I have mixed feelings on this forbidden, slow burn, friends to lovers, interfaith romance. On the one hand I really enjoyed learning more about the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle and the strict restrictions adherents follow but on the other hand I felt the book was longer than it needed to be and dragged a bit in the middle.

There was great disability rep (the heroine, Penina has a misshaped uterus that makes her infertile and unable to bear children) - a condition I hadn't heard of before and causes her a great deal of distress as a woman raised and wanting children of her own. Recommended for fans of Jean Meltzer and good on audio narrated by Caitlin Thorburn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review. I hope we get more stories featuring Penina's sisters!

Premise:
29-year-old virgin Orthodox Jew Penina has been going on dates set up by her matchmaker for basically a decade now, and she thinks she has had enough. She finally meets Zevi, a closeted gay man, who offers her a fake marriage and a promise to pay off her family debt, in exchange for being his wife to cover up his sexual orientation. She is open to this idea but her new boss, Sam, and her feelings for him, are getting in the way of this plan. Penina also runs a social media account about modest fashion, and in her downtime, she volunteers at the NICU by holding babies.

Tropes:
grumpy x sunshine
slow burn
giving-up-something-for-love
no pregnancy epilogue
outsider-falls-inlove-with-insider / from-different-worlds

Thoughts:
I am not secular or Orthodox Jewish (I was raised in a Roman Catholic household & have since explored my spirituality outside beyond just that religion); all this to say, I cannot speak to the authenticity of both the secular and Orthodox Jewish representation in this. I can say that I appreciated that Sam was secular so that when he was asking questions, that felt authentic and operated as a device to inform readers about Penina's Orthodox Jewish culture. I loved that and think it flowed really well! I also deeply appreciated the representation of adoption because I think more people should consider it, even if you're not infertile. *hot takes are made here, cry about it!*

As far as the slow burn, I thought that was well fleshed out because they could not touch or kiss, so you could really feel the angst! There were some descriptive language that frustrates me in cishet romance sometimes, with leaning on gender stereotypes too heavily, like describing the MMC as masculine, big, etc. I just find that in 2023, there are thousands of other words to describe someone without using vague/outdated words like "masculine" or "feminine" without further explaining what that means and what gender stereotype you're enforcing.

Anyway, for the most part, I really liked Penina because she was a silly goofy millennial and her at her most awkward moments? I get it babe. That's me too lol. A fluffy, fun romance with lots of information about Orthodox Jewish culture & important discussions on a woman's worth when she is infertile. More infertile FMCs please!

Penina is a 29 year old Orthodox woman on the quest to find her perfect mate. However, due to infertility, she is having a hard time doing this. The shadchanim are setting her up with older men, mommy’s boys, and overall inappropriate matches. Until she meets the man who will solve all her problems. A secretly gay man, Zevi offers to marry her in exchange for a sum of money that will put her family’s financial problems to bed. One thing stands in her way through, Sam Kleinfeld, her new boss. Sam is a rugged, good looking, hard working businessman who does not take any nonsense from Penina. He opposes the plan and comes up with ways to prevent her marriage. Through a series of events, Sam shows Penina that she does not need to give up the future she wants just because she can’t have children and eventually convinces her of her worth as a woman. While not religious himself, Sam learns to appreciate Penina’s Judaism and the effect it has on her, and ultimately brings the two of them closer together.
Not a traditional romance as the title conveys, Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok coming in July from Alcove Press, is a delightful twist on the boy meets girls genre and will be thoroughly enjoyed by lovers of chic lit.

How was this a debut novel?! Penin and her struggle to find love and discover who she is and who she wants to be in her community despite her own personal challenges won my heart from the start.

This was my first time reading something by this author and it was quite an enjoyable experience. The story was unique and caught my attention from the beginning and held it all the way through. I enjoyed learning about a new culture and the author did a nice job of depicting the traditions and practices and helped the reader really understand the customs. The book definitely left me with a smile on my face afterwards. The characters were interesting and well-developed with realistic qualities that gave them an authentic personality and were easily relatable. The story was delightful and interesting and I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Penina Kalish is 29 and is Orthodox Jewish. She enjoys her job working in a jewelry story. Because of health issue she is unable to have children which for her means matchmakers pair her up with less than ideal candidates. She is also overly empathic wanting to help people and solve their problems. When her sister is on the verge of losing her home Penina is willing to do anything to help, including entering into a marriage with a Gay Jew as his beard. But her bigger distraction is new boss Sam Kleinfeld. He is gorgeous, abrupt and although Jewish he isn’t Orthodox.

