Haven’t finished the book yet but wanted to let you know many of the Yiddish words are pronounced incorrect. Hoping it’s corrected on the final cut

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this book It was entertaining, there was plenty of character growth, I feel like a learned about a culture outside of my own. The narration of the love interest wasn't great so I think the best way to enjoy this would be to read it physically not audiobook.

Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok
Narrator: Caitlin Thorburn
Dreamscape Media

Pub Date: July 11, 2023

Full transparency: I read this book in April and I just LOVED It! When I was given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, I was a bit skeptical. Don’t judge me, but I had developed character voices in my head as I read the book, and I didn’t know if an audiobook would meet my expectations. Let me say, the narrator, Caitlin Thorburn, was absolutely phenomenal! She was so dynamic and she nailed it! It was so nice to listen to a book I love and experience it in a totally different way!

Penina, an Orthodox Jew, has been using a matchmaker to try to find her future husband. At the age of 29, she is considered ‘old’ and therefore, it’s hard for her to find a suitable match. On top of her age, she is infertile due to being diagnosed as a teenager with Uterine Hypoplasia.

After numerous failed attempts to find a match, she finally meets Zevi, a handsome Orthodox Jew, and the perfect match! The only problem is, Zevi is gay and wants to pay (a lot of money!!) Penina to marry him to fulfill his dying mothers wish of seeing him married to an Orthodox Jewish woman. With Penina’s sister in financial trouble, marrying Zevi seems like the perfect solution.

Penina is always looking out for others and the person that is constantly volunteering herself to help others in need. It’s no surprise that she would put her sister and her happiness above her own by marrying Zevi for money.

While volunteering at a local hospital in the NICU, Penina stumbles (literally) into Sam, a hospital benefactor on a tour of the facilities. Soon after their awkward encounter, Sam also ends up being the son of the owner of the jewelry shop Penina works for, and Sam takes over as her boss while his father handles some personal problems. Sam is grumpy, and Penina is the complete opposite. Penina is attracted to Sam, but the main problem, besides Sam being an absolute grump, is he is not Orthodox.

Will Penina put the happiness of others above her own and marry Zevi, or will she follow her heart to Sam?

Read Unorthodox Love if you like:
💙Opposites Attract
💙Grumpy x Sunshine
💙Workplace Romance
💙Enemies to Lovers
💙Slow Burn
💙Jewish Representation
💙Laugh Out Loud Funny Characters/Banter

I would give this book 10 stars if I could! I just loved it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite Quotes:
“I’m a daughter, a sister, aunt, and friend, and a very fine sales associate. Peoples’ lives are messy and complicated, and even though we don’t always see it, everyone has struggles. You can’t be human and go through life without some kind of trauma or pain, but those experiences don’t define who we are.”

“I’m sweating like a mohel about to perform his first circumcision.”

“Every girl, every woman, every human deserves to have a sister like Libby—the kind that sees the best in you and builds you up instead of tearing you down.”

Thank you to Heidi Shertok, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of Unorthodox Love!

Posted on Goodreads on June 21, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram (full review) on July 11, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram (mini review - Audiobook) in June 21, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 11, 2023
**-will post on designated date

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and I think the narrator did a great job! It is a quick and easy listen. I enjoyed the setting as I have not read or listened to many books set in Minneapolis. I also enjoyed all of the characters, in some rom-coms the only characters with depth are the main character and the love interest but that is not the case with this book. Penina’s family and co-workers were great! I was obsessed with Sam and found myself rooting for Sam and Penina. As someone who is not Jewish the book gave just enough context that I was able to understand and even learn which was unexpected but an added bonus! At some points while listening I actually laughed out loud! If you like a slow-burn rom-com this is definitely for you!

I went back and forth with this one quite a bit. Given the description, I was definitely interested in learning about a woman finding love in an Orthodox Jewish culture, but the pacing and plot were a bit all over the place for me. There were parts that really grabbed me, but then it would slow down again and move into a different direction. The ending felt a little rushed and a little "too-good-to-be-true", even for a romance novel. I think this book was fine. Just not one I'd go back to or recommend.

4.5*
I loved this book! It was so cute and fun!

I was a bit nervous reading a religious romance, but that did not stop this book from having everything I could have wanted in this book!

I love how her religion was such a large part of her life, but it did not take over the novel, and how they were able to make compromises without giving up what’s important to them.

