March 1, 2023

In this fitting follow-up to Meltzer's big-hit debut, The Matzah Ball, the heir to a kosher baked-goods empire sneaks undercover at a family-owned Jewish bakery to steal their celebrated Pumpkin Spiced Babka recipe. Instead, his heart is stolen by the owner's granddaughter. Prepub Alert.

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Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 5, 2023
This captivating rom-com from Meltzer (Mr. Perfect on Paper) centers on an endearingly flawed Jewish heroine whose career, body, and health aren’t perfect—but that doesn’t stop her from finding her perfect match. Avital Cohen hoped to pursue photojournalism, but a busy newsroom wasn’t the ideal setting to also manage her interstitial cystitis, a painful chronic illness. Being the co-owner and manager of her family’s kosher bakery in Brooklyn isn’t much easier, however, which is why she’s eager to hire the suspiciously overqualified Ethan Rosenberg to help out. Encouraged by his ruthless grandfather, the head of a kosher mass-produced baked goods empire, Ethan falsified his résumé to win the position and steal the Cohen’s famous pumpkin spiced babka recipe. His resolve wavers almost immediately upon getting to know Avital. He’s awed by her ability to manage her pain and push through each day, inspiring him to push back against his abusive grandfather. Meltzer’s depiction of Avital’s chronic illness—which leaves her unable to have sex—is frank and nuanced. While romance is unable to fully fix each other’s problems, Avital and Ethan’s love lessens both of their pain. It’s a winning recipe for contemporary romance grounded in real-world issues. Agent: Carolyn Forde, Transatlantic Literary.

Starred review from June 15, 2023
Two bakers on opposite sides of a longtime family feud must set aside their differences for a satisfying ending. Avital Cohen rarely experiences life without pain these days. Dealing with a condition known as interstitial cystitis while managing Best Babka in Brooklyn, her family's successful kosher bakery, she's hanging on by a thread. Enter Ethan Lippmann, who shows up to interview for a new position at Best Babka with unending positivity and a distractingly attractive everything to boot. Ethan might seem like just the right person to help Avital, but it turns out that his motives are a little less than altruistic. He's taken the job at the direction of his grandfather, who had a falling out with Avital's grandfather years ago--and is still driven to take down his former partner in kosher baked goods at any cost. As far as the Cohens are concerned, the Lippmanns are to blame for that legendary rift between their families. What's more, Avital doesn't know that the new guy she's working next to in tight quarters is the heir to Best Babka's biggest competitor. When a mandatory fire safety inspection starts to loom, demanding the two of them work late into the night, Ethan offers to take more responsibility off Avital's plate so she can prioritize her health. Suddenly, Avital begins to wonder why she's so motivated to keep this handsome stranger at arm's length when she could be letting him get closer instead. Meltzer's latest novel follows a vulnerable, authentic journey about learning to navigate pain of all dimensions--individual and generational--and the boundaries people can set for themselves while also advocating for others who might not be capable of speaking up for themselves. Avital and Ethan approach their steadily deepening relationship with understanding and maturity, learning to embrace one another for who they truly are without caveats. In fact, the only thing that might be missing from this sweet story is a recipe for that pumpkin spice babka. An unflinchingly honest romance.

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July 1, 2023

In this riff on Romeo and Juliet, Avital Cohen's life isn't going according to plan. Bogged down by chronic pain and her job as the general manager of Best Babka in Brooklyn, the Instagram-popular bakery that has been in her family for five generations, she hires Ethan Rosenberg as her assistant. The catch? Avital doesn't know that Ethan is actually the heir to Lippman's bakery, the longtime rival to Best Babka, and is working undercover to steal the recipe for the Cohens' famed pumpkin-spice babka. Meltzer's excellent writing transports readers to the rich, lived-in world of Best Babka in Brooklyn, which features a host of multidimensional secondary characters. She deftly weaves both Jewish culture and Avital's chronic illness into this poignant, brutally honest story and does an excellent job of tackling serious topics while still getting Avital and Ethan to their well-earned happily-ever-after. There is also a significant medical and recreational cannabis subplot that feels both natural and necessary to the storyline. VERDICT Meltzer's latest, after Mr. Perfect on Paper, would be a great addition to romance shelves.--Whitney Kramer

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Starred review from August 1, 2023
Meltzer (The Matzah Ball, 2021; Mr. Perfect on Paper, 2022) turns a heroine struggling with serious, chronic, pelvic pain into a winning romantic character. Ethan gets a job at Avital's family bakery at the insistence of his grandfather who wants him to steal the Cohen's renowned secret pumpkin babka recipe for his family's baked goods business. He doesn't count on falling for the sometimes cranky Avital, who has had to set aside her photography calling, disappears at odd times, and doesn't seem to wear underwear. Some days, Avital can barely manage to help run the kosher Brooklyn bakery with her brother due to her incessant pain. She doesn't have time or energy for romance, but Ethan's support soon wins her over. As they learn each other's secrets and more about the history of their competing families, the two grow close and try to find a way forward, while coping with Avitl's devastating condition. Meltzer's sumptuous descriptions of the bakery's goods will make readers hungry, while the severity of Avital's predicament adds dimension to a wonderful, insightful, and humorous love story.

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