If you loved the Netflix show HOT FROSTY, Jean Meltzer's MAGICAL MEET CUTE is exactly your cup of tea. While the story wasn't my favorite, it does have enough moments that hit the spot for a feel-good magical romance. I really enjoyed the exploration of the golem mythology. I'm not Jewish so I cannot say so with authority, but it seems like the representation is decent and that it adequately addresses issues of antisemitism. Nice to have this kind of Jewish representation in the romance genre.

A take-it-or-leave-it romance with a charming premise, but the magic doesn’t quite hit its mark. Sweet moments, yet nothing to really make it stand out.

Wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It was interesting, it was full of religion, and hate crimes against that religion.

This was not my normal read, but I enjoyed it enough for what it was. I had a hard time connecting with the characters at times, and because of that it took me a bit longer to get through. For the right audience I think it would be perfect.

While the plot was a little bit all over the place at times it was also so timely in showing antisemitism. I loved the lesbian rabbi and her wife. I deeply appreciate the Jewish mysticism and lore. I had no idea I needed to know about JEWITCHES. It did have all the things I love in books: romance, Jewish joy, witchy vibes. The pieces didn’t alwayyys fit together but I did enjoy this immensely.

Magical Meets Cute by Jean Meltzer is the third novel by this romance writer. Each of her novels is about a romantic couple that faces some obstacle and overcomes the trouble that is brewing. All focused aroung Judaism without getting involved in any real religious discussion. They are entertaining and well written.

I was not a romance fan before reading Meltzer. But she has won my heart with her kooky lovable characters and plots.

This time we meet Faye Kaplan who has given up her law practice and her engagement and moved to Woodstock NY and opened a pottery business. She's throwing pots and creating art out of clay. One night she creates a golem out of clay and buries it out in the back garden. She writes all the things she would love to have in the man of her dreams on his body and forgets him in the garden.

Soon she rescues a man who has been hit by a car and seems to have amnesia. She names him Greg. She takes him to the hospital and the she agrees to take him home when they cannot find out who he is. While she is taking care of him he decides to also take care of her. He is extremely solicitous of her and anticipates her every need. When she runs into trouble in town Greg comes to her defense. Is he too good to be true?

Faye wonders if Greg is real or if maybe her golem has really come to life. As things get out of hand when some non Jewish town members get angry at Faye and want to attack her store front, she is worried that the golem may go too far in her defense. She wants to stop him, but how can she tell if she is in control or if he is just too good to be true?

I wanted to love this, since Kissing Kosher was such a hit for me, but it was just fine. I didn’t find myself invested in any character and while the story was constantly evolving, I just didn’t seem to care all that much.
It was cute and unique, and I always appreciate learning more about Judaism, but ultimately it was just fine.

This book was really disappointing for me. I love Jean Meltzer and Jewish stories, but I saw the "twist" coming from the moment the cop friend was mentioned. I was being forced into reality and sadness when I wanted an escape.

I’m a big fan of the amnesia trope, so I was excited to dive into this book. It was also my first time learning about golems, and I really enjoyed the mix of Jewish culture and the unique concept of golem magic—plus the humor, which was a fun touch. However, I do wish there had been a bit more magical realism to fully bring the fantasy elements to life.

On the heavier side, the book tackles antisemitism, and as a Jewish woman myself, I thought the way this topic was woven into the story was handled really well. The book does a great job showing the fear and uncertainty that many Jews face on a daily basis. I think anyone, regardless of their background, could learn a lot from Faye’s journey.

The story itself is cute and touches on romance and self-discovery. Overall, I liked it, but there were moments where it felt a bit flat. The twist was predictable, and while it didn’t surprise me, it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment. If you’re looking for a quirky romance with some deeper, important themes sprinkled in, this is a good pick. It was nice to see such serious topics being addressed, especially in a genre that’s often lighthearted.

I loved Jean Meltzer's previous books so I knew I had to read this one. This was such a an interesting and unique storyline. As with all of her books, I loved learning more about the Jewish culture. I definitely recommend this book.

I DNF’d this book. I appreciated the Judaism representation, but the romance and story fell flat to me. This authors books just don’t speak to me.

If you are looking for a cute romcom that brings a little Jewitch magic and humor, you've found your next read. Sometimes love is found in the most unexpected ways that make us question if it is too good to be true. Societal problems contribute to the skepticism of our leading lady Faye, who has turned to jewish folklore to answer some of the questions she has about this mystery man. As she uncovers the truth about this man that seemed to enter her life out of the blue, she learned more about herself as well. Also, Fans of the movie Teen Witch or Mannequin, I think you would enjoy reading this!

