I have enjoyed reading books by this author and this is another fun read for me. I read this book quickly and will continue to read more by this author.

This book was a slog. The writing was so bad. It was heavy handed, repetitive, and boring. I loved the idea of a Jewish MC but every time the author used the term “jewitch,” I cringed. The idea of someone being a super observant Jew and a practicing witch and regularly using the term Goddess could not reconcile themselves in my head. The myth of the Golem is always fun but this might be the worst way I’ve ever seen it used in a book. I’m not sure how this book got published.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!!! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story.

2 ⭐️. The premise sounds lovely -- a witch living in Woodstock NY (one of my favorite towns!) falls in love with a mystery man who enters town. However, the execution was poor and extremely lackluster. The amount of times the characters commented on genitalia (completely out of nowhere!) gave me such an ick. I also HATED the amount of times a cop showed up to "save the day". Very very disappointed in this read.

TY to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my fourth Jean Meltzer book, so it’s safe to say that I’m a fan, and Magical Meet Cute is a spellbinding romance you’ll want to add to your fall TBR.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the Jewitch elements in it. I found myself wanting to pick this back up after I set it down… which, in my opinion, is the true test, on whether I am enjoying a book.

This reminded me a bit of Practical Magic (always a bonus), but it didn’t have quite as many magical elements in it as I was expecting.

I figured out the biggest “twist” in here pretty early on, but I’m ok with it. I think it worked well in the story. However there was one part of the story that didn’t make sense in the beginning, and it was very hard to overlook it without any additional explanations.

Suggested snack pairing: kosher hard salami - plain, or with rye bread and mustard.

Triggers: child abuse, terminal illness, mental illness, death, antisemitism, police brutality, PTSD

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc of this book

My review is posted on my Instagram @bedtimesandbooks

This was another great book by Jean Meltzer. I really enjoy her books because they're always a beautiful love story with such a great historical lesson on Jewish history. I really enjoyed how this book touched on the anti-Semitic attacks that were happening in her city, it humanized them in a way. It also showed Jewish folklore which a lot of people aren't privy too.

She made the magical realism but made it in a way that it was too far off that it couldn't be reality at the same time. It also had a great disability representation, and mental heal representation as well.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.

I did not finish the book. I read about two chapters, and couldn't keep going. As a religious Jewish person, it was just not a good fit for me.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just could not connect with the characters. I felt like the writing and the dialogue fell flat 😔

Such a fun cozy little romance with some mystery dashed in!
Covers some important topics while still making me laugh along the way. Overall an enjoyable quick read!

I've read all the books by this author and this was definitely the most wild lol. It actually reminds me of two separate hallmark movies combined. If you are intrigued by which two message me cause I don't know the exact names....

I didn't expect this to be dual POV, but was pleasantly surprised. I loved seeing inside Greg's head. With such a weird set up with his amnesia it was definitely unexpected. And can we talk about book boyfriend alert? Cause GREG WAS EVERYTHING. I loved how into Faye he was. Honestly the mutual pining was so so good.

This wasn't just the typical romance. It had a mystery/thriller aspect that was a pretty big part of the plot. It made it a little different and fun.

It did have some heavy topics that had to do with antisemitism. So read the TW.

This one is out in late August! Check it out then!

4/5

In this original and interesting story, that includes humor, mystery, wit, and sexual tension, but without the spice (I'd categorize this as a romantic "clean read"), Jean Meltzer has melded multiple subplots into one story almost seamlessly. She was able to combine serious social and mental health issues with witty one-liners and fantastical ideas that had me both laughing out loud and feeling sorrowful empathy. Faye is an adorably complex character that encapsulates the best of us, trying to overcome trauma and low self-esteem. And though Greg is an amnesiac who may or may not be a golem created by Faye herself, he plays such a stable companion to Faye's chaos. He fits perfectly into her life and is a type of "hype-person" for her, especially when she needs hype the most.

I'd also like to praise Meltzer's character Nelly, a hyper grandmother-type who surprises readers with her sharp tongue and maniacal fervor for catching the anti-semites plaguing the small community of Woodstock, NY. She perfectly complements and supports Faye's character, and offers comic relief in a sometimes heavy topic within this novel. She easily became a favorite character.

There is a small plot hole that I hope is addressed at the time of print, and that's Shulamit and Miranda's pregnancy. There is no mention of a baby in the Epilogue. The proposal at the end is sweet and very progressive, but I'm not sure I love how it was written.

Overall this is a fun novel that I enjoyed getting lost in. It reminds me of Lucy Score's Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door, so if you liked that series, you'd probably enjoy this novel as well.

