Once again Jean Meltzer writes an adorable Jewish rom com. This is very different from her other books (my favorite being Kissing Kosher), but is very timely with what is going on related to antisemitism right now.

Faye Kaplan is Jewitch (yep, you read that right), something I never heard of before! As always with Jean Meltzer's books, I learned a lot about something related to Judaism that I never knew before. In the wake of antisemitic activity in her town and still reeling from her canceled wedding to the wrong guy, Faye hits a stranger on her bicycle. When it is revealed he has amnesia, Faye takes a big risk in nursing this handsome redheaded stranger who appeared at the same time the antisemitic attacks started back to health-- especially because Faye fears she created him out of clay (long story, must read the book!).

You can expect laugh out loud moments, lots of heart, and plenty of hard salami (not a euphemism if you can believe it).

This review is published on Goodreads and Storygraph.

This was a new-to-me author who was recommended to me by a friend and, oh, I liked this book! Faye is a "Jewitch" potter who meets Greg, an amnesiac she hits with her bike. But is Greg really the clay golem she created the night before when a hate crime is committed that hits close to home? Read the book to find out! If only finding the perfect man was as easy as making one out of clay. A mix of the serious and comedic, this is a wonderful story about finding out who you are, and learning to live with generational trauma and love yourself despite your flaws. My only complaint is that the title, the description, and the cover of this book belie the serious themes that run through this story. I felt like they really made it seem like it was going to be a much lighter story than it was, which is an injustice to the author's work. I will be reading more by this author, her ability to mix light and dark (as well as her comedic voice) made this an enjoyable read.

I’d give this a 3.5, if I could. This was a story that I expected to be light, but was surprised to see how much depth it had. While some parts were hard to follow, it all came together in the end. The story had topics of culture, antisemitism and abuse, while weaving together magic, love and friendship. I look forward to reading more by Jean Meltzer!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin/MIRA publishing for sending an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved this magical, Jewitch, hilarious Rom Com by the incomparable Jean Meltzer.
I laughed, a lot, I learned a lot and looked up a lot of amazing things along the fun ride of this fabulously sweet trip of a book.
Great Characters, small town, and a bit of a mystery. A beautiful HEA after dealing with some evil folks. I could read this over and over. Loved it so much!

Wow yikes this book was bad. The dialogue was so awkward and uncomfortable. I couldn't get into the story with the two main characters, if Greg can even be considered a character? And DNF at 31%

In Jean Meltzer's enchanting tale, "Magical Meet Cute," Faye Kaplan embarks on a journey of self-discovery, finding love and healing in the most unexpected of places. Once engaged and successful in her legal practice, Faye now finds solace in her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. Yet, despite her contentment in solitude, she longs for the perfect companion. When anti-Semitic flyers surface in her town, Faye seeks comfort in her pottery, drunkenly creating a golem protector. Little does she know, this magical creation takes a life of its own, materializing as Greg, a captivating stranger who seems to fulfill every desire on Faye's list. However, fate throws a curveball when Greg loses his memory, leaving Faye to wonder if his sudden appearance is merely a coincidence. As Faye and Greg navigate the complexities of their newfound connection, they delve into the hidden depths of their own hearts. Faye must confront her fears and insecurities, while Greg grapples with the fragments of his forgotten past. Along the way, they discover the transformative power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Meltzer's writing is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and magic. She deftly weaves together themes of identity, acceptance, and the search for true love. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Faye's journey of self-discovery particularly poignant. The supporting cast adds depth and humor to the story, creating a tapestry of small-town life that feels both authentic and enchanting. The pacing of the novel is steady, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the world Meltzer has created. The plot unfolds naturally, with unexpected twists and turns that keep the pages turning. The prose is clear and engaging, with vivid imagery and a keen eye for detail. "Magical Meet Cute" is a captivating read that explores the complexities of love, identity, and the human condition. Meltzer's skillful storytelling and memorable characters make this book a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and magical realism. With its heartfelt themes and enchanting atmosphere, "Magical Meet Cute" is a story that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Ahhhh! There is so much to love about this book and then it goes slightly off the rails.

