I have read every book by Jean Meltzer and wanted to love this one as much as her previous ones. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to get through. It took me 6 weeks to finish this book, because I kept putting it down, and it usually takes me 2-3 days. I loved the idea of this book and I loved the supporting characters. I wanted there to be more focus on Jewitch magic and I also found Greg's recovery to be slightly unbelievable. All of the ellipses to show his pauses were a bit hard to get through, considering he would string together a fully formed sentence with larger words, then stumble on something easy. I liked the focus on the important subject of anti-Semitism but wanted more from this too and I found the "big reveal" of the Paper Boys leader to be very predictable. I also found some of the wording during romantic/erotic scenes to be super cringey. My last complaint is small but something that drove me nuts: I GET that her favorite snack was hard kosher salami but it was mentioned SO much. How have they not gotten tired of the same snack/meal when I was tired of hearing it mentioned? I am looking forward to Jean Meltzer's next book and hope I enjoy it more than this one.

I really wanted to love this book. There were elements that I liked - the folklore and the side characters. I felt the trauma the MC went thru felt real but repetitive. I didn’t connect with her at all. I sympathized but something bugged me. I didn’t love the book excerpts either. I just felt it was good but a miss for me. It is also maybe too soon for the current events to be read about - for me. Felt uncomfortable. But maybe that was the point. I’m

This was a quirky fun love story. There is strong American Jewish representation that discusses anti-semitism. It's a light quick read.

3.25 🌟

This book was way more than just your standard romcom and dealt with some tough subjects.

I really wanted to love this book because I really enjoyed The Matzah Ball but augh, I struggled. I liked that she took on different/difficult topics like anti-semitism and parental abuse. But that combined with the Jewitch/magical realism felt like this book was trying to do too much.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I am always looking for more Jewish love stories and Jewish characters and I love how Jean writes them! This was a fun love story that I think is even better than her last few.

I had high hopes for this novel based on the synopsis, but this book was not for me. I never cared about the characters, disliked the lack of world building, and thought the antisemitism was too instantaneous without any background to help me feel Faye's emotions. I also questioned the view point of Greg when he was supposed created or suffered from amnesia. Also, why would anyone, especially a single woman living alone, take home a complete stranger?

⭐️⭐️⭐️From the publisher Harlequin Trade: Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.
*******************
My review: Faye has a lot of baggage that we find out about bit by bit. But she is an independent woman living the life she wants. I admit that taking an amnesiac stranger in is a bit off...but fiction and all. It definitely kept me reading as I waited to find out who Greg really was, I could feel his frustration.
Love the nod to witches and spells and the idea that Faye conjured Greg out of clay. A little magic is always fun. At first. It got absurd near the end and I had trouble believing that Faye really believed she created Greg.
While the book obviously is about romance, the mystery had me a little on edge. In this age of increased antisemitism it was stressful to not know enough about Greg's background or connection to the threats against Faye and the Jewish community. I worried about other characters too and Faye's fear jumped off the pages. About 3/4 through Faye's attempt to rid her life of the golem was a bit ridiculous and I skimmed some pages (and I read a lot of supernatural fiction as romance novels) but the book moved a long quickly enough. It was enough of a mystery to keep you reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

Faye used to be a lawyer, but following a breakup with her former fiancé she moves to Woodstock and becomes a potter. She's happily single, until after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue she finds her town papered with antisemitic flyers. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right? When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true. Is he a golem or her dream man?

Jean Meltzer is the queen of Jewish romance novels and I've enjoyed all her previous books. I loved the "Jewitch" witchy vibes in Magical Meet Cute, and the topic of antisemitism is extremely timely. The golem romance thing was super weird to me - the idea of falling for a guy who either has amnesia or had been animated from clay gave me the ick - and as a result I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I think the question of whether or not Greg is a golem could have been resolved earlier in the book. I really liked the story's resolution though, and by the end of the book my appreciation for the story had risen considerably. I plan to read this again to see if I enjoy it more the second time around now that I know how it ends.

Overall, it was 3.5 stars for me personally but objectively the book was 4.5 stars, so I'm rounding to 4 stars in my official rating. This novel won't be for everyone, but if you're looking for a romance with magical realism that embraces Jewitch practices and tackles big topics like antisemitism, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley.

