The Matzah Ball: A Novel
The Matzah Ball: A Novel book cover

The Matzah Ball: A Novel

Hardcover – September 28, 2021

Price
$15.92
Format
Hardcover
Pages
400
Publisher
MIRA
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0778312130
Dimensions
6.29 x 1.15 x 9 inches
Weight
1.1 pounds

Description

" 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 “Funny, bright, and lovingly crafted! The Matzah Ball healed a piece of me I didn’t know was hurting.”— Rosie Danan , author of The Intimacy Experiment “A trendsetter in holiday romances.”— BookPage "Delightful."— PopSugar “I devoured this book like a batch of Jacob's Bubbe's Rugalach. It is the perfect blend of funny and magical but also tender and thoughtful. It lit me up like a menorah.”— Jenny Bayliss, author of The Twelve Dates of Christmas "A warm, heartfelt ode to self-acceptance, honesty, and tight-knit Jewish communities, The Matzah Ball gently—and rightfully—insists we don’t need to be perfect or 'normal' to deserve and find love. The story was a true pleasure to read."— Olivia Dade , author of Spoiler Alert “Heartwarming, romantic, and funny. The Matzah Ball is simply a joy to read.”— Sarah Morgenthaler , author of The Tourist Attraction “A sparkling holiday romance told with both honesty and heart.”— Kirkus "Heartwarming and hilarious, The Matzah Ball is a fantastic, festive, fresh take on a holiday happily ever after.”— Karen Schaler , Emmy Award-winning writer"A funny, fresh holiday read to tickle your funny bone and warm your heart."— Sheila Roberts , New York Times bestselling author"A laugh-out-loud treat. Written in bright, witty prose and with a heroine to root for, it's a light holiday concoction that delivers a deeper message about love and acceptance at the same time. The perfect addition to your holiday reading!"— Anita Hughes , author of Christmas in Vermont “Grab a jelly doughnut and get ready for a holiday rom com unlike any other! The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer brings the fun while also delivering an important message about being true to yourself. A refreshing and delightful read."— Brenda Janowitz, author of The Grace Kelly Dress "What do you get when you cross the holiday of Hanukkah with a summer camp feud on steroids and a slow-burn romance? You’ll have to read this heartwarming novel to find out!"— Yaffa S. Santos , author of A Taste of Sage “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 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. Kissing Kosher is her third novel.

Features & Highlights

  • A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK SELECTED BY *
  • POPSUGAR
  • *
  • BUSTLE
  • *
  • BUZZFEED * BOOKPAGE
  • * GOODREADS MEMBERS
  • "The Matzah Ball
  • had me laughing out loud...an all-around terrific read."—Debbie Macomber, #1
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author
  • 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.
  • "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

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(533)
★★★★
25%
(445)
★★★
15%
(267)
★★
7%
(124)
23%
(409)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Fun to read.

Great easy reading.
1 people found this helpful
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Pleasant Holiday Read

I loved this book. There is humor and a very clever premise. The characters were relatable and engaging.

I expected more of a comedy story but the it has substance and meaning beyond the first impression. I loved that the author wove in history and the Jewish experience to give her characters more dimension. But it is basically, a very typical holiday romance story with the two characters who hate each other but wind up together. If you like this type of story, this book fits in well.

I thought the author went a little heavy on the ME/CFS illness aspect. But I have had it for years and know people less functional than the character Rachel, as there are all levels of ability. So, I could overlook that part. I also thought the out of the gate reason she wanted a ticket to the ball was very weak. This is a rabbi’s daughter, she knows more about Hannukah than anyone else and the premise that either she or her publisher would doubt that was really hollow, so I began to question the book. But I thought it turned around at least enough to overlook the weaknesses in logic at times.

It is basically well written and moved at a good pace. I loved the inclusion of Yiddish words and definitions for those not familiar with Jewish culture to draw them even further into the story. I thought it a completely enjoyable read. Characters and some humor can often make you overlook details that don’t work if you think about them.
1 people found this helpful
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Fun & Campy

This is my first Jewish Romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! It was a fun, campy read.

