This book was a total miss for me. I ended up shelving it the first time and then when I got back to it, I still didn't like it, so in the end I did DNF. The premise seemed so interesting but the execution wasn't done well and it could not hold my interest.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer was just a miss for me. Although the concept was interesting, I found the characters to be one dimensional, especially Faye and much for the book, especially repeated mentions of her Golems penis size childish. Apparently her only criteria for a man was that he could properly slice salami, since she was obsessed with it. Also, her dog, just disgusting. I do appreciate her delving into Judaism but with her "Jewitchnesss" I felt it was out of place. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

have so enjoyed Meltzer's past romance books and learned more about Jewish culture each time I pick one up or pop the audio into my ears. I couldn't wait to request this one from Netgalley!

This 4th book was definitely a tougher read for me to stick with, but stick with it I did. And in the end, I'm glad I did.

First up, if you didn't already know this about me, in most books, I struggle with magical realism. I either need full on acceptance that we have a fantastical world as the setting, or I need to live in the real, practical, often devastating world. I should have been clued into that in between world by the title. Or read the synopsis. I didn't. The author was good enough for me.

The pluses of the story: themes of resilience, community, taking back one's power all always appeal to me. Meltzer weaves all of these into her story.

The challenge that never came together for me is something that I think would be a challenge for anyone writing a story that is trying to balance deep, personal, intergenerational trauma and pain from the writer and her characters from hundreds of years of anti semitic violence and a lighter plot line of one's imaginary perfect mate possibly coming to life. The tension between the two and the mystery that needed to be solved did not work for me at all. I would have been all in, I think, if she had written a gritty story working to find the hate group in town while two of the main characters fell in love OR possibly just the magical potential of the budding relationship. The two together just seemed to constantly undermine each other.

While this book did not work for me, Meltzer's winning record means I will absolutely look forward to her next one.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did, I feel in love, as I have with Meltzer's other titles. Yes, the story is a little implausible, at times, but it is a romance book. And the implausibility of it makes it all the more fun!

Oh my goodness what a cute book!!!! I loved the pottery elements since that’s a hobby I’ve gotten into lately. I thought Meltzer created such a beautiful balance of humor and poignant current event topics such as anti-semitism. Meltzer was able to write such a cute rom com style novel that goes so much deeper!

Jean Meltzer has another novel that you are going to adore: Magical Meet Cute! There is a lot of focus on Judaism, mysticism, antisemitism and, of course, romance. Plus, there's a unique little dog who will definitely melt your heart.

The story is highly relevant to everything happening lately and I only wish it had been published last summer instead for that very reason. We really need an army of golems right about now! There was a nice balance of humor and seriousness throughout the novel. I was able to guess at some parts of the story, but was suprised by most of what happened and a lot of things kept me on my toes. I was definitely anxious on Faye's behalf. All the characters were great, except for the villainous ones, and I especially loved Nelly.

My only concern was that there were some timing issues. I hope they will be sorted out for the final publication.

Overall, it was really interesting and engaging throughout and I even learned a few new things! Magical Meet Cute will be available in late August, but be sure to read Jean's other books in the meantime.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Faye: Milana Vayntrub
Greg: Robert Kazinsky
Nelly: Elaine May
Miranda: Abbi Jacobson
Shulamit: Hari Nef
Eric: Hunter Parrish

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*
TW: Child abuse (Faye talks about her experience from the past), hateful descriptions of Jewish people, mild violence due to antisemitism

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer
Standalone Romantic Comedy
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion.

Magical Meet Cute , releasing August 27th, is my fourth Jean Meltzer book. She usually writes relatable, flawed Jewish characters with some type of chronic illness. I don’t actively practice the Jewish religion, but I grew up Jewish and still celebrate the holidays, so I usually enjoy learning about my religion through Jean’s books. But Faye wasn’t really Jewish, she was Jewitch, something I’ve never heard of before.

Faye, like me, hadn’t set foot in a synagogue since she was a kid, but after the fiancé she was with for 10 years dumped her, she wanted to find herself, and found a book about being Jewitch, which seems to be nothing like the Jewish religion at all and a lot more like being a witch. She completely changed her life; becoming Jewitch, quitting her law firm in Manhattan and opening a pottery studio/store in Woodstock, NY.

When her quiet town of Woodstock was targeted for anti-semitic acts, Faye got out her feelings by getting very drunk and making a Golem. According to Google, a Golem is “a creature formed out of a lifeless substance such as dust or earth that is brought to life by ritual incantations and sequences of Hebrew letters. The golem, brought into being by a human creator, becomes a helper, a companion, or a rescuer of an imperiled Jewish community.” As a potter, she drunkenly made a figure of a man with clay and carved all of the attributes her perfect man would have on the clay doll. Then she freaked and buried it in her garden.

