07/01/2023
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
★ 2023-05-24
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.
"An unflinchingly honest romance." —Kirkus, starred review
“A wonderful, insightful, and humorous love story.” —Booklist, starred review
“Kissing Kosher reads as a romantic comedy with all the usual fun, but will deeply affect readers as they follow the physical and emotional journey of a young woman with a more common than realized chronic condition.” —Novels Alive, 5-star review
"A winning recipe for contemporary romance grounded in real-world issues." —Publishers Weekly
“Meltzer’s excellent writing transports readers to the rich, lived-in world of Best Babka in Brooklyn… 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…a great addition to romance shelves.” —Library Journal
"The romance in this book is sweet, however the handling of invisible disabilities is the star." —The Suburban
"A powerfully heartwarming, passionate, sometimes painful, but endlessly entertaining Jewish Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending that had me wiping away tears. Kissing Kosher is chronic joy!" —M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams
“Kissing Kosher is everything readers could want a Jewish romantic comedy to be: sweet, soulful, spirited and stirring!” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire
"Kissing Kosher is truly a satisfying read. The only thing that might make Kissing Kosher even better? Including that tempting kosher pumpkin-spiced babka recipe!" —Jewish Unpacked
"Kissing Kosher is full of heart, wisdom, and poignancy without sacrificing the fun and exactly what I want to read over and over again." —Felicia Grossman, author of Marry Me by Midnight
"Daring, poignant, brutally honest but also exquisitely romantic, Kissing Kosher is an absolute delight!” —Holly Cassidy, author of The Christmas Wager
"Long after I finished Kissing Kosher, I found Avital and Ethan taking space in my head. Their love story is a triumph as delicious and sweet as a babka on Friday night.” —Marilyn Simon Rothstein, Author, Crazy to Leave You, Husbands and Other Sharp Objects
"Take the sweetest, most tender love story, braid it with the beauty of Jewish tradition, bake until it heats up with a family feud, and you've got Kissing Kosher. This delicious romance is more satisfying than the best dessert." —Amanda Elliot, author of Best Served Hot and Sadie on a Plate
“Mix a backstabbing babka war, a romance, and a dose of real life pain. Bake until the tension is thick—and you get this soulful novel. Heartfelt and stirring. Delicious.” —Rachel Barenbaum, author of Atomic Anna and A Bend in the Stars
"I loved every word of this proudly Jewish and sexy romance that highlights the importance of finding joy even in the most painful of times.” —Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV and Someone Just Like You.
“Readers will devour this one-of-a-kind novel, that covers everything from relationships, intimacy, and sex, to family dysfunction and intergenerational trauma. Jean writes romance the way your Bubbe bakes challah—with devotion, delight, and loads of love.” —Lynda Cohen Loigman, bestselling author of The Matchmaker’s Gift and The Two-Family House
“Jean Meltzer's writing sparkles! Kissing Kosher is a beautiful babka of a book, with multiple layers tied together by a romance that is as sweet as it is vulnerable.” —Stacey Agdern, author of the B'nai Mitzvah Mistake
“Kissing Kosher is funny, heart-breaking, hunger-inducing, honest and surprising in the best way. I loved this book but more than that, I needed it.” —Jenny Bayliss, author of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
"Better than babka! A dash of Romeo and Juliet, a helping of much needed chronic pain representation, and a whole lot of love: Meltzer delivers the perfect recipe in this delightful romance! This book is an absolute treat." —Haley Neil, author of Planning Perfect
"Kissing Kosher is everything my big Jewish food-loving heart could ever want in a book. I laughed, I cried, I craved Pumpkin Spice Babka! A powerful read about faith, family and fabulous dessert." —Rena Rossner, author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood
