A fun holiday rom com, I was so excited to read a holiday book that wasn't about Christmas. I enjoyed learning about the Jewish Culture and Hanukkah. Rachel and Jacob were amazing characters that each had the right amount of character growth. The author does a great job of writing about chronic illness throughout the book in a way that felt natural and not forced into the story.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Matzah Ball is a pretty cute holiday romance that attempts to give Hanukkah the same mainstream treatment that Christmas gets every year…and even commenting on that fact in-text. I love the little jokes about the ins and outs of publishing, especially the publisher/author email correspondence with them shooting ideas back and forth.

But more importantly, this book also sees the heroine, Rachel, deal with chronic fatigue syndrome, which Jean Meltzer based on her own experience. I really got the sense of how this condition dominates one’s life, yet Rachel tries to make the best of it and embrace what opportunities she has, while also knowing her own limits.

I really liked the exploration of Rachel’s identity as Jewish, while also negotiating that with her love of Christmas. It was great to see that Hanukkah can be magical and special along with her, and to have her find a way to imbue that in her book. I also appreciated the nuances that Meltzer shared in regards to Jewish people and their feelings in regards to both traditions.

I did struggle with the romance at times. It just seemed a little petty to be carrying a grudge for all these years. That also seemed like a poor vehicle for some really cringey slapstick comedy. As the book went on, and I started to see where Jacob was coming from, I could sort-of understand that he had his own experiences with chronic illness in his family, and appreciated how he course-corrected upon learning about Rachel’s. But between the ridiculousness of that, and the way he reacted to finding out about her using him for inspiration by snooping around, I ended up not being sure. I mean, yeah, she did have something to apologize for, as far as not being genuine in her pursuit of helping with the Matzah Ball at first, but he also needed to apologize for not hearing her out, especially when he was the one being poking around where he didn’t belong.

This book is very well-intentioned, and in some ways, it succeeds in what it sets out to do, particularly in terms of the representation, but it didn’t fully engage me as a romance. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else. If this title interests you, I think you should give it a try.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a Jewish girl with a big secret: she loves Christmas! Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal but there's no way her rabbi father would approve of her writing Christmas romance novels under a pen name. When her publisher decides it's time for a Hanukkah romance instead, Rachel has no idea what to do. Maybe Jacob Greenberg's big Matzah Ball celebration with help spark some creativity. Too bad he's her old camp archenemy and she wants nothing to do with him.

I wanted to love this book SO much. Even writing this review now I'm a little disappointed in myself. I mean come on, it's a Jewish girl who loves Christmas cheer (AKA me), she's a romance writer, there's a really fun Hanukkah ball, a second chance romance, and really great disability rep. What more could I seriously want?! I don't know but this book wasn't my cup of tea.

Let's start with some things I did like though. Because it does have a lot to like! First off, Bubbe Toby is the Jewish grandmother everyone wants and I absolutely adored her. She is essential to this book in my opinion. Also, Rachel has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and I found it so interesting to see that as part of a romantic lead. Every part of her life is somehow touched by this invisible disease and I love to see chronic illnesses become normalized. Be sure to read the author's note to learn more about her experiences!

Alright here's what didn't work for me... Sometimes I can't get on board with second chance romances and this book is why. (Although they never even had a real romance to begin with. They were young sleepaway camp sweethearts turned nemeses.) They are so stuck on holding grudges from their childhood and I want them to just talk through the silly misunderstanding as adults but they don't. Maybe it's just me, but it drives me crazy. Because of this, it was a veryyy slow burn and it dragged. I wanted some romance and chemistry!

Anyways, if you want a super sweet Own Voices book with a slow-burn second chance romance and fabulous Jewish and chronic illness rep, please give this book a chance! Thank you Mira Books and Netgalley for my eARC of this book.

With its heartfelt descriptions of both Jewish culture and living with chronic illness, this story is a fantastic addition to the romance genre. It's clear the author feels passionately about her story and her characters, and there is just a lot of charm, heart, and connection in this one. A really excellent debut.

The Matzah Ball
by Jean Meltzer
Pub. Date Sept.28
Mira

I was drawn to this book by the title. But the book itself was actually much better. Thanks to Mira, NetGalley and Jean Meltzer for the ARC. I really enjoyed reading this one.
I LOVED this book and was so incredibly impressed by the rich, authentic, deep, sophisticated and real Jewish content

I will recommend it.
5 star

A delightful, compulsively readable romcom that centers around the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, the Christmas-loving romance novelist heroine, hides her secret love of Santa and her life with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), from family and coworkers. When her old camp arch-nemesis/first love Jacob Greenberg returns to NYC to host a massive Matzah Ball, all of her carefully controlled plans are upended. Full of old grudges, assumptions and misunderstandings, stand-up best friends, and heartwarming/complicated family relationships. The novel also embraces family in all of its forms. Well-written representation of our diverse, multi-faceted lives is important all-year round, but feels especially so during the hustle and bustle of the winter holiday season. Affirming and charming, look no further for your next festive feel-good read.

Jean Meltzer’s debut novel is a breath of fresh air as it celebrates a Hanukkah romance amongst a bucket load of Christmas stories. Well done!

My heart broke for Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt as she deals with a debilitating disease and tries to find herself after living in the shadow of her successful parents, Rabbi Aaron Goldblatt, a macher and bigwig in her community, and Dr. Rubenstein, a top New York fertility specialist. She loves her family dearly, but she has a secret love for everything Christmas (Think of a whole room filled with a small Christmas village). She has made a successful career as a Christmas romance writer and now her publisher wants her to write a Hanukkah romance or she will lose her job and her fancy Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan. How can she make Hanukkah as fun and exciting as Christmas? How about attending The Matzah Ball being organized by her archenemy from summer camp many years ago. If only she could get a ticket from the sold-out event. Lucky for her he’s staying with her parents for Shabbat. And the games begin.

Jacob Greenberg has his own sad story of being abandoned by his father, moving to Paris, and caring for his mother who had multiple sclerosis. Needless to say, Jacob acted out and was eventually sent to Catholic school to set him straight. Now he is CEO of his own event planning company in charge of having the first-ever Matzah Ball Max in New York where all of his bad memories are gathered. His father, who he has not spoken to since he up and left his family, lives there. And the young girl that broke his heart at summer camp is the daughter of the two people whom he has invited to be a part of his gala.

I’m not a big fan of Rachel and Jacob at first with their childish and frankly, annoying behavior. But when they start to act like mature adults again and see the potential they have as the perfect couple, my feelings become more positive. Rachel is selfless, kind, and generous to a fault. Her confidence in herself needed a little kick from her wonderful best friend Mickey and especially Jacob who truly believes in her and has no qualms about her disease. When she chose to say “screw ’em” to all the naysayers she went hog wild, especially at the hilarious and happy ending. As for Jacob, he is such a jerk at the beginning with the whole matzah ball costume, but when he finds out about Rachel’s illness, he is extremely kind and not judgy at all. After all, his mother had MS and he understood chronic pain. I get it that he was mad about her not being above-board with her career choice. She had plenty of opportunities to tell him and when she does reveal her secrets and more, it’s shocking and liberating.

Supporting characters are fantastic in this book from Rachel’s lovely and supportive best friend Mickey, to Jacob’s wise and very sweet bubbe, Toby.

I want to thank Ms. Meltzer for helping to break the stigma of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or more commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Ignorant people, including some medical professionals, dismiss the disease as being in someone’s mind, but it is an exhausting disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people. ME/CFS can negatively impact personal choices in one’s life, but Ms. Meltzer wants people to know that you can live with it and be happy. In addition, I loved the edifying facts about Jewish traditions and yummy Jewish food.

I recommend this beautiful, funny, and informative debut Hanukkah love story about finding yourself and living in the present. The characters are quirky and misguided and the wonderful plot is a refreshing holiday read.

