I saw this book being talked about on Jewish bookstagram prior to the pub day so I was intrigued to request an ARC. I have no regrets because I really enjoyed it a lot! I found myself chuckling at some parts. I was glued from the beginning to the end as we follow Eve’s life. Eve is recently single and turning 40. She was dreading to go to a family wedding without a plus-one so she created a golem. It’s a good mix of fantasy and romance! The book flowed really well and the author did a good job of building the tension. I would highly recommend this read! Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Important. I didn’t realize how important this book was until almost the end, but it’s very important. It’s Chicago-based; I’m a little biased as I live there and love seeing it in the spotlight! I resonated with the main character, Eve, even though I’m not Jewish. However, it’s very necessary to get progressively frustrated with the narrator and to want to jump into the pages and give her a good shake. The tension this book builds, done so well. Keep your imagination wide open and hold space for the supernatural, and you’ll definitely appreciate this. In regard to the book structure, I like how the story is told on a daily basis with multiple chapters within each day, leading up to an eventful weekend. Such a clever way to tell this story. The writing is smooth and easy to absorb. I highly recommend this!

If I had a nickel for every book I've read this year featuring a contemporary woman in her 30s making her own golem, I'd have two nickels, which would be two more nickels than I'd have if you'd asked me how many of those I'd read in all previous years combined. This one was heavier than the cover and marketing around it has made it seem, but is still an excellent read- just beware that it's far from a lighthearted romance. Eve is dealing with intense grief from the death of her father, alongside a precarious job situation, staring down her 40th birthday, and a rise of anti-semitic attacks and threats in her community. I was moved by this one, and definitely recommend.

This is going to be one of those reviews where I write AROUND the book more than I write ABOUT the book, because my reaction was considerably more about the issues it raised than it was about the content – and that’s saying something because I have more than a few of those as well. Just that some of those issues are ‘me’ things that may or may not be ‘you’ things.

As always, your reading mileage may absolutely vary, so in this particular case I’m pleased that I have an excerpt from the book to include so that you can judge for yourself whether this will turn out to be a book for you.

I have an additional reason for including the excerpt. I want you to have a chance to see what the book actually IS, rather than what the blurb says it is. Because that’s very much a case of never the twain shall meet.

As the story opens, Eve’s life is far, far, far from being a rom-com. Also, the story is neither darkly funny nor sweet, surprisingly or otherwise. And she doesn’t create the golem until nearly the halfway point of things.

But the story is dark, because Eve’s is in the middle of a long, dark night of the soul. Her beloved father died suddenly just barely a year ago as this Hanukkah story opens, and she’s still utterly devastated. She’s never gotten over the death of grandmother a few years previously, so she’s grieving double while her mother and sister both seem to be breezing along. She has few friends, she’s terribly lonely, and she’s eating her feelings constantly. As if that weren’t enough, her employer is hinting strongly at layoffs AFTER the holidays if not before.

In other words, Eve is in a pit and hasn’t stopped digging. It’s hard to read about just how terrible she’s feeling and how much depression she’s dragging around.

Which is where the audiobook, read marvelously by Gail Shalan, made things worse for me personally because she did such a terrific job as the narrator. When a story is written in the first person perspective, and it’s narrated by someone who is a great match for the character, I get a bit too deeply caught up in the character’s emotions.

And that’s what happened in I Made It Out of Clay. Not just because Eve and I are both Jewish, but because her Chicago neighborhood is where I used to live, her parents’ synagogue is in the town where I used to work and I lost my own father exactly the same way she did. It all got a bit too close – at least before she magicked up that golem – and I got so into her problems they were depressing me.

So my feelings about the story went to places that the author couldn’t possibly have known or intended, but absolutely did affect my reading and listening of it.

The story does get, well, livelier, for lack of a better term, and does head into the sort of horror-adjacent dark I was expecting from that blurb, once the golem arrives on the scene. Eve’s frantic efforts to disguise her wedding date as a real person and not a magical construct gave the story a lot more oomph than it had up to that point.

But I was too mired in her depression to see whatever funny or sweet parts there might be until the very, very end.

