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Last Girls Standing #1
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake
Sharing isn’t caring when it comes to your big day.
Judith Nachman loves working as a project manager at the Mitzvah Alliance charity, and after five years, it’s finally her turn to have the bat mitzvah of her dreams. Judith is enjoying every single moment of the process—until she learns she has to share her day with the annoying hockey player who derailed her sister’s career.
Retired hockey player Ash Mendel is determined to start an organization to support Jewish athletes, and the first step is to have his bar mitzvah. He’s not sure what he wants his day to look like, but he knows he definitely wants forgiveness from Judith, the woman he’s sharing the date with.
But Judith’s nephew needs to interview an athlete, and Ash needs professional advice for his foundation, so they exchange favors. Except as they get to know each other and their worlds start to mingle, Ash and Judith will have to decide whether sharing their lives as well as their B’Nai Mitzvah is the best decision they could make, or the biggest mistake of their lives.
Judith Nachman loves working as a project manager at the Mitzvah Alliance charity, and after five years, it’s finally her turn to have the bat mitzvah of her dreams. Judith is enjoying every single moment of the process—until she learns she has to share her day with the annoying hockey player who derailed her sister’s career.
Retired hockey player Ash Mendel is determined to start an organization to support Jewish athletes, and the first step is to have his bar mitzvah. He’s not sure what he wants his day to look like, but he knows he definitely wants forgiveness from Judith, the woman he’s sharing the date with.
But Judith’s nephew needs to interview an athlete, and Ash needs professional advice for his foundation, so they exchange favors. Except as they get to know each other and their worlds start to mingle, Ash and Judith will have to decide whether sharing their lives as well as their B’Nai Mitzvah is the best decision they could make, or the biggest mistake of their lives.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2023
163 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 31, 2023
Let me start off by saying I loved how Jewish this book was. All the main characters were Jewish, there was talk of Jewish traditions and the book had a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish mixed in. I also loved that it was a hockey romance in part. It was a charming book and I really enjoyed the themes of family, forgiveness, and being proud of your Jewish identity. It was heartfelt and sweet and I liked the reading journey. I received an ARC to read and review courtesy of Stacey.
November 6, 2023
I feel bad giving this a low rating. I want so much from Jewish romance books and I'm often disappointed. I was pretty bored, so it was hard to get through this book, but my biggest problem was that the behavior of the characters didn't make any sense. Judith goes from not wanting to have anything to do with Asher because of his past with her sister to wanting to spend all her time with him with no development about that change. And then she spends the whole book avoiding her sister, so I guess she doesn't care about her sister that much. And the romance was so forced. Someone asked if they could kiss the other every time they kissed. There were some positives in the book. I liked the discussion of Jewish players in hockey and sports. It's true that in this country, Christianity is the dominant religion and influences prayers before games. I also liked that it showed what it's like for adults to have b'nai mitzvahs.
August 27, 2023
This feels like it is missing a lot. It self incomplete and the dialogue felt stiff and wooden. It doesn’t flow well at all.
Best thing about this was the Jewish representation, which is what gives it 2 stars as opposed to 1.
Best thing about this was the Jewish representation, which is what gives it 2 stars as opposed to 1.
October 20, 2023
4.5/5 stars
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake is the first book in the Last Girls Standing series of interconnected standalone romance books.
The first book is Judith's book. She also has a sister and two cousins (not sure who will be getting the next book).
This book is extremely Jewish. And I loved it! Judith is finally going to have her Bat Mitzvah (that many Jewish girls have at 12). I loved Judith's girl gang of her sister and female cousins. And I adored Judith's adorable 7 year old nephew Shimon, who was the star of this book.
Asher Mendel is a retired professional hockey player who is studying to have his Bar Mitzvah (that most Jewish boys have at 13). I loved that he was a retired Jewish athlete who wanted to do more for Jewish athletes. I also loved his best friends: a rabbi and a chef.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a completely clean romance with tons of Jewish rep. I can't wait to read the next book and see more of this amazing family!
*B’nai Mitzvah is the plural form of Bar and Bat Mitzvah.
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake is the first book in the Last Girls Standing series of interconnected standalone romance books.
The first book is Judith's book. She also has a sister and two cousins (not sure who will be getting the next book).
