This Passover is starting to feel like the ten plagues might be coming back to haunt them before the weekend is over…one hilarious misstep after the next.
Gaby Fineberg just wants to get through Passover Seder without her “well meaning” family playing matchmaker. She needs a date, just for one simple meal—that includes singing, the history of her forefathers, and not one bit of yeast. The hot … of yeast. The hot guy at her gym would be perfect. He probably hates bread, anyway, with a body like that. But when she finally works up the nerve to ask him…he doesn’t hear a word she said.
Levi Miller is deaf and happily single. Initially, he doesn’t know why this beautiful woman is talking to him, but it’s clear she needs help—and suddenly so does he. In a very complicated situation, Levi finds a simple solution. Gaby will pretend to be his new girlfriend to bail him out, and he’ll return the favor. But he didn’t bargain for a family dinner quite like this one…
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Entertaining enough. I think my mood is getting in the way of leaving a better review. It was not a great story. But it was enjoyable.
I like that the author wrote about a character with a disability. All too often we forget that there are those who live and function in this world with disabilities. It was very refreshing to read!
I’ve read Laura Brown’s all in a week’s time. I love her style of writing and her characters they’re real. They could be you, your friend, neighbor, or family. Her stories capture you and the time you invest in reading them, it’s not wasted. I’m not Jewish but I wanted to be after reading this book. I fell in love with the characters and hopefully you’ll too.
Although the book was predictable, what wasn’t predictable was that it featured a Jewish family and couple which is so uncommon in romance novels. It was entertaining, and showed a strong sense of family love and traditions. I also liked how Levi, although deaf found ways to adapt to and educate those in the hearing community. The overall theme was one of hope, acceptance and love.
Different but enjoyable
I liked the story and had a couple of laugh out loud moments.
3 stars – I liked it
Gaby Fineberg wants to get through Passover Sedar without her mother playing matchmaker. She needs a date so she asks the hot guy at her gym to be her fake date. Levi is deaf and having his own relationship issues but he agrees to help Gaby and be her fake boyfriend.
While there were parts that I liked about this book, I did have a few issues with this book. First off what I enjoyed. I loved that this is centered around a Jewish holiday and that it actually discusses how this family practices. I have read other Jewish holiday romances and those holidays were barely discussed. I also loved how Gaby tried to make sure Levi could participate during her family’s Seder, especially since this was new to her and her family. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was how the author handled Levi being deaf. Not all deaf people wear hearing aids or read lips so it was nice to see a hero who communicated mostly through text and ASL.
My issues with this book center around the relationship. My issue was with Levi and his lack of explanation/ lying about the current situation with his ex-fiance. I don’t understand why he wasn’t truthful from the very first conversation with Gaby about what was going on because she was being truthful about her past relationship and how it was impacting her. I don’t love the silly misunderstanding trope and this book plays on it hard. This was just something that could have easily been avoided, especially since they were texting constantly.
Overall, this was a pretty ok holiday romance. I had a few issues with it but I did enjoy it enough to read it in one sitting.
I wanted something fun and delightful to read after a difficult week, and this book was just what I was looking for. Super sweet, incredibly well written contemporary romance about a woman who needs a fake date for Passover, and the deaf man who helps her out. As with most fake dating stories, the characters quickly realize they want something more, but are ensnared in too many lies to make a clear shot at it. I’m a big fan of the faking dating trope, just because I enjoy seeing characters struggle with the tension of what’s real and what’s pretend, and this book delivers in spades. I also really enjoyed how the story explored communication and the ways that people can connect. Gaby and Levi really gave it their all in terms of trying to connect with each other, and there were some pretty cool moments in the book where technology either helped or got in the way. I’ve never read a book with a deaf hero before (seems crazy given the number of books I’ve read!) and it really added layers and depth to the story without the story becoming about his deafness. Highly, highly recommend for any contemporary romance fans.
This is the first book that I have read from this author and I chose to read it mainly because it is a romance between two Jewish characters, something very rare- at least in English. Most authors seem to pair Jewish characters with a goyim, pushing for intermarriage leading to dimensioning the Jewish people. This is a well written story, with well developed characters and a very unusual scenario, a fake date for a Seder. This was an especially poignant read this year, the year of Covid 19, when families could not be together for this very family oriented holy day.
