Magical Meet Cute is a standalone Romantic Comedy by Jean Meltzer, and I appreciated how it featured relatable Jewish characters with chronic illnesses. The story follows Faye, a character who becomes a "Jewitch" after her fiancé dumps her, as she embarks on a journey to find herself. I was intrigued by how she quit her law firm and opened a pottery studio in Woodstock, NY, where she faced anti-Semitic acts. One of the more exciting parts of the story was when Faye created a Golem, a creature that traditionally became a helper, companion, or rescuer for imperiled Jewish communities.

Faye’s relationship with Greg portrayed as the perfect man, feels unrealistic and even frustrating at times. Their relationship never progressed, making the book's romance aspect fall flat for me. While the book has some great messages, I don’t think it lived up to the standards set by Meltzer’s other books, which I’ve found to be more insightful in teaching about Judaism. In this story, there wasn’t much clarity around what it means to be Jewish and a Witch, and at times, the characters came across as ditsy or just plain foolish.

The book’s message, “This is the art of imperfection,” resonated with me as it explored how anti-Semitism affects everyday people. Given current events, this theme felt especially timely and relevant. The story itself is fun and unique, but I was disappointed that the potential for love never truly blossomed. I also didn’t find the dog character all that interesting. While Faye’s use of Yiddish and her knowledge of Jewish traditions added some depth, the book delved into odd topics like hard Kosher Salami and lacked the kind of natural magic I hoped for.

Overall, while I enjoyed parts of Magical Meets Cute, it didn’t live up to Meltzer’s other works, especially in terms of providing more information about Judaism or exploring magical realism in a more fulfilling way. It was an entertaining read, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Magical Meet Cute is more than a romance with a sprinkling of magic. It is about more than creating your ‘perfect’ person to love. It is a story about loving yourself, with all of your imperfections and past trauma. It is also a story about the Jewish people. A love story about culture and heritage, shared joy and sorrow.
Magical Meet Cute is a testament not only to romantic love, but a love for the Jewish people. To be Jewish is not just about religion or culture – it is the very blood and the history that it carries through their veins – tying them to all that came before them, and through that blood they will live on and rise once more through the hate that seeks to tear them down.
I loved this book and all that it stands for!

I read the Matzah Ball last year and absolutely adored it, so jumped at the opportunity to read something else by Meltzer. I love the creative, loving community of Woodstock NY she had shared on the pages, and delighted in the fun twist of bringing folklore to life in this story.

This was such a cute book! I loved the Jewish rep and of course the romance. As a rabbi, incorporating mystical elements of Judaism isn’t super common and it’s rare to have so much Jewish content in a book, so that was very cool to see. It almost felt a little heavy handed for someone who is knowledgeable about Jewish customs, but I understand that it has to be accessible to all audiences.

This book had a really unique slow burn romance plot, and I really enjoyed it. At the same time, it delves into some deep topics, especially around Faye’s past trauma and how it's impacted her, as well as tackling the issue of antisemitism. While many books focus on historical antisemitism, not many address it in today’s world, so I really appreciated how this one handled it, especially in the current climate. Despite the heavy themes, it still managed to be an enjoyable read, striking a balance between serious and lighthearted moments. I guess that’s no surprise, since Jean Meltzer is known for spreading Jewish joy and positivity. Definitely give this a read—you'll get a great story and support an amazing author at the same time.

Thank you to Jean for sending me an early copy of this warm hug of a book!!

Even though I didn’t love it the way I wanted to, there were still so many likeable things in the story! Faye, her studio, her supportive friends, and of course Greg! He could do no wrong.

I was looking for a cozy romantic read, and this one did just that! There was also obviously a lot of love for the Jewish religion in addition to a very upsetting antisemitic plot line, but in this day and age, it definitely has a place and lessons for being written into books for the public. It’s a scary world, and those that do antisemitic crimes deserve to have punishment and justice sought after.

Of course, the plot twist in the book I kind of saw coming (and was hoping for it) about Greg! So glad it turned out this way!

Overall, it was a lovely read from Jean and I’m excited for more Jewish joy and stories that she brings to the book community.

I ended up only posting about this book in my Instagram stories around the time of its publish date. I shared that I really enjoyed it, but riffed mainly on the “Jewish salami” representation and how it inspired me to go shop for some at a Kosher grocer. I also included the book on my roundup list of best Golem-themed books and plan to include this book in a holiday gift guide.

This was a cute and quirky read that I enjoyed. I got into Jean Meltzer's writing, and it was a quick book to get into. I will read more from Jean Meltzer very soon.

Thank you, NetGalley for letting me give my honest review.

Meltzer covers a lot of ground in this timely, well-researched book about love and romance, Jewish identity, and community. In response to heightened anti-Semitism in her community, lawyer turned potter Faye gets drunk and creates a golem in her backyard one night. The next day, a handsome stranger with amnesia enters her life when Faye hits him with her bicycle. Feeling responsible, she takes on helping Greg, resulting in some funny and charming moments as he tries to re-integrate into society. Although he moves into her tiny space, she remains boundaried, creating a delicious slow burn. He champions Faye’s desire to stamp out anti-Semitism. When Faye happens to see Greg shirtless, she notices he has a scar in the same place as the golem she created… is Greg a man, or a product of her own creation?