Escape Rating C: If you’re looking for this to be a Hanukkah-themed romantic comedy based on that blurb, you’re going to be in for a bit of disappointment. Instead, II would recommend you take a look at Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot, Eight Nights to Win Her Heart by Miri White to fill that particular holiday craving and Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer if you think your Hanukkah romance reading won’t be complete without at least one golem among your eight nights of presents.

Thanks to NetGalley and Halequin for my copy of I Made It Out of Clay by Beth Kander. Eve’s life is a mess. She’s mourning the loss of her father, her little sister is getting married, she’s terminally single, and she’s about to turn 40. In a moment of drunken desperation, Eve creates a golem. A very handsome golem. Shenanigans ensue.

To cobble together a definition, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud, brought to life by ritual incantations and sequences of Hebrew letters.

Lest anyone get on my case, I hate what is happening in Palestine. It’s a big pile of war crimes. However, Israel is one country. Judaism is a religion and ethno-cultural group. A lot of Jewish people do not agree with what Israel is doing. I don’t agree with what the United States is doing a lot of the time. What would you like me, personally, to do about it?

I’ve spent a lot of time around Jewish people and had many friends in that community. For a period in college, I was assumed Jewish until proven gentile. That community still carries the scars from the genocide that killed millions of people less than 100 years ago. Kander does a good job of showing that generational trauma and how it combines with the rise in anti-semitism today.

Kander shows that visceral fear when someone HATES you just for existing as you are. That combined with grief and feeling like you’re failing at an important part of your life is true for so many of us.

When things got spicy, Kander showed us the start of the steam then closed the door. I had questions about the logistics of boning a golem so I was disappointed that wasn’t explored. Everything else I really enjoyed.

Eve’s relatable pain and messiness. Her selfishness was frustrating but believable. It was a very enjoyable read. If you’re looking for something a little different this holiday season, I recommend it. 4.5/5

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA, all opinions are my own.

It appears that I'm in the minority here, but this didn't work for me. This is described as follows "In this darkly funny and surprisingly sweet novel, a woman creates a golem in a desperate attempt to pretend her life is a romantic comedy rather than a disaster." The only thing accurate about this statement is that Eve's life is a disaster. I didn’t see this as a rom-com in any way, and is lacking the comedy it promises. This was depressing and sad, and kind of weird. I felt was a case of a book that was marketed as one thing, but is in fact something very different and I feel very mislead after reading it.

Eve is suffering from deep depression. Her father has died in the last year and she hasn't dealt with the grief and instead of leaning on her family and friends she unknowingly is pushing everyone away. Her younger sister is getting married, and while Eve thought she was OK with being single she feels pressured to bring a plus one to the event. The company she works for is facing layoffs around the holidays, and she is about to turn 40 adding to the pressure and her feelings of inadequacy are overwhelming.

What drew me to read this book was the lore of the golem, it is fascinating. I'm always interested in learning about other cultures and religions and their traditions, mythology and folklore, this promised just that. Eve's family is Jewish, and her grandmother passed on stories of her survival as wells many of their traditions and lore before she passed. As Eve spirals out of control, she remembers a strange tale about the golem her grandmother told and about how it offered protection in times of great need. Eve is certainly in need, and she constantly feels unsafe. In a drunken haze, Eve crafts herself a golem to take care of her. Unfortunately it takes until almost halfway through the book for him to show up on the page, which made it hard to stay interested. Then when he does, Eve becomes infatuated with her man made out of clay, and I thought their interactions were strange and kind of creepy. I had a hard time suspending my belief for this particular storyline, because the golem never fully took on human characteristics and became real to me. Her golem takes his role as protector very seriously and Eve quickly realizes that she doesn’t fully understand what his purpose is and what he is truly capable of.