I really like Gaby and Levi together. Gaby has recently broken up with her boyfriend, Tom, who seemed to have been verbally abusive and has affected her self esteem. She doesn’t want her family to feel sorry for her, or have her mother set her up with a surprise man, so while she and her BBF Riley are at the gym, and Gaby is ogling “Mr. Free-Weights”, Riley pushes her to ask him to be her fake date for the Seder. Surprise, he is deaf, but while trying to talk to him, she saves him from Monica, his ex. He doesn’t want to go home to his family’s Seder because Monica will be there and she is still pretending that they are engaged, so she can get a loan for her business. So he agrees to help Gaby out. Dating is hard enough, fake dating just as hard, but a language barrier mixed in, creates a real challenge. To make it look real, they spend time together, so he can teach her some ASL and they can learn enough about each other to make it look real. And somewhere along the way, it does become real. But Levi has a secret. He had promised Monica he would not tell their families that are no longer engaged, until Monica can secure a loan. But keeping it a secret could cause a misunderstanding that would break Gaby’s and his romance apart before they can really get it together.
What I didn’t like about the book, was that since the two families are so secular, they are ignorant of
their Jewish heritage and Halacha, Jewish law, so what is portrayed to the non-Jewish reader is false. Chametz is not yeast. It is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt (the 5 grains) that has been allowed to ferment. Jews may not eat, own or benefit from chametz during Passover. So not funny that Gaby’s father would hide bread in the house. The use of condoms is also forbidden. Spilling seed was the reason that Yehudah’s two older sons and Ruth’s sons died prematurely. Lastly, the family seems to have forgotten someone at the Seder- our Creator. But aside from disinformation, I really did enjoy the story.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I loved this book! It was super cute with a good bit of heat too. The language barrier between a deaf man and a hearing woman gave this story an additional dimension. The characters were likable and I rooted for them the whole time. Great Book!
Always a joy to read an Entangled Publishing book and this book was a breath of fresh air! There are a lot of fake boyfriend trope books out there in romancelandia right now but this one had a bit of a new spin on it and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I fell in love with the storyline! A well-written, well-developed book that you will not be disappointed in. Also a bit of a romcom so if that’s your jam, pick this one up today! For the full audio review, see https://wickedcoolflight.net!
WOW. I’m so excited that I got to read such an interesting romance. I love reading books that have your not so typical characters, so having a deaf character & both main characters being Jewish drew me in like a fly to honey!
I loved Gaby & Levi. The chemistry they had was so tangible and I loved watching them learn to communicate and fall in love. The banter kept the book flowing and I loved that there wasn’t too much “drama” that kept them from being together.
This was my first Laura Brown book but it definitely won’t be my last!
3.5 Stars
This was a new author for me, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall, the book had a good plot and adorable characters but there were scenes that I thought didn’t transition smoothly. I had to reread parts to figure out what was going on. I loved the characters and the “fake date” was a great storyline. The author was able to get across the difficulties people with hearing disabilities face in the daily world. It certainly made me more aware of the obstacles they must overcome and the strength of character they have. I would have liked to have a more detailed ending, maybe giving us a glance at the couple’s future. It was a fun book to read with lots of humor.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Needing to slip into bits of just plain ole romance especially lately this came to my attention. This is the first time coming across this author also so bonus day. Another score as I read this one is the humor that is laced through out which seems to be a trend for me lately. Gaby and Levi take us through their tale with it also having the Passover as the starter. Levi though will give her more than a hello among what else was asked once he figures out she is addressing him it unfolds to be more than expected. Helping each other out will seem to be the situation but the fun in that is seeing how things like that really turn out. They usually spiral into something of their own with us being the winners in the spinning. The ending is the sweet surprise with it being a delight to have read.
I was beyond excited when I saw that there was a romance coming out that incorporated Passover as a main theme in the book. In fact, I may have squealed and shot off a rambling email saying that I NEEDED the book right now! LOL.
Passover is my favorite holiday ever. It incorporates all my loves: tradition, history, memory, community, family, story, and song. And now I finally get to read a book that takes place at the Passover seder in my favorite genre — romance! Thank you so much, Laura Brown, for this gem of a romcom. I truly hope to see more books like this from you in the future!
