I liked the premise of the book, and I liked the story itself. The message of being a proud Jew, of not hiding when antisemites come for you, of letting yourself be imperfect but continually moving forward, all of these were really important, and I loved seeing it as a Jew who is only now seeing her identify in the main characters of romance novels. But the writing did feel forced. It felt like a constant shouting into the universe that this was a Jewish book, rather than simply being a Jewish book. This isn't bad, but it felt like it was an effort to just shout louder than others rather than just showing a Jewish life.

Magical Meet Cute is the literary equivalent of a cozy rom-com with a side of sorcery. Imagine if Tinder had an enchantment filter, and instead of “swiping right,” you just cast a spell to see who’s your soulmate. The book dives into a world where every meet-cute comes with a twist—think awkward run-ins with wizards and accidental broom crashes.

Our protagonist? A bumbling, slightly cursed witch who’s as good at finding love as she is at spilling potions (read: not good at all). Every chapter is a hilariously chaotic adventure in dating, full of misfired spells, accidental love potions, and one scene involving a magical cat who gives dating advice.

With quirky characters and plenty of magical mishaps, Magical Meet Cute is a light-hearted, funny read perfect for anyone who thinks love could use a little more magic…and a lot less predictability.

So I fear I might be in the minority but this book was not my favorite. I had a hard time getting into this romance. I tried a few times but ultimately I DNF'd it. It is important to know that romance is not my typical genre so that may be why!

A fun book with a little magic and whimsy but also had depth and complexity. The writing style wasn’t my personal preference, but that is a personal preference rather than a critique of the book itself.

I much prefer Meltzer’s comedies, with Mr Perfect on Paper being my favourite - but I did enjoy this. Meltzer has a great way of making tropes feel fresh and new.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

4/5

This book is so great. Jean Meltzer has a way of making a romance book into so much more. The FMC has depth, dealing with something herself, and always an interesting Jewish setting. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an early copy of this book.

I feel like I'm missing something after reading this book. So many people gave this 5 stars and I'm genuinely so confused.

I appreciated the Jewish representation in the book, probably the best part of the story. I found the folklore and Jewitch practices very fun to read about. Also, I thought Nelly was the most interesting character in the whole story as well and a lot of the witchy references were great too. I appreciated they talked about what some of the herbs magically corresponded with. I might try the recipe at some point.

Maybe the writing is just not for me. Everything felt very "telling verses showing." So many things were repeated constantly leaving me to believe the author didn't trust the reader to remember basic facts. Yes, I get it Stuart sucked, your mom sucked, and your dad sucked. Also everything was incredibly predictable. Maybe that's an obvious critique for a romance novel, but I mean come on? It was not hard to figure out the mystery surrounding Greg, or who the bad guys were. It just felt too cheesy and so unrealistic.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, you only lose your speech with amnesia associated with stroke or some other internal issue like infection, not if you have a head injury. Usually amnesia due to head injury can hurt your memory, but the part of your brain that is associated with speech is in a different location. It forced me to be annoyed with Greg sounding like a caveman because I don't think he would have lost his sense of speech.

Overall it was okay for me. Also, this story just solidified that I hate the amnesia trope.

A great start to the fall reading season. This was a story of healing family and generational trauma, the found family that puts you back together, and a splash of romance. And it was great to see elements of magic across cultures. Jean Meltzer is a must read.

I felt like there was a lot going on that felt like too many plot lines in this book. I really wasn’t interested until 30% in, do it was a little struggle. The story revolves around woman who is drunk one night and uses witchcraft to summon a golem, and then a mysterious man shows up the next day with all the traits she asks for.

I loved the history and magical elements of the story. I didn't like the miscommunication and the romance was lacking for me. I just struggled with connecting to the characters. I think that it is important to learn about other cultures and other religions, and I found those parts of this story to be meaningful as well.

Magic is in the air… so is the romance real?

🪴 Book Synopsis: In the wake of an antisemitic attack in her usually calm, sleepy neighborhood, fueled by wine and fear, Faye creates a golem doll. She thinks nothing of it, and in fact barely remembers it, until she disastrously meets Greg, who just might be her dream guy and golem come to life.

🚲 My Take: This was a fun book with silly moments and a lovable cast of characters. Jewish folklore intertwines with a magical romcom storyline giving this tale witchy vibes. This book is not necessarily a light read though as this is more political than anything I’ve previously read by this author and major themes of the book include overcoming past trauma and antisemitism.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @_mira_books_ and #NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly could not finish this book. It was a bit drawn out in my opinion and very repetitive on the jewish/Hebrew information. I have no issues at all with religion in books but this one just seemed to be repeating the same information. It definitely wasn't for me.

I really liked this book as I've enjoyed others by this author. It handled some heavy topics and I thought the author did that with grace. The idea was original and I liked that it tied in the magical history of her ethnicity.

Jean Meltzer is a favorite of mine for a reason! Magical Meet Cute is her newest book and it does not disappoint! I loved the Jewish rep and how she woven magical elements throughout the story. She is just a great. writer.

Overall the story was ok for me. It was pretty predictable but if you are looking for a quirky read this is for you.

Jean Seltzer always manages to write a heart warming novel with lots of laughs.

I really loved Faye and she had a lot of personality. The romance was cute and there were many laugh out loud moments.

The story always moved fast and every time I put the book down I could;dnt wait to pick it up again. I love romances that are fast moving and keep the tension and spark between the characters. The romance felt real and I loved how everything worked out in the end. Very fun and witty writing!

This was a really fun and entertaining read! I do feel like a bit of it went over my head, as I read a few author interviews and articles on this book, and it was full of Jewish mysticism that I'm unfamiliar with. I do love reading about diverse cultures, backgrounds and living experiences - and I love that this book really spoke to the Jewish experience. Despite this, the author's writing style was engaging for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Magical Meet Cute was a cute read that did a great job of balancing sweet topics with some heavier, more emotional topics. I loved our MCs, Faye and Greg were so cute and I always loved a cinnamon roll MMC! I loved the blend of this book being realistic while also touching on that element we all look for in a romantic comedy. I also don’t read many books that have Jewish representation so that was amazing to see!

I definitely recommend this one, especially if you’re a fan of romance!

This is such a fun premise for a romance! I loved the Jewish POV (and the way it addressed current-day antisemitism) and Jewish mysticism is such a unique entry point for a romance (bring on more golems!). The romance was the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine about antisemitism go down and Metlzer balanced the two perfectly.

Thanks to Harlequin for the copy to review.