"Unorthodox Love" by Baldwin is a captivating and thought-provoking read. The author's writing style is engaging and I was drawn in from the very first page. The story follows the journey of two individuals who come from different backgrounds and find themselves falling in love despite the odds against them.

I enjoyed learning more about the Jewish culture which was front and central in this story.

One of the strengths of this book is the way in which the author explores the complexities of love and relationships. The characters are well-developed and their struggles feel real and relatable. The themes of identity, family, and tradition are also explored in a nuanced and insightful way.

One of my favourite quotes from the book is, "Love is not about finding someone who completes you, but about finding someone who accepts you for who you are." This quote encapsulates the central message of the book and is a testament to the author's skill in crafting meaningful and impactful prose.

While there were some moments where the pacing felt slow, the book is ultimately a worthwhile read that will leave readers thinking long after they have finished it. Caitlin Thornburn did a great job narrating this novel!

3⭐, 0.5🌶️

So while I didn't love this book as a romance novel, I feel like if I went in viewing it as a women's fiction novel, I would have enjoyed it more. I really enjoyed how much I learned of Orthodox Judaism, and Penina's character was just so enjoying. Her dedication to her family was so much, but also so admirable. Then her unique personality handling her infertility was such an interesting character detail.

Again, the romance in this book just fell flat for me - you could tell Sam was into her the whole story but the relationship took until the very last bit of the book to develop. Then, as a romance novel, the plot fell sooo long - between the family shenanigans, work chaos, and fake dating (that wasn't even Penina and Sam -ugh) it just kept going on and on.

Tropes
💜Orthodox Jewish/ Secular romance
💜 Clean Romance - Slow burn
💜Opposites Attract
💜Fake Dating (Not between MC's)
💜Enemies to Lovers

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok, narrated by Caitlin Thorburn. This is my honest review.

Thank you netgally and dreamscape media for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed the representation in the book the characters and their story however I found it long and probably could have been 2 or 3 hours shorter. I loved learning even of the Jewish traditions.

3.5/5☆

This is a fabulous Jewish romance. Although the story isn't a traditional line story, it is the story of a traditional Orthodox woman trying to find her way in life when life doesn't go as planned. It's cute, it's sweet, it's heartbreaking and the HEA is more than I could have wished for. Thank you for the opportunity to listen this ALC.

Penina longs for true love and marriage, but it's hard for her to find a good match in the Orthodox Jewish community, especially because she is infertile. Her sister, Libby, is in big financial trouble, so to help her, she accepts to enter a fake marriage with Zevi, who is gay and wants to hide it, in exchange for enough money to help Libby. Until she meets a handsome stranger she all but falls in love at first sight with. Before finding out Sam will be her new boss...
This grumpy sunshine, workplace/boss-employee, fake relationship, clean, romance is a quick read! It was unique and a bit slow to get into, and the burn was very slow. I mostly enjoyed it, but there were a few annoying things. First of all, Penina's inner dialogue is very negative and frustrating. And because our background is so different, I found it very hard to relate to her. But it was nice to learn more about Orthodox Jews, but in some places, it was more explanation than it was story telling. Also, there is a strong emphasis on her faith all through the book, but her HEA is not aligned with that. Maybe the author was trying to show some character development, but I felt a disconnection (like Penina does not apply what she preaches). I also did not really like Sam. However, the author did a good job writing well-rounded non-stereotyped characters. The narration in the audio book was good.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.