The Matzah Ball

The Matzah Ball is the debut novel of Jean Meltzer and is a 'sweet without the saucy' slow burn love story with a contemporary holiday vibe that vividly features the Jewish faith. The story is set around Rachel, a devout Jewish author and daughter of a world-renowned Rabbi who has a secret - she is the author of a series of Christmas themed books, and she adores Christmas! When her former Jewish summer camp archenemy, Jacob provides the only opportunity for Rachel to prove to her publisher that she has a new Hanukkah-inspired book series idea, things get complicated.

This was a quick read with a sweet premise, but I found that I liked some parts and struggled with others. The strength of this romance is in its representation of chronic illness and the descriptions of the Jewish faith, culture, and community. I applaud the author, a chronic illness sufferer herself, for how she emotionally illustrates the misunderstandings, stigmatization and the spectrum of experiences faced by people who suffer from invisible chronic illness. 

But the story fell short for me in a couple of areas. I couldn't believe that the love/grudge that was created back when Jacob and Rachel were tweens at a Jewish summer camp was enough emotional fodder for the insta-love/animosity between them 18 years later. I also wanted more from both Rachel and Jacob. Rachel has two sets of rules - the ones she lives by and the ones she expects from others and that got old. Jacob, despite his millions of dollars and success as a CEO, plays the victim at every opportunity and resorts to immature pranks which didn't fit with his character. And despite his good intentions, I cringed at Jacob's grand gesture which felt more like aggressive helping and I strongly disliked how Jacob's behaviour was explained as 'perhaps Jacob treated Rachel badly because he LIKED HER'. Not a good message to promote ever.

Overall, this is a sweet, holiday read. The story relies on the enemies to lovers trope with healthy doses of misunderstanding and miscommunication. The Matzah Ball is an easy-going, fun but far-fetched holiday story with a sweet Hallmark feel that includes some hijinks mixed with a slow burn romance, solid representation of the Jewish faith and the realities of what life is like for people living with chronic illness.  

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title, given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Jean Meltzer

Genre: RomCom, Romance

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: MIRA Books

First Published: September 28, 2021

Opening Lines: She just needed one more. Rachel 

Rubenstein-Goldblatt stared at the collection 

of miniature Christmas figurines spread across her desk.

Book Description from GoodReads: Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.