Beginning as a promising voyage into the land of Hasidism, The Romance Reader fails to make good on its promises. Told in a writing style that is reminiscient of popular women's fiction, the first person narrator gives the reader glimpses of a world filled with two dimensional characters lacking any depth.The Romance Reader does, however, entertain its audience members even if it fails to move them to any specific emotional responses. Simply put, it tells the story of Rachel, a young girl struggling to break free of the ties that bind her (similar to Naomi Ragen's Jephte's Daughter but without Ms. Ragen's depth of character). Just when the reader reaches the pinnacle point in Rachel's life, hoping against hope for catharsis, he is again disappointed.If you are looking for easy, leisurely reading on the plane or bus, then you may want to pick up a copy of this novel at the library. However, if you seek fiction in the truest sense of the word, you need to search elsewhere