Panina is a 29 year old who is an Orthodox Jew and is unfortunately still single because she is infertile and the matchmakers in her community are struggling to help her find someone to marry.

But Panina is quite the catch: she volunteers at a NICU, works at a jewelry store, and will go out of her way to help those around her especially her family. Why, then, is her boss, Sam, so taken aback by her generous heart? Why is Sam so angry that she says yes to marrying a rich, gay movie producer just so he doesn't have to come out to his mom and she gets enough money to help her family?

This story is a cute, wholesome story with the proper HEA we all deserve. I am glad the fake engagement is just a sub-plot trope and not the majority of the story and shows a more mature understanding of the romance genre than many other books that have come out recently. I also appreciate that while there are people who were confused by her Orthodox practices, they aren't mocked and discarded in the name of love that I've seen in other works. And if you understand anything about Orthodoxy, you'll understand why there is no spice in this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I enjoyed this book overall. The first 60% was excellent and all of the characters grew on me. The last little bit lost me as it didn't seem quite believable... Overall a cute quick read.

Unfortunately Unorthodox Love wasn't for me. The writing was good, and while I am not Jewish, I do follow a few Orthodox Jews on TikTok and I felt that the representation was in a similar fashion to what I see there. These books are needed in the world, I just couldn't connect with the characters.

Unorthodox Love follows Penina, a jewelry store clerk passionate about her religion and everything that comes with it. As an Orthodox Jew, Penina follows strict modesty rules, has strong family values, and. wants nothing more than to find an Orthodox man to marry and have a family with.
This book shows Penina dealing with various hurdles, from struggling with the idea that she physically cannot have children due to a misformed uterus, her sister's family dealing with financial troubles, and a new boss who seems snarky and rude.
There were a lot of really cute scenes between Penina and the male main character Sam who is portrayed to be rude, snarky, and somewhat of a know-it-all, but there are still moments where he is unexpectedly sweet.
I loved getting to learn more about the Orthodox Jewish Community, and I really appreciate the insight the author gives to her community. I think this book brings up interesting conversations by tackling ideas of fertility and dating outside the nonsecular dating pool.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow-burn rom-com that also deals with heavy topics.
TW: Infertility, homophobia, strong ties to religion, financial uncertainty of a side character

Unorthodox Love is a sweet grumpy shunshine story that brings to light some information about Orthodox Jews that you likely are unaware of. Since I am neither Jewish nor an Orthodox Jew, I am unable to attest to the correctness depicted within the story but I did find it quite interesting!
The first 1/3 of the book was a little difficult for me to get into, but after that it started to peak my interest. I overall enjoyed this story and would recommend to others if they want a sweet story that may teach them a thing or two.

I’ll admit I’ve been fascinated by Orthodox Judaism for years and this fed that addiction! I absolutely LOVED the characters and the inclusion of so much culture! It almost felt reminiscent of My Big Fat Greek Wedding in all the best ways!

I love the story, i just wish it wasn't such a slow slow slow burn. I love the idea of an older virgin. I love that aspect! but the story doesn't need to go as slow as their sex life.

I really like this author's writing and the characters, and enjoyed the story. Orthodox Jewish Penina is 29, and an unmarried virgin. She'd love to be a wife and mother but her infertility has meant she's spent a decade being fixed up with bad match after bad match. She wants what her sister Libby has, minus the money problems her BIL creates with his poor investment choices. So when a gay Orthodox man suggests a marriage that will solve many of her problems, she seriously considers it. Too bad her hottie secular Jewish boss is messing with her head and her heart.
I wasn't a big fan of the narrator. Though I liked how she read Penina's voice, her pronunciation of some names and words were incorrect, strange, or inconsistent. For example, bris, devoted, rabid, euthanized, Miuccia (as in Prada) were all pronounced wrong. And Zevy was pronounced like Chevy most of the time, but a time or two as Levi. And her male voices were sometimes odd, especially a man Penina had a date with early in the book. It's too bad since her performance was generally engaging.

I love reading books that have a Jewish Main Characters. Unorthodox Love is fun story folding Penina a devout 29 year old Orthodox Jewish woman who is battling being single and infertile - both putting her in a tough spot in her community. Penina's life has become very complicated between some seriously failed matchmakings, a new grumpy but attractive boss, her sister losing her home, and a proposition from a gay Jew for a fake-ish marriage she’s not sure if ever finding love and a family is even in the cards

This book is whitty but emotional, Penina is a likable character and you find yourself rooting for her; her dedication to family is also very heartwarming. I did enjoy how the religion is represented, a great educational aspect to the book.