“I’m tired of apologizing for surviving.”

The next day she hit a guy with her bike, knocking him down and causing him to lose his memory. Since he had nobody and nowhere to go after the hospital, Faye took “Greg” in since she caused the problem. As time went on, she became more and more convinced that Greg was her Golem come to life. He was just too perfect, matching all the attributes of her carvings down to the long red hair she glued to the thing.

Then the book just kind of stalled out for me. Faye started seeming a little ridiculous and stupid, and their relationship never seemed to progress.

There were some great messages in Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer, but it didn’t live up to her other books for me. With them, I also learned about Judaism. Here I couldn’t distinguish what is Jewish and what is Witch. Though Faye was obviously smart as a former lawyer, she came off ditsy and frankly, a little stupid at times. And though I felt a little pull between the couple, we never really got to see them together, only them fighting their feelings. I never felt the real connection, but I did enjoy Greg's attachment to the townspeople.

My favorite part about the book was this message found throughout the book:

“This is the art of imperfection. The ability to look at your life and see the beauty in the blemishes. To make a mistake, sometimes many mistakes, but see your worth anyway.”

Likes:
•Showing how anti-Semitism affects everyday people. Very relevant right now.
•It was a fun and VERY unique story.
•I loved Nelly so much!
•I liked the Paper Boys mystery: Who is dropping all the anti-semitic flyers everywhere?
•I loved the friendships.
•Despite being a silly comedy, there was a lot of depth. Past trauma, abuse, and identity were worked into the story skillfully.
•Easter (or Passover) eggs from her other books.

Dislikes:
•I never felt the couple really get together and fall in love. The potential was there, but I never saw it blossom. Completely closed-door didn’t help.
•I hated the dog from the first page and I usually love pets in books.
•For someone who had very little Jewish background, Faye sure spoke a lot of Yiddish and knew a lot about the religion.
•Hard Kosher Salami was discussed and eaten 42 times in this book. Apparently that’s all she eats, and the only thing she needs from a man is someone who can cut the salami easily. (I did go buy some Salami while reading).
•I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if she was normal Jewish and maybe just tried a protection spell for the first time after being targeted by Anti-Semites. With all of the disinformation about Jews going on right now, I feel like this doesn’t help at all.
•Besides the police chief, where were all of the non-Jews in this town?
•(view spoiler)

The Down and Dirty:
From the title, I expected something different. I enjoy magical realism in books and I was hoping to find that here, but that wasn’t really the case. I have also come to expect to learn more about Judaism from Jean Meltzer’s books. That wasn’t really the case here either, since the FMC is JeWITCH. I appreciated the relevance of the anti-semitic events, and the message of learning to love yourself despite your imperfections, but Magical Meet Cute kind of missed the mark for me. I didn’t dislike the story. It was entertaining, but I can’t say I’d recommend it.

Rating: 3 Stars

The idea is really cute, the elements play well together, and this feels like a three to four stars for contemporary romance readers looking for a little bit of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

Jean Meltzer has done it again, with another fabulous Jewish romance! It checks all the romance boxes while simultaneously weaving in important issues such as antisemitism, physical disabilities, and mental health. Faye has been building a new life for herself in the small town of Woodstock, NY after a disappointing end to her engagement. She sold her successful law firm in Manhattan and is following her dream of creating pottery. Everything is going smoothly until the night the town is littered with antisemitic flyers, listing the Jewish residents by name and photo and calling for violence. In the chaos of the next day, she runs into a stranger with her bicycle. When he wakes up in the hospital with no ID and no memory, Faye feels obligated to take him home and care for him instead of allowing him to be sent to a shelter. As Faye and Greg become closer and closer, she can't believe that anyone could be as good and kind and appreciative of her as he is. Could she possibly have created a golem and brought him to life? No spoilers here! I will say that this book has a super satisfying ending. Highly recommended!!