Matzah Ball Surprise is a fun and flirty read. This romcom hits all those great spots… wit, laugh out loud moments, and believable characters that you could see sitting down and sharing a meal with.
Gaby needs a date to her family’s seder (ceremonial meal to celebrate the start of Passover) in order to get them off her back. So she decides to ask the hunk that she has been ogling while she works out. She gathers up the courage to ask him to be her fake date (what a fun trope!), but… he doesn’t hear her. Levi, it turns out, is deaf. Let the fun and shenanigans ensue as this unlikely pair try to fool Gaby’s family for the holiday.
I loved how Laura Brown seamlessly integrated both Levi being deaf and the Jewish holiday into the story. Neither seemed like just a prop or setting… both were integral to the story itself. I could just imagine how easy it would be to feel like an outsider at a seder when conversation and songs flow around the table the entire time. I appreciated how this experience with his fake date’s family made him appreciate his own family that much more. I think it is so natural for us as humans to focus on what isn’t right, what could be better, that we sometimes don’t appreciate how good we have it.
The characters in this book were great. I loved how their imperfections made them so much more realistic. From our main couple to the family and friends they were surrounded by. These were characters you could imagine bumping into in your own life. And can we talk chemistry? Gaby and Levi had it in spades! I couldn’t wait for them to rip off each other’s clothes and realize how good they truly were together.
I found Matzah Ball Surprise to be a delightful read. One that I can see myself re-reading next year just in time for Passover! I am hoping (begging) that we can see some of the side characters get their own story (I would love to see books with Meyer, Monica & Izzy!)
3.5 Stars!
I love a good holiday romance and Matzah Ball Surprise is definitely a huge step in the right direction. The holiday is Passover and the celebration is replete with family, heavy food and unleavened bread. Passover is a major jewish holiday, and I am so glad new to me author Laura Brown put a ton of spiciness and originality into her book.
Gaby Fineberg needs a fake date for her family’s Seder. Being single will only cause her grief from the matchmakers; her well-meaning mother and aunt. She meets Levi Miller at her gym, and they both agree to be each others fake dates. Levi is deaf, so there is an additional hurdle for them to navigate. Not to mention Levi’s sort-of engagement to another woman. Gaby is pleasantly surprised when she realizes Levi is Jewish as well. Levi is fixer and wants to help Gaby overcome her insecurities. They fall into lust and love after only a few days together.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. All the Jewishness made me feel warm and happy. I even learned something new about the Seder, which I will share with my family. I really liked the beginning and end of the story. Unfortunately, the parts in-between fell a little flat. Gaby and Levi are a hot and sexy couple.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
I have never read anything from this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The story was completely predictable and I felt that the author tended to repeat herself on certain topics a lot. I did like Izzy and Gaby and their relationship they seemed to have this unbreakable bond between them. Also really enjoyed the relationship between Faith and Anne. I did enjoy reading about Levi and Gaby and the way the stubbled through their situations. This book does contain sex and cussing. Over all there were some laughable moments, the book is a quick read. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion.
This was a fun adorable read. Gaby and Levi are like two pieces of a puzzle and complete one another. The face that he is her fake date for Passover (probably one of the most stressful Jewish holidays) held special charm for me add in the fact that he is deaf and you could have a recipe for disaster. From the antics with Benji the dog to new traditions to learn, I was entranced. Levi is swoony, Gaby is multi-dimensional. Loved it!
Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown is a delightfully sweet fake boyfriend tale that takes place during the Passover holiday. Gaby needs someone to distract her family and the hot guy from the gym she’s been ogling for months might just be the thing. Levi has issues of his own. But they may each be just what the other needs. These two are funny, bright and adorable together. I loved that the author featured a deaf hero. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this story.
Funny! Different! I think those two words aptly describe this story. Levi being deaf, and Gabby, hearing, definitely brings a new perspective to dating. There are miscommunications and periods of silence. As they interact with her family the missteps continue. The dog, Bengi, plays a motor role as ice breaker and showman. It is definitely an interesting story that opens a window in a world that is often closed to outsiders.