If you’re looking for spicy this isn’t that book, but what it lacks in spice it gains in a story that that feels very human and real. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book. I will certainly be on the lookout for anything more that this author writes. Definitely recommend it to all my rom-com lovers!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

This extremely slow-burn clean romance was too long, had too many subplots, and often dragged. I enjoyed learning about Orthodox Jewish culture, which I knew very little about, and I appreciated the LGBTQ and disability representation. However, the entire story is from the main character Penina’s point of view, and I found her irritating, excessively stubborn, and difficult to relate to. It’s one thing to be kind and helpful, but she was intrusively determined to help others in a self-sacrificial way whether they want her help or not.

I liked Penina’s relationship with Zevi and Jack, but other than their too frequently mentioned physical attraction to each other, I just didn’t feel much chemistry between her and Sam. For most of the book, they were quite rude to each other. Some of Sam’s actions were romantic, but because of his lack of honest communication, those actions were too opaque for me to really enjoy.

I generally enjoyed Caitlin Thorburn’s narration. She did a great job with distinctive character voices that suited the characters. However, I think she mispronounced a few words, and the unfamiliar terminology was sometimes difficult for me to follow.

I received a free copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley for a honest review.

I almost gave up on this book because he was such a jerk and downright mean to her. There was actually a point where I was hoping her relationship with the gay guy would work out because he was a lot less trouble. But I did stick with it and I'm glad I did. He redeemed himself multiple times in multiple ways. I love her though. She knew who she was and was proud to be her. Her orthodoxy was something she embraced even when it was hard and uncomfortable. I'll try other books by this author but have to gave this a low stars because no one should keep people who treat you like he did in their lives.

First I didn’t know do I like this book. First half was little slow but second half started to been good.
I like the family dynamics and that was realistic how all was described.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable story, but I did have some gripes with it.

It was marketed to me as a fake engagement, but that element took ages to come into the story, and even when it was there, it was barely used. Zevi (I think that's how you spell it) was an interesting character (and probably my favourite) even though he was barely on the page.

But Penina and Sam were just frustrating most of the time.

I appreciated the Jewish representation (though I personally can't speak to how accurate it was) and I loved how the Jewish rules for relationships prevented Penina and Sam from touching, and when they did, it was significant.

A lot of the conflict felt quite childish, and at times I simply could not believe that the main characters were around the age of 30.

I did like that the book brought out Penina's desire to "save" her sisters, sacrificing herself and her own happiness for her sisters. I like that the book showed that this desire can be an unhealthy trait (and, in the extreme situations portrayed in the book, definitely is).

Trigger / Content Warning for Infertility

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the audiobook. I enjoyed reading it, even though I didn't end up loving it.

This book is different in (somewhat) than the romance books that I normally read. Mostly because it is revolving heavily around Penina and her Orthodox Jewish culture. Though I have passing awareness of some of this religion, most of it is a good learning experience for the women/men that grow up and marry in the Orthodox Jewish religion. What I really like is that Penina holds true to herself and her faith even when it would be easiest to give up. We see a lot of romance novels where the female main character will give up everything she believes in just for a man. I am glad that Penina does not do this.

I found this book to be hilarious, I was laughing out loud at several of the scenarios. Penina is a fashion aware, funny woman. The author did a fantastic job at bringing some very comical and outrageous scenarios together to make this story work. Though some things are not in a realm of realism (I hope) all the silly moments are tied together with a more wholesome theme of learning to not be the person that has to fix everyone and to love yourself for who you are even when the world thinks you're broken. That is what poor Penina has to go through, and why she is not married at the age of 29. She is barren and in her culture no one really wants to marry someone who can't be fruitful and multiply.

The male main character, Sam, is ok. He seems really sweet, but we only get to know him through the eyes of Penina. He is a secular man, or he is Jewish but not Orthodox, and apparently very attractive and wealthy. He is very obviously smitten with Penina, but she doesn't see it. I think that he can come off rude and stand offish, but I also think he makes his intentions and hesitations known.

