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mirel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Light-hearted book about a young woman (Gaby) and her fake date for her mother's Passover seder, Levi who is deaf. The story is complicated by the lack of communication between the two--and not because of the fact that Gaby doesn't sign, and Levi doesn't read lips but because....they don't really talk about anything when they do communicate (using elementary signs he teaches her and their cells).
I loved the Jewish culture (such a nice change from all the Christmas and Halloween books out there...) and the glimpse at the problems of hearing-impaired people in a hearing world. And while the story had a lot of built in humor and a real quick build-up to a close relationship, I found some of the writing was a bit too cutesy for my taste. Still, certainly a difference take on romance novels.
I loved the Jewish culture (such a nice change from all the Christmas and Halloween books out there...) and the glimpse at the problems of hearing-impaired people in a hearing world. And while the story had a lot of built in humor and a real quick build-up to a close relationship, I found some of the writing was a bit too cutesy for my taste. Still, certainly a difference take on romance novels.
cruchotzke's review
4.0
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
This book was addictive! From the very first page I was intrigued. I've read my share of romance novels and never have had one about a Jewish Deaf MC. I am always delighted to find a new spin in this genre.
This story starts out with our MC Gaby and she is getting ready to go home for Passover.
Gaby recently broke up with Tom, who was not a knight in shining armor on the best of days.
Gaby dreads going home to see her family, especially her mom, without a date.
So she decides to try and get the very buff and good looking guy (Levi) she has been eyeing at the gym to go with her.
Turns out Mr Free Weights is deaf, but totally willing to help a gal out.
The story takes entertaining twists and turns with her quirky and funny family.
I thought this story would be more character driven, but it is definitely more plot driven.
Even though I would've liked more in depth looks at the characters, I still enjoyed this story
immensely. Gaby and Levi have a tremendous amount of chemistry. There were a couple of issues I found with the story. One being Levi's desire to 'help' Gaby. I personally am not a fan of the 'Damsel in Distress' trope.
That being said, the pros of Levi's character and personality outweigh that issue.
The one other thing I was not crazy about was how quickly the book ended. It felt like the wrap up was very sudden. I would've liked a bit more time with the ending.
All in all this is definitely a 4 star read for me. I will be searching out more books from Laura Brown in the near future.
This book made me smile from start to finish. I will be recommending this to all of my friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this advanced copy.
This book was addictive! From the very first page I was intrigued. I've read my share of romance novels and never have had one about a Jewish Deaf MC. I am always delighted to find a new spin in this genre.
This story starts out with our MC Gaby and she is getting ready to go home for Passover.
Gaby recently broke up with Tom, who was not a knight in shining armor on the best of days.
Gaby dreads going home to see her family, especially her mom, without a date.
So she decides to try and get the very buff and good looking guy (Levi) she has been eyeing at the gym to go with her.
Turns out Mr Free Weights is deaf, but totally willing to help a gal out.
The story takes entertaining twists and turns with her quirky and funny family.
I thought this story would be more character driven, but it is definitely more plot driven.
Even though I would've liked more in depth looks at the characters, I still enjoyed this story
immensely. Gaby and Levi have a tremendous amount of chemistry. There were a couple of issues I found with the story. One being Levi's desire to 'help' Gaby. I personally am not a fan of the 'Damsel in Distress' trope.
That being said, the pros of Levi's character and personality outweigh that issue.
The one other thing I was not crazy about was how quickly the book ended. It felt like the wrap up was very sudden. I would've liked a bit more time with the ending.
All in all this is definitely a 4 star read for me. I will be searching out more books from Laura Brown in the near future.
This book made me smile from start to finish. I will be recommending this to all of my friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this advanced copy.
kb33's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I loved this! I can’t believe it’s not rated higher, because I’m usually very critical of the books I read. It’s insta-love, and some people found the fake dating trope to be unrealistic, but it’s a fake dating trope. That’s what you came here to read. Knowing that, it was an excellent book. I loved the slow burn and the chemistry. The communication difficulties between the deaf MMC and the hearing MFC didn’t slow down the book for me at all like I was worried that it might. And I totally understand Levi felt obligated to his ex fiancé to help her out. Though OW drama isn’t my favorite, this was mild. They’ve known each other since childhood, and it wasn’t like he didn’t still care about her, he just knew they weren’t meant to be married. He still wanted her to succeed.
I’m really glad I picked this up. It might be a yearly, light, happy, holiday read.
I’m really glad I picked this up. It might be a yearly, light, happy, holiday read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Death of parent, and Grief
witandsin's review
4.0
Reviewed for Wit and Sin
Matzah Ball Surprise is a bright and fun romance that will make you smile. I admit I picked up this book simply because I’ve never read a romance set during Passover and I was thrilled to see one out there. I’m so glad I did, because Gaby and Levi are endearing characters and their love story is delightful.
I have been in Gaby’s place at Passover, so I totally sympathize with her wanting a fake boyfriend to play buffer against a well-meaning family. Gaby is a vibrant, colorful character who absolutely hates change (something I also sympathize with). She isn’t perfect, but she’s got a genuinely good heart and is on guard against being lied to because she’s been hurt before. Asking the hunky guy at her gym to be her fake date may have been a spontaneous act, but it was the best thing she could have done for herself. Levi is a sensitive, caring hero who will make you swoon. He’s a Deaf Studies teacher and is deaf himself, so he is patient and understanding while teaching Gaby how to communicate. Levi has his own family issues and an ex-fiancé who is making things complicated for him. Because he tries so hard to take care of everybody, Levi makes mistakes. But they’re mistakes that come from being too nice and giving a person, so you really can’t hold that against him. Gaby and Levi’s whirlwind romance is sweet and enjoyable, though there is some unwanted drama I could see coming due to the aforementioned ex-fiancé that I didn’t quite love. Still, they made Levi and Gaby made a wonderful couple and I liked their romance overall.
What makes Matzah Ball Surprise stand out are two things author Laura Brown weaves into the story incredibly well: (1) Passover and (2) two strangers – one hearing and one deaf – learning to communicate. It’s clear on both topics Ms. Brown knows what she’s talking about and the story is the richer for it. Both protagonists are Jewish, which I loved (it’s surprisingly rare to find this) and Ms. Brown does a fantastic job of showing Passover traditions, adding layers by portraying not only characters who keep Passover but those who are more lax. There are a number of things that felt incredibly real to me, but you absolutely do not have to be Jewish to enjoy this story. As for Levi and Gaby learning to communicate, this was incredibly well done. Gaby doesn’t pick up ASL overnight and it’s eye-opening for her how many things hearing people take for granted or do and are unaware that it excludes deaf people. Levi has grown up with a family who easily communicates with him and he has plenty of deaf friends. I appreciated his patience and instructiveness and found it added a lot to the story. There is a richness and a depth to this otherwise fluffy story that comes from injecting realness into the fantasy. All in all, Matzah Ball Surprise is a fun contemporary romance that – unlike matzah itself – is thoroughly enjoyable.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Matzah Ball Surprise is a bright and fun romance that will make you smile. I admit I picked up this book simply because I’ve never read a romance set during Passover and I was thrilled to see one out there. I’m so glad I did, because Gaby and Levi are endearing characters and their love story is delightful.
I have been in Gaby’s place at Passover, so I totally sympathize with her wanting a fake boyfriend to play buffer against a well-meaning family. Gaby is a vibrant, colorful character who absolutely hates change (something I also sympathize with). She isn’t perfect, but she’s got a genuinely good heart and is on guard against being lied to because she’s been hurt before. Asking the hunky guy at her gym to be her fake date may have been a spontaneous act, but it was the best thing she could have done for herself. Levi is a sensitive, caring hero who will make you swoon. He’s a Deaf Studies teacher and is deaf himself, so he is patient and understanding while teaching Gaby how to communicate. Levi has his own family issues and an ex-fiancé who is making things complicated for him. Because he tries so hard to take care of everybody, Levi makes mistakes. But they’re mistakes that come from being too nice and giving a person, so you really can’t hold that against him. Gaby and Levi’s whirlwind romance is sweet and enjoyable, though there is some unwanted drama I could see coming due to the aforementioned ex-fiancé that I didn’t quite love. Still, they made Levi and Gaby made a wonderful couple and I liked their romance overall.
