Having recently re-acquired a taste for romance novels - a genre I read almost exclusively some years back -  I decided to try <b>Mr Perfect on Paper</b> by Jean Meltzer.     From some of the reviews I saw on Goodreads I thought I might like it and it would be an opportunity to try an author I hadn't read before.    My hunch was right as it was not only enjoyable from the romance perspective but I really enjoyed the way the author introduced me to Jewish culture.    I really had no idea about some of the religious  protocols and traditions so it was a fun way to learn.    Another learning was about Generalised  Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Dara the main character had been living with GAD for many years and this book gave some great insights into the difficulties and strategies required when  living with GAD.

From the snippet about Dara and her condition you might jump to the conclusion that she'd be a character to feel sorry for.   Not so. Dara was a supremely successful business woman having built a matchmaking app specifically designed to enable Jewish singles to meet.   Where it got tricky was that due to her GAD she struggled to find her own perfect match.     Wouldn't you know it, the one time she met someone who she really felt attracted to, he didn't tick most of her boxes and worse....he didnt come close to matching her one unbreakable rule that her life partner would need to be Jewish.

It was a most enjoyable story with likeable characters.   The Jewish culture and anxiety elements really kept me interested and learning so I can definitely see myself reading this author again in future.

My thanks to the author, to Mira the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.

Dara Rabinowitz is a 3rd generation Jewish matchmaker and the creator and CEO of J-Mate but has yet to find her perfect match. After a tv appearance with her grandmother where Dara's must haves for a Jewish Husband is shared she finds herself the focus of a recurring segment on morning tv to find the man that checks all the boxes. But dating in the public eye is hard and Dara finds herself wondering if the man on the list is really who she wants..

Another sweet book by Jean Meltzer!

This was a perfect summer read. I love how it goes into the Jewish culture and gives a real sense of it to the reader. I also love that it shows real life stuff. The anxiety is a huge thing so many people face and deal with on a daily basis. Bringing it into the light and showing you may not be the only one struggling is huge.

Don’t sleep on this book, so good!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for review.

This was a cute, fun, entertaining read. The characters are likable, and I love that they're dealing with an anxiety disorder and grief. I also learned a great deal about Jewish traditions and culture. While the storyline is predictable it's thoroughly enjoyable and a light easy escape from the world.

If Jean Meltzer writes it, I will definitely read it! Before reading Jean's first book, The Matzah Ball, and having just finished Mr. Perfect on Paper, I can easily say that Jean has earned a spot as one of my favorite authors. Mr. Perfect on Paper was the perfect second book and it was so nice to have a book that revolved around the Jewish High Holidays.

Dara and Chris were both delightful characters and I saw so many pieces of my own grandmother in Miriam. I loved how Dara's general anxiety disorder was handled throughout the book, she didn't shy away from discussing it. I really like the way Jean writes her characters because they are open and honest about things that other books quickly brush under the rug, and it makes her characters much more relatable when you can see your own struggles through them. The secondary characters in the book are great, loved all the Challahback Girls, and the way interfaith relationships and marriage was handled was perfect.

As someone who considers herself Jew-ish, a term I know the character Dara hates, it is so nice to see the way Judaism is reflected. While I may not observe all the same things as the characters, it is incredible to see the Yiddish words I grew up hearing in a book. I found myself shaking my head in agreement to so many of the things mentioned throughout the book. Sometimes you don't realize how much you need to see yourself in a book until you read it, and the Jewish themes that are weaved throughout Jean's books is something I am so thankful for.

I just love Jane’s books. She can sure make me laugh.
Read Chris and Dara’s story! You will be glad you did!

Mr. Perfect on Paper is a cute romance. While the story is fairly predictable, I still enjoyed it. I really liked learning more about Judaism and the different customs within Judaism. It was refreshing to have a protagonist with Generalized Anxiety Disorder who encountered obstacles that she overcame but sometimes would let overcome her. I would recommend to friends.

I loved the Matzah Ball so I had high hopes for this one -- and I was right! Jean Meltzer writes a great story and the reader learns a lot about Jewish culture at the same time. In this story Dara, the mastermind of a Jewish dating app goes on her favorite morning show with her beloved but outspoken grandmother who tells the audience about Dara's requirements for the perfect Jewish husband. Dara has a crush on the host of the morning show but he can't be in the running for the perfect Jewish husband -- he isn't even Jewish and he is a widower with a daughter. With the help of her grandmother and her band of merry retirement gals plus lots of crazy twists along the way, Dara realizes that her concept of perfect on paper is not the same as in real life.

After giving me the Hanukkah book of my dreams last year, Jean Meltzer earned a fan for life in me. Now, here comes book two, but not to worry - there is absolutely no sophomore slump here - dare I say that Mr. Perfect on Paper might even be better than The Matzah Ball?!

Dara Rabinowitz has created a fortune as CEO of the Jewish dating app, J-Mate. She comes from a family of matchmakers and she has created tons of matches on the app, yet, her search for Mr. Perfect remains. Dara's non negotiables include:
A doctor or lawyer (preferably a doctor)
Baggage-free (no previous marriages, no children)
And of course—he must be Jewish

Enter Chris - a non-Jewish single Dad. When Chris and Dara meet and sparks fly, what happens to her non-negotiables?

I absolutely loved how Meltzer handled this topic of interfaith marriage in the Jewish community and how this topic may be viewed from other Jewish people. As a Jewish woman myself (like Meltzer), I've seen many of the things she's written play out in real life and she did an amazing job weaving real life into this fictional story.

I cannot recommend this one enough!

