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225 reviews for:
Unorthodox Love: A BRAND NEW laugh-out-loud, enemies to lovers, love triangle romantic comedy!
Heidi Shertok
3.53 AVERAGE
225 reviews for:
Unorthodox Love: A BRAND NEW laugh-out-loud, enemies to lovers, love triangle romantic comedy!
Heidi Shertok
3.53 AVERAGE
I’m biased caused I’m modern orthodox Jewish but this book was so real for me but also so…bad? I don’t even know tbh. I was kinda bored and lost but loved reading another Jewish book with more observant characters. Since Jean Meltzers novel “The Matzah ball” (which I didn’t like that much either), I have been craving more novels with representation like this. I read a lot of Rachel Lynn Solomon, which is amazing, but most Jewish representation is very religious and not as much observant (if you get what I mean). Buttt these books always take it to another levels. But then the romance and storyline falls flat!!
4.5 stars
I love seeing Jewish romance representation out there in the world of romance books. This book was so well done in terms of incorporating so many Jewish customs and beliefs (from an Orthodox Jewish perspective) and some of the challenges Jewish women (especially Orthodox) face in the dating world. I loved how the author incorporated some fun Yiddish sayings. I found so much that I could relate to in Penina. I loved when she really found herself and truly came into her own. I will definitely be reading more books by Heidi Shertok!
I love seeing Jewish romance representation out there in the world of romance books. This book was so well done in terms of incorporating so many Jewish customs and beliefs (from an Orthodox Jewish perspective) and some of the challenges Jewish women (especially Orthodox) face in the dating world. I loved how the author incorporated some fun Yiddish sayings. I found so much that I could relate to in Penina. I loved when she really found herself and truly came into her own. I will definitely be reading more books by Heidi Shertok!
3.5 ⭐ rounded up. I learnt a lot about Jewish traditions in this sweet story. It had solid banter and the most wholesome enemies to lovers trope I've ever read.
A fun read. Don’t expect anything deep but it’s a sweet concoction. I don’t know anything about Orthodox Jews so I don’t know how accurate it was, but as a secular reader it was an interesting layer for a romance novel.
A 29 year old Orthodox Jewish woman struggles to find a match in the world, and ends up in a tricky situation for her moral standards...
This one grabbed my eye because, although I'm firmly planted in my atheism/nihilism, I love a book with representation, and sometimes the niche books like this one are an absolute delight.
Overall, this book had some really great bits. The idea was fun, and it did a good job of sharing tidbits about a culture that doesn't get a lot of light shined its way. However, there were key parts of the book that were unbearable and didn't seem super realistic to me.
FMC is super sweet, concerned with helping everyone she can, and all around nice, yet she finds herself 100% willing to compromise her morals over and over again for others. MMC knows about her standards, and continuously breaches them (constantly touching her, closing her in a room with him, etc). The trope of a dude being a total jerk because he has a crush on someone is always a disappointment. That's not a life partner, that's a child.
I went with the audiobook version, and constant of mispronunciations in the audiobook drove me nuts. "Cha-La"?! (Challah is pronounced "haa-lah" - for a book centered around Jewish culture, this was a pretty big flub) "Your-inE" (urine) "Pay-tent" (patent) "Renee-saunce"? (Renaissance) - I'm not sure if this will be corrected in the final version, but there were probably 100+ mispronunciations in the audiobook, and it started to get really frustrating.
Finally, I HATED it took a man to make FMC declare she was a “complete” person. It's disappointing to see someone marginalized in a book where they're supposed to be the star.
All in, this one was problematic for me. There were good points and bad ones, and I'd love to see this updated a bit to be less problematic. I hesitate to give this one less than 3 stars, only because I hope that publishers give more books like this a chance, perhaps in a way that's a little less... like this.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This one grabbed my eye because, although I'm firmly planted in my atheism/nihilism, I love a book with representation, and sometimes the niche books like this one are an absolute delight.
Overall, this book had some really great bits. The idea was fun, and it did a good job of sharing tidbits about a culture that doesn't get a lot of light shined its way. However, there were key parts of the book that were unbearable and didn't seem super realistic to me.
FMC is super sweet, concerned with helping everyone she can, and all around nice, yet she finds herself 100% willing to compromise her morals over and over again for others. MMC knows about her standards, and continuously breaches them (constantly touching her, closing her in a room with him, etc). The trope of a dude being a total jerk because he has a crush on someone is always a disappointment. That's not a life partner, that's a child.
I went with the audiobook version, and constant of mispronunciations in the audiobook drove me nuts. "Cha-La"?! (Challah is pronounced "haa-lah" - for a book centered around Jewish culture, this was a pretty big flub) "Your-inE" (urine) "Pay-tent" (patent) "Renee-saunce"? (Renaissance) - I'm not sure if this will be corrected in the final version, but there were probably 100+ mispronunciations in the audiobook, and it started to get really frustrating.
