This was hilariously entertaining! I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and it did not disappoint. Bonus points because I learned a little bit about Jewish culture too. This was a light and fun read while also having some depth to it. 5/5!

I **LOVED** this book! It gave me all the feels. I laughed, I cried, and a couple times I found myself angry with the rules of the 1960’s.

Don’t Forget to Write tells the story of Marilyn, a 20-year-old, Jewish woman living in New York City with her parents. After an unexpected and controversial event at the synagogue Marilyn attends with her parents, she is sent to live with her aunt, Ada, in Philadelphia for the summer. As Marilyn’s relationship with Ada strengthens, Marilyn begins to experience life to the fullest and grows to recognize what she truly wants from her life.

I loved everything about the main characters and their unique personalities. Very few books keep me engaged throughout, and Sara Goodman Confino’s book knocked it out of the park for me!

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

4.5/5 stars

This book is women's fiction and historical fiction combined with some romance.

The story takes place in 1960 and has the most incredible Jewish rep.

Twenty year old Marilyn Kleinman is causing trouble for her parents. They want to send her away to live with her aunt.

Honestly I loved everything about this book. Marilyn is such a fun heroine. I really enjoyed seeing 1960 from her point of view. I really liked seeing her get in trouble and I enjoyed that reading and writing were her favorite pastimes .

The setting was phenomenal. Parts were set in NYC and Philadelphia, but the main part of the story takes place on the Jersey Shore. I absolutely loved seeing a summer spent by the ocean.

Marilyn's great-aunt Ada is a matchmaker. And she is actually one of the most magnificent supporting characters ever. So sassy and regal. I cannot recall the last time I was so enamored with an older character. And her job as a Jewish matchmaker was superb!

Marilyn and Ada are both so interesting. And I really liked the 1960 time period. It was very interesting to see what was expected of a 20 year old woman at that time.

This book made me laugh and cry. And there was so much that I was not expecting. But this was such a great read! I will be thinking about these characters and this ending for a while.

this book was incredibly middle of the road to me. marilyn was entirely unlikeable, and while the premise of the book was good, it was impossible to tell if it was intended to be a ya novel or not.
ada was the only character i enjoyed, but she wasn't enough to carry the whole book. also, if you think the "revelation" of her and lillian's true relationship was shocking in any way you really don't get out enough.
overall, it was a completely fine book but i had no desire to rush to finish it, and was just not invested in what happened to the main character at all.

An absolutely breathtakingly beautiful novel. This story will keep you engaged the entire time. The characters especially Ada are so loveable. There are really good life lessons in this book as well. It’s encouraging, beautiful, inspiring, a definite must read book. This is the best book I have read in awhile. The book is set in the 1960s when women were not expected to do anything but get married and have babies and be content with that. The book follows a Jewish girl who doesn’t want the traditional marriage and childbearing and how she is going to be her own person and do what she enjoys.

I loved this book, it was funny, sweet and a definite page turner. I finished it in 24 hours.- I started reading it on a flight and completed it the next day!
“Don’t Forget to Write” was really a coming of age book despite the fact that the main protagonist was no longer a teenager.
It is the story of Marilyn, a 20 year old Jewish woman in 1960 who feels constrained by her life, expected to marry young and start a family she really isn’t keen. She wants to follow her dreams and find her own way.
When she is caught kissing the Rabbi’s son in her Temple in the most embarrassing way, falling through a stained glass window, her family are mortified. They decide to send her to stay with her Great Aunt Ada in Philadelphia for the Summer. Ada is a famed matchmaker and strict disciplinarian although she is single herself. Her parents hope that Marilyn will be matched to the perfect husband whilst in her Aunt’s care.
Marilyn is devastated but complies as the other option, marriage to Daniel, is too awful to contemplate.
However when she meets Ada, a feisty septuagenarian, an independent and seemingly rich businesswoman, something unheard of at this time in history when all women were expected to be supported by a man, Marilyn is amazed.
Although strict with many rules for Marilyn to follow, it becomes clear that Ada has a lot to teach her niece and gradually the two form a bond. They are more alike in character than it first appears. Ada encourages Marilyn to be her own person and helps her to fulfil her dream and start writing a novel.
I loved the female characters in this book, they are so strong, particularly Ada. The reader sees her through Marilyn’s eyes as this is how the book is narrated.
Of course a 20 year old in 1960 seems much younger than a 20 year old now. Marilyn has led a very sheltered life but despite this she does not seem to share the same prejudices as those around her. When she realises it’s actually possible for a woman to have a career that’s what she wants for herself.
There are a few surprises in the novel and a fair bit of romance and the ending… wow I really didn’t see that coming. I had to reread it just to be sure! And now I feel bereft as you do when you finish an excellent book and have to say goodbye to some wonderful characters.
I really would love to meet Ada in real life and surely that must be the sign of a novel where the characters have really come to life.
I will definitely recommend this book to family and friends- in fact I have already told one fellow reader to order it! It’s funny, quirky and a heartwarming story all rolled into one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This was really a fun read that takes place in the 1960s. Twenty-year-old Marilyn Kleinman gets caught making out with the rabbi’s son in front of the entire New York congregation, and her parents send her to live with her strict great aunt in New Jersey to try to salvage their daughter's tainted reputation. However, what was supposed to be a summer of torture and punishment turned into a summer of self-enlightenment. Aunt Ada, a beloved 75-year-0ld Jersey Shore matchmaker Ada for the summer was certainly not what she had expected.