There is a lot to like in this debut novel. I enjoyed learning about the Jewish rules and customs that aren’t more universally known. I like Penina and that she lives her religion and finds joy in it. But also she can still read trashy romances and treats herself to nice lingerie. Much of the humor in the book comes from a few terrible dates Penina endures. I think her family, especially mom with her lack of boundaries is suppose to be funny, but I cringed more than laughed.

This is very much a slow burn romance. In keeping with the faith traditions there can’t be any touching or stolen kisses. You do get Penina’s longing and even lusting thoughts for Sam but don’t see it reciprocated. So it’s hard to see more than friendship as they talk about their families and lives. Of course you can see where it is going but it takes ages to get there. I was glad to see the epilogue and the beginning of the HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

Not my typical genre but I loved it! It was sweet, funny, and heartfelt all at once. The storyline was easy to get into and the characters were relatable and easy to connect with.

Penina is twenty-nine-years old, infertile, and in the Orthodox Jewish community, and that combination has her often being overlooked when being matched with potential partners, or sometimes matched with men who are not ideal. As she continues to struggle with finding a partner, her sister reveals that she losing her home due to her husband's failed business. Penina loves helping people, so when a gay man offers to pay her millions of dollars in exchange for a fake marriage, she thinks she found the perfect solution. Until, she starts to developing intense feelings for her secular boss, Sam Kleinfeld, and now she has a tough decision to make.

I was not familiar with the Orthodox Jewish community before reading this book, and I actually found it very educational. There were traditions that I found fascinating, and I loved that Penina defended her community with passionately. I though as a main character that she was compassionate, strong, and funny at times, but then sometimes I found her slightly frustrating or impulsive. I also was not too fond of Sam throughout the story. He was over the top, and even at the end I did not find him likeable.

3.5/5 stars
This was a great read about a 29 year old orthodox Jewish virgin woman who is looking for a guy and meets her new boss who she can’t fall in love with. Shertok is a great writer and I loved the story right from the beginning. It was very entertaining as there were bantering and cute scenes. Shertok explores the Jewish community which I enjoyed learning about. Usually, I’m not a huge fan of religious-based books but the author did an amazing job with incorporating it into the story. The concept and plot of the book was great but I do wish there was more romance between the main characters. Readers will read the majority of the book about Panina and a secondary “love interest” that you don’t get much of the main love interest. The pacing was off as the ending felt very rushed. This book is only told from Panina’s pov.

Panina is the MC of this book and I really enjoyed her story. She is a virgin, infertile woman looking to get married and help her sister. I loved how relatable a character she was and a sweet person. She had a great character development even though her end choice was a bit confusing but nevertheless, I enjoyed her story. There are many side characters in this book whom I very much enjoyed. I do have to say that I didn’t like how much page time Zevi got. I felt as though I know him a lot more than the love interest, Sam. Sam was a great character but he’s also a mystery left unsolved. The romance is clean enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine and opposites attract. A cute couple but not the best romance.

The ending was good, nothing surprising. I do wish there was more romance development in the book as it’s labeled as romance. It was still a well-written story and I would totally be reading more of Shertok’s books in the future. I still think it was a fun, light read perfect for the time I was reading.

I was super excited for this book and I loved it. Penina, the FMC is Orthodox Jewish and I really loved seeing that representation. It was so great to see all the joys she found in her faith and it really translated into the story. I found her to be funny and snarky and I really liked her vibe. Sam was also a great contrast. He was moody and serious, but also so far gone for Penina. This was a really cute romance that dealt with some heavier topics, including infertility and familial expectations, and I loved reading it. I'm glad this was on my radar. The romance was exciting and I was living for the banter. I also liked the side characters because I thought everyone's personality was nicely developed and thought out. Overall, this was a fantastic debut! Thank you to Alcove Press for sending me a copy to read and review!

Unorthodox Love is a sweet, fun look at the love life of an orthodox Jewish woman who tries to land true love and help her family out at the same time.  While there are a couple of dull stretches, it’s still a nice romance.

Penina is a virgin at twenty-nine, and the matchmaking scene just isn’t cutting it. She thinks she’s going to die alone and unloved as, in her Orthodox Jewish community, her infertility--she's been diagnosed with uterine hypoplasia--has made her a less than desirable prospect for romance.

She settles for a paper engagement for what will be a paper marriage to a handsome guy named Zevi, who is gay, and who thinks that a paid arrangement with Penina is better than dying alone. This deal will also mean that Penina will have enough money to be able to inject some cash into her brother-in-law’s faltering business and hopefully end the rift between hin her sister Libby, who has resented Penina’s not helping them out.

