KISSING KOSHER

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.