There were a few things that took me out of the book though, things that didn't make it entirely fit into the 1960s. But in the end, that didn't matter much. I loved the ending.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

NetGalley book review- Very rarely do I give such cozy reads 5 stars but wow. This book was such a perfect mix of nostalgia (set in the 60’s), summer romance, and banter between a really cool but sort of grumpy old aunt and stubborn and sassy young 20 year old. I related so much to some of the things in this story and the relationship between Ada and Marilyn made my heart warm and happy. What a delightful read. 5/5 ⭐️

Sara Goodman Confino's DON’T FORGET TO WRITE is delightful entertainment. Set in the 1960s, it follows Marilyn Kleinman, who returns home from college and faces an embarrassing incident with the Rabbi's son. She's then sent to Philadelphia under the care of her great aunt Ada. What starts as a banishment turns into an unexpected adventure, leaving Marilyn with more than she expected. This heartwarming story is a must-read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Don't Forget to Write is a 5 Star Book! What happens when a twenty year old gets caught making out with the Rabbi's son in front of the entire congregation? Well for Marilyn her parent's send her to live with her strict great aunt for the summer. She is there to save her tainted reputation and please her parents but while there she discovers so much more about herself and her future. She even finds love while living with her aunt Ada during the summer. The things I loved about this book is how real the characters felt, the time period and location for this book, how the romance with Marilyn and her love was so natural and the ending was so amazing it had brought all the feels. One of my favorite characters was Ada in the book and how she really did have a warm heart. I can not give this book enough praise it was so good. Highly recommend Don't Forget to Write to any reader out there!
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ebook of this!

I loved this book! It was so well-written, detailed, and the characters were so relatable that you were able to feel what they were feeling while reading. The story takes place during the 1960s, which I don't typically gravitate towards, but Sara nailed it! And being from New Jersey, the Jersey Shore setting was an extra bonus!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Don't Forget to Write by Sara Confino🏖💄

Happy (late) Pub Day @saraconfino

genre: romance
format: epub arc
pages: 294
times read: 1
date (dd/mm/yy): 6/9/23
would reread: yuppp
tropes: family bonding, social expectations, second chance
rating: 4,8⭐

review:
Found this on netgalley last month and i loved the cover so I had to buy it

Well tbh i wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did but Ada completely won me over, I absolutely loved this from start to finish and the way it portrayed toxic parents made me love it sm

Well its safe to say i had some good laughs with Ada and Marilyn but I also had a big ugly cry with the stunt Ada pulled, NOT COOL hdhfnf I love her

Ada was my fav, her snarky attitude and the fact that she knows her way around everything and takes no shit from anyone is alazing. Marilyn is the cutest, i loved her sm and the way she stood up for herself made me so happy. Lillian is the cutest, she and Ada are the best like aaaa. Dan is the loml, i loved this man to pieces and the way he was exactly what Mar needed omg.

The fact that Ada knows Frank Sinatra (yes omg) like hdhfhf i love it. Also this woman 100% shagged Hemingway like jfjffj. Love me a bisexual queen

Y’alls go read this book rn.

Sara, again, I'm sorry for the late review.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for sending me an advance reader copy of this book in exchange of an honest review

If I could mash together the Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett and The Notebook, it would accurately describe this book.

A book in the 60’s about a young woman starting off her life fighting against the Patriarchy of both society and her family. As a good Jewish woman she’s expected to be a certain way and act like a lady… but for Marilyn Kleinman, she feels like her wings are clipped and she just wants more.