I have read all of Jean Meltzer's other books and truly enjoyed them. This book was unique, very different than the other ones, and ultimately good. I think the marketing may be off, though. Her books previously were romance; this was barely and the title is misleading. This book felt much heavier than I expected, exploring as a center topic anti-semitism and actual attacks and violence and language around that. It also explores childhood trauma and its effects on adult relationships. The romance was slight and not actually magical, so I think the title and marketing should be changed to target the correct audience. That said, I appreciate the perspectives in the book and confronting anti-semitism head on, and enjoyed the setting and characters as well, including the side characters. I will continue to read all of Jean Meltzer's books. She could use a better editor, though.

I truly enjoyed this cute magical love story and the cultural representation but unfortunately I had to DNF.

Although, this book just wasn’t for me. HOWEVER, it is definitely worth looking into, even though it wasn’t my thing… it may be YOURS!

When Faye's town is covered in Anti Semetic posters, she drunkenly decides to make a golem to protect her. When she accidentally crashes her bike into Greg, she wonders if her golem has come to life.
It's a quick read with lots of Jewish representation. It's educational, heartwarming, and definitely more than just your typical rom com.
I feel like this book is coming out at the perfect time with everything going on in the world. I love everything that Jean Meltzer writes and was so excited to get this ARC. I really enjoyed it and am already looking forward to her next book.
Thank you to Jean Meltzer, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. This novel publishes on August 27, 2024,

I had not suspected that an excellent way to learn about Jewish culture would be through a sweet romance novel. Turns out it is! Magical Meet Cute is educational and funny and heartwarming.

I recommend it if you’re a fan of “Jewitch” practices, accidentally suggestive pottery, quirky FMCs, droolworthy MMCs who READ, found family, and senior citizens with tasers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review!

Did not finish this book, while others I’m sure will enjoy this and the reading style and experience it just wasn’t for me.

The story is basically about unexpected magic that intertwine the lives of its characters in different ways. While I’m a fantasy reader, this felt too fantastical and unrealistic for me. I felt very disconnected from the characters and plot points, I found myself not interested and just bored.

In Magical Meet Cute by Jean Melter, Faye is longing for the perfect man. Then someone distributes anti-semitic flyers all over her town. While drunk, Faye creates a golem protector to help protect her town. However, she makes it into the perfect man.
The next day, she accidentally hits a gorgeous mine with her bike. As a result, Greg, the man who she hits, has amnesia. Feeling guilty, Faye brings him home and cares for him. Will she ever find out who is behind the flyers and did her golem come to life as the form of the perfect man?

Magical Meet Cute did have a few fun parts to it. However, I did feel that it dragged a little bit in the middle of the story.

Faye's life takes an unexpected turn after a night of drinking leads her to create a golem, a Jewish protector against anti-Semitic attacks. When the golem transforms into Greg, Faye's dream man, after a chance encounter involving her bike, she questions her JeWitch magic. As Faye navigates her close relationships and confronts past abuse and trauma, the story gains layers of depth and complexity. I enjoyed Meltzer’s previous romances, but exploring anti-Semitism alongside a magical romance felt disjointed and detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. I found the secondary characters Miranda and Shulamit to be a real highlight. Nelly added a lot of humor, especially while tackling some of the antisemitism in the quaint Woodstock, NY setting. I learned a decent amount about Jewish folklore in this book but some of the phrases were overused and made me cringe (ahem “hard kosher salami” was used at least 10 times). Overall, Magical Meet Cute was okay but could have benefited from more romance and magic instead of trying to push a social narrative.

I read and loved The Matzah Ball so I was so excited when another romance from the same author came up on Netgalley! I was texting friends only two chapters in to tell them how funny this premise was, and I was very happy that everything worked out. The middle of this book had me STRESSED but I enjoyed it so much.

Faye is a potter in a charming town in New York with a thriving Jewish community who has sworn off men after a traumatic broken engagement. So when she comes home one evening to discover that her street and business are covered with antisemitic flyers, she gets drunk and channels her anger into creating a golem that she can pour all of her dreams into. The next day she accidentally hits the most gorgeous guy with her bike, and he wakes up with amnesia and aphasia. So of course she takes him home and names him Greg, "just until he gets his memory back." But as Faye and Greg get to know each other, she starts to think that maybe he's a bit TOO perfect, and maybe ChatGPT is right and Greg is a piece of clay come to life to cause her destruction. (Meanwhile Greg is falling for her too but is scared that maybe he was the neo-nazi who posted the flyers.)

I laughed at Faye's "I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY MADE THIS DEMON CREATURE" nonsense, loved Greg slowly teaching her to trust, and was delighted when we finally got the HEA.

I enjoyed this book and loved the romance, but because this book takes in a present time (the flyers reference COVID), some readers may need to take breaks if they start feeling too stressed. I would recommend this romance, though.

TW: antisemitism is a huge plot point and theme, and the MC has PTSD from childhood abuse and internalized ableism.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin/Mira for this ARC.

Edit: Two hours later, I'm realizing that Faye's essay was what I needed for some internal healing. I think Faye's realization healed part of me. Thank you to the author for giving me something positive to discuss in therapy this week.