It does have some sweet and loveable characters that give it a rom-com quirk. However the MC's obession with the fact that she believe's she created a gollum really starts to take you out of the story around the 60% mark. I found myself trying to justify her actions as though it was a literary critism class and I was looking for a more metaphorical reason for her choices.

I thought with the openess to her lusting after a man, we were going to get a bit more steam in this one. I did read The Matza Ball by Meltzer and loved it. My only complaint was that I wished the sexual tension would have taken us a bit further. That's how I also felt with this book. For all the talk of wanting to jump his bones, we are left with only a few kisses. (I am not taking that into consideration with my rating, just want to note it for other readers)

I did enjoy this overall, and will give Jean Meltzer's work another try.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Huge thanks to Harlequinn/Mira for giving me access to an arc but this one, for me, missed the mark. I think the way it was advertised does a disservice to this story. I wanted to like this but I found myself having a hard time w/ it. I just don’t think this one is for me.

I am squarely the target audience here—liberal feminist spiritual semi observant Jew who splits her time between NYC and upstate NY. I get all the references.

- felt a lot of the book was repeated, more than usual for the genre

- a lot of history of antisemitism—maybe people need it—I didn’t

- barely any spice! It’s a heavy subject matter, it could use some levity

- used jewitch instead of Jewish in many places. I get the premise but also it felt out of place. Especially centering the main character in antisemitic circumstances—acknowledge she is Jewish

- I know many shulamits and Shuli in my brain makes more sense then shully (sounds like a dog)

- is hamans hat a real expression? Never heard it before. Felt forced.

I liked the characters and the ending!

This book was just so cute and fluffy. I flew through it with ease and loved the magical elements of the book.

A sweet story with a lot of heart. As a non-Jewish person, I really appreciated the history and cultural information through the story. Thanks for the ARC. Jean Meltzer continues to be an author I will always pick up.

The overall storyline is cute.
Being raised Jewish I LOVED reading this book!

Editing notes for consideration:
There are some strange edit issues throughout the entire book.

It occurs every time a word has an f followed by an l like ‘floor’ ‘flyer’ ‘flame’ a random space gets put in the word.
It was so jarring I got pulled out of the story.
I don’t know if it is because it is an ARC and in word doc but definitely something to look into before pub date.

This was such a light cute read! Faye is a jewitch, yes you read that right, that tried to use her powers against antisemitism. But then she crashes into a man who she thinks is the golem she created for protection. Faye’s growth and ownership of being Jewish in a group of antisemites was inspiring. Just a great message especially in todays climate.

This book is for you if you enjoy:
- slight supernatural happenings
- quirky neighbors
- slow burn romance
- crime mysteries

By the end of this book, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I am not Jewish or witchy, but am very good friends with people in both groups. I imagine this book would be even more enjoyable if you were one of the other (maybe Jewitchy too?). I did figure out the main bad guy before that was revealed, but it didn't take away from the overall plot for me. The story moved at a great pace and was cute throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for the chance to read this for my honest review.

This book was cute. I ate it up and left no crumbs. I enjoyed the magical elements. I loved the interactions between the 2 main characters. This romcom had me giggling a few times.

I definitely recommend this for people who enjoy romcoms with some magical element as a twist.

Magical Meet Cute is a Jewish rom-com that delves into the delicate theme of anti-Semitic sentiments in a feel good & entertaining manner. Meltzer tackles significant topics at hand along w/ informative facts while keeping it lighthearted.

I enjoyed reading Magical Meet Cute however, I felt that this fell short from being a rom-com. There was some love building but it didn’t completely captivate me like other rom-coms do. I want to get lost in the characters & their love & their journey to finding each other.

