Okay, I really wanted to love this one, but it was more of an “okay” read for me than anything. I figured I’d share some pros and cons that I had for The Matzah Ball instead of a traditional review.

Pros:

I really felt for Rachel and her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, because I get what it’s like to have “invisible illnesses” and how people look at you and think you’re fine.
Rachel has a really great best friend in Mickey. I kind of wish we had more of him, to be honest!
I loved that Rachel was an author and it was fun getting a little “behind the scenes” of the publishing industry.
I thought the idea of The Matzah Ball was fun, and it was really cool to see how it all came together!
Cons:

So much of Rachel and Jacob’s relationship is surrounding miscommunications from when they were kids. I really wanted them to just act like grown ups and TALK!
Because they didn’t really clear the air from being kids at camp, they continue to have miscommunications and false ideas about each other.
Secondary characters are also hiding things and it would have been so much better if they’d been honest way before they actually do!
A lot of my complaints come from the characters not being more honest with each other. I think it could have been a better book without all of the lies, miscommunications, and secrets. In the end, I gave this one 3 stars. I’d be curious to see what the author does next though as this is her debut!

This was a fantastic Adult Romance! I loved the chronic illness rep! I definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher!

Well, this one is a tough one to review.

For the record, I am not Jewish so I cannot comment on whether this book portrays the Jewish experience in a correct light and if some of the things said in the book are correct. There are many, many people on Goodreads who are Jewish who have reviewed the book from that aspect so I would suggest seeking out their opinions on that aspect of the novel.

As far as a romance novel goes, this was just okay. I wasn't wowed like I hoped to be. I have been trying to read some romances themed around holidays that aren't Christmas and I've read some gay Hannukah themed romance before, so I thought to give this one a try.

The plot is pretty easy to follow. Rachel is a Jewish woman who has CFS and writes for a living. What her family doesn't know is that she secretly writes Christmas-themed romances to make a living and she's quite famous for it. The market for Christmas romance is saturated, so her publisher only agrees to publish her next novel if it is a Hanukkah-themed romance, and while Rachel is proud to be Jewish, she shies away from some aspects of it as her parents are very prominent figures in her community. Nevertheless, she seeks out visiting them to meet up with Jacob Greenberg, a childhood friend who can get her a ticket to the Matzah Ball, a celebration on the last night of Hannukah, that she hopes will serve as inspiration for her novel.

The one thing I could not get over in this book is how much of the tension and drama comes from the fact that Rachel and Jacob had a falling out...WHEN THEY WERE TWELVE. Like, c'mon. I couldn't even name 90% of the kids I hung out with when I was twelve considering I'm 30 now. So much of this book hinges on the animosity they still harbor, and a major plot point circles around decisions and things done when THEY WERE TWELVE. You don't know anything when you're 12! You're not even in high school yet! These people have spent their lives still wrapped up on shit that happened at a Summer Camp over a decade ago. I just could not give a care about these characters. They were still obsessed with actions of twelve-year-olds and acted like twelve-year-olds even as adults.

The one positive I have for this book is that it portrays CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) which is an illness I've never before seen expressed in a romance novel, though one of my favorite streamers, Alannah Pearce, has this so I knew a bit about what her life is like. It seemed to ring very true for the experiences of those I've read. I did like that that her daily struggles were not undersold and the fact that she cannot do as much as others, even though she may look physically healthy, factored in to a potential relationship as Jacob kept trying to 1. Solve her problems and 2. Pushing her too hard until he grew to understand her condition more accurately.

Overall I think the characters were not my cup of tea. 2.5 stars if I had to rate it.

I really wanted to like this book, as it was exciting that there would be representation for people who don't celebrate Christmas. However I found it sad that the main story was still defined by Christmas, rather than a pure celebration of Hanukkah. Not having that 100% focus on it was disappointing.
Also I found the main couple having this instant connection and all these feelings from when they were 12 kind of ridiculous, not that you don't feel anything at 12 but it seems like such a random age to be so stuck on.
Having seen some other conversations about this book, I was disappointed that she so easily joked about being an assassin for the IOF/Mossad.

I have very mixed thoughts on The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer. The first half of this story I was all in on giving this story five stars. A little over half way through things changed for me. It's not that I would rate it low, just lower than a five.

The first half the book was fun. I could relate to Rachel in the sense of her chronic fatigue syndrome and how people often perceive and treat me and others with chronic illnesses. Rachel's family reminded me a lot of my extended family, and I often found myself really relating to Rachel on multiple levels Our interests were also similar.I enjoyed the characters even if they were sometimes annoying and I thought the overall story was just a fun, light read for this time of year.