Thank you to MIRA for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I am not very familiar with Judaism and this was a fun way to learn more about relationships and lifestyles with people who are Jewish.

**3.5 STARS**

I read The Matzah Ball from this author last year and I thought to give this new book of hers a try. I’m glad I did! Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ I learned more about what being kosher means. My husband is Jewish but he is definitely not kosher. He follows Reform Judaism and is raising our kids this way. We are also in an inter-faith marriage, something Dara, in the book is totally against at first. I like how she explains why being Jewish and wanting to find a man who is Jewish is important to her. I learned a lot! I also liked how they introduced important Jewish holidays throughout the story.

+ I love the relationships depicted in the story, one between Dara and her Bubbe (grandmother) and the other between Chris and his daughter Lacey. There were very sweet moments between them.

+ Dara has GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I like that she talked about it and wasn’t afraid to share with people what she felt and went through with GAD. I also like that she is a very successful woman with her dating app J-Mate.

~ I wish there was a little more chemistry between Chris and Dara – there was some, but I wanted more. Obviously Chris was not going to be someone who was perfect for her and she had to work those thoughts out in her head, but she is so steadfast in her faith I almost thought she should pick Daniel because of it.

~ I wanted more scenes with Bubbe in it. She was there in the beginning and the end but no so much in the middle of the book. It would have been nice for Dara to get some insight of her other dates from her Bubbe since she is the most important person in her life.


Why you should read it:
*a light hearted, rom-com with lots of Jewish representation
*Bubbe and her friends are fun ladies and I like how Dara spends lots of time with them
*learn about Jewish holidays and faith

Why you might not want to read it:
*for me it needed more chemistry between Chris and Dara

My Thoughts:

This is a light-hearted romance story about a Jewish woman Dara, who give us a lot of insight into being Jewish and what she believes it means to her. Dara knows what she wants in a guy so it’s interesting when in the end she chooses the guy who has none of the qualities she wrote down on her list. This story has some funny moments, and touching moments too.

Such a great feel good romance! This book had me smiling at the pages the whole time and I couldn’t get enough of it. It also showed great representation through out the book and I would personally love a sequel!

What you are looking for is right in front of you - I really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters from the start and to the end. Just because you think you know what is perfect for you, does not mean it is.

I loved this new rom com from Jean Meltzer! I really appreciated her previous book, The Matzah Ball (which is referenced in this one), for its representation of chronic illness/chronic fatigue, and I felt the same way about the way generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was portrayed here. Dara Rabinowitz, third generation Jewish matchmaker and founder and CEO of the popular dating site J-Mate, deals with anxiety on a daily basis. As a person with GAD and someone who has the infrequent, but intense, panic attack, the portrayal of anxiety in this book really resonated for me. I appreciated the way that it was woven into the romance, too, with Dara realizing that she should be with a person who loves her and wants to help her but also respects her anxiety and doesn't want to fix her. I really liked Dara as a character, and the whole setup with her going on Good News New York with her bubbe, who surprises Dara, the handsome anchor, and the whole audience by sharing a list of characteristics that Dara drunkenly created on her birthday to describe her perfect Jewish husband. Good News New York is suffering on ratings but sees a huge spike after the surprise episode, and the aforementioned handsome anchor convinces Dara to take her quest for Mr. Perfect on air. I loved the anchor, Chris, who is grieving the loss of his wife two years prior and trying to figure out how to be a single father to his 11-year old daughter, Lacey. The recorded dates were really funny, and I really liked Chris and Lacey's relationship (there's a very touching storyline about Lacey needing a bra and Chris basically freaking out about it). I felt invested in these characters and was actually a little sad when the book was over.

Thank you Mira Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Matzah Ball so my expectations were pretty high for Mr. Perfect on Paper, but I every expectation was surpassed! I loved this! I loved the inclusion of Jewish holidays (especially the ones that aren't Chanukah) as that really shined a spotlight on our amazing culture. Of course, that is not to deter anyone away from this book who isn't Jewish; it's accessible to those who know nothing about Judaism. Overall, it was sweet, funny and incredibly sexy!

But, it was also heavy. It deals with anxiety, grief, and the pressure to carry on family traditions/culture. As a Jew, the last one really hit home for me as it's something I think about constantly.

Mr. Perfect on Paper is the sophomore novel by author Jean Meltzer. If you read her debut novel, The Matzah Ball, you will enjoy this cute Jewish rom-com. I love everything about this book and everything that these two books have taught me about Jewish culture and faith

I LOVED this story about third-generation Jewish matchmaker, Dara Rabinowitz, and news reporter, Chris Steadfast.

It was the perfect balance of sweet, funny, and serious. Dara must decide between what she thinks an ideal match is and what she needs. Dara's faith is also foundational to who she is both personally and professionally - putting Chris in an off-limits category because he isn't Jewish.

As an added bonus, I learned more about the Jewish faith than I had before. I thought I knew a lot, especially since I have a brother who converted to marry his partner, but I hadn't heard of some of the holidays or traditions before. Dara's broadcasted dates took place on Jewish holidays and Hebrew language/phrases were woven into conversations.

The chemistry and gentle build of the relationship between Dara and Chris is so natural. I loved how Chris responded to Dara's anxieties (and coping mechanisms). It may not be perfect on paper but, with all the messiness of real love, it turns out to be pretty perfect after all.

I have a very strong Jewish community in my patronage, and I think this is going to be a very good circulater. Top tier purchase for similar communities

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. There were a lot of funny parts!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Funny romance novel about a couple who aren't perfect on paper. I enjoyed the story.