Enter Sam Kleinfeld, her new boss and the son of her retired and hated previous boss. Sam’s a handsome guy with a big mouth who follows the reform side of the faith. Culturally, they couldn’t be further apart, and the last thing Sam wants to do is get involved with an employee. Penina is at first dismayed by, then intrigued by, then attracted to Sam. But can their opposing viewpoints mesh to make beautiful music? Or is Penina doomed to a loveless marriage?

I liked a lot of Unorthodox Love. Much of the tale is funny, sweet, romantic and well-handled. It reminded me very much of a Jewish slant on My Big Fat Greek Wedding, only Penina is much less of a mouse than Toula ever was.

I mostly liked Penina. She a bit too perfect at times – the level of her self-sacrifice alone grates – but she’s also yearning for a well-rounded life and her desire for more is understandable. She grows up throughout the book and comes into her own as a wife. I did think the novel became a little bit image obsessed, especially when it came to over-describing every facet of whatever Penina is wearing.

Sam is perfect, with his snarky, grumpy ways and great one-liners. He and Penina have to work to get their clashing points of view on life to properly jibe. And the romance? Yeah, this is what Penina has more than earned, and she’s welcome to the happy ending she gets.

Her sister Libby is a little annoying – I wanted her to stop hectoring and start helping, for heaven’s sake! Mousy husband Natan grated as well. And the deus ex machina employed to make Penina a Mom After All (don’t worry, our infertile lead remains infertile) had me groaning and keeps Unorthodox Love at a B. But it’s a solid, fun, readable B.

Penina longs for true love and marriage, but it's hard for her to find a good match in the Orthodox Jewish community, especially because she is infertile. Her sister, Libby, is in big financial trouble, so to help her, she accepts to enter a fake marriage with Zevi, who is gay and wants to hide it, in exchange for enough money to help Libby. Until she meets a handsome stranger she all but falls in love at first sight with. Before finding out Sam will be her new boss...
This grumpy sunshine, workplace/boss-employee, fake relationship, clean, romance is a quick read! It was unique and a bit slow to get into, and the burn was very slow. I mostly enjoyed it, but there were a few annoying things. First of all, Penina's inner dialogue is very negative and frustrating. And because our background is so different, I found it very hard to relate to her. But it was nice to learn more about Orthodox Jews, but in some places, it was more explanation than it was story telling. Also, there is a strong emphasis on her faith all through the book, but her HEA is not aligned with that. Maybe the author was trying to show some character development, but I felt a disconnection (like Penina does not apply what she preaches). I also did not really like Sam. However, the author did a good job writing well-rounded non-stereotyped characters.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a fabulous Jewish romance. Although the story isn't a traditional line story, it is the story of a traditional Orthodox woman trying to find her way in life when life doesn't go as planned. It's cute, it's sweet, it's heartbreaking and the HEA is more than I could have wished for. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a great story about a Jewish girl with a health issue that has left her still unmarried long after most women her age are long-married with several children… she’s had to resort to a terrible matchmaker in the community trying to set her up with the worst scraps and leftovers who are orthodox, just to get her married off. Everyone keeps treating her like she’s worse than damaged goods (just because of an infertility issue). Shame!

Finally she is paired up with someone with promise… just to find out his “issue” and he offers her something hard to decline, but would be a marriage in name only - but would help to solve not only her own problem of the moment. Too bad her super-attractive new boss keeps sticking his non-orthodox Jewish nose in where it doesn’t belong, and keeps causing her to question everything.

I loved the chemistry between Penina and Sam and how it was such a slow burn, boss employee, sort of enemies to lovers sort of storyline. They had fantastic banter and it was just so much fun! Even though it was completely clean, I barely noticed that part, because I was enjoying everything else happening. I definitely recommend this one! If you’ve read and enjoyed Jean Meltzer’s books, give this one a shot!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley, Embla Books and Alcove Press, and this is my honest feedback.

Penina is me and I am Penina. I love her. There is never a dull moment with her. The first chapter had me howling in laughter. This is funny from the first page to the last. I totally enjoyed this book. I have not laughed at a book from the first page to the last.

It is about the ‘antics’ of a single Jewish woman (who everyone is convinced will never marry). As one of the last sitting on the shelf, the book explores how she navigates her job, life and family.

Told from Penina’s perspective with often hilarious antidotes and sarcastic comments, the author brings to fore the culture and practices of the Jews.

It touches on deep cultural issues such as adoption, pregnancy and marital relations between couples, which makes me fall in love all over again with Penina.

All of the characters are extra, especially Penina’s family. Their antics and side comments are so hilarious.

There was character development with almost of the characters and Penina and Sam becoming better versions of themselves.

I will love to see the author explore Fraydie’s story and to revisit all of the characters again.