Half way through though Jacob really started getting on my nerves. He was always a little snobby and annoying, but he just really starting getting on my nerves. I also found is change too quick and I really struggled with how he did some things. I also found Rachel's attitude towards him changed super quick as well. It just really bothered me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were a few parts I struggled with, but I am glad I read it. 3.75 stars.

I received an eARC from Harlequin through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I have seen this book on both BookTok and Bookstagram. I was interested in reading it so it came across my email as a review request I was so excited. The cover drew me in as well, but the real thing that drew me in was the description of the book. I was excited to read it.

Rachel is the daughter of a well-known Rabbi and a top-notch fertility specialist. She has been raised a Jew her entire life. She is, however, harboring a secret. She is in LOVE with Christmas. Her entire office is decked out to the nines. She is also a very successful and popular Christmas romance author, no one knows it is her because they would disapprove. She also suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Before Hanukkah, her mother tells her that her childhood first love and her enemy will be at their house. He is also coming into town to throw The Matzah Ball Max. Will things implode between Rachel and Jacob or will they be able to figure things out between them? Before I go any farther, the first about 23% of this book absolutely bored me. I almost gave up on it, but once it hit that point I couldn’t put it down at all. I stayed up way too late reading it because I just needed to know what happened next.

I absolutely loved the character of Rachel. She never let her chronic disease rule her life. She knew how to pace herself. She did I will admit pity herself and gave herself more than one pity party but who doesn’t throw themself a pity party. Jacob tries to reconnect with Rachel by pranking her because that is what they did to each other when they were at Jewish summer camp. This book was a sweet romance that was very clean, there was no spicy scenes at all, it was refreshing to read. I don’t think off the top of my head I have read a romance that was that Jewish-themed. There was a smattering of Jewish words that I found myself looking up the meaning to because I didn’t know what they meant. I really want to read more books by this author. I see that she has another book coming out in 2022 and I have already added it to my Amazon wish-list I can’t wait to read it!!

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I don’t love “holiday” romances because most of them are Christmas themed. I know a lot of people do, but I just can’t get into them. However, this book was exactly what I wanted: a holiday romance for Jews.

The Matzah Ball is about Rachel and Jacob, camp enemies. Rachel is secretly a bestselling Christmas romance author. Jacob is a famous party planner extraordinaire, who has decided to put on the event of the season: The Matzah Ball in New York City. Jacob also happens to live in Paris.

When the two are thrown back together, they must overcome their differences and realize that maybe they don’t hate each other after all.

I loved the Jewish rep in this book. From the holidays, to the Yiddish, to the sayings, to the Jewish parents. Just everything was so on point for me. I ate it up. I really really appreciated that Jean didn’t explain everything or translate all the Yiddish/Hebrew.

Also, Rachel suffers from CFS. I’ll be honest, I really didn’t know much about CFS before reading this book. However, I feel like I learned a ton and learned that I have a ton to learn.

So, moral of the story: if you’re reading holiday romances this winter season, and haven’t added The Matzah Ball to your list, I don’t know what you’re doing.

This was a very cute book, but I do wish Jewish authors would stay away from talking about Israel. The title was also a little disappointing. While Matzah Balls do exist in real life, non-Jews really don't know that, so this only perpetuates the confusion about Hanukkah when so many people already get Jewish holidays wrong. The story was really cute and I like the way Meltzer wrote about a very religious Jewish experience and someone who is very casual about their Judaism. It's a pretty good debut, and I look forward to seeing what Meltzer comes out with next.

The premise of this book was very cute and unique. The deeper look at the Jewish community was so enjoyable. I also really loved the ME/CFS representation.

The reason I struggled with this book was the persistent lack of communication between all of the characters for over 75% of the book. The entire time I felt like screaming JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.

In a world where most holiday romcoms are Christmas themed (and the Hanukkah ones end up being focused on Christmas anyway), it's refreshing to have a novel like The Matzah Ball. I had been hearing lots of buzz about this one prior to picking it up, and once I was done reading it, I knew I had to feature Jean Meltzer at Chick Lit Central.

The Matzah Ball is a cute and fun story overall. There were a lot of really funny moments. I found myself grinning and laughing a lot. I like that the author used her personal experience with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for Rachel. I had heard of this illness, but didn't realize how bad it could get. I have friends with chronic illnesses like this and they get the same kinds of insensitive comments, because it's not something you can easily see.

