I LOVED this story about third-generation Jewish matchmaker, Dara Rabinowitz, and news reporter, Chris Steadfast.

It was the perfect balance of sweet, funny, and serious. Dara must decide between what she thinks an ideal match is and what she needs. Dara's faith is also foundational to who she is both personally and professionally - putting Chris in an off-limits category because he isn't Jewish.

As an added bonus, I learned more about the Jewish faith than I had before. I thought I knew a lot, especially since I have a brother who converted to marry his partner, but I hadn't heard of some of the holidays or traditions before. Dara's broadcasted dates took place on Jewish holidays and Hebrew language/phrases were woven into conversations.

The chemistry and gentle build of the relationship between Dara and Chris is so natural. I loved how Chris responded to Dara's anxieties (and coping mechanisms). It may not be perfect on paper but, with all the messiness of real love, it turns out to be pretty perfect after all.

I have a very strong Jewish community in my patronage, and I think this is going to be a very good circulater. Top tier purchase for similar communities

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. There were a lot of funny parts!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Funny romance novel about a couple who aren't perfect on paper. I enjoyed the story.

When third generation Jewish matchmaker, Dara Rabinowitz’s, perfect husband list is leaked by her Bubbe on national news, she embarks on a journey to find Mr. Perfect on Paper. Chris Steadman, the anchor on the show, wants to save his show by helping Dara find the perfect partner, but in doing so starts to fall for her. What is more important – love or the show?

I really enjoyed this book. There was great Jewish representation, great anxiety rep, and it also covered some heavier topics. I thought it was heart felt, emotional, and cheesy, but also charming and sweet. I learned a lot about the Jewish holidays and this provided an engaging window into Jewish life. Please read content warnings before you read, as this book does cover grief and dementia. If you liked The Charm Offensive, this one gave me similar vibes and I think you’d like it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Canada for the ARC!

After reading and loving The Matzah Ball last year, I was so excited to read Meltzer's second book. I was not disappointed. It is incredibly witty (like laugh-out-loud at times) yet full of depth and totally romantic. The grand gesture at the end is FIRE. The Jewish rep is even more intense in this second installment and although I am Jewish, I learned a lot. The generalized anxiety rep is also extremely relatable. I wondered how the author would work out the HEA without either of the main characters compromising their beliefs to an unrealistic extent. Let's just say, she nailed it. I was a little upset by a development in the epilogue, but I understood and respected the author's choices! In summary, I loved this book.

3,5 stars, but rounding up to 4. I think this book has solid bones, however the pacing was slightly off for me. I felt like there was so much time spent building the relationship, which felt like it was going to happen from the beginning, and not enough on the HEA. we made it to almost 95% before they admitted their feelings to each other, and even as a slow burn fan it felt a bit too late to do it.

The rep was fabulous, and I always appreciate an author who leaves the legwork to the reader to translate words or to look into another culture on their own.

3.5 ⭐️

Dara is the CEO of J-mate, a successful and popular dating app for Jews. Between her algorithm, her grandmothers traditional matching profession and her late mother’s match making skills, the Rabinowitz women have successfully set up over 10,000 couples. Despite this, Dara struggles to find a potential suitor of her own, which is revealed to the world, when Dara agreed to speak on a talk show about her app. While on the show she is immediately charmed by the host Chris who, despite an instant attraction, does not check off any of her boxes. When Chris’s job is in jeopardy he makes a proposal that will help Dara find her “Mr. Perfect on Paper” while simultaneously saving his tv show. As the two get to know each other, the lines between friendship and something more blur, and Dara begins to question what she’s stood by her whole life.