This book is extremely Jewish. And I loved it! Judith is finally going to have her Bat Mitzvah (that many Jewish girls have at 12). I loved Judith's girl gang of her sister and female cousins. And I adored Judith's adorable 7 year old nephew Shimon, who was the star of this book.
Asher Mendel is a retired professional hockey player who is studying to have his Bar Mitzvah (that most Jewish boys have at 13). I loved that he was a retired Jewish athlete who wanted to do more for Jewish athletes. I also loved his best friends: a rabbi and a chef.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a completely clean romance with tons of Jewish rep. I can't wait to read the next book and see more of this amazing family!
*B’nai Mitzvah is the plural form of Bar and Bat Mitzvah.
July 30, 2023
My favorite Stacey Agdern book yet! More soon!
August 7, 2023
This book follows Judith and Ash as they attend lessons to prepare for their B’Nai Mitzvah. Judith dislikes Ash and can’t really stand him after a situation that happened in the past related to her sister. As they take lessons together and Judith gets to know ash more she starts to understand him better and a relationship ensues. I thought this was a cute read with great character development. I liked the romance but which there had been more development with the romance. Overall an okay read that left me wanting a little more with the romance.
Themes:
- Hockey romance
- Jewish main characters
- Enemies to lovers
- No spice
Rating: 3.75/ 5
Themes:
- Hockey romance
- Jewish main characters
- Enemies to lovers
- No spice
Rating: 3.75/ 5
March 11, 2025
Like a 2.75 rounded up… I’m gonna be honest, I would have and should have DNFed this but I’m doing bingo at my local romance bookstore and this fulfilled a square. I loved learning about Jewish culture and adult Bat Mitvzahs. I loved the conversations about Jewish athletes and visibility and representation. Other than that… this book really fell into the insta love category. There was no real build up to their relationship and I didn’t buy into it. It felt shallow and I wasn’t rooting for the relationship because I didn’t feel like there was a solid enough foundation. This book does set up for future character books but I will not be continuing with the series.
July 30, 2025
Este es uno de esos libros «sí pero no». Me atrajo el planteamiento, resulta muy interesante la ambientación y hay partes que me parecieron genial, pero otras me aburrían.
Asher Mendel y Judith Nachman son de esos personajes que te caen bien, que te gusta ver cómo se esfuerzan en algo que no hicieron en su momento (el Bar/Bat Mitzvah del título)... Pero al final resultan algo sosos y planitos cual lenguado. Su enamoramiento es tierno pero frío, una de esas historias «del tío Pepe y la tía Josefina», que para ellos será apasionante encontrar su media naranja, pero que a ti te dejan indiferente.
Al final, me ha parecido una novela «inspiracional», solo que con el judaísmo en lugar del cristianismo y la verdad es que como yo no soy religiosa, pues como que estas cosas me pillan un poco lejos.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
Asher Mendel y Judith Nachman son de esos personajes que te caen bien, que te gusta ver cómo se esfuerzan en algo que no hicieron en su momento (el Bar/Bat Mitzvah del título)... Pero al final resultan algo sosos y planitos cual lenguado. Su enamoramiento es tierno pero frío, una de esas historias «del tío Pepe y la tía Josefina», que para ellos será apasionante encontrar su media naranja, pero que a ti te dejan indiferente.
Al final, me ha parecido una novela «inspiracional», solo que con el judaísmo en lugar del cristianismo y la verdad es que como yo no soy religiosa, pues como que estas cosas me pillan un poco lejos.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
May 15, 2023
This was an absolutely lovely book! Agdern has a way of incorporating Jewish customs in such a fun way that is enjoyable and educational while remaining light and breezy. As a Jewish person, I love to see Jewish representation in romance even if, as in this case, the characters are much more observant than me. A special treat is the combining of Judaism with sports because there are Jewish athletes who don't get the recognition and probably the support they deserve.
July 5, 2023
First in a series (book sets up FMC’s sister and two cousins for future books). Will I buy any future books? No, but I’ll check them out of the library, as I did with this book.
February 27, 2025
thot it was fun to read jewish romance, underestimated how much i would enjoy being in on it! do i just need to date a fellow jew???