My main issue with this is that Eve doesn't take any responsibility for her own actions and she makes a lot of poor decisions. I can forgive poor decision making if lessons are learned along the way, but she doesn’t seem to be interested in learning any lessons until the very end of the book. She pushes everyone away, but blames everyone for her problems. She has a cell phone that she never turns on so no one can get a hold of her, but laments that no one invites her to things and if she is invited she doesn’t participate anyway. Not a fan of the walking contradiction. She is literally unreachable and never checks her text or voicemails. The best scene in the book is when her future sister-in-law calls her out for being unreachable and uninterested in being present for anything. It really puts things into perspective, that Eve's resentment of everyone in her life is somewhat misplaced. I appreciated that Ana (the SIL) not only calls Eve out, but also indicates that everyone makes mistakes and has to take responsibility for their part. They have all had a rough year and need to be there for each other. I had a really hard time rooting for Eve, she judges people without having all of the information about them or only remembering things that suit her narrative. Fortunately, she figures things out in the end, but I had a really hard time connecting with her throughout the book. It was only in the last few chapters that I felt the emotional connection I was looking for with the book.

I thought the author captured grief and depression, especially during the holidays well. She also captured feelings of inadequacy and fear of living in the world as a minority. I think this was a really great opportunity to discuss mental health and grief, but those discussions were kind of glossed over and left me wanting. I think the dark humor was lost on me. I read some of the glowing reviews, and those readers connected with Eve in a way I didn't and they laughed out loud which I didn't. Unfortunately, despite really wanting to love this book, I didn’t. This one just wasn’t for me, and that is OK. I know there are others out there who really connected with Eve and the author’s humor.

Eve is single and nearing forty, stressed about work and relationships. With her younger sister's wedding coming up, she manages to make a golem to pose as her boyfriend. He's handsome and thoughtful, but her rom-com start soon takes a darker turn.

We meet Eve right before Hanukkah and her sister’s wedding, which is taking place the day before her fortieth birthday. Her father had died the year before, and he had been the emotional glue of the family. Eve at the start is the type to keep her phone off, avoid texts and calls, and minimize the extent that fear played in her life. She had been close to her father and grandmother and has few friends. It's an isolated life, and the week before the wedding and birthday throws this into sharp relief. She has few outlets, but even the connections to others are held at arm's length. It's after antisemitic aggressions show up that she built the golem, and that devolves quickly.

The world from Eve's perspective takes on more menace, and at first, having a protector is thrilling. She feels safe but also stressed by keeping the golem's origin a secret from those closest to her. Eve has stronger connections to others than she realizes, which I really appreciated seeing in the story. The finale pushes her out of her comfort zone and puts her front and center, exactly where she hadn't wanted to be. The glimpses of this Eve were great, and very well done. I really enjoyed this story, and Eve's journey through grief and love, and working through her emotions.

Eve is single, turning 40, and dreading her younger sister's upcoming wedding. Not only did she impulsively RSVP with a +1 (without a date), but her relationship with her family has been strained since her father’s death. While her mother and sister seem to have moved on with their lives, Eve is still deeply grieving and struggling to connect with them.

After a drunken night, Eve creates a golem, “Paul Mudd,” to be her date to her sister’s wedding. I didn't know much (read: anything) about golems or Jewish mysticism until I picked up this book, so it was fascinating to see how these elements were woven into the story.

While it wasn’t at all what I expected, it ended up being a great read with themes of grief, changing family and friendship dynamics, aging, and reclaiming your life after loss.

While there is romance in this book, it's primarily a book about overcoming grief and trauma, about coping with all of the crap that life perpetually throws at us, and about learning to rely on our own inner strength to handle it all. There's a lesbian wedding, some Jewish summer camp elements, and a fortieth birthday (oh, the horror!) as well as a trio of fantastic friends, a well-meaning but misguided Paul Mudd, and a nice neighbor with struggles of his own. Overall, I wasn't sure what to expect out of this book, but was happily surprised. In addition to the Hannukah, you get lots of Christmas, too....perfect for fans of Chris-mukah!

Eve is unlikeable and irredeemable as a character. Having gay characters where their only personality is being gay is tired. There's numerous plot holes and inconsistencies. Having the book end with all the characters forgetting what happened is just as unforgivable as saying "it was just a dream".

I liked Sasha and I liked Eve's dad.

This wasn't at all what I expected. It's not a rom com that's for sure. It is, however. an interesting look at grief and antisemitism. Eve's mourning her father, feeling left behind by her sister, and generally struggling when she gets the idea to make the golem. And that doesn't turn out the way she (or I) thought it would. Kander has woven Jewish folklore and tradition into her novel which I appreciated because I learned a few things. Thanks to netgalley for the ArC.