What I enjoyed:
-Dara’s close connection with her grandma
-The Yiddish phrases and Jewish references
-The story was educational! Meltzer went into detail about the various high holidays, wedding customs and conservative traditions and being more secular, I learned a lot!
-The single dad trope and Chris’s relationship with his daughter
-The NYC setting
-The twist on modern dating and all the fun date activities
-How Dara was open about her Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-Dara’s learned lesson about dating/mlarrying someone you love even if they don’t check all the boxes

What I did not love:
-At times, I felt like the author was trying to pack in as many relevant Jewish terms as possible even if they did not need to be there
-Some plot points felt repetitive
-Dara spoke so much about how she was against interfaith relationships, however, we never got to see the sacrifices she or Chris made once they got together.
-As a romance, I wanted more love :)


Thank you NetGalley and HTP for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: 8/9/22

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while to get into this one, as there were a few characters on Dara's side to get used to. Once she met Chris though, I found it fun and interesting. The rules of a Jewish life were eye opening and informative.
I liked how the pace continued to get faster towards the end, and I really liked how the author tied up most of the issues. I love that Dara was the partner with the money.

I really liked the premise of this book and the author's writing style. I however found myself struggling through the book and honestly if this had not been an arc I probably wouldn't have finished it.

Dara Rabinowitz is a third generation matchmaker with a 21st century app that makes matchmaking an algorithm to be solved instead of gut feeling to be followed. Years of coding and spreadsheets has convinced her that marriage can be formulaic and romance isn't necessary.

Chris Steadfast lost his wife two years before and has been trying to keep things going for himself and his preteen daughter ever since. With his daily show about to get cancelled, he's looking for a miracle to keep things going.

When Dara and her grandmother come to the studio at the start of the High Holidays to promote her app "J-Mate" and celebrate her grandmother's near 90 years on this earth, the miracle Chris is looking for seems to happen, though Dara's not so happy about it. Grandmother Miriam announces to the audience and the cameras that Dara has a list for her perfect husband (written during a drunken rant with her sister a few weeks before) and then proceeds to read it on air. A simple short segment goes viral and Chris decides that he's going to use this to save his program.

With Dara's agreement, Chris sets up blind dates for her for each of the High Holidays with men who meet the requirements of Mr. Perfect. Each date starts well and then ends in disaster. And with each date, Chris sees more and more that he'd much rather be dating Dara than setting her up.

But when Mr. Perfect on Paper shows up one day, will Chris be able to show Dara that her list is wrong?

Final thoughts: This is a checkbox romance with the author ticking off her list as she goes. It just doesn't feel organic. There are a few scenes where it seems Meltzer was having fun, but the rest was just her ticking off item after item on her rom-com must-haves list. It felt like she's pitching a story to Hallmark instead of writing a fun romance.

Rating: 2/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was highly anticipating this book after being a fan of ‘The Matzah Ball’ book. After reading this heartwarming rom-com, I LOVED it! There aren’t many books out there that focus on Judaism, so it was very enjoyable to read about a religion that I celebrate in my interfaith household. This rom-com also made me laugh! A great mix of seriousness and humor. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest feedback.

Being Mr. Perfect on Paper doesn't always equate to Mr. Perfect for you and that's exactly the conundrum Dara finds herself in. With laugh out loud dating catastrophes and enough seriousness to keep it grounded, this delightful romcom is fun-filled and heart warming.

I thought the premise of the book sounded interesting and was intrigued. I just couldn’t get into it. I tried. The writing isn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me. And that’s okay! I encourage others so give it a chance though.

Mr. Perfect on Paper by @jeanmeltzer
Pub Date: 09 Aug 2022
4/5 Stars

Dara comes from a line of Jewish Matchmakers and is the successful creator of a J-Mate, a Jewish dating app.
When Dara is invited to be interviewed for a segment on her favorite daytime tv show, she brings along her favorite person, her grandmother. Unfortunately, her grandmother blindsides Dara by reading on live tv a wish list Dara drunkenly made for the perfect husband. Dara is such a hit with fans that the show sets up a recurring segment on Dara dating and trying to find her “Mr. Perfect on Paper”.

What follows throughout the book are some of the funniest laugh out loud moments I can remember reading. I really enjoyed this book and all the characters. Dara’s bubbe and her friends were funny without being over-the-top. I loved the way Dara was so up front about her anxiety. I also learned so much about the Jewish culture and community. I really enjoyed Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball and Mr. Perfect on Paper is just as good, if not better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. #MrPerfectonPaper #NetGalley

I was very disappointed by the author’s debut and I was willing to give this book a chance but it just… doesn’t work. Her writing is simply not working for me. The plot had potential but I just couldn’t continue.

