I had a hard time getting into this book. Some things the main character did just didn’t sit well with me.
I would like to reread this at a later date.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Romance. Magic. Rom Com cuteness, what more could you want? Loved this, fast paced romance. Will look for more from Jean!

I really tried to like this book, but I just didn’t enjoy it at all. There were too many weird aspects going on and I didn’t like the characters at all. It didn’t really feel like a rom com.

I really liked this one, although the element of a magical being threw me a bit. Like I want a happily ever after, not a creature that would go insane. But thankfully it worked out in the end and I really enjoyed this one. Jean Meltzer is going to go onto my always read pile.

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i am not a fan of the magical realism but i guess this was done well enough. i thought the inclusion of jewish and disability representation was done wonderfully. while some serious issues were brought about, it wasn't so heavy that it makes you dislike the overall lighter tone of the book.

✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Jewish/Jewitch Rep
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Found Family
✨ Small Town

This one was super cute. A charming slow burn rom com with a slow burn and cozy vibes. There is a lot of focus on Judiasm, antisemitism, and a little witchiness and romance tossed in for good measure. You kinda know what's going to happen until you don't and then it just gets good all over again. Thank you for letting me read this one early in exchange for my review!

Jean Meltzer does it again!

After being dumped by her fiancé, Faye is living in Woodstock, NY and owning her own pottery studio. When Faye creates a golem, a legendary Jewish creature to be the perfect guy she wants.

Greg immediately stole my heart as the MMC, and I really enjoyed this story!

There were many things I greatly enjoyed about Magical Meet Cute, even as the concept of Jewitch was a bit too new age-y for me. (Not to say that it is wrong, just not my belief system!). I loved the concept of a golem in modern day, which oddly enough is anchored in enough legend and folklore for me to be willing to believe in, and the way Greg's character appeared and was developed fit in beautifully. Another thing I greatly appreciated was the different reactions to the anti-semitic incidents that take place during the story. There is no one way that Jews respond, and whether it is with appeals to love, or by becoming a "Nazi-hunter," hiding one's faith or publicly displaying it, all are reasonable responses, and were all demonstrated throughout the book.

I found the characters generally likable, even if I could predict the villain a bit earlier than perhaps we were supposed to. It's also a marvelous story of the strength of, and drawing strength from, one's chosen family.

Jean Meltzer does a great job capturing the variety of Jewish life throughout her novels, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely joyful, magical, and heartwarming story about finding love in the unlikeliness of places. Jean Meltzer does an amazing job of highlighting what it is like to be Jewish in our current world; the beauty, the community, and unfortunately the fear. As a non-Jewish person, I really appreciated the lens through which I could learn and empathize. Additionally, the who-done-it aspect of the story kept the reader guessing and was a great addition to this romance.

Highlights:
✨Magical Realism
✨Small Town
✨Lost Memories
✨Disability and Diversity Reps
✨Poignant and timely topic

Favorite Quotes: “Just because a book is fun and fictional . . . doesn’t mean there’s nothing real to learn inside of it.”

“A Hasidic proverb teaches, ‘Love is the most reliable cure for wounds of the soul.’”

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this review copy. My opinions are my own.

This book had a super-cute premise and sounded both zany ad heartfelt. Unfortunately I felt that the serious issues it raised of anti-semitism and trauma survival didn't mesh well with the really bonkers behavior of the protagonist.

Thumbs up for giving us an MMC with long red hair and thick thighs who's literally described as belonging on the cover of a romance novel.

Thumbs down for writing out "hard kosher salami" about 40 times (it's only ever just "salami" in one scene, and I'm still not sure why that one didn't get the full treatment).

Obviously you can choose for yourself when deciding whether to read this one. Just brace yourself for a lot of hard kosher salami in your future if you do.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer had the makings to be a very important book. Much of the book chronicles the history of Anti-Semitism and its current climate in our world today. And because the book is a contemporary romance, this topic is accessible to a wider audience.

The book centers on Faye, a trauma survivor who owns her own ceramics shop. After a drunken night in which she creates the man of her dreams in clay, a stranger shows up the next day. Faye becomes convinced that the stranger is a golem of her own creation.

I really enjoyed the book until I didn’t. The book, which was teetering on is the real or is it magical realism, became a ridiculous mess that wrapped up too neatly at the end with a perfect bow. I think if the author had decided to go in a different direction with the book, it could have been a great, fun and educational read.

Side note: I loved the character, Nelly. We all need a Nelly in our lives!

I really enjoyed this story. Faye is a former lawyer who left her career, was dumped by her fiancé and moved to Woodstock to open a little pottery shop. Faye is a Jewitch, which is something I’ve never heard of, but found very interesting. I went into this book blindly and found it very refreshing and loved how it portrayed and gave us a little insight into how the Jewish have been and are still treated in some instances. It’s a great little rom-com with a little learning for some. I personally enjoyed it and would like to thank NetGalley and the Author for allowing me to read an Advanced copy of this great book!

This is a delightful romance. Jean Metlzer coming current political issues, past trauma, and the desire to be loved.

Honored to share a birthday with this oh too timely, educational and and sweet read.