June 12, 2025
A sexy hockey romance where they’re both having adult bnai mitzvahs on the same day— YES
September 3, 2023
3.5/5 stars
I really loved the premise of this book. It’s somewhat of an enemies to lovers trope set around an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. With so many sports romances popping up, especially hockey romances, it was nice to have a book written from the perspective of a recently retired player rather than an active one. I connected with Asher pretty quickly and really liked him. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with Judith as much. I think her character needed a bit more development and the 3rd act breakup seemed a bit out of left field. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked an Epilogue set further in the future. However, that might just be a personal preference as I know this is Book 1 in a series.
I would have given this one 4 stars however, there were spelling and grammar errors within that I wish had been caught in the ARC process. That’s distracting for me as a reader. Overall, I’m happy to have yet another Jewish RomCom author to choose from and I’ll continue reading the books in this series to find out what’s next for the mishpacha.
I really loved the premise of this book. It’s somewhat of an enemies to lovers trope set around an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony. With so many sports romances popping up, especially hockey romances, it was nice to have a book written from the perspective of a recently retired player rather than an active one. I connected with Asher pretty quickly and really liked him. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with Judith as much. I think her character needed a bit more development and the 3rd act breakup seemed a bit out of left field. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked an Epilogue set further in the future. However, that might just be a personal preference as I know this is Book 1 in a series.
I would have given this one 4 stars however, there were spelling and grammar errors within that I wish had been caught in the ARC process. That’s distracting for me as a reader. Overall, I’m happy to have yet another Jewish RomCom author to choose from and I’ll continue reading the books in this series to find out what’s next for the mishpacha.
November 27, 2023
2.5 probably
Not going to lie, I had trouble finishing this. I don't know if it's the dialogue, which was flat sometimes, or the way Judith kept pushing off telling her sister (and it turned out to be a build up for nothing).. eh. I did like the author's note at the end, lots of important information about Jewish history and hockey (very intertwined).
I did appreciate the author shouting out the book I am currently reading too! Great minds. 🫡
Content warning: discussion of antisemitism
Not going to lie, I had trouble finishing this. I don't know if it's the dialogue, which was flat sometimes, or the way Judith kept pushing off telling her sister (and it turned out to be a build up for nothing).. eh. I did like the author's note at the end, lots of important information about Jewish history and hockey (very intertwined).
I did appreciate the author shouting out the book I am currently reading too! Great minds. 🫡
Content warning: discussion of antisemitism
Did not finish
September 5, 2023dnf at 50 pages, bored out of my mind. the reason for judith hating ash is so flimsy, and there's no life in any of the characters, let alone chemistry.
June 4, 2023
I received a copy of the arc of B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in Stacey Agdern’s new series, Last Girls Standing. The first book introduces us to the four strong Nachman women who are cousins. Book one focuses on Judith. We learn about her sister Leah and cousins Liv and Naomi who are also sisters. The 4 make a pact after a family wedding to stick together as the last 4 single women of the Nachman family. They are tired of the questions about when they will get married. They decide to support each other.
As the book opens, Judith is attending B’Nai Mitzvah classes so that she can make her Bat Mitzvah as an adult. She works long hours as a project manager for Mitzvah Alliance Charity. Once at class she sees her arch enemy, Ash Mendel. He is a retired hockey player. When Judith’s sister Leah was beginning her career as a sports agent, Ash was her first client. He ended up dumping her and causing her emotional distress. Judith also was involved in the incident and hated Ash after that. He found himself with a different agent and his life went on. Ash always felt attracted to Judith but due to the circumstances he hadn’t seen her in years. He also realized that due to what happened things were always going to be awkward and uncomfortable unless they somehow fixed things.
Due to scheduling issues two people have to share each of the available dates. Ash and Judith are put together by the rabbi. She tries to change it with no luck. Then her nephew asks her if she knows any Jewish athletes as he needs to interview one for school. She reluctantly decides to ask Ash if he will do the interview. He tells her he will but wants to make a trade of sorts. He is trying to set up a foundation to provide support for Jewish hockey players and would like her expertise to help him. She agrees to the plan and they set up meetings to discuss his steps for his organization. He does the interview with her nephew. Ash agrees to help coach with a youth hockey group at the temple. Judith’s nephew ends up being in the group and he develops a relationship with Ash through it.
Judith is attracted to Ash but feels guilty because of what happened with her sister years earlier. The two spend a lot of time together and kiss. The rest of her family knows about her and Ash but she hasn’t been able to bring herself to tell Leah. There is a lot of angst between the couple and they try to ignore their past issues. It is only a matter of time for the couple before everything blows up.