When a comedy of romance leads to her being shipped off to Philadelphia for the summer, she’s not happy. She does not want to be stuck with her 75 yr old great aunt Ada whose rules and sticker for etiquette make her own family seem loosey-goosey. But, behind the “lady rules”, is an auntie who was once a girl like Marilyn… fighting against society and what was expected of her.

My first of the author and an easy 5 stars from me. I loved it so much I need a copy for my forever shelf. It was heartwarming, funny and full of summer romance. The little twists that happen towards the end were pitch perfect 👌🏻

Honestly, this would be amazing up on a screen. Loved it

Really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters they were all relatable and believable. Lots of LOL moments. It’s a story of a young Jewish woman in NYC in 1960, trying to break free from the future her father has planned and live her life making her own choices. Great end of summer read that will have you hooked from the beginning. Thank you NetGalley.

“Always say yes to new things,” Ada said. “It’s the only way you’ll be able to write about life—if you actually go out and live it.”
Don’t Forget to Write is perfect for when you need something light and fun, but also with a heart. If you’re looking for a fun women’s fiction novel that’s thought-provoking, comical, and full of substance, this is it.
Marilyn kisses a teenage boy at Synagogue and her parents insist she marry him! So she is shipped off to her aunt’s house for the summer! I know it’s 1960 but wow, that’s pretty harsh.
Over the course of the summer, Marilyn learns some important lessons, the most important being that you don’t have to settle. Marilyn must decide if she wants to return to the comfortable life she knows or embark on a riskier path.
An entertaining look at women’s lives in a bygone era, with a terrific mix of nostalgia, summer breezes, and strong characters. Highly recommended.
It’s a slow-paced story that bimbles along. It’s quite endearing, you get slowly drawn into the era.
The ending is delightfully sentimental, and emotional reducing me to tears.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Don’t Forget to Write is perfect for when you need something light and fun, but also with a heart.
Marilyn Kleinman is home for the summer from college when she’s caught making out with the rabbi’s son in the synagogue, she’s sent off to her great-aunt’s. It’s 1960 and Ada is the premier matchmaker in Philadelphia.
“She wasn’t warm and she suffered no fools. But no one had a better heart than this indomitable battle-ax before me.” Whenever Ada was in the picture, I was hooked. I was not as entranced with Marilyn. At times she verges on being petulant, acting more like 15 than 20. But then, she still had some growing up to do and had to learn how to stand up for herself and her beliefs.
The story is true to the time and place, especially the New Jersey seaside, and it was so easy to envision every scene. The ending was perfect and I will admit to being caught off guard in one aspect. Prepare for lots of laughs and a few tears.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

I absolutely adored this book. I think Ada was my favorite character. I know the story is about Marilyn and her journey but I also loved the experience these two had over the summer. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel all the feels. It has some twists and turns you might not see coming. Overall it’s a good feel good story that I think everyone will love. The narrator is fantastic telling the story and kept me very entertained and on edge of my seat just wanting to know more of the story. Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I just finished my first novel by Sara Confino. I could not put it down and read it less than 24 hours! I can't recall the last time I was so immersed in a story. After embarrassing her family, 20 year old Marilyn is sent off for the summer to her great Aunt Ada's for the summer. She vacations at the Jersey Shore under her aunt's watch and strict rules. I loved the dynamics of these 2 characters and seeing them form a bond and impacting each other's lives for the better. Aunt Ada is a no nonsense kind of person and you can't help but to fall in love with her. Marilyn loves to test boundaries. and is trying to figure out life while navigating a controlling father in the 1960's. I would love to see a sequel to this one day.. Thank you #Netgalley for an arc for an honest review. #DontForgettoWrite #lakeunionauthors # sarconfino

This book was one of the best I've read in awhile! I loved strong, opinionated, and kind Ada. I would like someone like that as my great aunt! Her attitude and pointed remarks were entertaining and I couldn't wait to hear more of her story as the book progressed. Marilyn and Ada are both brave women who refused to follow the status quo which seems much more daunting in the 60s. They were both compelling characters that I was invested in. My only criticism would be that I guessed the ending but I loved it all the same!

This is a light, sometimes funny, sometimes moving story of a upper middle class Jewish young woman in the 60's. Sent to her aunt after she disgraces her family. I liked parts of it , the great aunt in particular and her wisdom but it also felt very stereotypical and without the depth I wanted 3.5