Mr. Perfect on Paper
Book: Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer
Synopsis:
The perfect Jewish husband should be:
A doctor or lawyer (preferably a doctor)
Baggage-free (no previous marriages, no children)
And of course — he must be Jewish
As the creator and CEO of the popular Jewish dating app J-Mate, matchmaker Dara Rabinowitz knows the formula for lasting love — at least, for everyone else. When it comes to her own love life, she’s been idling indefinitely. Until her beloved bubbe shares Dara’s checklist for “The Perfect Jewish Husband” on national television and charming news anchor Chris Steadfast proposes they turn Dara’s search into must-see TV.
As a non-Jewish single dad, Chris doesn’t check any of Dara’s boxes. But her hunt for Mr. Perfect is the ratings boost his show desperately needs. If only Chris could ignore his own pesky attraction to Dara — a task much easier said than done when Dara starts questioning if “perfect on paper” can compete with how hard she’s falling for Chris…
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
My Thoughts: When I say I want Jewish holiday rom-coms, this book exemplifies what I mean. The true Jewish holiday season is the early fall, with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and Sukkot — and this book gets it. This books gives us dates at an apple orchard and under the sukkah and even at a Simchat Torah celebration. It was so refreshing and delightful to see holidays other than Hanukkah get the cheesy Hallmark treatment (and the book did include Hanukkah too).
This book also provides a nuanced portrayal of anxiety as a true mental health battle and not simply the stereotype of Jewish neuroses.
Mr. Perfect on Paper is a triumph of a Jewish rom-com and a blueprint for how writers should embrace our representation in the genre. You can buy your own copy here or borrow it from your local library.
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