Julie's Review: Kissing Kosher

Author: Jean Meltzer
Series: None
Publication Date:  August 29, 2023
Publisher: MIRA
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I will read anything Jean Meltzer writes
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Avital Cohen isn’t wearing underpants—woefully, for unsexy reasons. Chronic pelvic pain has forced her to sideline her photography dreams and her love life. It’s all she can do to manage her family’s kosher bakery, Best Babka in Brooklyn, without collapsing. She needs hired help. And distractingly handsome Ethan Lippmann seems the perfect fit. Except Ethan isn’t there to work—he’s undercover, at the behest of his ironfisted grandfather. Though Lippmann’s is a household name when it comes to mass-produced kosher baked goods, they don’t have the charm of Avital’s bakery. Or her grandfather’s world-famous pumpkin spice babka recipe. As they bake side by side, Ethan soon finds himself more interested in Avital than in stealing family secrets, especially as he helps her find the chronic pain relief—and pleasure—she’s been missing. But perfecting the recipe for romance calls for leaving out the lies…even if coming clean means risking everything. ~amazon.com 

Review: I'm so happy that a friend turned me on to Jean Meltzer's books a couple years ago because each one of them has been an utter delight to read. I will say that now I'm hooked, I need her next book ASAP but no pressure. 

Secrets are never good and will end up coming back to bite you in the arse in the most unexpected time and from the least expected person. Unfortuntely this is what happens to Ethan but luckily at this point Avital already knew. It does have consequences for them both though. 

Avital and Ethan are both dealing with pain even if they are different types of pain. Avital's is the type of physical pain that stiffles any semblance of a real life and Ethan's is the type of pain that can destroy a person's emotional/mental capacities. Somehow they find each other and begin to heal. Throughout the book you see how both are struggling with their different afflictions but how they bring out the best in each other. How Ethan really does want to find relief for Avital as they go on their medicinal weed adventure(s). How that adventure ends up changing their lives. 

The cast of characters that work at Best Babka are a hoot and provide some much needed levity for the novel. I also absolutely adored Ethan's brother Randy, who was a bit more than just a "drug" addict. 

I also loved the focus on the Jewish teaching and traditions. I loved Rabbi Jason's speech on intimacy and love; it was one of the best passages of the novel. 

If you haven't read Jean Meltzer, then go buy her three books because I promise you, you won't be disappointed. 

Sunday Skim

Week of 8/27/2023:

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Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I started reading The Chronicles of Narnia via audibooks in 2022 and then stopped but I came back to them in August and I'm glad I did. I have one left to go but next time I re-read I will do it in Chronological Order instead of Publication Order. 

I'm glad that August is over. It's just such a hectic month, 2 birthdays in the family, back to school and we took our daughter off to her first year of college. Huge adjustment for us to say the least. 

I'm happy I got some good reading in this last week even with everything going on. 

Sunday Skim

Week of 8/6/2023, 8/13/2023, 8/20/2023:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

Such a busy month, so I've been slacking here and I apologize. I'm hoping September will have some normalcy to it. 

Sunday Skim

Week of 7/23/2023 and 7/30/2023:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

August is going to be super busy for this household as we celebrate our daughter's high school graduation with a party for friends and family; our son starts his Sophomore year in high school and we move our daughter to college. I'm hoping to get reading in but it'll be a stretch. 

Monthly Rewind: July 2023

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I flew through Hello Stranger and loved every page of it. Sarah Pekkanen never disappoints and Gone Tonight keeps that trend alive. As for Bono's memoir, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the band and his philanthropy efforts. 

Julie's Review: Someone Just Like You

Author: Meredith Schorr
Series: None
Publication Date:  July 25, 2023
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Absolutely loved the banter
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: New Yorker Molly Blum knows everything about her lifelong nemesis, Jude Stark. With their families so close, they should have been best friends. Instead, she thinks he’s a too-charming slacker, and he thinks she’s allergic to fun. After years of one-upping each other’s pranks (chocolate-dipped cat treats are not as delicious as they appear), one high school joke went too far, and they stopped speaking completely. But now that they’re supposed to help plan a massive party for their parents—together—there’s no better time to resume their war. And it is on. Only somewhere between all the sniping and harmless hijinks, a reluctant friendship develops, along with an unexpected spark of sexual tension. It might have to do with the fact that she’s been dating Jude-lookalikes and he’s been dating Molly doppelgangers. Or the fact that neither of them is nearly as horrible as they thought. All Molly and Jude know is that they’ve mastered the art of hating each other. Falling in love, on the other hand, is a whole new battlefield. ~amazon.com

Review: I love a good enemies to friends to lovers but what I loved most about Meredith Schorr's Someone Just Like You was the banter between Molly and Jude. I mean the one liners they would say to each other were classic not mention the one upmanship of the pranks they would play on each other since having to team up for their parents co-anniversary party. Jude infuriates Molly which of course only makes Jude enjoy it all the more. 

As Molly and Jude begin to spend more time together they try to put their childish ways behind them but it's hard when it's what you've done your whole life. Except Jude is the one to listen to Molly when she tells him about this unique opportunity for a job she's excited about. He's even serious and tells her she should pursue it since she seems passionate about it. 

There are many things about Jude that we see through Molly's eyes that begin to change over the course of the book. Honestly, I thought Jude was annoying when I first started the story but he grew on me..  

I loved how they both dated replications of each other but didn't see it. I found that pretty hilarious that their siblings all saw it and called it out. Family is a key piece to this story and one that I enjoyed having a look into since for Molly it really did shape her outlook and who she is today. 

If you are looking for a heartfelt novel about family, love and friendship (plus DOGS!), look no further than this gem.