I love Jean Meltzer’s books and this was on exception.

She dives into a little magic for this one, but the charm and romance remains comforting to the reader.

She has us ask a very important question about ourselves…

When magic pottery makes the perfect man would you question it or just dive in?

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the ARC.

While not my favorite of Meltzer's books, this one had a lot of her signature charm overall, even if the blend of genres — romance, magical realism, maybe even a little thriller given the subject matter — didn't always feel the most cohesive. I also would've liked to see a little more with Faye and Greg post-him regaining his memories, to get a better sense of how their romance ultimately differed or may have even been somewhat the same. Overall, a sweet story that happens to also deal in weightier topics, so make sure to check content warnings first just to be safe.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not sure why this is marketed as a romcom when it really didn’t seem like a romance to me. The author tackled a lot of topics and provided a ton of information and facts. This just wasn’t my type of book.

I really enjoy Jean Meltzer’s book and was excited for this eARC! I honestly had no idea what it was about before I started reading it, and the plot took me by surprise. This book involves heavy magical realism and took me a bit to get into, but overall was very enjoyable and I was eager to see how it would actually end. As usual, I learned a something new about Judaism through this book, which is something I appreciate and enjoy about Meltzer’s books.

I could not get into this book. I wanted to love it and feel like the potential is there but I stopped many times and had to break for a few days and try again. I can definitely see this being a wonderful read for many, I just felt like it came short too often and ended up not finishing

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer Faye is a former lawyer turned sculptress who changed her life and moved to Woodstock, NY for a change. She is a self proclaimed Jewitch and created a golem (clay protector) after anti-semetic attacks. She meets Greg who had all of the characteristics she asked for and thinks he is her golem come to lofe to protect her.

There is a lot I liked about this book. First, it is very contemporary with its topic of antisemitism. Childhood abuse/neglect, mental health, and self esteem issues are all discussed and it is nice to see a romance tackle such heavy topics. I was pulling for Faye, a nuanced, strong character. Greg was a great character, so strong and patient, evolving, listening, and being so fair and thoughtful in his actions. Plus there is a cute dog and a great small town community!

Some minor quibbles:
Who eats that much salami?!? Literally all she ate. Got annoying.
She took the golem thing too far. (Thiugh the history was interesting).
Plot holes like the hotel.

I would recommend this book. 3.75 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and MIRA publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Jean Meltzer and was excited to read this one and I'm sure it's a great story. Unfortunately, it wasn't formatted for the NetGalley app and very difficult to read and thus enjoy.

A Jewish witch who meets the perfect magical golem? Sign me up for this dating site! Faye is a potter who's fresh out of a broken engagement. She owns Magic Mud Pottery and meets her dream man in the most intriguing of ways, although she thinks he was conjured from her Jewitchery.. With a diverse group of fun characters, Greg, who would do anything to make Faye happy, is welcomed into their community. Then their community is hit by antisemitism only to realize this community isn't going to take antisemitism lightly or sitting down. I found Faye easily identifiable - Judaism was a afterthought, limited Hebrew school, no bat mitzvah, can't really speak much Hebrew. - as I was raised the same way, and am still this way. I was also able to understand her chronic pain as my husband has permanent nerve damage going down his left arm to the tips of his fingers. I love that this author had a character that spoke to me like this, much like her protagonist in Kissing Kosher, which she winked at in Magical Meet Cute. That reminds me - please actually write The Joys of Jewitch Cooking and put recipes from Kissing Kosher in it too! Even with the antisemitism, this was a fairly lighthearted read that was so engaging and sweet I could not put it down.

"Magical Meet Cute" by Jean Meltzer is a delightful rom-com that casts a spell from the very first page. Set in a picturesque small town where magic seems to infuse the air, the story follows protagonist Lily as she navigates love, friendship, and self-discovery. Meltzer's writing is enchanting, drawing readers into a world where the impossible feels within reach. The chemistry between Lily and her love interest is palpable, and their meet-cute moments are sure to make readers swoon. But beyond the romance, Meltzer deftly explores themes of personal growth and the importance of embracing one's unique quirks. With its whimsical charm and heartwarming storyline, "Magical Meet Cute" is a delightful escape into a world where love truly is magical.

Not my favorite Meltzer book, but it was still really sweet. The ending was so good and had the karmic energy I wanted.

"Magical Meet Cute" totally charmed me with its quirky blend of romance and magic. The premise of Faye crafting a golem that might have come to life as the perfect man is as whimsical as it gets. This book doesn't just tell a love story; it playfully explores the idea of what we wish for versus what we need. Set in the artsy enclave of Woodstock, the vibe is cozy yet intriguing, providing the perfect backdrop for such a fantastical tale. The humor here is genuine and well-timed, keeping the potentially heavy themes light and digestible. Honestly, it's a refreshingly unique take on romance that makes you wonder about the magic happening in the corners of everyday life. An absolute delight to read, perfect for escaping into a world where love might just be a spell away.

First off thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for this ARC. I am a big fan of magical realism and was excited to read this. However, it was a miss for me. While the premise was cute and I did initially like Faye as the main character. However, the writing often felt repetitive, and the relationship between Faye and Greg felt very forced. Also, while I am all for spice, the numerous references to male genitalia and its size felt very immature.