Wow. This book is just WOW. I expected to like this book, since I ha e enjoyed this author before. But I did not expect this book to impact me and make me feel the way it did. The book starts when Faye, our heroine, comes back from a failed speed dating event at her synagogue (been there, lol), to find her neighborhood littered with antisemitic fliers. Feeling hopeless and powerless, she drunkenly sculpts a golem. And the next day, she hits a man with her bike, which gives him amnesia. But is he really a man, or did she really conjur a golem?
I honestly loved the characters in the book- Faye and Greg are both in need of love and healing, and watching them fall in love throughout the book, while also being each others support system was beautiful. The side characters were also amazing, I love the found damily dynamic- everyone needs a Nelly in their life! This book was also really funny in places- I couldn't stop laughing at certain points in the story (tasers and caves. Iykyk).
I also loved the inclusion of Jewish magic in the story, and I learned alot about being a Jewitch. I also learned a lot about the history of golems, which I found fascinating.
But the most special part of the book for me was the way antisemitism was depicted throughout the story. The book feels very timely, especially with whats going on in the world today. The helplessness and anger Faye feels after the flyers are distributed is all to familiar a feeling to most Jewish Americans right now. Jean Meltzer wrote a book that made me, as a Jewish American woman, feel seen. This will definitely be an all time favorite book.

this book was so much fun! Jean's continued Jewish history and explanation of Jewish mysticism woven in to some of the sweetest and funniest and sexiest romantic comedies continues. The way the FMC totally believes she made a golem come to life is so funny to me. The insertion of a necessary plot about antisemitism that's woven in throughout never felt heavy-handed. Instead it felt more like a reminder to stand up for our fellow Jewish neighbors. Thank you for this ARC! I will continue to support Jean and everything she writes and does!

I thought this was a cute story of romance and self discovery. Overall I liked the story but some parts just fell flat for me. The twist was pretty predictable but if you’re looking for a quick romance that’s quirky then you should check out this book. There were a lot of important topics covered that I thought brought awareness which was great and unexpected especially for a romance book!

After being exposed to too many subpar men and anti-Semitic flyers, Faye decides to make her own Golem figure out of clay. She is a pottery shop owner, after all. When she then meets the perfect guy, she thinks he's her Golem come to life. I liked the magical, witchy elements to this book, but I didn't really feel the chemistry between Faye and Greg. Maybe that was intentional since we are to believe that he is a man made out of clay, but the dialogue just felt stiff and awkward. There are also a few too many mentions of the size of his genitalia that I didn't think was necessary. I'm all for spice and romance, but size jokes just seem a bit basic and make the characters seem a bit childish. I also didn't really like Faye's character which was a bummer because I think there should be more Jewish characters and ideas out there, but this just missed the mark for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Magical Meet Cute is a delightful rom-com that sprinkles a touch of magic into the classic meet-cute formula. Meltzer's witty dialogue and charming characters make for an irresistibly fun read. With its enchanting premise and heartwarming romance, this book is sure to leave readers with a smile on their face and a warm feeling in their hearts.

Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer is a fun romance with Jewish themes. It gives Practical Magic vibes. Being Jewish, I really identified with the story and enjoyed learning even more about the culture and religion, as well as seeing Faye’s perspective. Given the current climate, some parts were difficult to read, so be warned. There were parts of the book that felt a little slow and where the writing was simple, however, I really liked the ending!

I think it's safe to say if Jean Meltzer writes it, I'm going to read it! Absolutely enjoyed this story way more than expected!

Loved this, cute, fun , sweet . The story was super nice to follow , the characters were relatable too and everything flowed so nicely. Will definitely be recommending this when it comes out

After taking a little while to bust through this book, i thought it was a pretty charming love story in the end. The characters were adorable and the plot was able to keep me entertained
thank you netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC!

The premise of this book is very unique and interesting. It's about Faye who is a self prescribed Jewitch and ceramist who endured child abuse at the hands of her mother which permanently disabled one of her hands making it very difficult to do her job. She meets Greg after she drunkenly runs him over with her bike causing him amnesia. The first half of this book was such a fun read. I loved Faye and Gregs journey to trying to help him learn to speak again and find his memories. The book also had a subplot based around the Anti-semitism happening in town. Faye's neighbors and her friends were funny and very helpful to the subplot also getting Greg involved to help stop them was a fun adventure especially when he went undercover. My frustration with the book came with the romance in the second half. Faye got this obsession with Greg being a golam and basically stopped speaking to him or hanging out with him. I feel like we could have cut that whole subplot out and it would have greatly improved the book especially because the romance felt so rushed near the end. We only got one small scene with them in the middle but really after that they stopped being romantic. I really enjoyed a lot of this book but there were several parts that felt disconnected.
3.5 stars rounded to 4

This was really cute book! I was thrilled to dive into this author's debut work. As a fan of magical romance books, the title and cover immediately captured my attention. The plot was intriguing and had me completely engrossed, while the characters were incredibly endearing. The pace sometimes seemed a little slow but it was ok!