I enjoyed this book alot. I have read other books by Stacey and enjoyed them as well. I’m not Jewish but have grown up with Jewish friends and have learned about the traditions and culture. It is wonderful that the author is able to educate the reader about some of the issues faced by Jewish athletes that could also be experienced by other minorities. As a former hockey mom and team manager, it was something I could relate to. I enjoyed meeting the Nachman family, Ash and his best friends and learning about the Jewish community in NYC. The characters were all genuine and very likable. I will look forward to reading the next book. This is a five star book.
As the book opens, Judith is attending B’Nai Mitzvah classes so that she can make her Bat Mitzvah as an adult. She works long hours as a project manager for Mitzvah Alliance Charity. Once at class she sees her arch enemy, Ash Mendel. He is a retired hockey player. When Judith’s sister Leah was beginning her career as a sports agent, Ash was her first client. He ended up dumping her and causing her emotional distress. Judith also was involved in the incident and hated Ash after that. He found himself with a different agent and his life went on. Ash always felt attracted to Judith but due to the circumstances he hadn’t seen her in years. He also realized that due to what happened things were always going to be awkward and uncomfortable unless they somehow fixed things.
Due to scheduling issues two people have to share each of the available dates. Ash and Judith are put together by the rabbi. She tries to change it with no luck. Then her nephew asks her if she knows any Jewish athletes as he needs to interview one for school. She reluctantly decides to ask Ash if he will do the interview. He tells her he will but wants to make a trade of sorts. He is trying to set up a foundation to provide support for Jewish hockey players and would like her expertise to help him. She agrees to the plan and they set up meetings to discuss his steps for his organization. He does the interview with her nephew. Ash agrees to help coach with a youth hockey group at the temple. Judith’s nephew ends up being in the group and he develops a relationship with Ash through it.
Judith is attracted to Ash but feels guilty because of what happened with her sister years earlier. The two spend a lot of time together and kiss. The rest of her family knows about her and Ash but she hasn’t been able to bring herself to tell Leah. There is a lot of angst between the couple and they try to ignore their past issues. It is only a matter of time for the couple before everything blows up.
I enjoyed this book alot. I have read other books by Stacey and enjoyed them as well. I’m not Jewish but have grown up with Jewish friends and have learned about the traditions and culture. It is wonderful that the author is able to educate the reader about some of the issues faced by Jewish athletes that could also be experienced by other minorities. As a former hockey mom and team manager, it was something I could relate to. I enjoyed meeting the Nachman family, Ash and his best friends and learning about the Jewish community in NYC. The characters were all genuine and very likable. I will look forward to reading the next book. This is a five star book.
June 3, 2023
Reviewed for
Wit and Sin
B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake is a sweet romance with fantastic Jewish representation. Stacey Agdern has a wonderful way of depicting Judaism in her books, from the religious standpoint, the cultural standpoint, education, mitzvot, and the sense of community. I loved Ash and Judith’s passion and learning over the course of the book and this is where Agdern’s writing shines.
I struggled heavily with rating B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake because the representation was so well done and highlighting Jewish athletes (hockey players in particular) made my heart sing. I also really loved Judith and Ash studying for their B’Nai Mitzvot and how their lessons enhanced the story. That being said, the heart of the story is the romance between Judith and Ash and this is where I didn’t feel the spark. I’ve adored past romances of Agdern’s but Ash and Judith just didn’t have the chemistry I wanted. The main obstacle in the romance is the fact that Ash set back Judith’s sister’s career as a sports agent years ago. Judith, loyal and loving sister that she is, doesn’t want to forgive Ash and definitely does not want to share her Bat Mitzvah date with him. But as she gets to know him, she starts falling for the man and is torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her sister. I had a really hard time with this because the push-pull felt inauthentic and forced. The love story came across as stilted and the drama made it easy to put the book down. It’s a disappointment because outside the main storyline there was so much to enjoy about this book. At the end of the day, the romance just wasn’t my cup of tea. That being said, the Jewish representation was great and I’ve enjoyed other books of Agdern’s so I’ll definitely be looking forward to the rest of the Last Girls Standing series.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake is a sweet romance with fantastic Jewish representation. Stacey Agdern has a wonderful way of depicting Judaism in her books, from the religious standpoint, the cultural standpoint, education, mitzvot, and the sense of community. I loved Ash and Judith’s passion and learning over the course of the book and this is where Agdern’s writing shines.