With its focus on Judaic traditions, this novel takes a different approach to the typical women's novel where the unmarried sister is struggling with her younger sister's impending wedding while the women and their mom are still grieving the sudden loss of the family patriarch. With the deadline approaching, the main character takes matters into her own hands to fashion the ideal date for the wedding. This turns out to have unexpected consequences and revelations from her best friend.

The 2022 winning concept for Jewish online magazine Hey Alma's annual "Hanukkah Movie Pitch Challenge" was so good that I reread the article about it multiple times, delighting in it every time. (https://www.heyalma.com/announcing-the-winner-of-hey-almas-fourth-annual-hanukkah-movie-pitch-challenge/) So when I heard that the winner, Beth Kander, was turning her four paragraph movie pitch into a novel, I was on the edge of my seat! But by the time "I Made It Out of Clay" was written and I requested the ARC, I had forgotten some key elements from the original movie pitch plot. So I went into I Made It Out of Clay unconsciously expecting it to be a fun rompy rom-com. The breezy, enjoyable writing style and the "almost 40, working gal in the city, stressing over work and can't find a date" setup were classic rom-com.

So when the story took a serious turn, then a twisted turn, and then a very dark turn, I was totally unprepared. But when I went back to read the Hey Alma article, ALL of it was right there in the original movie pitch. I Made It Out of Clay is not a romance and it's not a comedy (despite having the most perfect title ever conceived for a Chanukah-golem mashup). I don't know quite how to categorize it, which made for a somewhat jarring read that has since turned into a growing appreciation over time.

I run a project focused on Jewish genre fiction (www.readjewishly.com) so I spend a large part of my time categorizing Jewish stories into genres. I Made It Out of Clay is paced like a rom-com or chick lit. It has a fantasy element, obviously, but is otherwise so grounded in our real world that even though a golem is very much a full-on Supernatural Creature, that element here feels more like magical realism. The classic "creation gets out of control" story, when not played for laughs, usually fits best into the horror genre. And the book puts grief, intergenerational trauma, depression, and loneliness front and center like contemporary or literary fiction. So what is I Made It Out of Clay? It’s a story, a Jewish story, a unique story, that weaves together many different strands but doesn’t take itself too seriously. And it’s a very good read as long as you are willing to go on the ride it’s giving you.

I wanted to love this book but it was just not for me.

What I did enjoy was learning more about the Jewish religion and customs, especially the stories of survival and loved ones. I also related to the FMC Eve dealing with her grief after losing her father. I too used food as a comfort after losing my own father and understood her bittersweet feelings towards the holidays.

That was where unfortunately my connection to Eve ended. I found her character selfish and unbearable. Her actions were unrealistic for a maid of honor of their sister, and working professional on the cusp of turning 40.

The first 20% of the book was fun with a hot neighbor and rom-com style dialogue, but then it took a heavy turn and the plot was alllllllll over the place: antisemitism, looming threat of job layoffs, dealing with the golem, lusting after the golem, the sister’s wedding, a tiktok stalker, family drama, a scorned bridesmaid, etc! Everything in the end then felt so easily resolved without real character growth, repercussions or apologies!

Overall for me it was difficult to pinpoint what the major plot was and the writing style was not consistent.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy!

"I Made It Out of Clay" by Beth Kander is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking novel that examines the struggles of self-discovery, personal trauma, and the complexity of human relationships. The protagonist, a young woman named Sophie, embarks on a journey of healing and growth after facing immense loss and hardship. Kander’s writing is poetic and evocative, creating a rich, immersive atmosphere that draws readers into Sophie’s inner world. The novel’s exploration of art, particularly clay sculpting, as a means of processing grief is a unique and compelling theme, offering a fresh perspective on how creative expression can serve as both a coping mechanism and a path to self-empowerment.

While the novel’s exploration of trauma and healing is poignant, it sometimes feels like the narrative leans heavily on its thematic elements at the expense of deeper character development. Sophie’s journey, though powerful, occasionally feels repetitive, and some of the secondary characters lack the complexity that could have made their relationships with Sophie more impactful. The pacing of the book can also be uneven, as the story moves between reflective moments and plot points without always maintaining a clear sense of direction. As a result, some readers may find themselves yearning for more momentum in the plot or more nuance in the way the themes are explored.

