This book was really interesting. I thought having the main character be an Orthodox Jew was so interesting and brought a lot of different aspects to the book. I got a little annoyed how she immediately gave up on herself and her life and I liked that Sam tried to snap her out of it. But I also appreciated that she wasn’t going to give up her religion for anyone. It was really different but I did the think ending tied up everything a little too well.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

If you are looking for a romance with light lust, and no sex scenes, and longing, plus an education in how things work in the dating scene for Orthodox Jews, then you might enjoy this romcom, not only for all the information you can learn but also for the banter, and longing. It is a very slow burn, especially since Penina is not allowed to even touch a man who isn’t a relative, except if it is an emergency.
Penina is infertile. Apparently that is not something that is desirable in a marriage that is built on having lots of kids, so she is now 29, and has not yet met anyone that she could possibly be happy with.
Her new boss at the jewelry store she works at, is not an Orthodox Jew, though he is Jewish. He is very nice to her, but she tells herself she doesn’t want to date the boss, and decides to get married as a beard for a gay jewish guy who will pay her $5 million to do so.

It is all quite logical, but very light hearted at the same time. If you can call getting married for money light hearted, especially when you know she is pining for Sam, her boss.

Sometimes it is nice to have a clean romance, and in this case, it worked. A good quick read, and nice, if slightly headstrong characters. I did enjoy them having to explain certain Jewish traditions, such as Friday night dinner, and weddings, and such

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book averrable for an honest review.</em>

Thank you netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this. That said, these are my own opinions.

Unorthodox was a well written great read. Docked a few stars because it was a tad predictable but highly enjoy that Heidi Shertok was also able to make this story her own unlike others. I love the inclusivity in this book. I can tell this book will be loved by all.

I was excited by the idea of a contemporary romance with an Orthodox Jewish lead, but I wasn't able to get into this one. The romance itself felt so slow--25% in and the two leads had only shared three brief scenes on page. I wish the book had spent more time on the romance and less on Penina's family and fashion.

First time reading the author and I really liked this story!

The Jewish culture in the book was very interesting to read. There's nothing Penina won't do for her family, including considering a marriage of convenience.

Sam is Penina's new boss and he comes off as very standoffish in the beginning. The P&P vibes in this book are strong, especially in one part near the end. The ending was super cute!

I'm looking forward to more books from this author.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. It was light hearted and made me laugh a few times. There was a lot of insight into Judaism in this book. I felt it helped someone who isn't Jewish understand why the main character acted the way she did. The story line was good and the characters were all really relatable.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

Penina is an Orthodox Jewish woman in her late twenties and still unmarried. Almost unheard of in her community. She has been on so many dates but hasn't found her soulmate yet. Then she meets Sam, who happens to be her boss and not Orthodox. With instant chemistry and banter for days, can these two find a way to be together?

This book was so fun to read! Penina was a character you could really root for. Her and Sam had great chemistry on the page. I wasn't sure how the barrier of Penina's religion was going to be resolved but it was handled really well! This book was rich in Jewish traditions, specifically Orthodox Jews. While Judaism plays a major role in this book, I never felt like it overwhelmed the romance part of the story. Great representation!

I really enjoyed reading this book! This book constantly had me laughing out loud and I loved a lot of the characters! I think it started out slow but definitely picked up later on. I also loved getting to see all of the characters develop and grow. Overall, I really liked this book and I loved getting to see Orthodox Judaism representation!

I received an advanced copy of Unorthodox Love and it certainly lived up to its title of a romance that was far from traditional. I learned so much about the important acts of Judaism while reading this book, such as modesty, marriage, and matchmaking. Most of my knowledge about this religion comes from the Old Testament and I really appreciated how much dedication the author invested in creating this unique love story. I was fully invested in Penina and Sam’s relationship and I could have honestly done with a few extra chapters detailing their romance. Our heroine was so appealing and it was easy to picture myself in her sparkly shoes. The hero was a total dreamboat and he was the perfect pairing for Penina. Put these two together and we’ve got a match made in matzo ball soup.

While Penina and Sam’s romance gave me faint pangs of the honeyglow, I didn’t receive its full radiance. Unorthodox Love was a complex piece of fiction, but unfortunately the romance was secondary to the plot. This was marketed as a love story, but the heroine spent the majority of the novel engaged in a relationship with a man she didn’t love. The true object of her affection was ripe for the picking, but the reader was left frustrated waiting for her to make the right decision. I would have happily migrated the bridal offer to a marriage of convenience with Sam as an alternate plot instead of focusing on a candidate who only wanted to appease his dying Orthodox mother’s final wishes. I just wanted more of a spotlight on Penina’s blossoming relationship with Sam and didn’t want another guy in the picture who merely wanted her for a sham marriage. Sam and Penina had such a magnetic chemistry that I was greedy for as many interactions as my little gentile heart could handle. My favorite scenes were when they pretended to be an engaged couple to scope out the rival jewelry stores. Look how right this feels! Doesn’t that ring fit perfectly? Go ahead and make it official, you two lovebirds!