I was raised Catholic so my knowledge of the Jewish religion has been limited & what I do know is from film/television.
And because of my knowledge was limited, I wish there was a glossary because there were a bunch of Jewish terminology that I was using context clues to figure out what it was.

The two individuals in this who met as tweens at summer camp and they both left lasting impressions on each other. It is funny how moments when your are younger, shape your thoughts and feelings even after almost 20 years.

Rachel did come across as whiny at parts & I wish she could have stood up to her parents as a grown adult. I kind of felt bad for Jacob because he tried so hard & nothing was working.

I also liked how the author wrote about something close to her heart. Rachel has Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). This was something I was not aware of or knew all that came with this. So thank you Jean!

My hopes is that the author continue to write contemporary romances with characters of Jewish faith to educate readers like myself (would love a spin off starring Mickey).
1 people found this helpful
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Just being honest…

Going out on a limb here…but being really honest with you about myself: sometimes I read non-Christian books. Oh, not smutty stuff (if I run across it unexpectedly I usually will end it right there!), but real-life, imperfect-people, live life differently than me, messy-life, chronic-illness, make me laugh/cry/gasp, fall in love stuff - I’ll read.

This book was good! The characters are less than perfect, but that’s real life, right? In some ways it keeps me able (and open) to encounter real life imperfect people, and I WANT my heart to remain open. It’s too easy to forget other peoples’ struggles when all I do is hang out with perfect Christians in my little bubble… 😉

So this book—I laughed, I cried, I completely “got” her health issues, and loved the story! It kept me reading any place I could—I didn’t want to put it down. I’ve repeated scenes to my husband, and will have the story on replay in my head for some time. I appreciated her clean writing (no smutty scenes) and the believability of her characters. I loved getting re-acquainted with the Jewish-ness I was exposed to in my childhood. I really was entertained!

#thematzahball #lovetoread #marinaskitchentable #JeanMeltzer #chronicillness #divorce #judaism
1 people found this helpful
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Fabulous read

A wonderful story written by a new author… soon to become a movie produced by Lance Bass… fabulous 🙌🙌🙌❤️
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Too corny and pedantic

Love rom coms but this one was too basic, too preachy, and not enough zest or life to the characters who seemed blah.
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Hollywood better be turning this into a holiday film!

This was such a joy to read. Refreshingly fun. If they don’t turn this into a film I will be highly disappointed.
✓ Verified Purchase

Exceptional story! A chronically ill person's dream holiday book!

I have been looking forward to THE MATZAH BALL by Jean Meltzer for months! I had the most emotional reading experience with this holiday romcom. The leading character, Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, is chronically ill, just like Meltzer. Because the author pours her own experiences and feelings into the book, it is an emotional experience for a chronically ill reader like me. Then when you add a cute romcom story on top of it, it just has me constantly laughing and crying that I’m in a complete emotional overload in a perfect way.

Reading the character of Rachel and the way she evaluated her life with the chronic illness calculator - that is me! “..but she had to do a careful cost-benefits analysis to guard her energy.” People don’t understand how hard it is to figure out living life even though you want to do it all, and I loved seeing this so prevalent in a book.

I loved the slow-build and sweet romance. I could see Rachel and Jacob reconnecting - I refuse to call this a second chance romance; they were 12, lol - I really believed they had genuine feelings for one another. Plus, I enjoyed the wise, meddling Bubbe.

It was really refreshing to have a Hanukkah book! Even with Rachel’s love for Christmas. This was the perfect representation that we need!

Meltzer did a fantastic job immersing the Jewish culture into this holiday romcom while making it sweet and fun. Best of all, she made all of Spoonies feel very seen. Rachel and Jacob’s HEA should be read - I insist. It will bring you joy any time of year! Don’t miss it!

Content warnings: chronic illness, familial death, cancer

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Good book according to reviews

In fairness I didn’t keep this book, realized that I wouldn’t get to it. Of note is the many good reviews posted.
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Worth reading

Love this book