I completely understand the need to cover certain sensitive topics and Jean does that, however, promotions & marketing for this book made it seem like this was going to be a silly romance book and did not mention covering anti-Semitism and delving deep into the culture/ beliefs. Again, there is nothing wrong with covering anti-Semitism, I think the way Jean does it is informative and lighthearted, as I mentioned above. I learned a lot from reading this book, but it made the overall plot boring, it took away from that romance aspect which is what this book is being marketed as.

I’ve been wanting to read a Jean Meltzer book for a while now, so when given the opportunity to review this one, I jumped at it.

Magical Meet Cute was a love letter to our inner selves and the inter generational trauma that the Jewish people endure everyday. For a cute, quirky rom-com, this book was beautifully insightful and took on the difficult topic of modern antisemitism.

The entire golem idea was preposterously hilarious in the best way. At times I laughed at Faye’s eccentrics, but other times, I found myself fascinated with her take on Judaism and her ability to practice Judaism in a way that was unapologetically herself.

This book took on many harsh topics, including familial abuse, but the goofy, hilariously Jewish moments brought a great counterbalance, creating a story that was easy to read and left you contemplating your own identity.

While this was my first book by Meltzer, it certainly won’t be my last. This book made me want to explore my own Jewish identity even more, and I am truly thankful to Meltzer for that.

Ooh I loved this so much! Immediately I was drawn in. The story, the writing is fantastic. It was such a cute read!

"Perhaps loving someone to the bitter end had always been her downfall".

I'd like to start this review by saying that, to my standards, 3 is a good rating, so, in case I can't put it into words properly: I enjoyed this book, but some aspects kept me from enjoying it as much as I could.

I've never read a Jewish Rom-Com, and since I didn't know Jean Meltzer when I asked for this book, I was kind of expecting something along the lines of "non-Jewish person writes a Jewish novel" with stereotypes and all — thank God, it was not the case (I'm sorry for ever thinking it would be, Jean).

And as a non-Jewish person myself, I have to say that the cultural and religious background of this book was the most interesting part. We've been living in a disinformation era right now, and a lot has been said about Jews, so reading a book written by someone in the community was an eye-opener in a lot of different level. A reminder that people should be able to tell their own stories, use their own voice, without being questioned by someone who's watched the news and think themselves as experts on the topic.

I did struggle with the story, though. While Jean's writing is amazing and entertaining, to the point it had me hooked up until 50% of the book, that's when things went downhill for me.

I loved how the author depicted Faye struggles and beliefs about herself, and her toxic relationships throughout her life; I also loved her relationship with her friends and how the thing with Greg wasn't rushed. Jean took her time building a love story that was believable, considering the bad experiences Faye had in her life, her fear of being abandoned and/or hurt again, and a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Those are tricky topics to write about without ending in a condescending tone, or a magical (no pun intended) resolution, and Jean is probably one of the few writers who could do it amazingly.

The gollem thing, though... It kinda made me sad, because I thought it would be the funny part of the story, and that it would be a concept that would start being considered from moment one, but it only became a thing (a real thing, for Faye) around 50% of the book, and it endured for more or less 30% — those 30% were when the story started to not work for me anymore.

Faye's reaction to the gollem trouble bothered me, and it wasn't something fun to read — maybe it was Jane's intention, and maybe someday I'll revisit my rating because I finally understood that moment —, to the point that I almost DNF-ed the book during this specific part. I felt like the connection I had built with Faye was being severed at that moment, and all I wanted was to know more about any other character (really, anyone) than her. And while I understood where it all came from, I think it didn't need to happen like that (or if it did, there was no need for 90 pages of it).

Aside from that, I enjoyed this book. Jane's writing reminds me a lot of Ali Hazelwood's (which was probably the reason why I guessed the villain very quickly), and I'd love to read more of her books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin and Jean Meltzer for this book :D

3 stars

Based on the cover I thought this book was gonna be a light romance with Jewish themes like the other books by the author. The book goes deep into anti semitism and what life is like being a Jew in todays society. Faye is a Jewitch and may have conjured Greg up, is he a golem? Or the man of her dreams?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publish for the ebook!