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Hot for the Holidays #1
Matzo Match
Samantha is still healing from heartbreak, but her best friend has decided she's taken long enough. With Passover just around the corner, will a surprise blind date, three celebrations in eight days, and approximately 100 glasses of wine be enough to finally move on? After one taste of the hard-bodied, immaculately dressed Jordan, it just might be time. Too bad Jordan has her own baggage to work through. Matzo Match is a scorching lesbian love story and the first entry in the "Hot for the Holidays" series.
ebook
First published March 15, 2021
About the author
Roz Alexander
12 books40 followersRoz Alexander, a Chicagoan and obsessed gardener, writes smutty sapphic romance.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 9, 2022
Loved it!
A Jewish feast, an unexpected blind date, a meddling friend, an age gap and a swoon-worthy butch. It's sexy, sweet, a bit of humor and full of warmth and love. I liked the vulnerability of both main characters, it kept me captivated. Matzo Match didn't disappoint and I recommend it.
A Jewish feast, an unexpected blind date, a meddling friend, an age gap and a swoon-worthy butch. It's sexy, sweet, a bit of humor and full of warmth and love. I liked the vulnerability of both main characters, it kept me captivated. Matzo Match didn't disappoint and I recommend it.
June 6, 2021
I am so glad I heard of this book on Twitter - I was thrilled to find a high heat sapphic Passover romance! I devoured this novella. It made me laugh out loud and it was also very sexy. There was solo masturbation, couple scenes, sex toys/accessories, and clear consent between this couple with a bit of an age gap (30s and 40s). The diverse Jewish representation included an Ashkenazi and Persian main couple and many queer supporting characters, who were great fun. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of Erin McLellan’s So Over the Holidays series who are open to being immersed in a Jewish story.
This was a debut that had me hooked, I’ll definitely be keeping up with this author!
CWs: Divorce, closeted and secret relationship, cheating ex, mentions of fertility struggles and pregnancy, racism
This was a debut that had me hooked, I’ll definitely be keeping up with this author!
CWs: Divorce, closeted and secret relationship, cheating ex, mentions of fertility struggles and pregnancy, racism
April 17, 2022
Reading Roz Alexander has become a little bit of a holiday tradition for me, and I'm not mad about it.
Though this is the first one Roz wrote, it's actually the third one I've read, and I think this one might be my favorite. It was so properly rom-com in its style and I found myself laughing out loud or having to pick my jaw up off the floor after gasping in surprise.
An adorable romance and a delightfully quick read - you could easily read the whole thing during the time it takes for your family to say goodbye after seder.
CW/TW: sexual content, racism (offscreen), toxic relationship (past), emotional abuse (past)
Though this is the first one Roz wrote, it's actually the third one I've read, and I think this one might be my favorite. It was so properly rom-com in its style and I found myself laughing out loud or having to pick my jaw up off the floor after gasping in surprise.
An adorable romance and a delightfully quick read - you could easily read the whole thing during the time it takes for your family to say goodbye after seder.
CW/TW: sexual content, racism (offscreen), toxic relationship (past), emotional abuse (past)
May 13, 2021
A little bit of Jew, a little bit of sex, a little bit of butch, and whole lot of yes, yes, yes!
A new author for me and quite a promising one. I enjoyed this erotica novella starring Jewish characters of different races. Alexander created delicious tension that erupted with passion and delectable sex. Not a whole lot of thick plot, but enough to enrichen the story and drive it forward toward the explosive fireworks behind closet doors, at dining tables during Passover, up against walls, and comfy couches.
Need a little sumpin-sumpin? Look no further ;)
A new author for me and quite a promising one. I enjoyed this erotica novella starring Jewish characters of different races. Alexander created delicious tension that erupted with passion and delectable sex. Not a whole lot of thick plot, but enough to enrichen the story and drive it forward toward the explosive fireworks behind closet doors, at dining tables during Passover, up against walls, and comfy couches.
