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.

This was tender, had its comical moments, and really centered around the main characters' own individual journey. Themes of grief and growth are most salient. I wouldn't say capital R romance, and that's okay. I really enjoyed it and it was surprising.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but it still had its moments. Like many others, I found Eve to be mostly unlikable and I didn’t enjoy how everything was tied up in a neat little bow so quickly at the end. The scenes ran the gamut from funny to quite dark, with some informative bits and frustrating moments thrown in too. I’m not sorry I read it, but it’s not a book I’ll pick up again.

I Made it Out of Clay is billed as a romcom, and while it does have those aspects, I would say it is more serious than comedy. I had very few laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed the story which deals heavily with grieving loved ones that have passed on and feeling unprotected in a world of haters (religious fanatics, misogynists, non existent intimate relationships). Being a minority myself (African American) I saw many similarities regarding feeling unsafe and targeted due to religious affiliation (Jewish in this case). While I do not feel it is the same because you can easily not showcase your religion compared to skin color, I understood the concept the author was going for. The feeling of being a target was expressed very well nonetheless. I loved the expression of Jewish traditions/language in the book.

I loved the many representations in the book as far as black, queer, black Jew. Very blended. I liked the characters, but the main character Eve annoyed me. I get she is going through some stuff, but I found her self centered and arrogant. The world doesn't revolve around just your feelings lady.. And also for best friends, they don't seem to be. Anyway, good time if you take at face value and don't ask too many questions. I enjoyed the story. I think there was a lot of lead up and quick resolutions. I wouldn't have minded more details toward the end.

Some may tag this title as 'romance', but while there is something of a romantic arc for the protagonist, it feels much more like chick lit, with friendships and family relations taking center stage. Yes, yes, the main character, Eve, makes a golem who quickly becomes her 'boyfriend', but because he is not technically human, their relationship is not a true give-and-take. And she is quick to realize this for herself, but the grief and anxiety that led her to create the golem in the first place keep hijacking her good sense, directing her to become closer to the golem and rely on him more and more for a sense of safety and stability.

And that is what this book is mostly about - a woman fast approaching 40, struggling with the grief of losing her beloved father while not feeling like she has a solid support system to allow her to fully grieve his absence in her life. She has drifted away from her friends, she was never super close to her younger sister, and her mother seems to be on a self-improvement kick that started shortly after becoming a widow. To top it all off, Eve has been feeling more and more anxious about a variety of social issues over the past few years, which culminates with being assaulted on public transit.

Does Eve finally get her HEA? Technically, yes. But the romantic journey between two people getting to know each other and overcoming obstacles is not the main storyline here. It's more about Eve's personal growth and how she repairs the other meaningful relationships in her life which allow her to come full circle and enjoy the possibility of connecting with a romantic partner in an authentic way.

Overall, this book was not quite what I expected, but still an enjoyable read. If you like chick lit with a quirky, imperfect heroine, but still want a nice HEA ending, this could be for you. Plus side - there are cozy Christmas vibes here, along with plenty of Jewish humor.

This book was unexpectedly profound. An interesting look at a people who are built on survival, and how that survival instincts work in 2024. Honestly, I may use some quotes from Sasha in the end as my opinion on the ongoing war. Beyond that, I loved the way it talked about grief, the recognition that even mental crises do not excuse bad behavior, the discussion of free will and what makes a person human, and the fact the golem was named Paul Mudd.

Don't let the cover or the description fool you: this is an intense book, and the golem doesn't come into play until 40% of the way in. It takes a long time to get going, but once it does, it's a real winner.

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

It's almost Hanukkah time again but Eve's life has been spinning out of control since her dad died a year ago. Her mom hurriedly rid herself of all his possessions and revamped the house-now she wants to sell it. Little sister Rosie is getting married, and though Eve is ostensibly the maid of honor, Rosie asks her friend to accept the maid of honor duties. Actually that suited Eve just fine as Rosie has always been a whiner. Her best friend and work colleague, Sasha, has pretty well checked out of Eve's life, spending most of her time with her boyfriend. And the guy who makes her laugh at work seems to be totally wrapped up in his new husband (the doctor.) Her job as a copywriter at a large Chicago ad agency is in jeopardy and it seems more likely that employees will get holiday layoffs rather than holiday bonuses. Eve shuts down her phone and refuses to check texts or messages because why should she leave herself open to more bad news?
But the kicker is that Eve RSVPED the wedding invitation stating that she was bringing a plus one, and since she hasn't had a second date in a long time, everyone was curious who this mystery person would be. She had six weeks to find a guy to take her to the wedding, but everyone she asked turned her down-including the British guy across the hall who Eve had asked after a big night of drinking. "Hot Josh," as she called him in her fantasies, had a previous commitment that day (yeah right) so she was stuck going solo.
As she woke up from that disastrous night, she vaguely remembered that she had been in the apartment laundry room, washing the booze smell from her coat. What was the clay-like substance down there and what did it have to do with her...and who was that naked hunky guy staring at her in the bedroom? Bubbe told her tales of Jewish lore, including that of the golem, but they were just stories, right...RIGHT?
Kander spins a romantic tale with humor and pathos. Eve is so wrapped up in her own problems that she sees the world through blinders, distorting everything she thinks she knows about friends and family. Will she learn to actually see beneath the surface and accept people's flaws?
With its take on the problems of the modern Jewish girl, especially during the Christmas dilemma, I Made it Out of Clay will make a wonderful Hanukkah story that can be enjoyed all year long.