Rachel's Christmas obsession was quirky and I loved that about her. I used to be more into Christmas a while back and sometimes I still enjoy the magic of it, especially in the past year or so when we've all needed some holiday lights and warmth. (I will admit that I love seeing all the Christmas decoration posts on Facebook and Instagram, as much as I like seeing the Hanukkah ones.) I liked the dual perspective of this story and getting to know Jacob better. I absolutely loved his Bubbe and I wish I could try her rugelach! The Matzah Ball itself sounded like a really cool event. I first thought it was going to be a match-up event, as that's what they've been called in the past (the ones that take place on Christmas Eve for Jewish singles). However, I love that it was this giant Hanukkah party that anyone could attend (with a ticket, of course).

I felt that the Judaism was laid on thick when I first started reading it, as it seemed like every other word or phrase was something Jewish or Yiddish and it felt like a Naomi Ragen novel (I like her books, so there's nothing wrong with this, but they also fit in a different genre when it comes to Jewish stories). It felt like Jean was trying too hard to make it stand out in this way when she really didn't need to. However, it balanced out more as the story went on and I was enjoying everything else too much to let it bother me. I did enjoy the Shabbat dinner toward the beginning and it made me miss the days of hosting lots of people for meals. It's nice to have a totally Jewish chick lit story.

I really enjoyed The Matzah Ball and have been recommending it a lot. I already can't wait for Jean's next novel!

Movie casting suggestions:
Rachel: Emmy Rossum
Jacob: Jeremy Jordan
Mickey: Charlie Barnett
Toby: Renée Taylor
Shmuel: Emory Cohen
Dr. Rubinstein: Julianna Margulies

This one was okay. It was sweet, no sexy parts. I learned a lot about Jewish culture-- especially that Hanukkah isn't actually a major holiday in the religion, but because of its proximity to Christmas, it gets blown a lot. A lot of the conflict could have been resolved by talking through and getting over things that happened as dumb 12 year-olds in the midst of their first love. I also appreciated the representation of a main character with chronic fatigue syndrome, and I learned a lot about that, too.

I have conflicting thoughts on this book...

First of all, I wasn't aware of this book's criticisms before picking it up as I actively avoid reviews of books I plan to read so not to sway my judgment preemptively. But there are some sarcastic comments made in here that should 100% have been removed in editing. They are made in a joking manner and not appropriate or necessary. So please check out some own voices reviews if you're interested in picking this up!

On top of some less than fantastic attempts at humor, the romance in here wasn't spectacular. There were so many frustrating miscommunication moments as well as obnoxious/childish pranks on each other. And I just never bought into the progression of the romance or why they even liked each other.

BUT the chronic illness rep was absolutely fantastic. There were so many moments that had me feeling so seen and understood - The way the heroine mapped out her days and energy. The way she would push herself even when she knew she shouldn't (same). Those moments were fantastic and I wanted to highlight them and post them everywhere.

Unfortunately, that just wasn't enough to save this story for me. While I loved the discussions on illness, the actual romance and plot itself was lackluster.

This book is beyond lovable! I love the chronic disease representation as well as all the Jewish faith information. I loved the interactions between the characters and how well they are written.

Such a sweet story! I really enjoyed reading about the traditions of the Jewish faith while following a fun and wholesome romance along the way. Well-worth the read this holiday season!

I loved that this book was unapologetically Jewish, the cultural and religious references were my favorite part. I liked that the heroine has a chronic illness, and while the internalized ableism was hard to read, it was realistic.

The main failure of this book for me is the romance. The main couple had zero chemistry. In place of relationship development, this is presented as a second chance romance between people who barely “dated” when they were twelve. I just didn’t believe this fated mates from
Summer camp storyline. And the hero seemed cruel—he likes to play pranks on the heroine—and also seemed terrible at his job as a party planner, even though his success is supposed to be the whole foundation of the plot.

There are numerous questionable details about the whole party planning thing that don’t make much sense, if you know anything about event planning, you are likely to be annoyed.

I also was troubled by the token Black gay friend. He says “Girl” a LOT and felt like a stereotype.

This story is chock full of holiday romance tropes, and I think readers who are better able to suspend disbelief may enjoy its familiar tropeyness.

Another fun romance that distracted my mind during a time when I wanted to think about literally anything other than my own life.
I loved the storyline and had the fun of texting with author friends about "how publishing doesn't work like that" LOL
We need more Hanukkah romance stories!

Oh my gosh! THE MATZAH BALL by Jean Meltzer is such a fun book! Rachel Rubenstein Goldblatt is the daughter of a world famous rabbi and she has a huge secret. She loves Christmas! She also is a famous best selling Christmas romance author and no one knows that either except for her very best friend, Mickey. Rachel is also dealing with a chronic illness and stays at home most days. She has a secret room in her apartment, filled with her novel posters and many many Christmas decorations. THE MATZAH BALL is so much more than just a holiday romance story. It also details Rachel’s chronic illness and how she lives with it every day.