I struggled heavily with rating B’Nai Mitzvah Mistake because the representation was so well done and highlighting Jewish athletes (hockey players in particular) made my heart sing. I also really loved Judith and Ash studying for their B’Nai Mitzvot and how their lessons enhanced the story. That being said, the heart of the story is the romance between Judith and Ash and this is where I didn’t feel the spark. I’ve adored past romances of Agdern’s but Ash and Judith just didn’t have the chemistry I wanted. The main obstacle in the romance is the fact that Ash set back Judith’s sister’s career as a sports agent years ago. Judith, loyal and loving sister that she is, doesn’t want to forgive Ash and definitely does not want to share her Bat Mitzvah date with him. But as she gets to know him, she starts falling for the man and is torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her sister. I had a really hard time with this because the push-pull felt inauthentic and forced. The love story came across as stilted and the drama made it easy to put the book down. It’s a disappointment because outside the main storyline there was so much to enjoy about this book. At the end of the day, the romance just wasn’t my cup of tea. That being said, the Jewish representation was great and I’ve enjoyed other books of Agdern’s so I’ll definitely be looking forward to the rest of the Last Girls Standing series.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
April 30, 2023
I received a complimentary kindle version of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
This is the first time reading this author and I really enjoyed this story. I am Jewish so it was fun reading a romance book featuring characters that I share religious beliefs and a community with. Plus, what made it super unique is that it's also a sports romance.
In this book we meet Asher Mendel and his buddies, family and he has a dream. Okay he has several dreams. One is to have a Bar Mitzvah, and another is to start a Jewish Sports Foundation. The Bar Mitzvah dream puts him with Judith, who hates him a little bit because of how he treated her sister when she became a sports agent seven years before.
His second dream also puts him with Judith as she can help him create his Jewish Sports Foundation. But first she has to agree to help him. Meanwhile Judith has two dreams. One is to have her Bat Mitzvah and two, she needs a famous Jewish athlete to be interviewed by her nephew for a class project. And so Asher and Judith make a deal...
This was a hate to love or enemies to friends to romance story. Asher starts out as the guy who did Judith's sister wrong some seven years before. Now in this story to understand what happened Judith has to do her own research and figure out what actually happened so she can make peace between her family and Asher.
The Jewish aspects of the story I really enjoyed. I also loved that it was more of a modern Jewish family with family dinners and attending temple and meeting with the rabbi than just Jewish holidays. I have seen in other books. The aspect of hockey and sports as related to being a Jew I found fascinating too and it had a lot of information on hockey that I had no clue on.
This is the first time reading this author and I really enjoyed this story. I am Jewish so it was fun reading a romance book featuring characters that I share religious beliefs and a community with. Plus, what made it super unique is that it's also a sports romance.
In this book we meet Asher Mendel and his buddies, family and he has a dream. Okay he has several dreams. One is to have a Bar Mitzvah, and another is to start a Jewish Sports Foundation. The Bar Mitzvah dream puts him with Judith, who hates him a little bit because of how he treated her sister when she became a sports agent seven years before.
His second dream also puts him with Judith as she can help him create his Jewish Sports Foundation. But first she has to agree to help him. Meanwhile Judith has two dreams. One is to have her Bat Mitzvah and two, she needs a famous Jewish athlete to be interviewed by her nephew for a class project. And so Asher and Judith make a deal...
This was a hate to love or enemies to friends to romance story. Asher starts out as the guy who did Judith's sister wrong some seven years before. Now in this story to understand what happened Judith has to do her own research and figure out what actually happened so she can make peace between her family and Asher.
The Jewish aspects of the story I really enjoyed. I also loved that it was more of a modern Jewish family with family dinners and attending temple and meeting with the rabbi than just Jewish holidays. I have seen in other books. The aspect of hockey and sports as related to being a Jew I found fascinating too and it had a lot of information on hockey that I had no clue on.
September 7, 2025
An article on Jewish romance got me started on this series, although I started in the middle, then backtracked to this one. All for the library, the series offers representation of Jewish characters and experiences, from Shabbat dinner to Jewish athletes, community service to mitzvot. I'm pleased that romance as a genre continues to lead most fiction for diverse characters (physical and mental health challenges, race, ethnicity, religion).