Need a little sumpin-sumpin? Look no further ;)
August 16, 2021
If you follow my reviews, you might remember that I’m a big fan of reading holiday romances even when it’s nowhere near that holiday. It happened again with Matzo Match and I’m so glad it did. It’s sweet, sexy, and kind of angsty. Make sure to pick it up, no matter what time of year it is.
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/matz...
Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/matz...
April 29, 2024
Not for me. The sex scenes were well written and the book was an easy read but ultimately the story is too grounded in reality to make for good escapism which is what I enjoy in a book. Romance also just isn't really my genre
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May 23, 2024another one for the book club. one day we will read a genuinely good queer jewish romance book. today is not that day
April 16, 2023
This was a fun short and sweet novella with some good spice. I really enjoyed the Jewish representation with the story centered around Passover. I would recommend this for when you want a quick engaging read centered around Jewish and queer rep. I would definitely like to read more of the novellas in this series!
April 18, 2022
A cute and spicy Passover novella
I adored this novella so much.
You fall in love with Sam and Jordon immediately. Each of their traumas about past love and relationships is so relatable. I was not expecting the social cometary on blackness inside the Jewish community. It is not talked about enough. That there is internalized racism within the Jewish community as well. Roz portrayed this so well and spoke about the issue beautifully. I also loved seeing a Jewish, queer interracial coupling. The diversity, banter and spice in this novella was impeccable.
Cw/tw
Racism
Sexual content
Trauma (relationship)(emotional)
I adored this novella so much.
You fall in love with Sam and Jordon immediately. Each of their traumas about past love and relationships is so relatable. I was not expecting the social cometary on blackness inside the Jewish community. It is not talked about enough. That there is internalized racism within the Jewish community as well. Roz portrayed this so well and spoke about the issue beautifully. I also loved seeing a Jewish, queer interracial coupling. The diversity, banter and spice in this novella was impeccable.
Cw/tw
Racism
Sexual content
Trauma (relationship)(emotional)
April 17, 2022
Pretty much exactly what I wanted from it.
CW: off-page racism and homophobia
CW: off-page racism and homophobia
March 30, 2023
Loved 75% of it, then their communication went weird. Didn't like that at all.
May 9, 2021
This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Both Sam and Jordan are lovable from the start. Sam drove me a little crazy with her start/stop repeat endlessly routine but she saw the light eventually.
The story taught me a lot about Passover and the Jewish way of living. Great book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story taught me a lot about Passover and the Jewish way of living. Great book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2021
Samantha (Sam) hosts a 1st night Passover seder and her straight best friend brings a guest who just happens to be the same butch woman that Sam saw and ogled at a bus stop recently. Jordan is interested in Sam and when she makes a move toward the bedroom, Sam stops her, feeling she's not fully healed from a recent breakup. The two then go back and forth a bit until the HEA ending.
While I'm always grateful to read books with Jewish main characters doing Jewish things, this author's writing isn't yet where it needs to be. There's awkward phrasing, calling Jordan "the butch" instead of her name and the final coming together felt rushed. But the book did have some strong points, including some daring sex scenes.
While I'm always grateful to read books with Jewish main characters doing Jewish things, this author's writing isn't yet where it needs to be. There's awkward phrasing, calling Jordan "the butch" instead of her name and the final coming together felt rushed. But the book did have some strong points, including some daring sex scenes.
May 31, 2022
Rating: 3.5
It's so great to find more Jewish rep, AND queer, AND not about Hannukah! This was a fun contemporary age gap romance with butch rep. There was also a good amount of inclusion with the LI being Persian Jewish, one of the side characters being Black Jewish, and a friend couple with non-binary and poly rep. I loved seeing the "friends seders" for Passover and hearing different ways people celebrate - for example, the LI brings scallions for them to hit each other with, as its a Persian Jewish practice for Passover.
This story had a low level of angst as both our love interests are once bitten, twice shy, but the way they resolve the issue wasn't too "insta fix-y" for me. I would definitely be interested in continuing this series following other Jewish holidays.