Mr. Perfect on Paper follows Dara who is a creator of a Jewish dating app called J-Mate. In order to help promote her app she goes on a morning talk show and is interviewed by the host Chris. In the middle of the interview she mentions that she is single; and her grandmother shares Dara's last of the perfect husband. Chris proposes that they share Dara's hunt for love on national tv. Dara agrees but soon she starts feeling an attraction towards Chris. And she doesn't know if any other guy can compete with Chris. 

I was a big fan of the Matzah Ball and when I saw that Jean Meltzer wrote another book it was a must read for me. This book did not disappoint. I loved this one. I am not Jewish but I loved how this book was written in a way I could understand the religion. Not only is this book a romance book but you will also learn a little bit about Judaism while reading it. I also loved how this book dealt with a character who had anxiety. Instead of making it seem like a bad thing it was part of what made the character strong and loveable. I really loved the whole plot of this story and thought Dara and Chris's relationship was so cute. And in the end Dara followed her heart and did what was best for her. I highly suggest this book and the Matzah Ball. They are both such wonderful books. Thank you so much NetGalley, Harlequin, and Jean Meltzer for an ARC of this book.

Wow, this was such a great book. I learned alot about the Jewish community during it. Also, the way the main character deals with anxiety, I completely related to. I love how transparent she was about it and how calming/understanding Chris was about her anxiety. I was literally rooting for the the ENTIRE time. The ending did NOT disappoint. Such a cute book, I would love a sequel! Loved the funny bits and the mishaps along the way. This book had me giggling but also teary eyed at some parts. Worthy read!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true opinion after fully reading this book.

After reading The Matzah Ball, I was eager to check out Jean Meltzer's sophomore novel, Mr. Perfect on Paper. She is now two for two with enjoyable Jewish romcoms.

This story was so cute, sweet, and funny. I love how Dara was open about having Generalized Anxiety Disorder and all her coping mechanisms. Jean really allowed me to get into Dara's head. I loved all the Jewish references throughout. Some just made me laugh out loud. I also loved Miriam and the ChallahBack Girls. What a great team! The disastrous dates were too funny. I can't even imagine having to go through all that and have it caught on film! It makes me thankful that I met my beshert before social media was a thing. It was nice to see some lesser-known Jewish holidays included (like Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which would be something new for someone who is not Jewish). Maybe next time Purim will be featured!

My main concern was that I felt like Dara had it too easy sometimes when it came to money. If she weren't the creator of J-Mate and featured on TV, she might have had a much harder time finding her beshert. There were also some little inconsistencies that I hope were ironed out during the final publication.

It was a great story overall and I enjoyed it the entire way through. Jean handled grief and mental health in a sensitive way that readers will appreciate. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR when it releases in August.

Movie casting suggestions (this one was so hard to cast, so go easy on me):
Dara: Jenny Slate
Christopher: Justin Hartley
Eleanor: Ari Graynor
Miriam: Miriam Margolyes
Daniel: Julian Morris
Shana: Shoshannah Stern
Lacey: Valentina Gordon

ARC Review: Mr. Perfect on Paper by @jeanmeltzer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this story, our MC has taken the family matchmaking business and brought it into the digital age with a very popular Jewish dating app. She and her grandmother are set to be interviewed on a morning show and at the last minute the host is switched to the very popular and handsome host of another show. In an unexpected move, Dara's grandma pulls out Dara's old (written while inebriated) checklist for the perfect man and talks about it on air. Chris, the non-Jewish host, decides it would make great tv, and maybe help boost their ratings and save his job, if Dara goes on televised dates for each major Jewish holiday in the next little while to find her Mr. Perfect. However, as they spend time together, Dara finds herself falling for Chris even though he doesn't check any items off her list.

The Matzah Ball, Melzer's first novel, was one of my favorite books of 2021, so I was super excited to receive this ARC of her second book and it didn't disappoint! I pre-ordered my own print copy and am excited to read it again when it is released Aug 9.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for the ARC!

#BookReview #MrPerfectOnPaper #JewishBooks #RomanceBooks

(image description: an eReader held in a hand showing the book cover & a notebook with a checklist and a pen on top of it in the background)