Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has a secret. Actually, she has more than one, but there is one in particular that she is keeping from her parents. Her father is a well-known rabbi and her mother is a doctor, and Rachel’s whole life, she has been in a fishbowl. She’s had to moderate her behavior, always, so as not to embarrass her parents. So she can’t tell them what she des for a living. They would be mortified, if they ever found out that she wrote (gasp) Christmas romance novels.
Although she is a successful novelist, with some of her books even getting made into movies, Rachel doesn’t enjoy leaving her parents out of this part of her life. But how would they react to find out that their Jewish daughter loves Christmas?
There’s just one problem this year. At a meeting with her publisher, Rachel finds out that they’re not looking for more Christmas romances. They want something different from her. Something more like a Hanukah romance. Would she be willing to write that?
Jacob Greenberg was only a kid when he left New York. His grandmother, Toby, had an apartment in New York, and that is the place where Jacob spent his Hanukahs as a kid. When his mother got sick, when Jacob was only 12, it was his grandmother who helped arrange a summer at camp for him, a chance to get away from his arguing parents for a couple of months. It was at that camp that he first met Rachel, and where he first fell for her. And that’s where she broke his heart.
Now, he’s an adult and he’s back in New York. A man known for planning international events that send all the social media influencers to their phones, making his investors (and himself) millions, Jacob is now planning the premiere event for New York’s holiday season, the Matzah Ball Max. It’s going to be the event of Hanukah, as long as he can get Rabbi Goldblatt to agree to attend.
When Rachel hears about his idea for a Hanukah ball, she thinks she may have an idea for her new romance novel after all. But getting invited to the sold-out Matzah Ball means being nice to Jacob, who embarrassed her at camp when she was 12, and she hadn’t been able to forgive him for taking a cherished memory and turning it into another of his pranks.
But as she gets to know him, she realizes that he is kind as well as rich and handsome. And as Jacob cracks through one of Rachel’s secrets—that she is plagued by chronic fatigue syndrome—he starts to see that her life may not as easy as she makes it look. But as the walls come down slowly, will they be able to forgive and forget past misunderstandings? Will they find the love they want at the Matzah Ball, or will Santa leave coal in their stockings?
The Matzah Ball is the Hanukah romance that we have been needing. To offer readers a break from all the Christmas romances, author Jean Meltzer has created a Jewish romance that opens the doors to some of the culture and traditions of those who don’t celebrate Christmas. I’m not Jewish, but I loved the insider’s view into the lifestyle and the warmth of the Jewish characters in this novel.
I was charmed by this story. I thought it was really creative and charming, and it was a great escape to December in New York City. It’s not perfect, but it’s still lots of fun to read. I do love the Hanukah theme, and I appreciate that there is a character dealing with chronic illness, and that rang true to what I know of chronic fatigue syndrome. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a holiday romance with a new twist, although you will still find plenty of Santa Claus and a happy holiday ending.
Egalleys for The Matzah Ball were provided by Harlequin Trade (Mira) through NetGalley, with many thanks.
