apart, only to meet again years later, when Jacob rekindles the animosity by mistake.

I enjoyed both Rachel’s and Jacob’s characters, as well as the supporting characters including Rachel’s best friend and her mother, and Jacob’s grandmother. They each brought their unique perspective to both the past and the present, and helped to fill the story with love and humor.

Pivotal to the story is the Jewish culture and traditions surrounding Hanukkah. The author seamlessly weaves ceremonies, definitions, and the stories behind the various rituals into the story, both educating and entertaining the reader.

And then there’s Rachel’s hidden career and Christmas obsession, and Jacob’s career throwing lavish events. Neither of them are very traditional in the ways they’ve chosen to live their lives.

All in all, I really enjoyed this story. It tugged at my heart strings and made me laugh!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jacob and Rachel: first kisses at Jewish summer boarding camp. Later misunderstood enemies during the Hannukah holiday season.
Rachel NEEDS to get a ticket to the Matzah Ball. Her publisher will not allow her to put out any more novels about Christmas, needing her to dig into other holidays. Her only issue? Jacob is head organizer of the event and will only give her a ticket if she volunteers. Sworn enemies, both will have to learnt to work together as each other may have secrets that need to be brought to the light. Let the festivities begin.

The Matzah Ball is a delightful read handles chronic illness with care. Ad someone with a silent chronic illness, i enjoyed the depth and openness of Rachel. I loved reading more about Jewish traditions during Hannukah that Meltzer pinpointed throughout her debut novel. This book is one that all holiday lovers need to experience at least once!

Rachel is a nice Jewish girl with a secret obsession with Christmas. She has kept her career as a Christmas rom-com author a secret from everyone she knows. Her chronic illness is another secret she guards quite closely. When her publisher asks her to write a Hannukah rom-com instead, she looks for inspiration at The Matzah Ball, a big party being hosted by her childhood sweetheart, who left her feeling embarrassed the last time they saw each other at Jewish summer camp.

I looooved reading a Jewish rom-com. I love reading diverse authors and perspectives and this one did it so well, with so many cultural references and traditions explained in the book. What fell short for me was the romance. I couldn't really connect to any of the characters and couldn't really understand or feel the connection between Jacob and Rachel. I much preferred Meltzer's second book, Mr. Perfect on Paper.

I still highly recommend reading it for the cultural education and diverse perspective.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

As a person in a marriage where we celebrate Jewish and Christian holidays, I appreciate this book.

It was funny and uplifting and a new perspective.

I will be recommending this holiday season for sure!