Review by Booklist Review
Former attorney Faye is happy running her pottery shop in lovely Woodstock, New York, until antisemitic flyers--messages of hate that include her photo and address--are distributed around town. In a panic, she uses her skills to create a golem out of clay, attaches red hair, and buries the figure in her backyard. The next day, she hits a man while riding her bike, and he develops amnesia. Faye takes him in, and he chooses to be called Greg. Red-haired Greg helps her with her business and protects her from further attacks. He worries that he may have been one of a white supremacist group called the Paper Boys and tries to infiltrate that group to find out. He and Faye learn that some of her friends aren't who they seem. The slow burn of their romance along with plenty of humor amid the serious concerns make Meltzer's latest, following Kissing Kosher (2023), an excellent blend of Jewish culture and romance.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Meltzer (Kissing Kosher) combines magic and Jewish mysticism with a searing indictment of antisemitism in this nuanced rom-com. After New York City lawyer Faye Kaplan gets dumped by her fiancé, she decides to start over upstate, opening a pottery studio in Woodstock, caring for her elderly dog, and avoiding relationships all together. Though not particularly religious, Faye is understandably frightened after a hate group litters Woodstock with antisemitic flyers. After consuming many glasses of wine, she tries her hand at some "Jewitch" practices, molding herself the strong man she thinks she needs out of clay and burying the totem under her rose bushes. In the harsh, hungover light of morning, she's not expecting the ritual to have worked--which is why it's so disconcerting when, while biking, she plows into a man who has all the qualities she wished for. The stranger, Greg, has no memories of who he was before meeting Faye. Could he be her golem come to life? Or just a handsome amnesiac? Meltzer's timely exploration of antisemitic propaganda is sensitive while never overshadowing the cute romance that blossoms between Faye and Greg. This is Meltzer's best yet. Agent: Carolyn Forde, Transatlantic Literary. (Aug.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
When antisemitic flyers are anonymously distributed throughout Faye Kaplan's friendly, quiet town, she is shaken. After a night of fending off her fear with too much wine, Faye, a practicing Jewitch, creates a small golem, inscribing his clay body with all of the traits that her perfect man should have, including being her protector. The next morning, hungover and late for a meeting, she hits someone while whizzing through the main street and knocks him out. He's physically okay but has amnesia. Faye feels so guilty over the accident that she invites the man, whom she calls Greg, to stay with her while he recuperates. Almost immediately, Faye realizes that Greg is displaying the unique characteristics she carved into her golem. Did she manifest Greg? Is she falling in love with a golem? This romance is a unique mix of mystery, magic, and humor. Faye's fears are examined and well-written, creating sympathy for her and disgust for her unknown tormentors. Her subsequent creation of a golem and confusion over Greg is realistic, leading readers to wonder themselves. VERDICT Meltzer's (Kissing Kosher) latest is a page-turner, and readers won't be able to stop until they have all the answers.--Heather Miller Cover
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
When a potter meets a handsome stranger with amnesia, she wonders if she's responsible for conjuring him up. Faye Kaplan is no stranger to fresh starts. After an engagement failed disastrously and she quit her full-time job as a lawyer, she decided to embrace her second chance at life by opening a pottery business in Woodstock, New York. Despite a much-needed change of scenery and a supportive community of friends, the one thing she's still missing is romance. After another singles event turns up no potential dates and then, on her way home, Faye discovers antisemitic flyers covering her neighborhood, she reaches for what has always been a comfort to her in times of stress: pottery. Drunkenly making a golem to guard herself feels like the right idea, especially when she molds him with all the traits her dream man would have. The next day, still nursing a hangover, Faye runs into a handsome guy--quite literally, with her bike, knocking him to the ground. By the time the stranger wakes up in the emergency room, he can't remember who he is or anything about himself. Feeling guilty and responsible for his current predicament, Faye invites the man to stay with her until he gets his memory back, but she can't shake the growing sense that his arrival in town might just be connected to her clay-made creation. Meltzer's latest combines endearing characters, magical realism, and much harsher topics, but these elements often feel less than well integrated, and the magic seems more fantastical in premise than execution. The author's trademark humor provides some much-needed levity, but the central romance isn't given as much time as it needs to fully flourish, especially given the hero's amnesia. A charming story that could have used a bit more magic. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