In this, the first in the series, Judith Nachman is in an adult b'nai mitzvah class because her synagogue didn't allow girls to have a bat mitzvah until after she was 13 (her younger sister, Leah, had one "on time"). Asher Mendel, a newly retired professional hockey player, never had a bar mitzvah because of the travel and time pressures as a young 'un playing hockey (Friday night and Saturday games, travel, not always with Jewish families). In the same class, they're paired together for their b'nai mitzvah date, to their chagrin --years ago, a newly professional Asher used, and then left, Judith's sister Leah as his agent. Judith is still upset on her sister's behalf, but things get complicated when she starts to actually like Asher, and is intrigued by the foundation he'd like to create for Jewish hockey players. Between not telling her sister about the burgeoning friendship to romance (6 months!) and not talking with Asher about what really happened, there's plenty of room for miscommunication. In the end, it all works out. And throughout, the idea of Jewish representation (in hockey, in romance books, in graphic novels) continues, which is always great to see.
In this, the first in the series, Judith Nachman is in an adult b'nai mitzvah class because her synagogue didn't allow girls to have a bat mitzvah until after she was 13 (her younger sister, Leah, had one "on time"). Asher Mendel, a newly retired professional hockey player, never had a bar mitzvah because of the travel and time pressures as a young 'un playing hockey (Friday night and Saturday games, travel, not always with Jewish families). In the same class, they're paired together for their b'nai mitzvah date, to their chagrin --years ago, a newly professional Asher used, and then left, Judith's sister Leah as his agent. Judith is still upset on her sister's behalf, but things get complicated when she starts to actually like Asher, and is intrigued by the foundation he'd like to create for Jewish hockey players. Between not telling her sister about the burgeoning friendship to romance (6 months!) and not talking with Asher about what really happened, there's plenty of room for miscommunication. In the end, it all works out. And throughout, the idea of Jewish representation (in hockey, in romance books, in graphic novels) continues, which is always great to see.
February 10, 2025
I read previously Stacey Agdern's book Miracles and Menorahs and thoroughly enjoyed it! When I ran across B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake by Ms. Agdern, I grabbed it, excited for more fun and clean romance, as well as interesting facts or tidbit regarding the Jewish faith. Oh, how surprised and disappointed I was!
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake was boring, dull and immature. Judith and Ash are adults who are finally having the Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah. One class, Judith comes in and finds a man sitting at "her" desk and heads over to make the man her "her" desk back. Only to discover the man is Asher Mendel, the hockey player who "did her sister Leah wrong" 5 years earlier. Five years, folks and Judith is still (supposedly) holding a grudge against the man who hurt her sister! I should have stopped reading this book then.
From that point on, Judith is stuck on liking Ash but is absolutely certain, without ever talking to Leah about it, that Leah couldn't grow up and get past over being wronged by Ash. Oh the dramatic "life ending" 13 year old teenage angst Leah keeps beating herself with. This behavior from a woman over the age of 21!
There are errors in this book, but there are only 3 or 4 that I caught and they're minor, non-distracting errors.
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake got something right for this book - it was a mistake to read!
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake was boring, dull and immature. Judith and Ash are adults who are finally having the Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah. One class, Judith comes in and finds a man sitting at "her" desk and heads over to make the man her "her" desk back. Only to discover the man is Asher Mendel, the hockey player who "did her sister Leah wrong" 5 years earlier. Five years, folks and Judith is still (supposedly) holding a grudge against the man who hurt her sister! I should have stopped reading this book then.
From that point on, Judith is stuck on liking Ash but is absolutely certain, without ever talking to Leah about it, that Leah couldn't grow up and get past over being wronged by Ash. Oh the dramatic "life ending" 13 year old teenage angst Leah keeps beating herself with. This behavior from a woman over the age of 21!
There are errors in this book, but there are only 3 or 4 that I caught and they're minor, non-distracting errors.
B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake got something right for this book - it was a mistake to read!
July 27, 2023
WOW!
Jewish rep in hockey + forbidden romance + lots of kissing + family drama
I absolutely loved this book in the universe Stacey has created with her characters. There are tons of references to her other books and characters, but you can read without having read any of her previous books.
