One of my favourite parts of the book is how Meltzer normalizes Dara's anxiety disorder. As someone who has anxiety herself, I appreciated seeing how unapologetic Dara is about her struggles in her personal and highly successful work life. Through Dara, the author gives a realistic look at what living with anxiety can look like and through the menfolk's reactions to it, we see how awareness and support can have a huge impact.
As with Meltzer's previous book The Matzah Ball, I enjoyed learning about Jewish culture and traditions. There were a lot of Jewish terms but not all were clarified for the reader so I'm glad I read this on my Kindle so I could click on the word and easily look them up.
This is a feel-good story and a big part of that feeling comes from the sassy old Jewish dames Dara lovingly calls the Challahback Girls, which includes Dara's Bubbe. I loved Dara and Bubbe's bond and this group of octogenarians added much humour to the story. I just wish we had seen more of them.
My wee beefs:
1) I wish more time was spent on figuring out the compromises in the budding relationship instead of the slapstick-y obstacles in Dara's love life as she tries to find Mr. Perfect. The connection between Dara and the guy she ends up with isn't based on many interactions, but the HEA was satisfying.
2) The incorrect info given on how to use an Epipen. Argh! They can go through jeans and even snowsuits - no need to pull down clothing. Accurate info is important.
Overall, this was a cute, slow-burn and tame romance with an enjoyably predictable ending that almost squeaked into a four-star rating for me. You know where the story is going to end, but it is a cute journey about how our expectations on what we think is perfect for us may be too rigid and the importance of giving yourself space to tweak these expectations along the way to your own Perfect Partner.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin MIRA for my complimentary advanced digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: RomCom, Romance, Jewish
Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
First Published: August 9, 2022
Book Description from GoodReads: From the author of The Matzah Ball comes a pitch-perfect romcom following a third-generation Jewish matchmaker who unwittingly finds her own search for love thrust into the spotlight...
The perfect Jewish husband should be:
* A doctor or lawyer (preferably a doctor)
* Baggage-free (no previous marriages, no children)
* And of course—he must be Jewish
As the creator and CEO of the popular Jewish dating app J-Mate, matchmaker Dara Rabinowitz knows the formula for lasting love—at least, for everyone else. When it comes to her own love life, she’s been idling indefinitely. Until her beloved bubbe shares Dara’s checklist for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” on national television and charming news anchor Chris Steadfast proposes they turn Dara’s search into must-see TV.
As a non-Jewish single dad, Chris doesn’t check any of Dara’s boxes. But her hunt for Mr. Perfect is the ratings boost his show desperately needs. If only Chris could ignore his own pesky attraction to Dara—a task much easier said than done when Dara starts questioning if “perfect on paper” can compete with how hard she’s falling for Chris.
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