That being said, "I Made It Out of Clay" is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate introspective, emotionally-driven stories. Beth Kander’s ability to weave together grief, healing, and artistic expression is impressive, and the novel’s subtle reflections on the human experience make it a meaningful read. While it may not offer all the depth some readers might hope for in its characters, it remains a touching exploration of resilience, art, and the journey toward self-understanding.

I think this book was confused about its genre. When I read the synopsis, I immediately thought of the HeyAlma Hanukkah movie pitch they do every year. The author pitched a rom-com about a girl who makes a golem for Hanukkah, named Paul Mudd (played, of course, by Paul Rudd). I thought that was hilarious. So I got excited when I saw that she was writing this as a novel. I love stories about golems, and a golem that looks like Paul Rudd? Yes, please.

But this book is not a rom-com. It's more about grief and learning to find your way out of it. The story follows Eve, who is still reeling from her father's death a year later. She has basically cut off all communication with her friends and family because she keeps her phone turned off (to prevent her from trying to text her father out of habit). But her little sister is getting married, and she's the maid of honor. On top of that, she's committed to bringing a date to the wedding, but she hasn't dated in a year.

I love golem stories, because often, they are about humanity - what makes us human? How can a golem be a part of humanity? Or are they meant to be a servant? To commit violence in the name of protection? While the golem in this story is all about protecting Eve, he has no personality to speak of. He's pretty to look at, but he doesn't really talk, and when he does, it's only one or two words at a time. He's literally a pretty monster. Almost a doll for Eve to play with, which felt more icky than romantic.

There is quite a bit in this book about antisemitism, and the story tends towards dark and heavy, which isn't what you would get based on the synopsis or the cover. This is NOT a Hanukkah rom-com.

I also really didn't like Eve as a character. I understand she's grieving, but she cuts out the people in her life who are also grieving with her - her mother and sister. Every time they try to talk to her she ignores them or ends the conversation, and then she has the nerve to whine and complain that they don't want to involve her in anything or talk to her. Whenever she mentions turning on her phone, she talks about how many texts, emails, and missed calls she has from them - THEY ARE TRYING TO TALK TO YOU.

The pacing is also an issue - this took so long to set up. The golem doesn't even happen until the halfway point of the story.

There were moments that I found impactful—quite a bit about why golems are dangerous and how being a victim doesn't give us a right to become a monster—I liked some of that, but it got lost in the confusion of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a Jew who’s always a bit taken with the cozy aesthetic of Christmas, I was excited for this book from chapter one. This book handled a lot of heavy topics like grief, antisemitism, and tricky family relationships, but it was balanced pretty well with comedic moments. I would say this is less a romance and more of a women’s fiction exploration of Eve finding her identity as she prepares to enter her 40s and accepts loss.

I'm not exactly sure "rom com" is the right genre for this novel. I'm not sure WHAT the genre is here. Heavy themes of grief and identity, and I loved those parts. I didn't know much about Jewish mysticism until this book and that part was really fun for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I Made it Out of Clay is so much more than what the cover and tagline make it appear to be. If you are looking for a funny romance book, while you will get that with parts of this book, this is a story about dealing with grief, family dynamics, friendships, and approaching a new decade of your life.

I really enjoyed the story that follows Eve, about to turn 40 and dreading her sister's upcoming Hanukkah wedding. Not just because she doesn't have a date, but she doesn't have the best relationship with her mother and her sister after her father passed away, and the wedding is the day before her birthday. While she feels her mother and sister just went on with their lives after her father died, Eve is still grieving and feels that they don't understand how much the loss has hit her.

While Eve does create a golem during a drunken night, the story is about so much more than her using Paul Mudd as her date to the wedding. Feeling vulnerable after an antisemitic incident on a train, Paul represents protection, more than just arm candy to appease her mother.

As a woman in her 40s, Eve felt authentic and relatable and I would've enjoyed this story even without the golem aspect to it. The Jewish representation throughout the book was incredible.

This book was a lot. It’s not lost on me that most of the conflicts in this book would cease to exist if the main character turned on her phone and stopped interrupting every person she talks too.