Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has a secret. Actually, she has more than one, but there is one in particular that she is keeping from her parents. Her father is a well-known rabbi and her mother is a doctor, and Rachel’s whole life, she has been in a fishbowl. She’s had to moderate her behavior, always, so as not to embarrass her parents. So she can’t tell them what she des for a living. They would be mortified, if they ever found out that she wrote (gasp) Christmas romance novels.

Although she is a successful novelist, with some of her books even getting made into movies, Rachel doesn’t enjoy leaving her parents out of this part of her life. But how would they react to find out that their Jewish daughter loves Christmas?

There’s just one problem this year. At a meeting with her publisher, Rachel finds out that they’re not looking for more Christmas romances. They want something different from her. Something more like a Hanukah romance. Would she be willing to write that?

Jacob Greenberg was only a kid when he left New York. His grandmother, Toby, had an apartment in New York, and that is the place where Jacob spent his Hanukahs as a kid. When his mother got sick, when Jacob was only 12, it was his grandmother who helped arrange a summer at camp for him, a chance to get away from his arguing parents for a couple of months. It was at that camp that he first met Rachel, and where he first fell for her. And that’s where she broke his heart.

Now, he’s an adult and he’s back in New York. A man known for planning international events that send all the social media influencers to their phones, making his investors (and himself) millions, Jacob is now planning the premiere event for New York’s holiday season, the Matzah Ball Max. It’s going to be the event of Hanukah, as long as he can get Rabbi Goldblatt to agree to attend.

When Rachel hears about his idea for a Hanukah ball, she thinks she may have an idea for her new romance novel after all. But getting invited to the sold-out Matzah Ball means being nice to Jacob, who embarrassed her at camp when she was 12, and she hadn’t been able to forgive him for taking a cherished memory and turning it into another of his pranks.

But as she gets to know him, she realizes that he is kind as well as rich and handsome. And as Jacob cracks through one of Rachel’s secrets—that she is plagued by chronic fatigue syndrome—he starts to see that her life may not as easy as she makes it look. But as the walls come down slowly, will they be able to forgive and forget past misunderstandings? Will they find the love they want at the Matzah Ball, or will Santa leave coal in their stockings?

The Matzah Ball is the Hanukah romance that we have been needing. To offer readers a break from all the Christmas romances, author Jean Meltzer has created a Jewish romance that opens the doors to some of the culture and traditions of those who don’t celebrate Christmas. I’m not Jewish, but I loved the insider’s view into the lifestyle and the warmth of the Jewish characters in this novel.

I was charmed by this story. I thought it was really creative and charming, and it was a great escape to December in New York City. It’s not perfect, but it’s still lots of fun to read. I do love the Hanukah theme, and I appreciate that there is a character dealing with chronic illness, and that rang true to what I know of chronic fatigue syndrome. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a holiday romance with a new twist, although you will still find plenty of Santa Claus and a happy holiday ending.

Egalleys for The Matzah Ball were provided by Harlequin Trade (Mira) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I am so happy to have Jewish representation and a Hanukkah romance in one delightful book, I absolutely loved this one! There is Yiddish and Hebrew scattered throughout the book, though always in an accessible way for a non-Jewish reader. Its a magical, delightful, enemies to lovers, rom-com with great antics. Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the year for Jews, which the book points out many times. Instead the book focuses on an event that is held on Christmas Eve, which also happens to be the last night of Hanukkah that year (Jewish holidays float around).

The main character Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is the daughter of a rabbi, secretly a Christmas novel writer, and living with chronic fatigue syndrome. She's worried about how her career will affect her father so she hides it from everyone. Her publisher wants her to write a Hanukkah romance instead of her normal fare, and so she schemes up a plan to get tickets to the coveted Matzah Ball Max - organized by none other than her camp archenemy Jacob. Their chemistry was great, and was really well done. I never felt like it felt dragged on too long with their miscommunication issues. I also appreciated the nod to the Bible with the use of their names - Rachel and Jacob. I should point out that I loved Rachel's best friend, he was a side character but well fleshed out.

I encourage you to pick up a copy, it'd be great to read this winter while next to a fire.

Congratulations to Jean Meltzer for publishing her debut novel The Matzah Ball! This was an enjoyable step into the holiday reading season.

The premise: Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, daughter of a highly regarded rabbi, loves Christmas. She's written many best-selling Christmas romance novels and her home office is decorated in red and green from ceiling to floor. The problem? Rachel is Jewish, very very Jewish.

Jacob Greenberg created a successful entertainment corporation that plans lavish events (think Coachella). He's back in NYC to host Matzah Ball Max, the ultimate Hanukkah celebration, and wants Rabbi Goldblatt, Rachel's father, to be involved to give it credibility.

Rachel and Jacob haven't seen each other since they were sweethearts at Jewish summer camp at age 12 when their brief 'romance' ended in hurt feelings for both. As they’re brought together nearly 20 years later, will sparks- or insults - be flying?

This story has all the customary components of a romance: hero and heroine have long-held resentments over trivial issues, forced proximity renews attraction, something happens to create tension in the relationship, and then all is resolved for the HEA ending. What adds interest is the Jewish customs, terminology, and foods that permeate the plot and the fact that the heroine has an often misunderstood chronic illness that impacts every facet of her life.

I appreciated that the novel acknowledges that Hanukkah is a minor holiday in Jewish tradition. I was frustrated with the portrayal that Christmas is a wonderful, magical, secular holiday for every non-Jewish person and was glad when the characters admit that fantasy doesn't reflect reality for all. Because the author shares the heroine's chronic health condition of myalgic encephalomyelitis, I understand her strong emotions, but the frequent references to the condition's badly-worded name of chronic fatigue syndrome became repetitive and annoying. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters, especially Rachel's best friend Mickey and Jason's bubbe Toby.

Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Matzah Ball is equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining. I loved that the heroine secretly wrote Christmas romances (and had enjoyed tremendous success), but struggled with owning it because she didn't want to disappoint her family. The hero is intriguing as well because he is a successful party planner, but his achievements aren't satisfying in light of his heartache. From the get-go, I was rooting for both characters to find their HEA.
This novel is quite informative about what it means to live in a close-knit Jewish community. I learned a lot. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is another topic I'm not familiar with, so I appreciated that the author gave a realistic depiction of the many struggles this disease brings into the lives of those who suffer.
The characterization is wonderful. How awesome is Toby?! I loved the friendships and the lovely descriptions of New York during the holiday season. There are also some humorous references to life in the publishing world, which also made me smile.
Overall, I enjoyed The Matzah Ball. Some of the attempts at physical comedy and pranks fell flat. It was a bit over the top for my taste. I did stay up late reading to finish this one, and the sleep loss was worth it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I was so excited to read this book until in the literal first chapter, this happens:

“Rachel wanted to tell people the truth about what she did for a living, but coming out wasn’t that easy. She couldn’t just stand up on the bima, like Mickey had done at his bar mitzvah all those years prior, and tell everyone the truth.“

In case you’re confused, yeah, the main character is comparing her telling people she writes Christmas themed romance novels to her friend coming out as gay…

I was honestly so taken back by this comparison that I have really no interest in continuing. Coming out as LGBTQ+ is nowhere near the same as telling people you like Christmas.


(I may go back and try to finish this, but as of now this is a DNF)

Get your holiday season off to a strong start with the fabulous debut novel, The Matzah Ball.

For the last decade, Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, daughter of one of the world’s most prominent rabbis, has made a living as Christmas romance novelist Margot Cross. The job has been ideal for her – it allows her to work from home, a must for managing her myalgic encephalomyelitis – and the idealized Christmases she weaves into her books have given her a magical, wondrous place to escape to while living with her debilitating disorder. She hates that she has to treat her career – and her passion for Christmas – like a shameful secret but what else can a nice Jewish girl do?

Apparently, write Hanukkah novels. Her publisher, in a push to include more diverse content in their lineup, wants books about the joys of other celebrations and they want Rachel to spear-head the campaign with a romance set during the Festival of Lights. Rachel has always considered the eight-day feast rather un-merry seeing it as “two nights’ worth of semi-decent presents followed by six nights’ worth of school supplies.” However, it is made clear to her that it is Hanukkah or no contract. Rachel leaves her editor’s office despondent.

Heading home on an empty subway car, Rachel closes her eyes and takes some time to mourn what could be the end of her career. When she opens them a Haredi man has somehow silently and mysteriously appeared across the aisle from her.

He must have been a thousand years old, incapable of moving at high speeds or great distances, but he was suddenly there, inches away from her, feet almost touching, smiling warmly in her direction, with rosy- red cheeks and twinkling brown eyes.

He gets off at the next stop, dropping his copy of Jewish World News on his way out and though Rachel tries to catch up to him and return it, he has vanished without a trace. Then while folding the paper up and returning to her seat, she sees it – an article about the Matzah Ball Max with a Hanukkah theme which is being touted as THE party to be at for the holiday season. It’s the perfect place for Rachel to find story inspiration.

But since it is sold out, attending won’t be easy. Fortunately, she happens to know the event planner – Jacob Greenberg, her Jewish summer camp arch-nemesis. And she also happens to know where he will be that night – celebrating Shabbat at her parent’s house. Rachel races over there and makes the candle lighting with only seconds to spare. Now she can throw herself on Jacob’s mercy and get a ticket.

Jacob isn’t feeling particularly merciful, especially towards Rachel. During the worst year of his life, she’d added to his heartache by standing him up for the closing dance at summer camp and added insult to injury by refusing to respond to any of his calls or letters asking why. Jacob needs Rabbi Goldblatt to light the Menorah candles at the Matzah Ball Max and give a note of solemnity to the celebration, but he doesn’t need the man’s daughter messing with his emotions while he works on a career-making-or-breaking event.

Then it strikes him that there is a perfect way to get closure for the summer camp débacle and get some added help for his project – give Rachel a ticket in exchange for her working with him over the next few days. He hopes their proximity will force her to be honest about what occurred in their past.

The cultural aspect of this book is spectacular. Rachel’s Judaism is more than just the typical window dressing of lighting a few candles – we’re shown how her faith affects every aspect of her life, from what she eats to a world view that places family and community central to her identity.

The author also does a great job of showcasing living with a chronic illness. I especially appreciated how Rachel rationalizes tradeoffs, such as making choices needed to get through the next twenty-four hours that might cause health risks down the road. Ms. Meltzer captures with complete credibility the impatience and intolerance of others who don’t understand what being chronically ill means and the frustration and hurt caused when people accuse the sufferer of faking or exaggerating their illness to get out of things they don’t want to do.

And Rachel is, frankly, fabulous. She’s fun, quirky, decent and kind in spite of all she has going on. But she is not honest – she lies to Jacob, her family and to her community about what she does for a living and keeps a large part of who she is hidden from those she loves for most of the book.

Those lies contribute to the biggest problem Jacob and Rachel have as a couple – they don’t communicate very well. The big falling out that occurred during summer camp was that after pranking each other for months, Rachel and Jacob had connected and shared a first kiss, a moment seen and photographed by the guys in Jacob’s cabin. Rachel believed Jacob had set that all up to humiliate her and was furious that this important rite of passage would forever be tarnished by being part of an elaborate joke. Jacob has an entirely different perspective on the event and the subsequent fallout (why is explained towards the end of the story) and has never understood why Rachel wouldn’t just talk to him about what happened. But they were twelve when all of this went down and holding mature conversations about emotions isn’t exactly a tween strong point.

The problem with Jacob is that he doesn’t seem to have matured much beyond his doofus twelve-year-old ways in his dating techniques. He has the same sense of humor and still tries to prank Rachel into paying attention to him as an adult, which goes about as well as you would expect. And where Rachel struggles with telling the truth, Jacob struggles with boundaries. He doesn’t seem to understand when he takes a joke – or even a favor – too far. There are times in the story where his exuberance leans dangerously close to disrespect for Rachel’s autonomy. It works – just – because Rachel is a strong character with a fabulous support system. When Jacob does cross lines, she lets him know and the people who love her – especially bestie Mickey – are quick to come to her defense.

I loved their romance in spite of the above foibles. The author does such a wonderful job showing us who these people are and why they’re perfect for each other that I found myself rooting for them from the start. And I really appreciated learning the details of their long-ago summer camp romance and seeing them work through their issues to make a more adult connection in the present.

Ms. Mehtzer’s love for Judaism and her real-life experience with myalgic encephalomyelitis help The Matzah Ball to ring with sincere, heartfelt authenticity. I was completely charmed by the story and think readers looking for a poignant, slow burn romance will enjoy it too.

Rachel is a nice Jewish girl who writes Christmas romances. They provide an escape from real life, which for her includes chronic illness. But when her publisher decides they want her to write Hanukkah romances instead, she goes into a creative funk. Looking for inspiration, she turns to the Matzah Ball, an event being hosted by her childhood crush, Jacob. Tickets are impossible to get—unless she volunteers. Which means eight days working beside the first boy ever to break her heart. Will their long-buried feelings rise to the surface again?

This book is amazingly creative and fun. It reads a lot like small-town Christmas romance—except the characters are Jewish, the holiday is Hanukkah, and the setting is New York City. Also, this is a rom com, with a fair bit of physical humor included. There were times I wanted to (figuratively) shake Rachel for hiding her illness from Jacob, to the point she put her health in danger. Fortunately, that didn't last as long as I expected. The two of them have a lot of stuff to work through, and despite the novel being comedy, it has surprising depth.

CW: This book includes a joke that, as some readers have pointed out, indirectly makes light of violence against Palestinians. I hope the publisher will update the book to remove it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

‘Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.’
___________________

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.

The Matzah Ball is Jean Meltzer’s debut book and is a contemporary holiday romance and a clean romance.

This was a tough book for me to rate because there were things that I really liked about it and things that I did not quite like about it. My likes definitely outweighed my dislikes and so I rounded up to 4 stars, but the things I didn’t like were kind of major.

This book is great on representation, focusing largely on Jewish culture and a stigmatized disability and how both of these can look different for each person. Both of which I thought were done well, and this is probably largely due to the author drawing off of her own life experiences. And the author did add in her Author’s Note that her experiences are not a universal experience. It was a great thing to acknowledge and also made it a little hard for me to comment on one of the plot points below that I didn’t care for. I still mentioned it below, but I understand that maybe not everyone will agree with me on it.

My favorite thing about this book was the sense of family/community and the background characters. They were so charming and I wanted to read more of them; characters such as Mickey, Toby, and Dr. Rubenstein; . Especially Toby, she was the best.

I had my issues with the conflict over the manuscript and how it was resolved, but it wasn’t a major obstacle to my enjoyment of the book. A big pet-peeve of mine however, is when characters lie, and it bothers me even more when they’re given multiple opportunities to remedy the situation and still don’t. Rachel is lying to everyone in her life about some of the biggest aspects of her life, such as her career and what brings her joy/what is important to her. I’m not even really talking about Jacob here because she was in no way obligated to share with Jacob when he attempted to bribe her into telling him what she’s hiding with a ticket to his ball and when they did not get along and were not significant in one another’s lives. I’m thinking more of her family here, that she refuses to share her long-standing career and accomplishments or the deep love she has for Christmas and the joy the festiveness of the holiday brings her.

What I really didn’t like and alluded to was when Jacob took away Rachel’s agency and she was suffering with a flare-up of her ME/CFS. He assumes he knows best and is seeking to assuage his guilt and sends a PA and strangers into her home to rifle through her private domain while she is meant to rest and recuperate, thus leaving her in a very vulnerable position. I get that he knows this PA and trusts her, but Rachel doesn’t and also doesn’t trust Jacob at this point so there isn’t any reassurance for her there. The vibe of this scene seemed to be that Jacob did the right thing by stepping in, like ‘what a hero.’ But both he and his assistant essentially treated her like a child, ignoring her protests. The fact that she was later okay with it and in the moment she was content to get some soup when she wasn’t able to get it herself is irrelevant. They still disregard her wishes and exert their own over her and I really can’t make my peace that this was shown like it was a positive thing.

As a debut book though, I thought it was great and I would read more by this author in future.
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I would like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of The Matzah Ball with me. This is my honest review.

Thank you to Harlequin and Mira Books for a complimentary digital review copy of The Matzah Ball in exchange for an honest review. The Matzah Ball came out today (September 28, 2021). I literally cheered when I saw this approval email come through, I wanted to read this book so badly.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblat is the daughter of a famous Rabbi and a doctor, and is a writer in New York City. What her family doesn't know if that Rachel secretly writes (under a pen name) Christmas romances, lots of them. This year her publisher is looking for a Hanukkah romance for the holiday season.

Jacob Greenberg is an entrepreneur who runs a successful company running big festivals and parties. Jacob is in town to host the cities biggest, flashiest Hanukkah party ever. He hasn't been in New York since they were teen arch enemies at summer camp, in a prank war against each other.

This party is the perfect opportunity for Rachel to come up with ideas for her new book, but she needs to figure out how to get a ticket to the more than sold out event.

This was a nice little book. I'm really glad to be seeing such great Jewish representation recently, especially one to throw into the holiday romance stack this year.

I loved the Heberw/Yidish words thrown into conversation and I loved being part of the 'in' crowd when I didn't need to look up non-English words.

I also appreciated seeing Rachel live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I don't know a lot about this chronic illness to comment on, but I know that Meltzer was writing from her experience.

One critique I have is the way Rachel’s character was written to love Christmas SO much. I get that it was a big part of the story for her to appreciate her heritage i just wish Christmas was seen less as what is expected and Hanukkah so unexpected.

I think the thing I liked most is how much I could relate to the story.

Thank you to Jean Metzler for keeping the (matzah) ball rolling down the hill with the contemporary Jewish representation!

(3.5 stars rounded to 4)

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is a holiday romance novel following Rachel, a Jewish woman who writes Christmas romances. However, when her editor decides not to renew her contract for Christmas romances, she now has to pivot to writing Hanukkah romances. Rachel is dismayed at first as she is a Christmas fanatic, but she has the perfect plan to get in the hanukkah spirit --- The Matzah Ball. Unfortunately, the event organizer is Jacob, someone she is holding a long grudge against and the ball is completely sold out. In desperation, Rachel grinds her teeth and is able to convince Jacob to give her a ticket in exchange for volunteering. Soon things spiral out of control with the ball and in romance!

First, I love seeing a holiday romance that is not Christmas! This book was so an absolute blast and also shared so much about Jewish traditions for Hanukkah. I found it very interesting to see how the main character came from a prominent Jewish family but was obsessed with Christmas. However, it was fantastic to see how Rachel was able to reconnect with her family's religion and the traditions and have a better appreciation for it in the process. This book gave me the same cozy vibes as a typical Christmas romance so I am totally here for more Jewish and other religious holiday representation!

Rachel was a compelling character and I loved that she was a Christmas romance author! I connected to Rachel in her struggle with chronic illness and how it affected her daily life and work. She was also a fantastic friend to Mickey and I could tell they had a special bond. The relationship that developed between Rachel and Jacob was so fun and I was so curious about their history. The book handled their previous history well and made sense why Rachel held a bit of a grudge. However, it was clear these two had a strong connection and I loved being able to see it from both perspectives.

Overall this is an absolutely lovely holiday romance that I recommend to anyone, especially those looking for some Jewish representation!

Many thanks to the publisher HARLEQUIN – MIRA and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I was excited about this book, wanted a nice romance with Jewish characters, I DNFed this book was uncomfortable with some of the rhetoric that could be perceived as prejudiced.

Holiday reading is upon us! Woo-hoo! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to dive into new holiday reads. Needless to say, I am no stranger to holiday reads. So, I want to talk about the first new release I have read this year--Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball. Spoiler alert: I loved it!

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldberg is the daughter of a prominent rabbi who is somewhat of a celebrity in the Jewish community and a well-respected doctor. While her family expects her to be a good Jewish girl, she is hiding a dark secret from them--she loves Christmas. Not only that, she has been writing feel-good Christmas novels for years, and her family has no idea.

When Rachel is called into her publishers office to talk about her next book, she has so many ideas swirling in her mind, but much to her chagrin, her publisher stipulates that her next book must center around Hanukkah. Cue the panic. In addition to this stress added by her publisher, Rachel also lives with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/​​Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) which often affects Rachel’s energy and overall health.

If that isn’t enough,Rachel’s old nemesis from camp, Jacob, happens to be back in town to host the most epic Jewish party of the year--The Matzah Ball. AND he might just be the person she needs to figure out how to write a Hanukkah-themed novel. Hijinks and rom-com ensue.

What I loved about this novel is the way in which Meltzer incorporated the very real complexity of living with chronic illness. I especially loved the discussion about the naming of the illness. It is something that I hadn’t thought about, but really stood out to me. In addition, though I am not Jewish, I really enjoyed reading about Jewish customs and traditions, and I appreciated the author’s note where Meltzer states that this is reflective of her experience, but not all experiences of Jewish people. I thought the author’s note was powerful and poignant, and I learned that Meltzer lives with CFS/ME. Throughout the book Rachel’s struggle really resonated with me and felt very authentic, and I am sure that is why.

If you are looking for a fun rom-com with depth, I recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a five star cozy heartfelt holiday romance that is equally enlightening, educational, funny, and deeply moving then let me tell you all about this delightful Hanukkah romcom called "The Matzah Ball". In a nutshell our heroine Rachel is forced to work with arch enemy Jacob for 8 days to secure her ticket to a very coveted Matzah Ball event in order to save her writing career. An event so extravagant and lavish that it includes chocolate spa treatments, spinning classes by candlelight, and so much more. Except Jacob is obviously the Hannukah Grinch who has been her enemy since summer camp when they were 13. Except she kind of has a love-hate relationship with him. Except she is also hiding a secret illness that makes his jokes towards her very cruel without his knowledge of course. Will these two archenemies end up being each other's "bashert" or destiny like everyone thinks they are destined to be, or will their mistrust of each other from camp prevent them from anything else? You will have to read the rest to find out but let me tell you, this novel is witty, heartfelt, and full of comedy. Bedazzled wheelchairs, hotel break-ins involving fuzzy socks, and a fountain of information on Ashkenazi culture and religion will keep you wanting more! This novel is the romcom of the season! For a more in-depth review read below!

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt the daughter of a renowned Rabii and two very devout Jewish parents has a very large secret. She loves everything about Christmas so much that she is actually a famous Christmas romance novel writer, except she uses a pen name because surely no one will accept her in her community if they know about her dark secret. Until now her secret job has afforded Rachel the luxury of working from home as a writer while dealing with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a disease she has had to deal with for years and hide from everyone except her best friend and her parents given how stigmatizing it can be.

Unfortunately for Rachel, her publishing agency no longer wants Christmas novels. Instead they want a Jewish romantic comedy from her, otherwise they will not sign her on for another year. Rachel does not know how to come up with such a story line, because in her mind one does not exist. That is until she hears that her archenemy from Jewish summer camp Jacob Greenberg is throwing a very lavish and extravagant Matzah Ball. The only task is securing a ticket to the most coveted event of the season and getting through 8 days of Jacob while dealing with her love-hate relationship for this "Hanukkah grinch" as she came to recognize him. Of course, he feels the same way too. Their feud goes way back, and we learn the cause of it as the story is revealed.

Throughout the story our two protagonists constantly interface and constantly misunderstand each other. Jacob cannot get past Rachel's secrets that he knows she is keeping, but does not know what they are, and Rachel cannot get past all the hurt that she thinks Jacob is causing her intentionally. Their loved ones think they are each other's "bashert" a Hebrew term for soulmate or destiny, but they are not so sure themselves. Furthermore, Rachel is grappling with her hidden identity while Jacob is fighting demons of his father abandoning his family during his childhood years. In the end the story is a beautifully written romcom but the author does so much with her work.

She sheds light on ME/CFS a condition that afflicts 30 million people worldwide, 75% of which cannot work full time secondary to this disease that has a high level of medical neglect due to it often being dismissed as a psychosomatic condition. The author also fills the novel with education on Ashkenazi Jewish culture and religion and its diversity and we learn all about Shabbat dinners and Kiddush luncheons. The author also states that everything in the novel pertaining to Judaism is actually Halachically accurate, which to my understanding means it is religiously accurate, and I think this is so wonderful and needed. As a Cleveland, Ohio native, and specifically having lived in Beachwood a place that has a very large Jewish population I think it is so important to learn about the religion, the culture, and the variation in practice between people. I know for me the documentary "Unorthodox" was very heavy, and I think books like this are wonderful because they show that like any religion there are many different levels of practice and there is a large diversity in the community. And that was shown very beautifully in Rachel and Jacob's respective stories, where she went to Jewish day school and knew so much, and he went to Hebrew school and seemed to not know many things about the religion. Also being from Cleveland, this book gave me the warm and fuzzies, because I had a lot of elderly Jewish neighbors that always invited me to community dinners in our building, and it just made me remember them any time Jacob's grandma wanted to bring Rachel food or her mom wanted to invite him for dinner. In addition, I loved how much female body positivity this book included in addition to the exploration of family bonds and mending any damage that may have happened from an absent parent and not letting it dictate one's future.

Finally I will end by talking about the author's note because this book is actually her story. I think it is so brave and wonderful that she shares with the reader that she has suffered from ME/CFS for over 20 years and had to drop out of rabbinical school because of it. It is also incredibly heart warming to read how her husband has been her true bashert through the years and shown up for her in the little ways like washing her hair for her when she couldn't, or setting up her coffee and laptop for her by the bed before he went to work every day. It's the spark that inspired this romantic story, and I think that's why it truly felt magical. If you've read all this then thank you, and I hope I have convinced you to pick up a copy of this book this holiday season!

I absolutely cannot wait for Jean Meltzer's next novel in 2022 "Mr. Perfect on Paper" where we follow the main character as she is cast on a reality TV show "The Perfect Jewish Husband".

CW: Paternal abandonment, maternal loss, CFS/ME.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin publishing company for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Matzah Ball was a fun, light romantic read. Rachel lives a double life, that of a dutiful Jewish daughter of the esteemed Rabbi and that of a writer who writes romantic Christmas stories. It was interesting to me how forbidden Christmas is for those of the Jewish faith. I felt a little lost though as to why it was made out to be such a taboo secret, it was like she had to keep it such a secret from everyone or else be shunned from her Jewish family and roots. Her 12 year old crush, Jacob, returns to town and is throwing a huge ball celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Jacob has turned into a successful event planner and has made a name for himself. They meet again as Jacob is celebrating the festivities with Rachel's parents. They both have different recall of that time but it seems odd that it would affect them so much now that they are in their 30's. At times she still has a childish attitude and still holds on to her perception of that time, Jacob sees it differently and neither can seem to get on the same page until they finally have people to intervene, or else they would probably still act like a couple of 12 year olds. Story was a great distraction from the world, and was entertaining. I especially enjoyed learning some things about the Jewish faith and their food. Thank you #NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is the Hanukkah rom-com I have been waiting for. Following a secret Christmas romance novelist who ends up volunteering at an extravagant Hanukkah party with her childhood enemy, this one contains drama and a good helping of holiday magic. I loved the descriptions of the event planning, and the main character is realistic. It is a shame to say that I have never read anything like this, but I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a touching yet uplifting holiday read.

Bestselling Christmas romance novelist Rachel has found comfort in the magic of Christmas from a young age, but as the daughter of a rabbi, she feels the need to keep her work a secret. When her publisher asks her to write a Hanukah romance, she struggles to find a way to make Hanukkah as exciting as Christmas. With her contract on the line, Rachel comes across The Matzah Ball, an extravagant Hanukkah party that would be perfect source material. However, the event is being organized by her childhood enemy, who she still holds a grudge against.

❀ ENJOYABLE MAIN CHARACTER

Rachel is an enjoyable main character, and I loved her determination. I really felt for her since she keeps many parts of herself hidden out of fear of disappointing her family and feels unworthy of love because of her chronic fatigue syndrome. I found the representation of chronic illness strong, and I appreciated the way the story portrays her good days and bad days without allowing Rachel to be defined by her illness. However, I found the romance a bit frustrating at times. I had a couple issues with some of Jacob’s behaviour, but I slowly warmed up to him and still enjoyed the book as a whole.

❀ HANUKKAH-THEMED STORY

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is a Hanukkah-themed story with a lot of heart. I loved reading about the preparations for the spectacular event, and the main character is realistic. There is such a lack of Jewish and Hanukkah content out there, so I am happy to report that this one lived up to my expectations.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
Holiday story romance with a Jewish base line. Second chance troupe. Clean.
Though the daughter of a famous Rabbi, Rachel has a secret and successful career writing Christmas romance novels. When her editor demands a Hanukkah romance, Rachel doesn’t know what to do. It’s Christmas that brings her joy, not her own life experiences. The reappearance of Jacob, the one boy who broke her heart, is serendipity. Jacob is hosting a party that can give Rachel the inspiration she needs to keep her career alive.

Joyous, touching and sweet.
A celebration of love and romance. Of Hanukkah and Christmas and destiny. Of ME/CFS or myalgic encephalomyelitis also know as Chronic fatigue syndrome.
Rachel was hit with the disease during her college years. The story doesn’t make us feel sorry for her, but rather focuses on her overcoming the limitations. Jacob, the hero is impressive in his handling of their history and Rachel’s lies. Toby is awesome in several ways.
Overall, I fell in love with this story.

Excerpts 1:
“Shabbat was coming.
Jacob loved these aspects of Jewish life. There was a focus on tradition and family and doing the right thing, tikkun olam, in order to make the world a better place. All the things he had wanted as a child and never got.”

Excerpt 2:
“You know, there’s a belief in the Jewish culture that every person in the world has a person they are destined to marry. Your bashert. A soul God cut and created, designated just for you. Isn’t that the loveliest concept?”
Excerpts from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This is the story of Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt. She’s your typical Jewish girl in many ways, but she also has a “shameful” secret- she loves Christmas.

Sure, a lot of Jews have Christmas envy, but most of them don’t create an alter ego to write super successful Christmas novels in secret now do, they? Well, this is precisely the life that Rachel is leading, all while hiding her success from her prominent Jewish family at all costs.

Then Rachel’s publisher suggests the obvious- why not write a Hanukkah romance? There’s only one problem. Rachel doesn’t see Hanukkah as magical as Christmas. I mean, AT ALL. So she sets out to find inspiration, namely by trying to acquire a ticket to the coveted, Matzah Ball, a Jewish celebration that just might have all the inspiration she needs. However, it’s also led by a childhood acquaintance she’d rather forget, the prankster turned prominent business man, Jacob Greenberg. Oy vey!

Begrudgingly Rachel and Jacob work together, but their relationship is strained due to years of misunderstanding. Still neither can deny the other’s presence not so secretly send their dreidels a-spinning. Can they come together to make both the menorah, and their passion, burn brightly?

Although a typical rom com in many ways, The Matzah Ball is also a ground breaking book. It seems absurd when you think about it, but there are very little Hanukkah themed romances out there. Seriously. Can you even think of another one? I’ll wait.

Adding another layer of depth to this novel is its inclusion of a main character living with chronic fatigue syndrome. While a fictitious story, Meltzer drew inspiration from her own life as she too is a Jewish woman with CFS. This book is not preachy about either topic, and yet they bring an awareness to both issues by infusing them through a well written love story.

I am proud to say I was an early reader of @jeanmeltzer and her debut novel courtesy of @netgalley and @_mira_books_. I am excited for this book to be released this week and for the world to join me in celebrating this unique love story!

Get your holiday season off to a strong start with the fabulous debut novel, The Matzah Ball.

For the last decade, Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, daughter of one of the world’s most prominent rabbis, has made a living as Christmas romance novelist Margot Cross. The job has been ideal for her – it allows her to work from home, a must for managing her myalgic encephalomyelitis - and the idealized Christmases she weaves into her books have given her a magical, wondrous place to escape to while living with her debilitating disorder. She hates that she has to treat her career – and her passion for Christmas - like a shameful secret but what else can a nice Jewish girl do?

Apparently, write Hanukkah novels. Her publisher, in a push to include more diverse content in their lineup, wants books about the joys of other celebrations and they want Rachel to spear-head the campaign with a romance set during the Festival of Lights. Rachel has always considered the eight-day feast rather un-merry seeing it as “two nights’ worth of semi-decent presents followed by six nights’ worth of school supplies.” However, it is made clear to her that it is Hanukkah or no contract. Rachel leaves her editor’s office despondent.

Heading home on an empty subway car, Rachel closes her eyes and takes some time to mourn what could be the end of her career. When she opens them a Haredi man has somehow silently and mysteriously appeared across the aisle from her.

He must have been a thousand years old, incapable of moving at high speeds or great distances, but he was suddenly there, inches away from her, feet almost touching, smiling warmly in her direction, with rosy- red cheeks and twinkling brown eyes.

He gets off at the next stop, dropping his copy of Jewish World News on his way out and though Rachel tries to catch up to him and return it, he has vanished without a trace. Then while folding the paper up and returning to her seat, she sees it – an article about the Matzah Ball Max with a Hanukkah theme which is being touted as THE party to be at for the holiday season. It’s the perfect place for Rachel to find story inspiration.

But since it is sold out, attending won’t be easy. Fortunately, she happens to know the event planner – Jacob Greenberg, her Jewish summer camp arch-nemesis. And she also happens to know where he will be that night – celebrating Shabbat at her parent’s house. Rachel races over there and makes the candle lighting with only seconds to spare. Now she can throw herself on Jacob’s mercy and get a ticket.

Jacob isn’t feeling particularly merciful, especially towards Rachel. During the worst year of his life, she’d added to his heartache by standing him up for the closing dance at summer camp and added insult to injury by refusing to respond to any of his calls or letters asking why. Jacob needs Rabbi Goldblatt to light the Menorah candles at the Matzah Ball Max and give a note of solemnity to the celebration, but he doesn’t need the man’s daughter messing with his emotions while he works on a career-making-or-breaking event.

Then it strikes him that there is a perfect way to get closure for the summer camp débacle and get some added help for his project – give Rachel a ticket in exchange for her working with him over the next few days. He hopes their proximity will force her to be honest about what occurred in their past.

The cultural aspect of this book is spectacular. Rachel’s Judaism is more than just the typical window dressing of lighting a few candles – we’re shown how her faith affects every aspect of her life, from what she eats to a world view that places family and community central to her identity.

The author also does a great job of showcasing living with a chronic illness. I especially appreciated how Rachel rationalizes tradeoffs, such as making choices needed to get through the next twenty-four hours that might cause health risks down the road.  Ms. Meltzer captures with complete credibility the impatience and intolerance of others who don’t understand what being chronically ill means and the frustration and hurt caused when people accuse the sufferer of faking or exaggerating their illness to get out of things they don’t want to do.

And Rachel is, frankly, fabulous. She’s fun, quirky, decent and kind in spite of all she has going on. But she is not honest – she lies to Jacob, her family and to her community about what she does for a living and keeps a large part of who she is hidden from those she loves for most of the book.

Those lies contribute to the biggest problem Jacob and Rachel have as a couple – they don’t communicate very well. The big falling out that occurred during summer camp was that after pranking each other for months, Rachel and Jacob had connected and shared a first kiss, a moment seen and photographed by the guys in Jacob’s cabin.  Rachel believed Jacob had set that all up to humiliate her and was furious that this important rite of passage would forever be tarnished by being part of an elaborate joke. Jacob has an entirely different perspective on the event and the subsequent fallout (why is explained towards the end of the story) and has never understood why Rachel wouldn’t just talk to him about what happened. But they were twelve when all of this went down and holding mature conversations about emotions isn’t exactly a tween strong point.

The problem with Jacob is that he doesn’t seem to have matured much beyond his doofus twelve-year-old ways in his dating techniques. He has the same sense of humor and still tries to prank Rachel into paying attention to him as an adult, which goes about as well as you would expect. And where Rachel struggles with telling the truth, Jacob struggles with boundaries. He doesn’t seem to understand when he takes a joke - or even a favor - too far. There are times in the story where his exuberance leans dangerously close to disrespect for Rachel’s autonomy. It works – just - because Rachel is a strong character with a fabulous support system. When Jacob does cross lines, she lets him know and the people who love her – especially bestie Mickey - are quick to come to her defense.

I loved their romance in spite of the above foibles. The author does such a wonderful job showing us who these people are and why they’re perfect for each other that I found myself rooting for them from the start. And I really appreciated learning the details of their long-ago summer camp romance and seeing them work through their issues to make a more adult connection in the present.

Ms. Mehtzer’s love for Judaism and her real-life experience with myalgic encephalomyelitis help The Matzah Ball to ring with sincere, heartfelt authenticity. I was completely charmed by the story and think readers looking for a poignant, slow burn romance will enjoy it too.

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Rachel loves to write Christmas romances, but there’s one problem - not only is she Jewish, but her father is a world renowned rabbi (and she hasn’t told either of her parents what her true job is). When her publisher suggests she write a Hanukkah romance, she tries to find the spark that her Christmas novels have for this minor Jewish holiday. And when camp rival/boy who broke her heart, Jacob, is set to throw a huge Matzah Ball celebration, Rachel will need a ticket no matter what it costs her.

I really enjoyed reading about Rachel and Jacob! Rachel’s struggle with myalgic encephalomyelitis (better know as chronic fatigue syndrome) was well explained and painted a very clear picture of what her daily life looks like with ME. The author’s note was great to read following the story, and you can tell through the writing along what a personal experience Jean Meltzer used to write Rachel.

I loved when the characters thought back to their summer camp days, and their obvious attraction to each other, even when they weren’t quite ready to admit it.

I had such a great time reading this, even though we are far from the snow and magic of the holiday season. This book makes me excited to hunker down with a hot beverage and watch the snow fall.

Okay so I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the Hallmark movie vibes at some points, and really didn't like it at others. I really enjoyed the fact that this was a non-Christian holiday romance. We definitely need more of these. I also really liked that we see a character with a chronic illness well represented.

However, the romance was just not it for me. These two characters are still completely hung up on their 12 year old summer romance. Which is a lot. They're 30. It's been 18 years.

Jacob still acts like a child, pulling pranks and basically bulldozing Rachel. Rachel is sweet, but immature. The romance honestly felt forced to me and I didn't feel any chemistry between Jacob and Rachel.