Unorthodox Love was a lovely, unique romance and I’m glad to have read it. I haven’t read many books featuring a Jewish lead and I hope this opens the door for more diverse romances. I really appreciate the author’s attempt at educating the reader on Judaism within a modern love story while still maintaining the respect for her religion. I’d be happy to read more books from this author, whether it’s diving further into Penina’s happy ever after or focusing on completely new characters. I learned plenty of new Jewish phrases and traditions, thanks to Unorthodox Love. If I can find more Jewish love stories just like this, I hope we can make glass smashing and chair dances synonymous with a fairy tale ending.

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

This book was well-written, but the male lead was really obnoxious.

This is the funniest romance book I’ve read in a long time. I’m not lying when I say that I laughed out loud reading this book. Penina is truly a funny and caring woman. She wanted everyone to be happy, but she didn’t realize that she deserved the happiness she wanted for others. Sam was a dream. Sounded like the perfect man. I also really loved Penina’s family. They were hilarious to read about. Penina’s co-workers also made me laugh as well. I’m just way too impressed on how this book made me smile over and over. With all that being said, this book was a wonderful read. I didn’t know much about Orthodox Judaism, but I enjoyed reading about it in this book. The writing was good and I loved the storyline. I’ll definitely read another book from this author.

This was a decent rom com, but both MCs just weren't compelling enough to pull the story together. It was light hearted, which I could appreciate.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I LOVE seeing Jewish representation in books, something that I don’t see enough of! I really enjoyed this book!

This was a perfectly fine romance. The protagonist was so oblivious that it annoyed me in that classic romcom way. I much prefer when there's any sort of obstacle other than a basic misunderstanding, but that's my preference. Overall, a well-written debut with some lovely funny moments, but nothing I'd rush to recommend.

I was really excited for a Jewish romance, I was looking for representation and all I could find was Matza Ball (which is secretly just about christmas) and I really wanted to love you book-I was primed for it actually, but it holds a lot of internalized misogyny. A lot of "only certain women are virtuous, the rest are silly/cruel/foolish/flighty/slutty/unreasonable". The explanation of Maya spending more money than Penina is a great example. 1. she spends too much money 2. she still weakly relied on her parents until they confirmed she was weak and cut her off 3. I am virtuous because I am modest and save money and make it fun. We are supposed to find this woman to be a believable friend, but every opportunity she is shown to be capricious and foolish and selfish and worst of all, she DATES. It feels emotionally uncomfortable, every secular woman is portrayed negatively and it feels very uncomfortable. EVERY secular woman is rude about Judaism and is basically a mean girl in such a way that it outweighs anything else they do. Their main trait is "nasty woman".
The rest of the book was fine, but I couldn't enjoy it. The cute fluff just didn't outweigh the internalized misogyny for me.
I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be recommending this to anyone.

A romcom that will warm your cold heart. Or cool your warm heart. Whatever your heart is, it’ll do what it needs to. Definitely recommend.

Palate cleanser contemporary romance starring an orthodox Jewish girl. Penina hasn’t had an easy time finding a match. She’s Nablus to have chi,dream and she’s overlooked as a candidate for marriage.

She’s a working girl, who feels extremely responsible for her family’s financial situation. When her boss retires and his son takes over the business, she’s knocked off center by him. He’s attractive, but very arrogant and also not a practicing Jew.

THeir love story is a great ride.

First off, thank you so much to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!!
3.5 stars rounded up!
I really enjoyed this book! It was tagged as for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sophie Kinsella and I definitely agree! I liked the family aspect, everyone can have a complicated relationship with familial obligation and I liked this perspective/take on it. Along with the idea of "forbidden love," I think this book hit a lot of good points for me!
The tension between Sam and Penina was off the charts, and I really liked reading this love story!

This book!! I didn't fully know what to except when I started reading this book but I absolutely loved it. As a Jewish woman, it was incredible to read about a Jewish FMC. I loved the representation of the Jewish community throughout the book. For someone who is not of Jewish faith - have no fear, this book does an amazing job at going over and explaining the details without being too over the top. I laughed a lot while reading this book; I did NOT expect it to be so funny. Without giving away spoilers - the ending is perfection. I can't recommend this book enough.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.