It's so great to find more Jewish rep, AND queer, AND not about Hannukah! This was a fun contemporary age gap romance with butch rep. There was also a good amount of inclusion with the LI being Persian Jewish, one of the side characters being Black Jewish, and a friend couple with non-binary and poly rep. I loved seeing the "friends seders" for Passover and hearing different ways people celebrate - for example, the LI brings scallions for them to hit each other with, as its a Persian Jewish practice for Passover.
This story had a low level of angst as both our love interests are once bitten, twice shy, but the way they resolve the issue wasn't too "insta fix-y" for me. I would definitely be interested in continuing this series following other Jewish holidays.
July 6, 2021
4.5-5. Rounded up. 1). This is a great cover. 2). This was so hot 🥵 3). I loved how smitten Sam and Jordan were with each other. Some angst. But still forthright and honest with each other, which I liked very much.
Spoilers for non-romance readers:
(Break-up/make-up isn’t unusual in the genre)
The make-up felt a little rushed; wish we could have dug more into Sam’s thought process and decision-making to give her relationship with Jordan a real shot.
Spoilers for non-romance readers:
(Break-up/make-up isn’t unusual in the genre)
The make-up felt a little rushed; wish we could have dug more into Sam’s thought process and decision-making to give her relationship with Jordan a real shot.
April 20, 2023
A promising sapphic Passover romance between Sam and Jordan, the hot butch she first saw at a bus stop. They had chemistry galore, the most developed aspect of this novella. The group of queer friends made me wish I was there with them eating the various matzo-involved foods and drinking all the wine. I was impressed by the way this managed to seamlessly highlight the variety of people within the Jewish faith. Sam’s seder crafts sounded so cute.
I wish Sam’s internal conflict had been further developed. Without it, the prose fell flat for me. She’s dealing with intense grief after a break up but we don’t get to feel anything she’s feeling. She says she’s hurting and that she’s not ready to date but I didn’t have a sense of who she was in that relationship or what she needs now or whether her friends should be worried about her. We don’t get Jordan’s POV but her reveal about her divorce made me similarly perplexed about what these characters were actually dealing with. There was a lot of therapy speak wielded as a shortcut, on top of unfair expectations and mixed signals that didn’t add up. This is a novella but the “tell, don’t show” style made it feel longer for me. This is completely a personal preference, however! Your mileage may vary.
I also have to call out Sam’s best friend. Virginia said Sam’s vagina was growing cobwebs since she hadn’t had sex since a breakup in the last year. First of all, Sam’s sex life was none of her business. She didn’t raise the topic, ergo Virginia needed to back off. Second of all, this kind of logic, even if it’s somewhat jokey, feels acephobic to me. I had major issues with Virginia repeatedly ignoring Sam’s wishes and it’s never dealt with so my assumption is the author thinks Virginia’s actions are okay. But they aren’t. Virginia was way too nosy and over-involved. She set up an app profile for Sam without her knowledge or consent (after Sam clearly expressed no desire to date) and then invited a stranger to Sam’s house and ambushed her, which is major red flag territory when it comes to internet/app dating. I wasn’t clear on when Virginia confessed the truth to Jordan that she was behind the profile and that Sam didn’t know anything about it—or why Jordan would have come to the seder anyway. Things with Jordan were rockier than they needed to be because Sam wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone. Had they met of their own volition or once Sam was in a better place, it could have gone much smoother.
The writing didn’t work as well as I wanted but there’s enough good here that I plan on trying another book in this holiday series.
Characters: Sam is a 30 year old white Jewish lesbian. Jordan is a 43 year old butch lesbian Jewish Persian American carpenter and woodworker.
