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A Humorous and Unexpected Holiday Romance of Hidden Passions, Childhood Rivalries, and the Magic of Hanukkah
by Jean Meltzer
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.
"A charming holiday romance… This heartfelt rom-com should be unwrapped by people of all faiths this holiday season." —Publishers Weekly
"Meltzer's enemies-to-lovers debut romance hits all the high points… A fun read and a good addition to holiday romance collections." —Library Journal
"Fans of second-chance and holiday romances will find much to enjoy in this welcome variation on the holiday theme." —Booklist
"A sparkling holiday romance told with both honesty and heart." —Kirkus Reviews
"The Matzah Ball had me laughing out loud. It's witty, funny and an all-around terrific read." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A love letter to Judaism and an utterly charming romance. With two irresistible leads, a scene-stealing bubbe, and plenty of holiday magic, The Matzah Ball is a luminous celebration of all types of love, threaded with the message that everyone is worthy of it." —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk
This information about The Matzah Ball was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jean Meltzer studied dramatic writing at NYU Tisch and has earned numerous awards for her work in television, including a daytime Emmy. She spent five years in rabbinical school before her chronic illness forced her to withdraw, and her father told her she should write a book―just not a Jewish one because no one reads those. Magical Meet Cute is her fourth novel.
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