If you love rom com, laugh out loud books, boss/employee romance and diversity and own voices then you will love this.

CONTENT WARNING: infertility, homophobia, blood

I was so, so excited to hear about this book, then again to get approved for this ARC, and all over again when I started reading it. And within a chapter, I knew that I was going to love it.

Penina is a great character. She’s funny, hip, and just awkward enough to make her relatable. This is the first time I’ve seen an Orthodox woman featured as a main character in a romance, and it was a nice change. Penina works at a jewelry shop, but also helps out with her family, volunteers with preemies at the NICU, and maintains an Instagram account focused on modest, budget-friendly, and fashionable attire.

Penina’s Jewish identity plays a big role in the story. I liked hearing her talk about how her adherence to faith sometimes conflicts with her modern lifestyle, yet she prioritizes her faith and finds ways to work around any issues. Except a couple which are beyond her control—a medical condition and her status in the Orthodox marriage hierarchy. Because while this book shares so much of the joys that Penina finds in being an Orthodox Jew, it also talks about one of the major negative sides that people outside the community can’t see. Both of these issues happen to be related to the same thing, and that is infertility.

If you’ve ever spent any amount of time around an Orthodox gathering, you’re bound to notice a bunch of children. Because having children is especially important to Orthodox Jews, which lends additional weight to Penina’s struggle with infertility. It also explains why she views herself as damaged or broken, why she hasn’t found a decent (or even vaguely acceptable) match in her ten years of dating, and why she winds up in this situation. Being in a community where you can usually find someone who is pregnant or has a baby with them can’t be easy when all you want is a baby and know you can’t have one, and Penina also explains the complex rules surrounding adoption. This quote really stood out to me:

“Sometimes, the yearning to be a mother is so strong, that it literally steals my breath away and I have to remind myself to breathe. I keep telling myself that it’ll get easier with time, that this ache in my chest will eventually stop hurting, that there will come a day when I’ll see a pregnant woman and not feel envy, but deep down I know the truth: no matter how many years or decades pass, it won’t get easier. I’ll never make peace with the fact that I couldn’t be a mother.”

While the romance was relatively predictable, I still really loved this story. The comedy had me laughing, and I loved Penina’s character right from the start. She’s hilarious and just a little snarky, while her sisters step in with some very different personalities and comedic timing, and the pacing was perfect. This is a great story, and I recommend it for everyone.

This didn't fully do it for me. I really liked how unique and bold the leading heroine was and her banter with the hero....but it seemed rushed at the end when one made a pretty big decision

In Heidi Shertok's novel, "Unorthodox Love," readers are introduced to Penina, a twenty-nine-year-old woman yearning for love and marriage in the Orthodox Jewish community. However, her infertility leaves her with limited options, as matchmakers continually pair her with unsuitable suitors.

Amidst her struggles, Penina's sister, Libby, confides in her about a dire financial situation that jeopardizes their family home. Unexpectedly, Penina encounters an opportunity for financial assistance when a secretly gay Orthodox Jew proposes a fake marriage in exchange for a payout. This twist of fate makes her question the importance of true love.

Enter Sam Kleinfeld, Penina's new boss. Sam is secular, brash, and irresistibly attractive. Despite his reluctance to pursue a relationship, an undeniable connection forms between him and Penina. The novel raises the question of whether Penina will follow her heart's desires or adhere to the traditions ingrained in her.

"Unorthodox Love" explores themes of personal fulfillment, societal expectations, and the struggle to reconcile tradition with personal happiness. However, the execution falls somewhat short, leaving the reader yearning for more depth and complexity in character development and storytelling.

While the book offers a unique perspective on the clash between tradition and desire, it fails to fully engage the reader on an emotional level. The three-star rating reflects its average execution, neither impressing nor disappointing. Despite this, it provides a glimpse into the challenges faced by individuals seeking to reconcile their desires with societal expectations.

Oh my god this book was everything I wanted and more! It’s hilarious and heartfelt and very informative.

Penina longs for true love and marriage but being infertile in the Orthodox Jewish community makes it a lot harder for her to find her soulmate. Enter Sam, her new boss who just so happens to be sexy and rude.

I freakin devoured this book guys. It had everything I wanted and it was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud a lot while reading and my husband kept asking if I was okay. I loved Penina and Sam’s relationship. The bickering and Sam’s pining was to die for. This was definitely a lot different than all the traditional romance books out there which made it even more better.

If you’re looking for a sweet and funny romcom for the summer then I highly recommend picking this one up on July 11th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the e-arc!

This title wasn't something I could get into, so I won't be finishing it. I really hope that others enjoy it, but having seen Jewish Matchmaking on Netflix recently, I had hoped for something less stereotypical.