THE MATZAH BALL is going to have you giggling out loud and if you are like me, you will be snorting quite a few times as well. Rachel’s publisher wants her to shake things up and write a Hanukkah romance book, but Rachel is stuck on how to go from the magic of Christmas to Hanukkah. Then she finds out about a Matzah Ball. It is a big Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah. The only problem is the event is sold out. Rachel soon learns that her arch enemy from summer camp is putting the Matzah Ball together. Ugh!! Could it get any worse? Jacob Greenberg, the boy who broke her heart all those years ago! She hasn’t seen him since that summer, but she needs to go to that ball for research. She isn’t ready to give up her career as a romance writer. Hang on readers! This is when the story gets fun!!

If you are looking for a fun read then you have to pick up THE MATZAH BALL by Jean Meltzer. The things that some of the characters say will have you snickering through out the book. I still can’t believe this is a debut novel. It is really well written and you instantly become involved in all of the characters lives. I love when that happens. I hope Jean Meltzer continues to write and keeps me laughing just like she did with THE MATZAH BALL.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mira Books through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

Let me preface this review by saying that I cannot speak to the representation in this book, or some of the finer nuances referenced in this book. I know there are some things referenced/talked about that are not the most sensitive to current events and that is affecting a lot of people's enjoyment of this book. That being said I went into this looking for a fun rom com feel and second chances/hate to love holiday romance and for me it totally met that brief.

I enjoyed the story itself and the relationship between Rachel and Jacob. Yes there were misunderstandings and messy bits, but seeing them both working through their issues and their relationship. I did feel that the talk about Rachel's illness and the representation there (as someone who has chronic illness/invisible illnesses) was well done. As a rom com with a holiday touch I did really enjoy the story and found it to be a fun read.

The Review

I absolutely loved this book! It was so engaging right from the beginning. The author did a brilliant job of crafting a narrative that was exciting and allowed readers to find themselves within the throng of characters the author crafted. Of course, the big hook and amazing twist on this holiday read was the focus on Hanukkah and the Jewish community, which often gets overlooked during this time of year. The tight-knit community within the Jewish people and the emphasis on culture within the narrative were so refreshing and heartwarming to read.

The characters were the show stealers of this read to be sure. What was so interesting, and something I always enjoy is when a writer crafts a narrative that features such a diverse cast of characters that we could find someone in the narrative to identify with for one reason or another. As someone with several chronic diseases, seeing protagonist Rachel’s struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome and the struggle with how she is perceived by others is a struggle I am all too familiar with, and it was great to see that representation in the book. The chemistry and heated moments, both good and bad, between Rachel and Jacob, were truly memorable and allowed the story to feel very cinematic in its approach.

The Verdict

A heartfelt, emotional, and entertaining twist on the holiday romance genre, author Jean Meltzer’s “The Matzah Ball” is a must-read novel this winter. The perfect holiday read the author created a book filled with vivid imagery, captivating characters, and memorable representation that will make all readers feel welcome.

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt loves Christmas. She has made a name for herself in the literary world as the author of Christmas romance novels. She even has a room set up in her home with all Christmas decorations. Of course, as the daughter of a Rabbi, she’s keeping this a secret. Her own family doesn’t even know about her successful career.

Everything turns upside down when her publisher no longer wants Christmas romances. Now they want Hanukkah romances. Rachel is at a loss since Hanukkah is much different than Christmas, especially in celebrations. When she hears about a Matzah Ball event on the last night of Hanukkah, she’s desperate to attend. She figures it will add much flavor to her book. Then, she finds out her old nemesis, Jacob Greenberg is in charge. She fears she will never get one of the sought-after tickets now.

The last time Jacob saw Rachel was when they were twelve at a summer camp. His last memory of her was when she stood him up at a dance. After that humiliation, he wants nothing to do with Rachel and definitely doesn’t want her at his Matzah Ball.

This is a fun, sweet romantic comedy. It’s filled with Jewish traditions and language which brings you right into the story. I felt like I was right there and I now have a craving for latkes (potato pancakes).

I did find the conflict between Jacob and Rachel based on something that happened when they were 12 to be a little silly. They are adults now so I would have thought they’d be beyond that, but it was still kind of cute.

Rachel suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The author did a nice job of letting the readers see and feel what she was going through and how it hampered Rachel’s everyday life.

There were many LOL moments. It’s a nice holiday read and heartwarming for the season.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.