Jean Meltzer's books are full of Jewish rep, history and joy and this one is no exception. The themes were what I loved most about this one, from antisemitism to all the different ways of connecting to your Jewish identity to the power of stories passed down through generations. I especially loved learning about Jewitches and golems. And the closed door romance was very charming - and very funny at times. Overall, another cute one and I look forward to Jean's next book - The Eight Hearbreaks of Hanukkah, coming October 2025.

This is the first romance I’ve read where we ask - is the hero a golem? Potter Faye is happy with her life and her town - except the anti-Semitism she’s seeing by way of posted flyers.

After getting a little tipsy, Faye creates a clay golem to protect the town, and maybe be her perfect man. Enter Greg, who seems like he’s simply made for Faye!

Add in an accident, amnesia, and an investigation into a hate group, and we have a cozy, sweet love story between Greg and Faye.

Except Greg can’t remember his past, and Faye can’t help but wonder, did she make him out of clay?

This story had silly and serious moments, humor and love, and most of all, characters whose personalities flew off the pages. I always love this authors’ characters, and this was no different. Am I Faye? Because I think so many of us can relate to her.

This is a highly recommend from me! From the Queen of Jewish romances, this was such a perfect mood read for me that I was sad when the story ended.

Such a cute book and should be a definite read for anyone who likes a cute, fun book to read! I enjoyed the characters and could relate to them more than I wanted to!

I don’t think the cover matches the story. While this is a romance, the themes of Jewish folklore, Anti-Semitism, and Jewish magical realism are more prevalent than the romance.

This book was not what I thought it would be. While I did learn a lot, this wasn’t a lighthearted romance by any means. Faye is a Jewish witch that is afraid to live her life out loud after being abused as a child. And Greg is the embodiment of old Jewish folklore for 90% of the book. I enjoyed the Matzah Ball, but this book missed the mark for me.

⭐⭐⭐
0.5🌶️

I liked the idea of this book more than I liked the book itself. It was too long and not enough happened, so I got bored. Even the writing was repetitive; I fell asleep multiple times while reading this book which is *rare* for me. I also didn't like that once she decided he was a golem, she solely focused on destroying him. I was disappointed she didn't even attempt to think of a way to save this person for whom she supposedly had feelings??

3 stars because while I did get bored at points, I liked the overall story and I liked both of the main characters.

Thanks to netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and Jean Meltzer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m very torn about this book, and I think 99% of my issues with it come from how it was marketed. Based on the summary I really expected this to feature far more romance, but it honestly felt like the romance took a backseat to everything else in the plot. Faye and Greg didn’t have a lot of time to really get to know each other, but it also didn’t feel like a good case of insta love either. I just didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters, and I think that really dampened the reading experience for me. The golem of it all also threw me - it’s hard to root for a romance when one of the parties might be a newly created mythological creature. The infantilization of Greg during his “beginnings” really didn’t help either. Not only did it make their relationship feel weirdly imbalanced, but it also made no sense! Amnesia just doesn’t affect motor skills like that.

Other than that major complaint, I did really appreciate the representation and message Meltzer was able to present here. Antisemitism is something that needs to be addressed, and she did a great job of showcasing just how insidious it can be, even in idyllic small towns. The mystery related to the antisemitic messages wasn’t the most in-depth, but it fit with the tone of the story. She also did a fantastic job of addressing some serious topics like childhood trauma, and I appreciated the empathy other characters have Faye throughout the story.

All that to say, this story touched on a lot of important topics, but it did so at the cost of the romance. Since I primarily read this for the romance, I was sad to see that aspect suffer, but I’m happy to see these discussions being had in a novel. 3 stars.

Another great read from Meltzer! I went in completely blind (I didn’t read the synopsis at all), just knowing that whatever she writes I’m going to love - and I did. This one was very, very different than her previous releases, though, as it’s very heavy and emotional. Some parts definitely felt as though they really dragged down the flow of the storyline. The subject matter and those dragging parts is the only reason I’ve rated it 4 and not 5 stars…

Faye (Faiga) is a Jewish witch, a Jewitch, trying to live a peaceful new life in Woodstock. She’s left her NYC lawyer life behind for the slower pace of a potter in the small town. It’s generally been a good life with her small community of close-knit, mostly Jewish friends as well. Then one day, a group comes papering the town with anti semitic flyers and trying to run them off. Faye is so distraught and distracted that she accidentally mows a man down with her bicycle and causes him to have a case of full-on amnesia!

While caring for this unknown person who seems to have no family or friends looking for him, they become great friends and she teaches him all about their Jewish community, and he “finds” himself there. She’s unfortunately got a secret idea about who she thinks he might actually be… and it’s got something to do with a bit of magic she was doing before the accident.

I had a blast reading this book and learning so much about the current and long-term trials the Jewish community has been facing. I knew only a little about it and some of what the media has been putting out. It was very good to get this first-hand take (I’ve seen some of what she’s posted on social media but know there is a ton more). As a non-religious person, I’m always horrified to see these things happening for what I consider to be completely unfounded reasons. Everyone is the same and there is absolutely no reason any of this should happen because of a person’s beliefs or what god they pray to! I’ve never been able to wrap my head around any of this, and it’s been going on for such a long time… Anyways! I absolutely recommend this one because it’s a great read plus some great lessons. It’s a clean romance and very classy, so it is definitely good for everyone. It is a far more emotional read than I was used to from her previous books, dealing with the anti-Semitism as well as quite a number of internal conflicts within the characters.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA, and this is my honest feedback.