Content notes: infidelity and professional ethics violation (Sam’s OB/GYN ex left her for a married patient who she’d treated for infertility and helped get pregnant with donor sperm; the patient left her husband; that ex should be stripped of her medical license), past divorce, racism (recounted by secondary characters), on page sex, strap-on, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, gendered pejorative, mentions of childbirth (secondary character is a midwife)
I wish Sam’s internal conflict had been further developed. Without it, the prose fell flat for me. She’s dealing with intense grief after a break up but we don’t get to feel anything she’s feeling. She says she’s hurting and that she’s not ready to date but I didn’t have a sense of who she was in that relationship or what she needs now or whether her friends should be worried about her. We don’t get Jordan’s POV but her reveal about her divorce made me similarly perplexed about what these characters were actually dealing with. There was a lot of therapy speak wielded as a shortcut, on top of unfair expectations and mixed signals that didn’t add up. This is a novella but the “tell, don’t show” style made it feel longer for me. This is completely a personal preference, however! Your mileage may vary.
I also have to call out Sam’s best friend. Virginia said Sam’s vagina was growing cobwebs since she hadn’t had sex since a breakup in the last year. First of all, Sam’s sex life was none of her business. She didn’t raise the topic, ergo Virginia needed to back off. Second of all, this kind of logic, even if it’s somewhat jokey, feels acephobic to me. I had major issues with Virginia repeatedly ignoring Sam’s wishes and it’s never dealt with so my assumption is the author thinks Virginia’s actions are okay. But they aren’t. Virginia was way too nosy and over-involved. She set up an app profile for Sam without her knowledge or consent (after Sam clearly expressed no desire to date) and then invited a stranger to Sam’s house and ambushed her, which is major red flag territory when it comes to internet/app dating. I wasn’t clear on when Virginia confessed the truth to Jordan that she was behind the profile and that Sam didn’t know anything about it—or why Jordan would have come to the seder anyway. Things with Jordan were rockier than they needed to be because Sam wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone. Had they met of their own volition or once Sam was in a better place, it could have gone much smoother.
The writing didn’t work as well as I wanted but there’s enough good here that I plan on trying another book in this holiday series.
Characters: Sam is a 30 year old white Jewish lesbian. Jordan is a 43 year old butch lesbian Jewish Persian American carpenter and woodworker.
Content notes: infidelity and professional ethics violation (Sam’s OB/GYN ex left her for a married patient who she’d treated for infertility and helped get pregnant with donor sperm; the patient left her husband; that ex should be stripped of her medical license), past divorce, racism (recounted by secondary characters), on page sex, strap-on, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, gendered pejorative, mentions of childbirth (secondary character is a midwife)
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December 3, 2021Review was first posted on my blog
ne of the greatest joys of founding BookishlyJewish has been the way this blog pushes me to read new genres of Jewish literature, including contemporary romance. Once I discovered I actually enjoyed reading 'kissing books' I began puttering around, sampling different styles and pairings, to see which ones I liked the most. The runaway winner by far was the tiny little niche known as butch/femme. So for the sixth night of Hanukkah, I am giving you all the gift of Roz Alexander and the "Hot for the Holidays" series, a set of queer Jewish holiday romances that also includes the even tinier, but no less spectacular, niche of butch for butch.
Matzoh Match, the first book in the series, takes place over Passover and follows Sam, a newly single lesbian nursing a broken heart after her ex left her in one of the most bizarre ways possible (not going to spoil it, but when the backstory comes out I think you'll agree it is pretty wild). Sam is hosting her first solo seder and her best friend decides to play matchmaker and bring along a blind date for Sam - without informing her. To make matters even more mortifying for poor Sam the blind date just so happens to be Jordan, the extremely hot butch she has been not-so-secretly ogling at the grocery store.
***The following paragraph is NOT SAFE FOR WORK, but then again, neither is the book***
Sam and Jordan have instant chemistry, and they are both undeniably hot for each other, but it takes them two seders, a whole lot of wine and a few false starts to finally get things going. When they do, the payoff is excellent. This book contains a fair amount of strap on sex, so if that isn't your thing just skip over those bits, but it would be a shame to do so. Because, as stated in the forward, Judaism is a sex positive religion and this is a sex positive book. Even the act three break up sex is extremely hot. My only complaint is that we never got any make up sex. Because I am sure Sam and Jordan had more than their fair share of it. Those two really could not keep their hands off each other.
