Cute, sweet, and the perfect amount of holiday sparkle! I loved the entire story. Jean Meltzer wrote great characters who were very likable, and the mishugas that happened throughout the story kept me smiling and laughing along.

I have been through 10 holiday seasons as a bookseller, and every year I shelve and make displays out of all the Christmas romance book and wish for just one Hanukkah book in the mix. FINALLY! Jean Meltzer has given me this book! And it's flippin' adorable!

On the surface this story seems like the typical enemy to lovers trope, with a Jewish twist. But it's also so much more than that. It's about history and traditions, about family and friends who are like family, about needing to be yourself while wanting to live up to everyone else's expectations. This story is all of these things and more. I hope this is just the beginning of many, many Hanukkah romances. But if it's the only one we get I'll still be happy.

The only negative thing I can say was how many time Maltzer used "smart" to describe inanimate objects. I wanted to start taking shots of Manischewitz every time the adverb was used.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was so sweet and charming. I loved Rachel so much and just wanted the best for her. I loved all the Hanukkah elements and how emphasized Jewish customs were in this!!

A lot of books on NetGalley look intriguing and then disappoint. This was not the the case with The Matzoh Ball, which hits it out of the park on so many levels! Admittedly, I was intrigued by the title, but a little off put by the Harlequin romance brand as not my usual choice of reading material. So I dove in, with middling expectations. Well, dear reader, I was surprised and delighted by the authentic voice of a Jewish narrator in a book that is not about the Holocaust. What a relief. The "own voices" canon needed this kind of representation.

Let's add in a discussion about the main character's (and author's) chronic disability. This was also refreshing in both its inclusion and inclusivity and in its honest take on how chronic illness is dismissed and derided.

Moving on, the secret (not secret) fascination of Jewish folks with Christmas is explored with grace and humor. Honestly, who doesn't love Christmas music and also feel overwhelmed at Christmas time as well. (Don't get me started on my Xmas eve birthday!).

For audience, there is a delicate balance between appealing to those without much Jewish knowledge, both members of the tribe and others, and those who are frum and frum-adjacent. This is a delicate line to walk and very well handled by the author.

Including summer camp shoutouts and Easter eggs (Pesach eggs?) such as an image of kids wearing matching blue (I think) bandannas is a nice way to reference color war for those who have bunk experience.

Finally, the truth about growing up in long cast shadow of the Holocaust resonated with me. For example, the mention of Bubbe's matzoh stash, well not specifically familiar, spoke to some of the ways next gens were cognizant of the Shoah's influence on modern American Jewish life.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book!

The premise of this was what sold me. A Jewish gal (her father is like THE Rabbi) is secretly a writer for Christmas novels complete with an insane collection of Christmas decor that no one in her family knows about. In comes Jacob Greenberg, tormentor extraordinaire from camp days to really add more stress to the Hanukkah season. Things are always what they seem, and memory is a finicky thing sometimes.

I thought this was a sweet novel that was funny and heartwarming.