Review By Veronica
Magical Meet Cute is Jean Meltzer’s best rom-com yet!
Favourite Quote:
“Oh my God.” Faye scrambled to stand up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see you.” She knelt down to him, placing her hands upon his chest, a wellspring of panic. “Are you– Oh, oh, oh my.”
She sounded like she was having a damn orgasm.
Faye couldn’t complete her thought. The stranger, blinking up at her with two wet and confused eyes, was magnificent.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.
Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone.
That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?
When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…
But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.
I’m a big fan of Jean Meltzer’s books and always get excited when I learn she has a new book coming out. This book has a different vibe from Jean’s other books, and I completely love the new vibe. The magical realism element woven into the story makes this book so different. But it’s not your traditional magical realism; that’s because Jean has put a Jewish twist to it. Our main heroine, Faye, considers herself to be a Jewitch. If you are like me and have never heard of a Jewitch before, they are a part of Jewish folklore and are very similar to regular witches but with a Jewish twist. These Jewitches include Jewish beliefs and symbols in their spells and rituals. I loved learning about Jewitches; it was so interesting and fascinating learning about a different part of Jewish culture.
This story was perfection. It is this fabulous blend of charm, humour, drama, crazy shenanigans, and romance. There is so much heart in this book. I loved the story. It’s so unique that you cannot help but be hooked. There is this fun lightness to Jean’s storytelling that often puts a smile on my face. But in typical Jean fashion, she also tackles some pretty serious issues like anti-Semitism, inter-generational trauma, abuse, childhood trauma, and chronic pain. As always, Jeans handles these issues with thought and care and also in a way that doesn’t overwhelm her readers.
This story is a bit bonkers but in the best possible way. Faye runs over Greg, a stranger on the street. He, of course, is the most gorgeous man she has ever laid eyes on. She soon finds out that Greg has amnesia and has no place to go. So, what’s a heroine to do but take the drop-dead gorgeous stranger home with her. I really enjoyed Jean’s take on the amnesia trope. First, Greg’s amnesia is very authentic in that on top of losing his memories; he also doesn’t even know how to do basic things, like button up his shirt, which creates plenty of perfect opportunities for swoony cute moments between Faye and Greg. He truly cannot remember who he is and how the world works. He is helpless and relies on Faye to survive. Faye spends much of this book believing that Greg could be the clay golem she made one night. He is the perfect man she moulded in a drunken haze, and it is believed that golems come to life to help, protect, or rescue their creator, which is the role Greg takes in this story. He wants to keep her safe. Sometimes, I even questioned whether Greg was a real man or this magical golem creature.
If you like reverse grumpy sunshine romances, then you will be delighted by the growing relationship between Faye and Greg. Faye is a bit prickly and standoff-ish. A lot of her behaviour and chronic fear comes from a childhood filled with abuse and inter-generational trauma from anti-Semitism behaviour. Faye is afraid of the world. But she still has this heart of gold and is relatable and likable. Her character growth is an internal one. It was wonderful watching her learn to stand up against this fear she has and do what she wants to do. Greg was a real cinnamon roll of a hero. He was delightful and just warms your heart up in the best possible way. The mystery surrounding his unknown identity and whether he is a man or a golem was so interesting and entertaining. I couldn’t help but try to guess who this man really was, and I loved the big reveal of his identity at the end of the book. This is a clean romance, which means that there is no sex in it. The relationship between Faye and Greg is sweet, heartwarming, and oh-so charming. Yes, there is some lusty tension between these two, but it isn’t front and center because that’s not what this story and their growing relationship is about. There are so many wonderful quiet moments between Faye and Greg where they really get to know one another… well, maybe not get to know Greg’s past because of the whole amnesia bit.
Magical Meet Cute is filled with emotion and heart, and it is a book that I will read again and again.
Thank you, HarperCollins Canada, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