Finally, I HATED it took a man to make FMC declare she was a “complete” person. It's disappointing to see someone marginalized in a book where they're supposed to be the star.
All in, this one was problematic for me. There were good points and bad ones, and I'd love to see this updated a bit to be less problematic. I hesitate to give this one less than 3 stars, only because I hope that publishers give more books like this a chance, perhaps in a way that's a little less... like this.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Initially I swooned over Sam when Penina ran into him in the hospital, but then he was a total jerk for like 30% of the book - like unreasonably rude… AND as her boss I felt like his nasty comments and judgyness were especially inappropriate.
Maybe it was a protectiveness because I really loved Penina, though. Her inner monologue cracked me up. And I liked her family and her social media & fashion breakdowns and learning all the Orthodox Jewish traditions.
This is a very PG romcom full of enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating(engagement), and miscommunication tropes, so if you're looking for something spicy, this isn't it. I'm also not Jewish (thought my best friend is), but I still really enjoyed this. It's a good combination of interesting and sweet.
There were maybe a few too many characters for me - all the nurses in the NICU, the jewelry store coworkers, the gay fake fiancé and his family... kind of feels like a debut (even though Shertok does have one other book in Goodreads with only one rating) when the author tries to throw a ton of stuff in to hook the reader.
A solid 4 stars.
Maybe it was a protectiveness because I really loved Penina, though. Her inner monologue cracked me up. And I liked her family and her social media & fashion breakdowns and learning all the Orthodox Jewish traditions.
This is a very PG romcom full of enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating(engagement), and miscommunication tropes, so if you're looking for something spicy, this isn't it. I'm also not Jewish (thought my best friend is), but I still really enjoyed this. It's a good combination of interesting and sweet.
There were maybe a few too many characters for me - all the nurses in the NICU, the jewelry store coworkers, the gay fake fiancé and his family... kind of feels like a debut (even though Shertok does have one other book in Goodreads with only one rating) when the author tries to throw a ton of stuff in to hook the reader.
A solid 4 stars.
I have a really hard time summarizing my thoughts about this book.
On the one hand, I really liked and appreciated learning more about the intricacies of being an Orthodox Jew. I liked that we were transported into different cultural traditions, and saw how different characters navigated their faith. I also liked that Penina stood true to her faith and that Sam respected that.
On the other hand, I sometimes had a hard time with the writing and characterization. I found the writing a bit choppy and explanation heavy, and found myself skimming the parts that detailed her outfits/fashion. I also found Penina and her inner monologue frustrating sometimes. There was also one scene/inner thought that really didn't sit well with me and this brought down my star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On the one hand, I really liked and appreciated learning more about the intricacies of being an Orthodox Jew. I liked that we were transported into different cultural traditions, and saw how different characters navigated their faith. I also liked that Penina stood true to her faith and that Sam respected that.
On the other hand, I sometimes had a hard time with the writing and characterization. I found the writing a bit choppy and explanation heavy, and found myself skimming the parts that detailed her outfits/fashion. I also found Penina and her inner monologue frustrating sometimes. There was also one scene/inner thought that really didn't sit well with me and this brought down my star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
Unorthodox Love introduces the complications of belonging in the Orthodox Jewish communities when it comes to following their traditions and falling in love. The story explores a world where religious beliefs guides the main character's principles. Finding a partner is difficult as it is but Unorthodox Love show readers how religion can take you away from the potential love of your life and how controlling it can be especially in this day and age. This book made me want to throw my phone at something because of how frustrated I was for the main character, Penina, because she simply couldn't just follow her heart. Penina thought a lot of thoughts and it was extraordinary that it was not overwritten. This book made me feel a lot--surprise, frustration, confusion, disappointment, relief and of course, swoon. The book left me yearning for more steam between the main characters, Something like maybe catching glances, eye contact, lusting over forearms?
Now let's talk about the narration. The word "coupe" was pronounced as "coupay," "Zyrtec" as "zyratec," "urinal" as "you-rhi-nal", "patent" as "pay-tent" and "buffet" as "bah-fay". I think it's important that the narrator sticks with the local pronunciation of these words to be consistent with the story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Now let's talk about the narration. The word "coupe" was pronounced as "coupay," "Zyrtec" as "zyratec," "urinal" as "you-rhi-nal", "patent" as "pay-tent" and "buffet" as "bah-fay". I think it's important that the narrator sticks with the local pronunciation of these words to be consistent with the story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Were there cringey and super unrealistic situations? Yes. Was this still an enjoyable romcom? Also yes!