I loved the message that the author was trying to get across and I think bringing awareness to antisemitism was really good, but the way she went about it just didn’t work for me. Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this book.

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley for bestowing me one of my most anticipated books of the year as an ARC. I screamed in my car when I got the email. Jean, if you ever read these reviews, your books give me so much joy.

This book is marketed as a romantic comedy, but Jewish, of course! And in this case, it's more jewitch than anything else, which is everything I've ever wanted. We follow Faye Kaplan, a Jewish woman who has made a life for herself in Woodstock, NY, after a horrid breakup with an ex-fiancé and trying to move on with her life separate from an abusive, ill mother and a father who passed away. She has created a pottery shop for herself and is diving head first into her Judaism with the support of her Jewish friends and community. What is critical to the entire story is the consistent anti-Semitic acts that are committed by neo-Nazis that go by the name the Paper Boys; it's a prevalent storyline that hits close to home to what many Jewish communities are dealing with daily. When going to support her community after one such attack, Faye runs over a man on her bike who loses his memory. Over the next few weeks, Faye cares for this man, Greg, who sleeps on her couch and reads all her books (swoon). She sounds like a literal fictional man, and that's the thing: Faye is convinced she's created a Golem. Through a course of highs and lows, attacks against her shop, Greg going undercover to find the neo-Nazis and trying to figure out who Greg is, a beautiful love story is formed. I laughed, teared up, and felt the characters' anger as they were attacked for just trying to survive. This book is about a woman finding herself, embracing her inner witch goddess with the perfect dash of feminine rage, and discovering that they deserve all the happiness and the best kosher salami.

I really love magical realism and the Jewish diaspora representation + golem creation was so refreshing and unique to see! Meltzer is a phenomenal writer and really fills the gap in Jewish romance that publishing lacks right now. And for the most part, I really enjoyed this!

But a lot of the story felt very repetitive and had the same thing rehashed over and over (the salami is mentioned so much for some reason?). I loved the idea of our FMC being a “Jewitch” and connecting with her culture and heritage in a way that felt organic and relatable to her!

I just wish there hadn’t been as much repetitive dialogue in here. It would have been perfect!

Faye, a former lawyer, has relocated to Woodstock, NY and opened a pottery studio. Dumped by her fiancé and fed up with men, she gets drunk and takes her clay to create a golem, a legendary Jewish creature, imbuing it with every ideal trait she can think of. The next day, she runs into a man on her bike, who has a head injury and memory loss. Could Greg be the living embodiment of the golem she imagined? When the town is blanketed with antisemitic flyers, she wonders if Greg is one of the Paper Boys, the creeps that are behind the flyer distribution. The title is somewhat misleading, since this serious tone isn't really cute. I like Meltzer's writing--though this wasn't my favorite of her books it had enough going for it to keep my interest, and I did like the message that you don't have to be perfect to be loved. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book was a total miss for me. I ended up shelving it the first time and then when I got back to it, I still didn't like it, so in the end I did DNF. The premise seemed so interesting but the execution wasn't done well and it could not hold my interest.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer was just a miss for me. Although the concept was interesting, I found the characters to be one dimensional, especially Faye and much for the book, especially repeated mentions of her Golems penis size childish. Apparently her only criteria for a man was that he could properly slice salami, since she was obsessed with it. Also, her dog, just disgusting. I do appreciate her delving into Judaism but with her "Jewitchnesss" I felt it was out of place. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

have so enjoyed Meltzer's past romance books and learned more about Jewish culture each time I pick one up or pop the audio into my ears. I couldn't wait to request this one from Netgalley!

This 4th book was definitely a tougher read for me to stick with, but stick with it I did. And in the end, I'm glad I did.

First up, if you didn't already know this about me, in most books, I struggle with magical realism. I either need full on acceptance that we have a fantastical world as the setting, or I need to live in the real, practical, often devastating world. I should have been clued into that in between world by the title. Or read the synopsis. I didn't. The author was good enough for me.

The pluses of the story: themes of resilience, community, taking back one's power all always appeal to me. Meltzer weaves all of these into her story.

The challenge that never came together for me is something that I think would be a challenge for anyone writing a story that is trying to balance deep, personal, intergenerational trauma and pain from the writer and her characters from hundreds of years of anti semitic violence and a lighter plot line of one's imaginary perfect mate possibly coming to life. The tension between the two and the mystery that needed to be solved did not work for me at all. I would have been all in, I think, if she had written a gritty story working to find the hate group in town while two of the main characters fell in love OR possibly just the magical potential of the budding relationship. The two together just seemed to constantly undermine each other.

While this book did not work for me, Meltzer's winning record means I will absolutely look forward to her next one.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did, I feel in love, as I have with Meltzer's other titles. Yes, the story is a little implausible, at times, but it is a romance book. And the implausibility of it makes it all the more fun!

Oh my goodness what a cute book!!!! I loved the pottery elements since that’s a hobby I’ve gotten into lately. I thought Meltzer created such a beautiful balance of humor and poignant current event topics such as anti-semitism. Meltzer was able to write such a cute rom com style novel that goes so much deeper!