Asher is a retired MHL hockey player who is trying to find his way back to himself and figure out what he wants to do. The first being - his Bar Mitzvah. He is paired with Judith on his Mitzvah date making it a B'nai Mitzvah.
Asher has history with Judith's sister, Leah, which gets in the way of them getting along...initially. They trade favors and are stuck with each other for a few months.
Family ties play a big part in their blossoming relationship, especially for Judith. Asher is missing a community and way to fit in.
The author is super approachable and willing to discuss her books on bookstagram. I won an annotated copy of this book in an auction and I loved all of the comments!
Jewish rep in hockey + forbidden romance + lots of kissing + family drama
I absolutely loved this book in the universe Stacey has created with her characters. There are tons of references to her other books and characters, but you can read without having read any of her previous books.
Asher is a retired MHL hockey player who is trying to find his way back to himself and figure out what he wants to do. The first being - his Bar Mitzvah. He is paired with Judith on his Mitzvah date making it a B'nai Mitzvah.
Asher has history with Judith's sister, Leah, which gets in the way of them getting along...initially. They trade favors and are stuck with each other for a few months.
Family ties play a big part in their blossoming relationship, especially for Judith. Asher is missing a community and way to fit in.
The author is super approachable and willing to discuss her books on bookstagram. I won an annotated copy of this book in an auction and I loved all of the comments!
February 11, 2025
Wow! A Jewish Book with Jewish Values
The last Jewish adult novel I read was written 15 or 20 years ago. Its author was clearly ignorant about Judaism and ashamed of what she believed it to be. It was the last of several similar books I had read and the ultimate reason I began my personal silent boycott of Jewish fiction authors.
I was thrilled to discover this book and this author. Clearly this
generation has it right, at last.
I am myself Orthodox and
disagree with much of Reform Jewish custom, but Stacey Agdern has written a book that portrays the best in Judaism while being true to the liberal Jewish world--without anything that can possibly be construed as a slur against traditional Judaism. I enjoy many Christian romances and enjoyed this foray into another religious culture not my own. Now I am looking forward to reading her other books and those authors she recommends.
The last Jewish adult novel I read was written 15 or 20 years ago. Its author was clearly ignorant about Judaism and ashamed of what she believed it to be. It was the last of several similar books I had read and the ultimate reason I began my personal silent boycott of Jewish fiction authors.
I was thrilled to discover this book and this author. Clearly this
generation has it right, at last.
I am myself Orthodox and
disagree with much of Reform Jewish custom, but Stacey Agdern has written a book that portrays the best in Judaism while being true to the liberal Jewish world--without anything that can possibly be construed as a slur against traditional Judaism. I enjoy many Christian romances and enjoyed this foray into another religious culture not my own. Now I am looking forward to reading her other books and those authors she recommends.
April 24, 2023
I was so grateful to get an ARC of B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake, the first book in Stacey Agdern's new series.
I previously enjoyed Stacey's Friendships and Festivals novels and B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake felt like a natural evolution of those books, with a deeper exploration of Jewish identity and representation as we join Judith and Asher on their respective journeys of religious and personal growth.
Built on that solid foundation is a sweet romance about two people who I wouldn't say fall for each other - they trip! Each stumbles toward the one person who shouldn't be their match but who they can't get out of their mind. I loved the heart-head battle each one had to work through, especially the way they leaned on their communities. Also, Asher is super hot, just in general!
This was a lovely start to a new series and I'm looking forward to seeing who gets their HEA next!
I previously enjoyed Stacey's Friendships and Festivals novels and B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake felt like a natural evolution of those books, with a deeper exploration of Jewish identity and representation as we join Judith and Asher on their respective journeys of religious and personal growth.
Built on that solid foundation is a sweet romance about two people who I wouldn't say fall for each other - they trip! Each stumbles toward the one person who shouldn't be their match but who they can't get out of their mind. I loved the heart-head battle each one had to work through, especially the way they leaned on their communities. Also, Asher is super hot, just in general!
This was a lovely start to a new series and I'm looking forward to seeing who gets their HEA next!
June 1, 2023
BNai Mitzvah Mistake is the first in Stacey Agdern’s Last Girls Standing Series. A enemy to friend to forever love story has Judith Nachman fuming over sharing her dream bat mitzvah with retired hockey player Ash Mendel. While I can see Judith’s point, Ash is not really a bad sort of guy. In fact, I like him best from the start.