What makes Matzah Ball Surprise stand out are two things author Laura Brown weaves into the story incredibly well: (1) Passover and (2) two strangers – one hearing and one deaf – learning to communicate. It’s clear on both topics Ms. Brown knows what she’s talking about and the story is the richer for it. Both protagonists are Jewish, which I loved (it’s surprisingly rare to find this) and Ms. Brown does a fantastic job of showing Passover traditions, adding layers by portraying not only characters who keep Passover but those who are more lax. There are a number of things that felt incredibly real to me, but you absolutely do not have to be Jewish to enjoy this story. As for Levi and Gaby learning to communicate, this was incredibly well done. Gaby doesn’t pick up ASL overnight and it’s eye-opening for her how many things hearing people take for granted or do and are unaware that it excludes deaf people. Levi has grown up with a family who easily communicates with him and he has plenty of deaf friends. I appreciated his patience and instructiveness and found it added a lot to the story. There is a richness and a depth to this otherwise fluffy story that comes from injecting realness into the fantasy. All in all, Matzah Ball Surprise is a fun contemporary romance that – unlike matzah itself – is thoroughly enjoyable.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
mandymarie1017's review
5.0
A happy suprise-read!
A mutually agreed fake relationship seems like the perfect solution for Levi and Gaby for the Passover Holiday celebration, but what happens when it stops being fake?
Levi could have made his life a lot simpler by setting up boundaries and communicating better, but he didn’t think a line drawn in the sand would be a big deal until that line got moved. Instead of setting the record straight and being honest, he made things more blurry, and he and Gaby got hurt. Thank goodness Gaby has more backbone than her recent ex gave her credit for because this does end with a HEA!
There were several points where I laughed out loud because of the witty writing, but I felt my chest tighten with emotion too.
Favorite quote:
“He simply focused on his weights and his form. What might that type of focus and control lead to in other areas of his life… Like the bedroom.”
A mutually agreed fake relationship seems like the perfect solution for Levi and Gaby for the Passover Holiday celebration, but what happens when it stops being fake?
Levi could have made his life a lot simpler by setting up boundaries and communicating better, but he didn’t think a line drawn in the sand would be a big deal until that line got moved. Instead of setting the record straight and being honest, he made things more blurry, and he and Gaby got hurt. Thank goodness Gaby has more backbone than her recent ex gave her credit for because this does end with a HEA!
There were several points where I laughed out loud because of the witty writing, but I felt my chest tighten with emotion too.
Favorite quote:
“He simply focused on his weights and his form. What might that type of focus and control lead to in other areas of his life… Like the bedroom.”
cowmingo's review
3.0
Cute fake relationship story full of representation. I don't think I've ever read a romance before where Passover was celebrated with discussions of the seder and family traditions that go along with the holiday. The male MC is also deaf so there's more representation and I liked the way the author integrated the two MC's into each others lives. It was a cute book, some sexy scenes and I'll be checking out more from this author in the future.
alice_gibson's review
1.0
This is a book that will go on my DNF shelf. I don’t feel that anything is happening. And I have reached 52% and it reads like I have had two pages stuck together. Very repetitive and I don’t feel invested in the character so realise I do t care what happens to them.
xakyr's review
3.0
FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH ONE OF A VARIETY OF SOURCES. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!
