The Matzah Ball is the debut from best-selling author Jean Meltzer. Released in September 2021, it introduces readers to Rachel and Jacob. She loves Christmas so much that she’s a best-selling author of Christmas romances. He’s a party and event planner. What happens when they reconnect and fall in love? Can she keep her secrets and still be happy?
Synopsis 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.
Positives
- Under 420 pages.
- Set during Hanukkah.
- Fun, spirited characters.
Negatives
- Rachel is a bit woe-is-me at times. I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve it. But at times, that’s her personality.
My Opinions
I added The Matzah Ball to my TBR because it sounded like a fun holiday romance. And it did not disappoint. Sure, it’s not a Christmas romance, but it’s still a holiday romance. While I’m familiar with the basics of Hanukkah, there are many details I’m not. Meltzer wrote this for people who are very familiar with the story and the holiday, as well as for people like me, who know very little. Do I know everything about the holiday now? No way, but I do have a better understanding.
Yes, the story takes place at The Matzah Ball X during Hanukkah, but there is so much more to this story. Rachel has secrets she’s keeping from those around her because she’s afraid it will offend them. I mean, why would a good Jewish girl make a living off of Christmas? Jacob has wounds from his childhood that he’s hoping to heal. Abandoned by his father, ignored by the girl who grounded him, and taken to France by his mother all at the age of 12, he has a lot of unresolved trauma in his life.
Overall, I feel that if you are looking for a fun, holiday romance that just so happens to be set in December, look no further than The Matzah Ball!
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