Magical Meet Cute is fresh, unique, quirky and wonderful, from Faye’s incontinent dog Hillel, to a speed dating event in a Sukkah (which is an excellent device for Faye to explain her backstory!) to using the liminal space of a mikveh for life transitions, to the seriousness lens through Jewitch magic is respectfully and authentically presented. Hebrew and Yiddish are sprinkled throughout, and whimsy is beautifully balanced with serious issues.

This witchy romance with a Jewish worldview will appeal to fans of supernatural stories; and it’s a great seasonal read for Sukkot, which falls a bit before Halloween this year.

I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #MagicalMeetCute via #NetGalley, courtesy of #Harlequin.
I will be publishing this on HLBB during Sukkot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, I will say that it was much heavier than I was anticipating. So please bare that in mind if themes around antisemitism and threats/attacks against the Jewish community may be difficult for you to read. It made for an interesting bit of mystery to the story to accompany the romance plot, just hard to read knowing that its not far from real life. As for the romance, I loved the witchy aspect and really enjoyed learning more about "Jewitch" lore.

This started off so well and I just adored the premise. Unfortunately though the weirdness of the plot didn't mesh well with the other more serious aspects of the story.
I really wish I had enjoyed it more. It was one I was truly looking forward to.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Magical Meet Cute is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and a dash of mystical folklore. The story of Faye Kaplan, a former lawyer turned potter, immediately captures your heart with her relatability and charm. Her shift from a high-powered career to a quieter life in Woodstock, NY, feels authentic and sets the stage for her hilarious and heartfelt magical mishap. The novel beautifully balances a whimsical romance with deeper themes, touching on identity, community, and the idea of protection—whether through magic or love. Faye’s journey toward love and self-discovery is heartwarming, with enough magical chaos to keep you smiling throughout.

For readers who love a sweet, magical romance with a unique premise and plenty of laughs, Magical Meet Cute is a perfect escape into a world where love might just be a little enchanted.

I normally love Jean Meltzer's books, but this one did not hit the same! I liked the main character, but there were moments where she had no social awareness and took things very personally. The FMC's trauma explained some of why that happened, but it felt over the top at times. This was a slow burn, but it didn't have a ton of tension along the way. Some moments felt very one sided with a little personal pining, but it didn't add much per say. It was still a good book, but I would recommend her other books over this one.

I love Jean Meltzer, her books always have me cackling and this was no different! I love reading Greg and Faye’s love story. I loved the amnesia aspect but feel like something more could have been done to find out Greg’s personal information. But I loved the drunk doll making, the sassy old neighbors, and the witchy aspects so much!

The chemistry between Faye and Greg is off the charts, and the plot is packed with laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt scenes. Jean Meltzer did an amazing job balancing fun with important conversations about Jewish culture and serious issues.

I was totally hooked from start to finish and felt like every character was someone I could be friends with. I’m so glad I gave this author another chance!

I loved the representation in this book and how informative this book is. The main characters were so enjoyable.

Magical Meet Cute was… cute. I loved the setting of Woodstock, NY, although I’ve never actually been. (But after seeing the movie Woodstock, and then googling it, it just looks like the cutest town ever.) I also loved the little magical elements in this, and loved learning about Jewitches, a term I’d never heard before. The romance was sweet and wholesome, as well. Add in a bit of mystery, and dealing with some heavy topics in a lighter way, and the book ensured that I would finish it. While I never felt overly attached to it, or any of the characters, I still enjoyed reading it. And if you like romances and any of the above topics, I think you’ll enjoy it, too!

3.5 rounded up

Magical Meet Cute- Jean Meltzer
Narrated by Dara Rosenberg

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧

This was such a cute romcom with a lot of current event relevance to the real world like Covid and antisemitism and targeting the Jewish community. I’m not Jewish, so I didn’t know some of the intricacies and details that are associated with the Jewish background of the book. I did enjoy getting to learn some of the folklore and history. I also loved getting these little bits of self help as the character reads self-help books.

Jewish potter, Faye, finds herself in a predicament after seeing she her community targeted in antisemitism threats on fliers strewn arose the neighborhood. She takes to her pottery where she performs old Jewish magic and creates a potential golem. She adds all the traits she would want in a man into the magic. The next day she runs into the most gorgeous man, Greg, in a biking accident and the man loses his memory. She takes him home from the hospital in an effort to try and find out who he is and where he belongs. As they get to know each other, he starts ticking off all the boxes that she put into her golem spell. The longer that goes by where no one is looking for Greg and he is still not recovering his memory, Faye really starts questioning if she created a golem.

There are things I liked and didn’t like about this narration. I think Dara did a great job doing the female narration, but even though it is in third person, I would have liked to see a male vocal for the male part. I did really like the broken speech in Greg’s inner monologue as he’s relearning how to talk and trying to remember his life.

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc. This was such a cute story. I loved the characters and it was also my first time reading anything by this author. I would rate this a 4.5 and I would highly recommend reading this book.

A delightful blend of romance and fantasy, where Faye Kaplan’s whimsical creation of a golem protector leads to unexpected love.

The novel skillfully balances humor and serious themes, addressing antisemitism while delivering a heartwarming story. 

Meltzer’s engaging writing and unique characters make this book a charming and thought-provoking read.

Overall, I would recommend.