Family and a new sport foundation cause favors to be exchange which throws these two together more. Viewpoints and opinions began to change. Wonderful growth takes place before love takes over. A story of culture, religious beliefs, community, sports along with forgiveness, and love. Two lovely caring characters made it even better.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Family and a new sport foundation cause favors to be exchange which throws these two together more. Viewpoints and opinions began to change. Wonderful growth takes place before love takes over. A story of culture, religious beliefs, community, sports along with forgiveness, and love. Two lovely caring characters made it even better.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 19, 2025
I picked this from the TBR pile because I wanted a break from hockey romances and the MMC is a retired hockey player and the FMC played as a kid and there's actually more hockey in this than the last book I read that was marketed as a hockey romance. Oh well.
I really enjoyed this but there was something about the style that didn't entirely connect for me. There's a lot more inference and subtext than your average romance - a character will say something and another character will respond with something that feels like a non sequitur, but they are responding to something underlying. A very interesting technique but slightly distancing for me - I kept having to go back and re-read to figure out what was actually going on.
Also, a lot of this could have gone away very quickly if Asher called Leah and had a conversation.
I really enjoyed this but there was something about the style that didn't entirely connect for me. There's a lot more inference and subtext than your average romance - a character will say something and another character will respond with something that feels like a non sequitur, but they are responding to something underlying. A very interesting technique but slightly distancing for me - I kept having to go back and re-read to figure out what was actually going on.
Also, a lot of this could have gone away very quickly if Asher called Leah and had a conversation.
Did not finish
February 21, 2024I feel like there was a whole book or prologue that I missed before I started reading. The flow is very choppy. I really wanted to read this cause I was interested in the premise and the fact it was a Jewish romance, but... I just can't continue to be confused after chapter 6 as to what is going on and who everyone is. Also... there were GLARING grammatical mistakes. Sentences that didn't get finished, misspelled words (ex. bit instead of bite), and awkward phrasing. For instance, "you have a bargain". I've heard "you have a deal"...but never a bargain or trade like they kept saying. It was the straw that broke the camels back.
December 4, 2024
I feel a little bad about this... but this book... well, it was a huge mess (for me. I'm just an average reader). The overall general plot was good and I liked the focus on Jewish representation. I walked into this looking forward to learning more about Jewish culture (whatever level a rom com would provide, I know this is not serious non fiction) but how this was executed was... honestly, it was pretty bad. I just wrote and deleted a lot of examples because it felt mean. This book needed an honest editor.
March 17, 2025
Very well written contemporary romance.
I'm not sure, though, that I would read more from this author. I did enjoy her writing and the characters she created. However, the story spent too much time inside the characters' heads. They went on too long, dancing around each other and all their angsty feelings. My other complaint has nothing to do with the author or her writing ability. It's all on me. I usually only like reading romances with open-door spicy scenes...and, unfortunately, this book had no spice beyond some kissing. Too bad!
I'm not sure, though, that I would read more from this author. I did enjoy her writing and the characters she created. However, the story spent too much time inside the characters' heads. They went on too long, dancing around each other and all their angsty feelings. My other complaint has nothing to do with the author or her writing ability. It's all on me. I usually only like reading romances with open-door spicy scenes...and, unfortunately, this book had no spice beyond some kissing. Too bad!
April 24, 2023
I voluntarily read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest opinion.
A start to the Last Girls Standing series, B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake by Stacey Agdern. A new to me author. I didn't know what to expect with reading this book. I found it well written, had likable characters and character development, and good dialogue. I'm glad I gave the book a chance but it just wasn't a top read for me. But a strong rating of 3 1/2.
A start to the Last Girls Standing series, B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake by Stacey Agdern. A new to me author. I didn't know what to expect with reading this book. I found it well written, had likable characters and character development, and good dialogue. I'm glad I gave the book a chance but it just wasn't a top read for me. But a strong rating of 3 1/2.
June 1, 2023
I love starting a new series and this one by Stacey Agdern is thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining, I loved the personal, religious and romantic growth we see in main characters Asher and Judith. A solid start to a new series with Stacey’s wonderful characters and interesting education and learning about the Jewish faith and culture. Thanks to @tulepublishing for the opportunity to read and review this one.
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