Book Reviews / DNF Reviews#ownvoices / Christmas / chronic illness / Contemporary / Disabled Heroine / enemies to lovers / Hanukkah / Holiday / Jewish characters / Jewish heroine / Jewish-faith / second chance at love7 Comments
A charming debut ownvoices romcom about a chronically-ill “nice Jewish girl” with a secret career as a bestselling Christmas romance novelist who’s forced to write the first Hanukkah romance, sending her for inspiration to the Matzah Ball, a high-end Jewish music celebration run by her summer camp arch enemy. Oy! ... more >
B Reviews / Book ReviewsHolocaust / immigrant / Jewish characters / Jewish-faith / non-fiction / Poland / survival / World War II4 Comments
A gripping story of love, escape, and survival, from wartime Poland to a courtship in the Catskills In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviews19th century / Agent/Spies/Undercover / anti-Semitism / France / Historical / Jewish characters / Jewish-faith / Peninsular-War / prejudice / Regency / road trip / second chance at love / strong heroine / trad regency11 Comments
Having refused the man her parents chose for her, Miriam Jacobson opts to travel the Continent assisting her physician uncle, but when her uncle dies, she finds herself smuggling gold across Napoleon’s France to Wellington in Spain, accompanied by two attractive young men, both of whom detest her—and each other. ... more >
B- Reviews / Book ReviewsAmerican historical / djinn / Fantasy / found family / golem / Historical / Historical Fantasy / Historical fiction / immigrant / Jewish characters / Jewish-faith / Middle East / New York City / POC / turn of the 20th centuryNo Comments
In this enthralling historical epic, set in New York City and the Middle East in the years leading to World War I— the long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed New York Times bestseller The Golem and the Jinni—Helene Wecker revisits her beloved characters Chava and Ahmad as they confront unexpected new ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviewsanti-Semitism / bisexual / cinnamon roll hero / Contemporary / Jewish characters / Jewish-faith / Los Angeles / opposites attract / porn star / prickly heroine / religion / revenge porn / sex education / sexuality / slut shaming6 Comments
Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won’t hire her. Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: ... more >
B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readschildren's book / Hanukkah / Jewish characters / Jewish-faith / neighbors / picture booksNo Comments
It’s the last night of Hanukkah, and more relatives are coming than originally planned. Rachel decides to borrow potatoes from Mrs. Greenberg. She asks Mrs. Greenberg, who is all alone, to come for Hanukkah. But Mrs. Greenberg is very stubborn! Review Rachel is dancing with excitement. It’s the last night ... more >