The audio narrator did a good job, I don't know if some of the weird pronunciations are the differences in Northerners and Southerners, but there were a few words that were off. Maybe it is just me, but it wasn't anything crazy. I liked the accents the narrator performed, making all of the characters easy to identify and relate to.

This is a really funny and sweet romantic comedy all surrounding an Orthodox Jewish woman. I find the positive reinforcement to religion refreshing and the romance was sweet and fun to read.

Narrator Caitlin Thorburn killed voicing these characters. she really brought them to life. Beautifully done
I adored this story. Pennia is a trip, and I love her. Her inner dialogue was spectacular, but Pennia is a sweetheart with a big heart. She cares about her family so much she is willing to put herself lst at all times.

Pennia has had difficulty being as she can't have kids, although she puts up a good front. Meanwhile, she has serious feelings for Sam, but he isn't Unorthodox.

But she is getting married so she can't think of Sam - she needs to get married to help her sister - it won't be that bad.

I devoured this book and loved it.

This was an entertaining and enjoyable read. Our protagonist, Penina, can be frustratingly clueless at times especially the end where it was so obvious that Sam was in love with her. I did enjoy the fact that there was an Orthodox main character and such a positive portrayal of Judaism.

It took me a while to get to know and not dislike the love interest Sam, who is Penina's boss. He was sometimes frustratingly bad at communicating. A lot of the issues with this book could have been solved if these too talked honestly.

But I did love the fact that an orthodox woman gets a happily ever after without having to give up her faith or become secular. A lot of times Jewish people are expected to compromise our beliefs to fit in better with society so seeing someone in a book not having to do that was refreshing.

This book is kind of cheesy but overall it's funny, there's banter, and great Jewish side characters

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Dreamscape for an ARC of this audiobook. I am leaving the following review voluntarily.

This book follows Penina as she grapples with accepting herself and her role within her family and Orthodox Jewish community while remaining true to herself and her desire to have a family of her own. While going on blind date after blind date set up by her matchmaker, Penina must decide if it is worth settling with someone who isn’t a perfect match.

Enter Sam, Penina’s handsome and grumpy boss who begins to take the time to learn about understand Penina in ways she had not anticipated.

I adored this book on many levels. I found myself laughing and crying following Penina as she navigates awkward dates and tricky situations and struggles to accept and love herself as freely as she does with those around her. Heidi Shertock has written a beautiful character that you can’t help but root for.

This Romcom is definitely worth the time and I very much look forward to future books by this author!!

Finding a unique romance in such a flooded market is tough which makes Unorthodox Love one to read or listen to. Penina has no real hopes for finding love as a 29 year old Orthodox Jewish woman who can't have children but still, she continues to go on dates with the horrible possibilities suggested by a matchmaker. Laugh out loud moments, a handsome boss, and a wealthy filmmaker with an interesting proposal contribute to an enjoyable story. The details of Orthodox family life in the 21st century are fascinating and characters who are kind are refreshing.

This one really did not work for me, I didn't care for either main character, Penina or Sam. I think this would have possibly benefitted with POVs from both characters and not just Penina.

Penina is an Orthodox Jewish woman looking for an Orthodox man to be with, but she didn't come across as someone who actually cared about the religion itself. It seemed like she wanted someone who ticked the boxes of being Orthodox and following the rules. That itself could have been interesting to explore, but we didn't get any of that. Why is Penina really Orthodox? What is she getting out of it? She also comes across so judgmental and naive; she never really grew out of these traits.

Sam is the main love interest, and he is so rude and unlikable for the majority of the book. There are moments where the reader is supposed to feel like he and Penina are bonding and having fun, but he still comes off like such a jerk to her. His POV may have helped in these moments to see what he was thinking, especially in the scenes where he's overreacting to Penina being nice to strangers (??). Him being a jerk to being completely crazy about her just felt very forced.

Also, there's a very small subplot about a 14-year-old girl getting pregnant who has multiple partners, and no one seems too concerned?? The concern is about the baby?? There's a throwaway line about having her "see someone", but that's the most we get. Yikes.

The audiobook narration for this too was ROUGH. The male voices were bad, and there were mispronunciations over Yiddish, Hebrew, and common English words. That definitely did not help with my enjoyment of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

Oh my heart! This one had everything to make you ohhh and ahhhh. I laughed, I cried. I listened to this one and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!!!