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I wasn't feeling the characters or the romance. I do appreciate the representation though. I have enjoyed Jean Meltzer books in the past and I'm sure I will again - but this was not my cup of tea. thank you to the publisher for the free copy!

This book had its ups and downs. I loved the aspect of the magic and the golem arc was a fun twist. The only thing is I didn’t understand the ending. Like he wasn’t a golem but he was? I also very much predicted the plot change at the end of the book with the paper boys. Eric was very much a predictable character, but nonetheless, it was a quick and easy read.

In Magical Meet Cute, Jean Meltzer, author of the hysterical The Matzah Ball, proves she can tell a story a bit out of her rom-com comfort zone by creating an amazing, haunting, funny romance/thriller which will tug at your heart but also emphasize what is happening in today's world.

Faye Kaplan has a broken heart. Once engaged but that went south, she decides to leave her law practice and create a new life in Woodstock, New York doing something she always loved as a child. Create art through pottery.

Faye's childhood was perfectly imperfect with a horrible mother and what she ended up getting out of that life was she always needed to be perfect in everything she does, which includes if there is one mistake while creating her art, means it gets dumped.

Now, lonely and feeling like she will never find someone, she goes to a mixer and discovers someone is putting anti-semantic flyers everywhere. This on top of her loneliness (and perhaps because she was a bit drunk, she decides to create a "golem" a being from Jewish folklore which is made from bits and pieces of whatever you have around, like clay for example, and once buried you make a wish. She buries it in the backyard. She hopes it will protect her.

But unfortunately, the very next day while riding her bike she accidently knocks down a very handsome man who is rushed to the hospital. He can't remember anything about himself. Faye, who feels terrible and because no one has claimed him decides he needs to come home with her and recuperate, much against the advice of all her friends who think she will now be murdered!

They come to the decision together that his name should be Greg. Unfortunately for Greg, he remembers nothing not even how to do the simplest things. So, he begins reading books on just about everything. He does become a pretty good cook, and a great listener for Faye. As they begin to spend more and more time together, they both feel the start of something, but for Faye, she starts to believe he is the golem in human form she buried in the backyard and is now waiting for the right moment to make her life miserable.

And then it does. As the antisemitism begins to increase, a brick is thrown through the window of her pottery shop. The community doesn't understand why this is happening, or maybe they do. Faye decides to take a stand and puts a pro-Jewish display in her window trying to lure whoever the beasts are who hate them so much.

As for Greg, she believes he is a bad golem and tries to do everything in her power to get rid of him. But he won't go! She is so scared to fall in love, she's willing to believe the worst of man she thinks she conjured.

But terrible things are brewing in this small town and trying to discover who and what are causing the violence will take the whole community banning together. As for Greg? Well, you'll just have to read the book...

Magical Meet Cute is a fun book with very serious issues, which is trademark Meltzer, which melds romance with ripped from the headline problems, with a touch of mystery and of course, magic!

Thank you #NetGalley #MiraBooks #MagicalMeetCute #JeanMeltzer for the advanced copy.

I'm here for the cuteness of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it in one day! Great for a rainy day read ❤️

This was a lot heavier than I expected so I would definitely check TW before picking it up. I still enjoyed the book but it was a lot less romance than Jean Meltzer’s other books. It definitely kept me interested in where the story was going and how the characters were going to work through their issues. There were also some pretty funny parts, like Hillel (my favorite character).

This was just painful to read. I am sure how far I got in but it was too far either way. the religion lore mixed in with magic was so heavy-handed that it took over the whole story and seemed to be the FMC only personality trait. I understand that the MMC has amnesia -- maybe? I still don't know -- but he just seems a little daft. I just didn't want and just simply couldn't stick around to find out whether he was a real person, if there was a twist worth all that stupidity, or if he was indeed a magical being... DNFed.

TOTALLY hoped I'd find some magical realism in this book but... it just wasn't really there! Like, some of it was there, but it wasn't a heavy premise so that was kind of disappointing. However, there was definitely a heavy presence of antisemitism, which is GREAT, but not something I expected when I picked up a story hoping for a romance. There were also a ton of Jewish and Yiddish references, which was neat, but many flew right over my head since that is not something I have a background in. Such a neat premise, but it just wasn't it for me - struggled getting into the storyline and following the leads as they developed a relationship with one another.. felt overshadowed and focused on the heavier topic at hand, but still appreciative of the read.