There was so much chemistry between the two! I wouldn’t go as far as calling it enemies to lovers, but they certainly disliked each other and that adds to their overall chemistry!

I also love that despite being an Orthodox Jew, who is still a virgin for religious reasons, she is able to express herself, and not have that be her entire personality and feel as though sex were a taboo topic.

While I was raised catholic and now identify as a witch this book was unorthodox and delightful to me even while not know that much about Jewish dating and marriage. While it took a while for me to warm up to Sam as a leading man/romantic interest in the end I’m happy for both of them. Penina had a lot of deal with personally as well as the relationships around her and anyone else would be had a breakdown. I personally connected with her because myself didn’t date so much while I was younger. This would have been a perfect book if only Sam had a similar love to hate him vibe like Mr. Darcy. Also this book did give me modern Pride & Prejudice feels in the best way. Overall loved this book and would recommend to all my romance book lovers.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Before I get to the content of the book, I honestly must say that this audiobook was beyond awful. At first I thought just the Jewish words and phrases were being mispronounced (and being pronounced differently at different places in the book) but then I realized that plenty of other words were mispronounced as well. (Challah like cherry?? Come on!) It was hard for me to get into the book at first bc of how bad the mispronunciations and voices were (why does someone from Brooklyn sound like a cowboy??)

Now to the actual book. It is a cute story with a likeable enough main character in Penina, a single 29 year old Orthodox woman who is infertile and giving up on ever finding a husband. There are many plot points that really make no sense and explanations of Judaism that are simply untrue but I liked Penina and Sam and I enjoyed their connection. The storyline with Penina getting engaged to Zevi, a closeted gay man, was truly far fetched and if a couple was trying to convince their families they were in love and wanted to get married they would probably go on a date or two. Also, where is Penina finding all of these single Orthodox men to date in Minnesota? Maybe that was the most unrealistic plot point of all. Ultimately, I did enjoy the story and kept listening until the end.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. As someone who is not particularly religious, I initially approached this book with some hesitation. However, I found myself quickly engrossed in the story and completely invested in the main character, Penina.

What struck me the most was how relatable Penina was, despite our differing religious backgrounds. Shertok did a remarkable job of capturing Penina's struggles, desires, and hopes in a way that transcended religious boundaries. As I followed Penina's journey, I couldn't help but cheer her on in her search for true love and happiness.

One of the highlights of the book was the portrayal of Penina's relationship with Sam. It was evident from the start that Sam had genuine feelings for her, even if Penina couldn't quite see it herself. The author expertly built up the tension and chemistry between them, keeping me hooked and eagerly turning the pages to see how their relationship would unfold.

Heidi Shertok's writing style is engaging and emotive, allowing the reader to truly connect with the characters and their experiences. The pacing of the story was well-executed, striking a balance between tender moments and moments of tension and conflict.

In conclusion, Unorthodox Love is a captivating and heartwarming novel that exceeded my expectations. It beautifully explores themes of love, faith, and self-discovery, transcending religious boundaries to deliver a relatable and uplifting story. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tale of romance and personal growth. With its compelling characters and skillful storytelling, Unorthodox Love is a must-read for every romance lover.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to Netgalley, dreamscape media and the author for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the later parts of the book but found the start a little hard to get into. Overall, I did enjoy it but just not one of my favourites

Thank you to Netgalley for granting me access to the Advance Listening Copy of this romance novel.

This novel was such a fun treat! From the opening moments where 29-year-old Penina is meeting yet another unsuitable Orthodox Jew man set up by her matchmaker (this one facetimes his mother during their coffee date as the mother wants to know if Penina is enjoying the brownies she sent along which are baked with mayonnaise!), the listener is taken for a fun ride. Penina is a sharp observer and what she witnesses is always delivered with sly wit. But she has heart as well, and her deep sorrow is that she believes her infertility makes her undesirable to Orthodox Jewish men as she cannot give birth to a large family that is this community's ideal. Toss in some witty relatives and co-workers at the jewelry shop, and you have the makings of an interesting and moving story.

But there is more- the romance! When Penina meets Sam at the neonatal unit where she volunteers (he is a benefactor), she is smitten. And he seems to be as well when they meet again at her workplace. Some bumps in the road on the way to their HEA make this great listening.

Caitlin Thorborn is a new narrator to me. And checking her credits on Audible indicates that she is relatively new at this type of work. Her female voices are great- each one sounds distinct and believable, but her male voices are not as good. They sound a little off-- maybe not as deep in pitch. But she paces the story well, and is great at capturing all the humor and sharp observations.