Eve is about to turn 40. Her father died a year ago, her younger sister is getting married, and she might be losing her job. Through all this, she decides to make a Golem to be her wedding date. If you know anything about Jewish mysticism, Golems are meant to be protectors and are not human. I don’t even understand her reasoning for making one in this capacity.

I also have major consent issues as Eve sleeps with him, despite the fact that she knows he can’t make any choice that isn’t what she wants.

Eve is also just an unlikeable character. Since her father’s death a year earlier, she keeps her phone off most of the time. She doesn’t return phone calls or texts from her family and friends, and then gets upset when they do things without her. She also thinks she knows what everyone is going to say so she just cuts them off.

Not a fan at all.

This was a breath of fresh air after a reading slump for me! My only wish is that we got to the golum faster - after reading it in the description I was eager to watch it all unfold and it did not disappoint!

This was a 'darkly funny' read, as the synopsis suggests, but I enjoyed reading about Eve, a 40-something who has to create her date for her sister's wedding. After losing her father a year ago, Eve feels like she is alone in grief, she barely manages to get a few words out when she runs into her next-door neighbor aka Hot Josh, let alone ask him to be her date to the wedding. So what's a girl to do? She creates what, until then, had only existed in stores her grandmother told her, a golem. At first she enjoys having a protector by her side, but she soon realizes making a golem might not have been the best idea.

As soon as I read the blurb about this book I had to read it. The concept was just so wild to me, who would skip this?! This book somehow neatly balances humor with the deep human topics. I thought from the blurb it was going to be a romance novel, but it wasn't. That's okay. If you're looking for something funny, tender, with a sprinkle of Jewish mysticism then pick this one up.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! I Made It Out of Clay is at turns laugh-out-loud funny, gut-punchingly profound, and inexpressibly tender. All through the very entertaining device of the golem, a kind of 'ultimate protector' (and yes, now I kind of want a golem of my own), Kander's book gets at the unique pain--and importance--of opening your heart, even when it's broken, and even when it will break again. An examination of grief like no other I've read, this book is not only incredibly relevant to the times we live in, but to anyone who has walked through loss. READ IT!!!!

Not quite the lighthearted read I expected, but so filled with hope and really speaks to the time we’re living in as Jews. Even in our loneliest hours, it’s important to remember those around us and the importance of community, friends, and family. Reading how Eve experiences grief was so powerful. Such beautiful writing!

Thank you to Mira and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I was first drawn to this book by the cover seeing a man made out of clay and then reading the description of protagonist Eve needing a wedding date. I thought this would be a fun time, but I found myself relating to Eve’s feeling of loneliness and isolation. I think this book was funny and on the surface seemed light, but still with deeper issues of loneliness and isolation.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of I Made It Out of Clay.

When I read the premise, I immediately thought of the golem episode from The X-Files so I had certain dark expectations for this.

I love the premise but not the stereotypical tropes:

The main character, Eve, is single, pushing forty, and depressed her little sister is getting married.

Naturally, there's a hottie neighbor in her building she's crushing on...and he's Jewish, too! What are the odds?

When Eve builds herself a golem (as her plus-one) she's delighted to have someone, not just a protector, but just a person to rely on, depend on...much like her dad was for her until his untimely death.

But when her golem's behavior turns dangerous, Eve must confront her fears because that's what's truly holding her back.

First, this is neither darkly comedic or hilarious. The narrative is quite dark since it focuses on dealing with sorrow and grief, hate crime, and antisemitism.

There are plenty of references to her grandmother's tale of harrowing survival during Hitler's regime and that never makes for light reading.

It was hard to like Eve; I understand she was mourning her father and grandmother, but she didn't have any real friends or identity.