This was more of a 3.5 star read for me, but not good enough to be a 4 star rating. I really liked the premise of this story, being especially excited for a deaf hero, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
I had some issues with both characters to start off with. Levi drove me absolutely nuts because he was so spineless when it came to Monica the ex-fiancée. I hated that entire situation, and it really drug an otherwise great character down for me. However, on the other hand, I honestly could not believe that Gaby would automatically ask Levi out to her parent's house, without knowing a stitch about him! It just didn't work for me, and it really dragged the plot down for me, which I was already struggling to engage with.
All things considered, it was a quick read, and mildly interesting as well, but it just didn't work for this reader.
This was more of a 3.5 star read for me, but not good enough to be a 4 star rating. I really liked the premise of this story, being especially excited for a deaf hero, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
I had some issues with both characters to start off with. Levi drove me absolutely nuts because he was so spineless when it came to Monica the ex-fiancée. I hated that entire situation, and it really drug an otherwise great character down for me. However, on the other hand, I honestly could not believe that Gaby would automatically ask Levi out to her parent's house, without knowing a stitch about him! It just didn't work for me, and it really dragged the plot down for me, which I was already struggling to engage with.
All things considered, it was a quick read, and mildly interesting as well, but it just didn't work for this reader.
phoenixinthecity's review
3.0
My second book by Laura Brown and I enjoyed it. This one is sexier than Signs of Attraction which I read last year and I think may have been her debut written in 2016.
The story takes place over the course of a week - Gaby's heading home to her mother's for Passover Seder and decides she needs a fake date to head off any matchmaking efforts after a recent breakup with an ex who made her feel unworthy, and she picks the hot guy at the gym she's noticed for awhile. Turns out hot guy is deaf and has baggage in the form of an ex-fiance who wants him to maintain the ruse for her own reasons. This conflict with the ex-fiance felt weak to me, and I was bothered by why Levi felt like he had to lie to his family for as long as he did. I'm still bothered by the rationale, but these 2 dummies figure it out in the end.
This book is own voices twice over - Brown is Jewish and deaf and her lived experience is the heart of this book - I didn't know anything about Passover Seder and learned about it from the scenes of her family dinner, and there's also a great scene when Levi and Gaby are sitting down at a resto together to work out their story and they're communicating through text with their heads bent down over their phones. A couple of older ladies complain rather loudly about how young people nowadays always have their heads in their phones and Gaby turns around to tell them that she's learning ASL and texting is the only way that she can communicate with Levi because he's deaf so they shouldn't be making assumptions. And it got me thinking about how we don't know what other people's situations are from another perspective, e.g. I don't know if someone is immunocompromised from looking at them, nor if they're caring for someone who is, etc. so I'll wear a mask to protect them and myself. Anyway - this was good.
The story takes place over the course of a week - Gaby's heading home to her mother's for Passover Seder and decides she needs a fake date to head off any matchmaking efforts after a recent breakup with an ex who made her feel unworthy, and she picks the hot guy at the gym she's noticed for awhile. Turns out hot guy is deaf and has baggage in the form of an ex-fiance who wants him to maintain the ruse for her own reasons. This conflict with the ex-fiance felt weak to me, and I was bothered by why Levi felt like he had to lie to his family for as long as he did. I'm still bothered by the rationale, but these 2 dummies figure it out in the end.
This book is own voices twice over - Brown is Jewish and deaf and her lived experience is the heart of this book - I didn't know anything about Passover Seder and learned about it from the scenes of her family dinner, and there's also a great scene when Levi and Gaby are sitting down at a resto together to work out their story and they're communicating through text with their heads bent down over their phones. A couple of older ladies complain rather loudly about how young people nowadays always have their heads in their phones and Gaby turns around to tell them that she's learning ASL and texting is the only way that she can communicate with Levi because he's deaf so they shouldn't be making assumptions. And it got me thinking about how we don't know what other people's situations are from another perspective, e.g. I don't know if someone is immunocompromised from looking at them, nor if they're caring for someone who is, etc. so I'll wear a mask to protect them and myself. Anyway - this was good.