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Starred review from August 1, 2023

DEBUT Daniel and Liyah, ex-friends from childhood, must navigate old wounds, professional problems, and their lives as Jews of color while tentatively forming a friendship that blossoms into something more in Katz's excellent debut. Liyah is still angry about her and Daniel's tween summer camp fling gone sour, but in order to get promoted at the Chicago museum where she is employed, she has to work with him. As they reconnect over museum business and Friday night drinks with their friends, standoffish and suspicious Liyah slowly softens toward Daniel as he falls head-over-heels. The pair deal with their tragedies and traumas in a realistic way, making their happily-ever-after that much more rewarding. While their romance is the central plot of the book, a supporting cast of flawed but supportive friends will leave readers wanting sequels. They will also appreciate the excellent, multilayered look at the experiences of Jews of color in this deftly woven story. VERDICT Katz successfully portrays how romance meets real life in this terrific debut.--Jenny Kobiela-Mondor

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 31, 2023
Katz’s unfocused debut reunites childhood best friends turned enemies Liyah Cohen-Jackson and Daniel Rosenberg. The pair first bonded as two of the only people of color at their Jewish summer camp and shared a memorable kiss. Unfortunately, Liyah is convinced that Daniel gossiped about making out with her the next day and then stole her ideas for a campwide competition—and she’s held a grudge for 14 years. It’s a fairly mild offense, and Katz wisely has Daniel prove his innocence early into the couple’s reunion. Once this flimsy premise is out of the way, however, the plot meanders. The couple are thrown back together when Daniel, a digital marketing strategist, is hired to help Chicago’s Field Museum, where Liyah works, and though both are now ready to explore their relationship, they worry about mixing business and pleasure. The stakes of this workplace flirtation feel low, as it’s unclear how fraternizing would threaten either character’s career. Meanwhile, a late reveal about Liyah’s traumatic past adds depth and emotion, but feels a bit abrupt. Despite this uneven plotting, the characters themselves charm, and Katz admirably surrounds her protagonists with a very diverse found family. There are some good ideas here, but they don’t quite come together. Agent: Jessica Mileo, InkWell.

September 1, 2023
Liyah Cohen-Jackson is on the verge of the promotion she's worked for her whole career: curator of a natural history museum. The only problem is that before she'll be considered for the job, she needs to figure out how to drive up museum membership. Assigned to coordinate with a new marketing firm hired by the museum, Liyah finds herself stuck working with Daniel Rosenberg, a marketing strategist that Liyah has known since summer camp, where, before everything went horribly wrong, they bonded over their shared identity as Jewish people of color and kissed for the first time. Now, Liyah and Daniel must face their vitriolic past in order to plan various promotional events for the museum. As they work together, they slowly become friends and then more, forcing Liyah to confront her commitment phobia. Though some readers may struggle with Liyah's immaturity, Katz uses the interesting world of museum curating to introduce a refreshing and unique point of view on finding love and second chances.

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