Thank you to Ms. Meltzer for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Paperback romances aren't really my jam, but I had to take a peek at this because it's a holiday paperback that focuses on a holiday OTHER THAN CHRISTMAS. All the cornball tropes are in play: beautiful people who are each other's childhood sweethearts, a misunderstanding that could be solved with a ten second conversation, magical holiday magicalness... but it's Hanukkah. And y'know, I hope this and "Holly Jolly Diwali" are the beginning of a FLOOD of holiday romances for holidays OTHER than Christmas. It's delightful to see.

This will appear in the Oct online Romance Reviews Today www.romrevtoday.com

THE MATZAH BALL – Jean Meltzer
Mira Books
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1158-4
September 28, 2021
Contemporary Romance

New York City – Present Day

Rachel is Jewish. Her father is a respected and well-known Rabbi and her mother is a famous doctor. But Rachel has a secret. She loves Christmas and all the festive novelties that come with it. This led to her writing Christmas stories that not only have done well, but even a few have been made into Hallmark movies. Even her parents are unaware of her secrets. Rachel also suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which has her sometimes listless for days. One day, her editor emails her and asks her to write a Hannukah romance. Rachel doesn’t want to do it but admits it’s a good opportunity since she’s very familiar with the holiday. Then, her childhood nemesis, Jacob, announces that he is going to host a Matzah Ball. While Rachel hates the idea of being around Jacob, it is a good way to get into the Hannukah spirit to write.

Jacob was a huge prankster when he and Rachel attended Jewish summer camp when they were teens. They fell in love, but his prank involving her ended up with her hating him. Now he wants to get back into her good graces. Could Jacob be hoping that they can rekindle the flames that were sparks when they were teens?

Readers will laugh and cry with Rachel in THE MATZAH BALL as she lives through her worst nightmare--having to pretend that she’s having fun during Hannukah. Not that she hates the Jewish holiday, but she prefers celebrating Christmas. She even has a Christmas figurine collection that she cherishes. Meeting Jacob again brings forth conflicting emotions. She has to play nice with him in order to secure an invite to his exclusive invitation only ball. He informs her that all the invites have been placed, but if she volunteers to help set it up, then she gets an automatic invite. She agrees and begins her volunteer service. However, things don’t work out when she ends up in a Matzah ball costume. Much hilarity entails—and it will have readers laughing out loud. She thinks Jacob is deliberately setting her to fail. What she doesn’t know is that he thinks she enjoys his pranks. Oh, boy…talk about a miscommunication problem.

Of course, we know that Rachel’s secret Christmas love and her writing career is going to come out. Who will discover it first—Jacob or her parents? In THE MATZAH BALL, there are plenty of laughs and groans. What can go wrong does go wrong for her. Will she and Jacob get their signals uncrossed and finally realize that they are attracted to each other? Can someone co-exist in a world where they love both Christmas and Hannukah? If you are looking for a different kind of romance and love a good laugh or two, then be sure to not miss THE MATZAH BALL.

Patti Fischer

I loved this book it was hilarious and sweet, just what I need to read for a great distraction from this crazy world right now.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is the romance story of Rachel and Jacob. They were each others first loves and first heartbreaks at Jewish summer camp. Now adults, Rachel has built a life around her chronic illness as a secret Christmas romance novelist and Jacob as a high-end event organizer. Her job is on the line when her publisher wants a Hanukkah romance instead of a Christmas romance and Jacob's business is riding on him pulling off a successful upscale Matzah Ball. They both have to put the past behind them to come out on top, but Rachel's secret and Jacob's inability to trust might result in a triumphant Matzah Ball but the destruction of the fragile relationship they begin to build.

I really loved our lead female Rachel, she was strong and determined. She worked hard to not let her chronic illness hold her back. However, she does let her fear of disappointing her family hold her back from telling the truth, and when it destroys the relationship she's building with Jacob she steps up to the plate. Her grand gesture put a huge smile on my face. Only thing really keeping me from giving this a higher rating was my frustration with Jacob for a good chunk of the book. He slowly won me over with all the little actions that showed how much he cared for Rachel. They were opposites in a lot of ways, but complimented each other very well. The two have the lowest slow burn that results in a few tender kisses. The romance/intimacy in the is simply sweet and not the focus of the story.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is a Jewish holiday romance filled with family, self acceptance, forgiveness, Jewish culture and Hanukkah miracles. The story brings you through multiple emotions, highs, lows, and everything in between, and it does a good job transitioning between them. What makes The Matzah Ball even more special is that its own voices, the author herself is Jewish and lives with ME/CFS and took inspiration from her own life and struggles to build the story.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has a terrible, horrific, dark secret: she loves Christmas. Yes, the very Jewish daughter of one of the most renown rabbis in the world loves Christmas. But she doesn't just love Christmas. No, the secret gets deeper and darker: she's also a bestselling romance novelist... who only writes Christmas stories. She loves what she does, even if her parents can never know, and it keeps her rent paid and gets her the treatments she needs for her chronic illness.

But Rachel is thrown for a loop when her publisher suddenly decides that they need a Hanukkah romance on the market, and they want Rachel to write one ASAP. "Oy vey" doesn't even begin to cover how Rachel feels.

Desperately seeking inspiration, Rachel stumbles upon The Matzah Ball, a huge, elaborate Jewish music celebration to be held the last night of Hanukkah and knows that is where she needs to be if her story is going to get written. The only problem? It means reuniting with her summer camp archenemy, Jacob Greenburg, who totally broke her tweenage heart.

As Hanukkah begins, so does the countdown till the big day. Can Rachel and Jacob both get what they want and need out of this festival? And what will happen when they realize that those wants and needs happen to include each other?

I adored Meltzer's debut! "The Matzah Ball" is fun and lively, with some brilliant nods towards Hallmark movie tropes, mouth-watering food descriptions, a whole lot of shenanigans, as well as many incredibly beautifully sweet moments (and some steamy ones too... wink wink). Rachel and Jacob are brilliant protagonists, perfectly imperfect so that they felt so much like real people. I can't wait for Meltzer's next book!

3 stars for just being so damn Jewish and having some great disability rep, but it was just alright. I hardly ever read cishet romances but then again, few of them are ever Hanukkah-themed. I enjoyed all the Jewish aspects including some very fun deep-cuts, but the writing wasn't quite there. It seems like Meltzer has a lot of potential and with a few more books under her belt she could be great, but this read like a bit of a rough draft. There is way too much exposition in the beginning and the habit of telling rather than showing continues. Rachel and Jacob don't really have a ton of chemistry; aside from childhood nostalgia for each other and Jacob throwing money at his failings with Rachel, it was hard to see why they liked each other. And for a book that seemed so fresh when it came to Jewish and disabled identities, Mickey came off as a homophobic racist caricature in every scene he was in.

I wouldn't go rushing to read anything Jean Meltzer writes next, but I think eventually she could become someone to watch for.

I’ve always been a big fan of Christmas in July, so this Jewish girl was extra excited for a little bit of Hanukkah in August!

I loved this story about a Jewish girl who loves the magic of Christmas (I feel so seen!) and I’m so glad this book exists to show that Jewish holidays can be fun too!

Rachel is the daughter of a famous Long Island rabbi but has a secret identity hidden from her friends and family - she is a Christmas romance writer! She is also suffering from a chronic illness that keeps her social life pretty stagnant.

Jacob is an event planner (think Coachella) that wants to bring his Jewish roots to his next big soirée. He and Rachel haven’t seen each other since they broke each other’s hearts at summer camp long ago - but now they both need each other to help with their careers. Will they relive their past mistakes?

Read this if you love holiday romances and want something unique or if you want to learn more about the Jewish culture. I also really loved the chronic illness rep

This comes out on 9/28 - perfect timing for all the holiday seasons

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 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.

This book has Hallmark written all over it. If that's your thing, you will like it. If not...
I really wanted to like this more than I did. A Hanukkah romance is a nice change and I was glad to have a heroine who wasn't perfect. I appreciated learning more about chronic fatigue, but it was rehashed too many times. The main characters were still, in the early 30s, holding a grudge from when they were tweens. And the grudge stayed until the over-the-top completely unrealistic ending, which I fully expect to see used in an upcoming Hallmark film. I'm not sure these two really learned how to communicate, which makes me doubt the happily ever after.

A great read that covers two topics not typically represented in romance: chronic illness and Judaism. Rachel was a little hard to like at the beginning because of her short sightedness but eventually she warmed up to me. It was easy to picture Jacob as a romantic lead though.

This book was SO GOOD! The premise itself was brilliant: A Rabbi's daughter who secretly writes Christmas books. I mean, c'mon! It was really refreshing to read a holiday romcom based on a Jewish holiday rather than Christmas. Don't get me wrong, like Rachel in the book, this Jewish woman loves Christmas movies, but it was quite nice to watch a Jewish hero and heroine get their happy ending. Jacob was pretty much the perfect book boyfriend: kind, sensitive, funny, generous, hot...And Rachel was adorable. Some of the antics had me laughing out loud - sitting on Santa's lap? Sneaking into the Four Seasons? And Bubbe Toby, well who doesn't love a spunky ninety-one-year-old grandmother! It wasn't all light and low stakes. The book touched on ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, abandonment by a parent, loss of a parent to cancer etc. But despite these deeper issues, this was a romantic comedy at its finest. I look forward to the author's next book.

I love cultural based romances like this! I feel like there's so much you can learn about another culture or religion that surrounds a fun love story as well! This time is was about Judaism and the Jewish culture and history that was spoken about throughout the book. There was so much different things that one could learn from this book alone about Judaism and that culture and I really enjoyed that aspect! Plus the fact that Rachel is a Christmas fanatic was so much fun with all her Santas and Christmas trees!

I'm always up for learning something new and I love it even more because it is a romance novel, what more could you want??

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the earc in return for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to like this book because there are not enough good Hanukkah romance novels. Unfortunately, there were too many problematic aspects to give it anything more than a qualified recommendation.

It's easy to identify what did/didn't work for me:

YES to the lovely portrayal of Judaism as a religion/culture that focuses on family, community, and food. The Jewish Geography (the habit of trying to figure out what fellows Jews you might know in any given city), the long-lasting friendships made at Jewish summer camp, and the double-edged sword of being a rabbi's kid all ring true.

YES to having a heroine with a chronic disease who has made a life for herself despite her limitations. I learned a lot about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (more commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and the careful way Rachel has to dole out her activities to avoid a flare up, which can disable her for months. (Interestingly, ME/CFS is getting a lot of attention these days because of its similarities to Long COVID.)

NO to the stereotypical Black gay best friend. If you're going to show that Judaism can be a diverse religion, don't make the Black guy a walking cliché.

And NO (unfortunately) to the entire romance plot. First of all, the entire premise rests on the fact that Rachel and Jacob had a brief relationship that ended badly at summer camp when they were 12 years old. And we're supposed to believe that they have been holding a grudge/pining for each other since then? FFS, they were not even teenagers. I don't even remember the guy I crushed on when I was 12, and I certainly have grown and changed so much since then that I doubt he would appeal to me at all anymore.

And the relationship between them now is more frustrating than romantic. Rachel is bristly and secretive, and Jacob is frankly pretty much a jerk for at least half of the novel. There are numerous, unnecessary Big Misunderstandings that could have been avoided if the two talked to each other. There's a lot of slapstick humor as well, which never appeals to me. Plus one minute Rachel is talking about how overexertion can cause her to be bedridden for months, then the next she is eschewing a cab and running multiple blocks for the final grand gesture without any apparent impact.

There are other aspects of the plot that engaged and frustrated me, but I don't want this review to become a magnum opus. I wish I had liked The Mazah Ball more than I did, but I can't recommend it unless you are starving for a Hanukkah romance and can overlook some significant flaws.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

What a wonderful change of pace when it comes to holiday books! I love Christmas stories and their movie version cousins on the Hallmark Channel as much as the next person, but Christmas isn’t the only December holiday in town. And we’d do well to remember this. Thankfully, Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball shines a bright (in all definitions of the word) light on one of these other December holidays, Hanukkah.

All the characters are wonderfully well drawn (especially Jacob’s Bubbe) and it has everything a feel good holiday romance needs.

Recommended!