She wasn't interesting or compelling; like most main characters in these types of genres, she's kind of a loser so why should I care about her?

I did like the scene where Eve's sister's partner calls Eve out on her behavior and how she needs to hold herself accountable for her own actions.

The golem is the most exciting part of the story but he doesn't appear until nearly halfway through the novel and even his appearance is lackluster and underutilized. He's the star of the show!

The tone of the narrative is confusing; it's dark and heavy, and the rom-com moments aren't funny or sweet.

I wished the story had gone in either one of two directions: straight up rom-com hilarity like Bridesmaids with magic and some serious moments or outright scary like The X-Files.

The premise had potential but I didn't like Eve, the tone of the story, and the cheesy romance with the 'hottie' neighbor (because they're always hot in books).

“I Made it Out of Clay” by Beth Kander is the story of a woman who is about to have her 40th birthday the day after her younger sisters very Jewish wedding. This is all happening as she is grieving the recent loss of her beloved grandmother, and father. She is also having stress because of the possibility of losing her job. All of this is negatively affecting her relationships with family and friends.

With desperation and fear taking over her life she creates a Golem for her own sanctuary. The author brilliantly uses the Golem as a metaphor to help her learn to navigate her “black hole of loss, questions, fears and doubts”.

I recommend this book to everyone as there are many lessons about survival told with a fun touch of humor.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I guess I was disappointed because this book was not funny. Yes, there were moments of levity, but a lot of it just made me either sad or annoyed. It did a better job with emotional moments than any actually funny ones. The parts that could have been funny, like the golem's name, just felt over explained. Also, it's really hard to be funny with all the mentions about the Holocaust. It was actually pretty off-putting to relate your grandma wanting a golem for protection during the Holocaust to you then feeling just as desperate for a wedding date. Sure, the ridiculousness could have been funny, but it wasn't. I was also just constantly annoyed at the main character. She was completely self-absorbed and just awful, without being that deep about it. I get it, you're sad, but that doesn't preclude you from also just being a jerk, and in a frustrating way at that. There were parts of the book that were interesting, and I did keep reading because I was curious how it would all come together. The first half of the book was a bit harder to get through, since the golem doesn't show up until basically the second half. I also don't know what I think about the possible issues with consent, but I'll just leave it at that.

Eve Goodman's younger sister is getting married, and Eve is pushing forty. Eve has been grieving her father's unexpected passing for a year, and she is currently working on getting her act together. Eve's mother, sister, and herself have all approached their loss in somewhat different ways. Eve finds herself in a state of desperation.

The strain of the approaching family wedding—her sister is a well-known TikTok influencer—combined with the rise of antisemitism in Chicagoland and throughout the globe. Eve is verbally attacked for being Jewish on a train in Chicago. Her family's synagogue had just received a bomb threat, which turned out to be a false alarm. Eve manages a solution- to conjure up a golem while intoxicated.

Eve is determined to bring this specific golem as her plus one to her sister's wedding because it is quite gorgeous and hilarity ensues.

Eve is relatable and her crisis is utterly even more so.

Beth Kander ingenious novel had me rolling on the floor with laughter and then raging at the vile anti-semitism. She writes with the brilliance of Mel Brooks fused with the social commentary and fierceness of Philip Roth.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Do the people writing the blurbs actually read the books they are blurbing? Because it is increasingly looking to me that they do not...

The cover, the title, and the blurb all focus on the Golem and the hilarity that ensues from his accidental creation. Yet it is 50% of the book in before you even get to the Golem. And there is no hilarity in that 50%. Up to that point this is primarily a book about grief and struggle and fear. It's very well written and deeply moving, but not even remotely what I thought it was going to be and as a result I struggled to keep picking it up and reading because it was depressing and dark and not at all what I was lead to expect.

This is not a book I would have requested if I had been fully aware of what it was actually about. Not because there's anything wrong in any way with it, but because it is not the kind of book I am drawn to or the kind of story I need right now. Massive amounts of the book focus on her father's death and her Holocaust Survivor grandmother's death. I am still dealing with my own father's death and would never have chosen a book so heavily weighted in that direction because I simply can't read it right now. I pushed and pushed until I got to the Golem to see if at that point the tone would shift, but it didn't. And unfortunately I couldn't keep reading as a result..

If you are looking for a heavy personal drama and personal growth story with some lighter elements thrown in, this is an excellent choice. As I said, the writing is good, it just wasn't for me. And I really think that the publisher did a disservice to the author with the cover art and focus of the blurb, because I find it unlikely that I am going to be the only reader that feels bait- and-switched here...

4 stars for the writing though - it's not the author's fault that the publisher blurbed it as they did!