This was my first book by Jean Meltzer and it wasn’t my cup of tea. I ended up DNFing 40% in because I didn’t like the religious focus.

In general I love Jean meltzer .Her first two books were straight out of my Jewish girl fantasies.i wasn't a huge fan of kissing kosher but, this book didn't disappoint. I loved both the FMC and Mmc. I could do with a little less antisemitism since it is so prevalent in the world right now and I look to books as an escape. Other than that it was funny, the side characters were Fab and I loved the jewitch premise.

Jean Meltzer's books are always charming and authentic representation of contemporary Jewish life. Thank you for the advance review copy. . I look forward to her next book.

This was like matzo ball soup in book form. With everything going on in the world and in the aftermath of October 7th, it was nice to read a story about being a Jewitch woman and her golem (or human?). This was a cute story and handled some serious issues about past trauma and antisemitism. I loved the main characters and rooted for them every step of the way. Nelly is, by far, one of my favorite side characters ever. We all need a Nelly in our lives!

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

I wanted to like this book. But the awkward world building and language usage was too hard for me to get through.

I enjoyed reading Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer!

This book was a good rom com that tackled some bigger issues . I loved the mix of romance with magical realism. It did have a “seven year slip” feel and I loved that. I liked the Jewish representation as well!

Overall this was an enjoyable read but not my absolute favorite.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

MAGICAL MEET CUTE by JEAN MELTZER was absolutely that...a magical meet cute. The book itself was adorable and full of cute fluffy moments. Weaving bits of magical elements into the mix and Jewish folklore made it to be a book I will remember! Jean's humor kept me interested and it added more to a pretty predictable (but enjoyable!!) plot! This is the type of book I would read during the cozy fall season as it checks every box of a need-to-read autumn rom com!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

Book Review
Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer

Tropes and Triggers
Jewish folklore and Semitic history
Racism/ Hate crimes
Magical realism- in the form of a Golem, spells etc.
Small town in need of a savior
Disability rep
Childhood abuse

MC
Faye - refers to herself as a Jewitch, former lawyer, with a traumatic childhood and a recent bad break up she has started her life fresh as a potter but often gets mired in in the negative thoughts her past self whispers in her ear
Greg- Golem or man… its a mystery
Nellie- meddling neighbour full of sass and spice
Eric- potential suitor and protector, local police Chief
The Paper Boys- local criminal element that has recently targeted the town with anti-semitic propaganda

Thoughts
✅ I had difficulty suspending reality to accept to idea of a Golem but Greg’s ginger cinnamon roll vibes made him attractive , I wish his true identity was revealed much earlier
✅ The self healing journey Faye is undertaking held my attention- I appreciated seeing Faye find her voice and a path forward from her past traumas
✅ The author addressed a variety of complex social justice issues with care and compassion but it felt like a lot - almost too much for me- the romance did not feel at the forefront of the story
✅ Quite honestly- I think I would have liked this book more withOUT the “magic elements “

Overall
While all of these details may work individually, for me the pieces didnt fit seamlessly together . A miss for me from this author.

Thanks to @netgalley @mirabooks for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

i loved the jewish rep i this book as well as the romance it was very exciting and happy and reminded me of the magic i felt when i read the seven year slip

I Loved this book! The Jewish representation along with a magical love story was just what I needed to cure the reading slump i was in. The story was original and definitely so cute!

I’m a Jean Meltzer super fan and this book was exactly what I needed with what is going on in the world right now. I’m sure when Jean wrote this, she didn’t realize that antisemitism would be on the rise all over the world and I would need the comfort of her words to help me explain as a Jew how I feel in the climate we are in.

This was a great story of not only learning more about Golems, something I have heard bits and pieces about in my Jewish journey, but of self discovery as well. I loved how unapologetic Faye was in her Judaism, even when people wanted her to tone it down a bit, and I liked the bit of mystery that was mixed in to the story as well.

I throughly enjoyed the story and all the information about the Jewish faith and culture. The magical element made for a fun twist. The book captured my attention and made me interested to read other book by this author.