This book was so good!! It was my first Jewish book and it was amazing! I related to it so much. And I loved that it took place in Minnesota where I live. I also liked the infertility storyline. Most books I read the main girl gets pregnant so it was great to read a story of infertility and being Jewish as well since that is not so common. Great story! I can’t wait to read more from Heidi.

Thank you for the audiobook!! loved the book!!! It was just so fun to see/read penina and sam banter lol. The epilogue was also really lovely 😔🤌❤️

I absolutely adored this audiobook!!! It was so cutesy and sweet. Like a Hallmark movie come to life. Perfect if that’s your style! Thank you so much for this eARC Dreamscape, NetGalley, and Heidi Shertok!

I was very excited for this book. I am a jewish girl from Minnesota and was so excited to see the representation. However I thought this book wasn't ready yet. It felt messy. There were one too many things going on and because of that some of the more important storylines were underdeveloped and corny. Also this is classified as a romance, but it's a very slow burn and would really consider it more alluded to romance than a romance book. I thought it showed Orthodox Jews well. It wasn't stereotypical or heavily focused on religion and more on the acts of the religion.

One thing I found really off was the narration. The narrator couldn't get simple Hebrew words like Challah (prounounced more H than C) correctly. It brought you out of the story and its believability of an orthodox woman. These are all things that could have easily been prevented with a voice note from the author or even a google search/youtube video. I also didn't care for her man voice.

Thanks to the publisher for the ALC in return for an honest review. This audiobook releases 7/11.

Penina wants nothing more to be married and have children, but she is infertile. In the Orthodox Jewish community, there is a big stress on women to have kids and since she can't she hasn't found a partner yet. Her sister gets in trouble and Penina is willing to marry a gay Orthodox Jew who will pay her a lot of money for a fake marriage. When Penina's boss covers the financial stress of her sister without her knowing, she no longer has to get married, but why would he do that?

I will start saying this book was soooooo long. I felt that the first 1/2 could have been shortened by a lot. The real romance action didn't happen till the last hour of the book. Sam and Penina were adorable together and how he was willing to become a Jew for her was adorable and how he just wanted to take care of her was so sweet. There was very little spice but still a cute story!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of Net Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok.

Wowza! This is going to go down to one of my favorite romances of all time. I loved this story!

Penina, 29 and still single, finally finds love. The story is perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone!

Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok
FIVE HUGE STARS

I knew I was going to love this book and I was not wrong!

Penina and Sam are EVERYTHING. The amount of respect and friendship they had from the very start...perfect.

I reviewed the ebook version and now I am back for the audiobook. Caitlin Thorburn did an amazing job narrating this one.

This is a clean romance, slow burn with a HEA. I highly recommend giving this book a read. Heidi Shertok did a beautiful job of making me feel all the things.

Title: Unorthodox Love
Written by Heidi Shertok
Narrated by Caitlin Thorburn

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook through Netgalley.

#1: This is a good audiobook
#2: It could have been better

The Author:
The author, Heidi Shertok, is an orthodox jew, and that made this book all the better.

Heidi’s writing is insightful, thought-provoking, sweet, at times snort-out-loud funny, and a bit heartbreaking. I didn’t cry, but I came darn close.

I love the originality of this book, and I think that more books like this would be great.

The Narrator:
Caitlin Thorburn does a decent job narrating this book.

I want to make it clear that I like Caitlin as a narrator, and I can easily see myself self listening to tons of books she narrates. So, everything below is meant as constructive, helpful, and honest feedback.

I would say that 80% was done spot on. 20% requires improvement.

There were a number of mispronounced words: yarmulke, seder, Zyrtec, urinal, mazel tov, expletive, shabbow, insomnia, euthanized, and challah.

I don’t know if some of what I perceive to be mispronouncing is really more of the vernacular for the orthodox community in Minnesota….it could be. So, why bring it up? Because it distracted from the story enough that it made me lose the rhythm of listening.

I place no blame or fault on anyone at all.

Being a narrator is a difficult job, and full of hard work, and I give great credit to all voice actors.

I appreciate Caitlin’s hard work.

I do recommend this book.

We love Jewish representation! "Unorthodox Love" is sweet, spicy, and gives the world insight into the Orthodox dating world. Love love love!