*** end of NSFW content ***
On a more personal note, I've never been to an inclusive seder and it was a lot of fun reading about them and the different traditions incorporated by the seder hosts. Although the idea of having 3 seders, as Sam does in this book, is giving me a hang over.
Verdict? I read it in five hours and it would have been four except I had to stop in the middle to take a cold shower. If you're into high heat queer romance, this one's for you. I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.
ne of the greatest joys of founding BookishlyJewish has been the way this blog pushes me to read new genres of Jewish literature, including contemporary romance. Once I discovered I actually enjoyed reading 'kissing books' I began puttering around, sampling different styles and pairings, to see which ones I liked the most. The runaway winner by far was the tiny little niche known as butch/femme. So for the sixth night of Hanukkah, I am giving you all the gift of Roz Alexander and the "Hot for the Holidays" series, a set of queer Jewish holiday romances that also includes the even tinier, but no less spectacular, niche of butch for butch.
Matzoh Match, the first book in the series, takes place over Passover and follows Sam, a newly single lesbian nursing a broken heart after her ex left her in one of the most bizarre ways possible (not going to spoil it, but when the backstory comes out I think you'll agree it is pretty wild). Sam is hosting her first solo seder and her best friend decides to play matchmaker and bring along a blind date for Sam - without informing her. To make matters even more mortifying for poor Sam the blind date just so happens to be Jordan, the extremely hot butch she has been not-so-secretly ogling at the grocery store.
***The following paragraph is NOT SAFE FOR WORK, but then again, neither is the book***
Sam and Jordan have instant chemistry, and they are both undeniably hot for each other, but it takes them two seders, a whole lot of wine and a few false starts to finally get things going. When they do, the payoff is excellent. This book contains a fair amount of strap on sex, so if that isn't your thing just skip over those bits, but it would be a shame to do so. Because, as stated in the forward, Judaism is a sex positive religion and this is a sex positive book. Even the act three break up sex is extremely hot. My only complaint is that we never got any make up sex. Because I am sure Sam and Jordan had more than their fair share of it. Those two really could not keep their hands off each other.
*** end of NSFW content ***
On a more personal note, I've never been to an inclusive seder and it was a lot of fun reading about them and the different traditions incorporated by the seder hosts. Although the idea of having 3 seders, as Sam does in this book, is giving me a hang over.
Verdict? I read it in five hours and it would have been four except I had to stop in the middle to take a cold shower. If you're into high heat queer romance, this one's for you. I can't wait to check out the rest of the series.
August 12, 2021
This was a fun – and hot! – little read. I haven't come across very many (any?) lesfic romance books with Jewish protagonists so it was nice to see that representation. I LOVE the idea of a series centered around holiday romances, none of which are Christmas lol. Passover just happens to not be one of my favorite holidays... 😅 (three seders... *cringes*). I'm looking forward to the next book, a butch/butch pairing centered around Rosh Hashanah, due for release... right before Rosh Hashanah! 😄
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December 22, 2022This had a lot of great qualities but too much time was being spent on all the various friends and friends-of-friends at the dinners, and not on the actual romance. I DNFed at 50% but would try something else by this author.
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January 31, 2022“Did you build this desk?”
“Yes, and now I’m going to f*ck you over it.” 🥵
This book was HOT, which is not a designation I give lightly. More butch carpenter 2k22, please.
“Yes, and now I’m going to f*ck you over it.” 🥵
This book was HOT, which is not a designation I give lightly. More butch carpenter 2k22, please.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2022
Loved
I really enjoyed this read! Both MCs needing to grow and move past their exes. It was hot and spicy.
I really enjoyed this read! Both MCs needing to grow and move past their exes. It was hot and spicy.
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July 27, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Racism
Racism
December 19, 2022
I really liked their dynamic and the hot-and-cold situation they had going on, it felt really natural to their current lives.
November 2, 2022
Butch/Femme couple of my dreams. I'm in love.
September 1, 2021
Such a swoony romance. Not quite as steamy as I was expecting, I definitely wouldn’t have called it erotic, but it was a fun, sexy story unlike anything I’d read before. A very strong debut!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews