e-Audio, 06:12:45
Narrated by: Tara Sands
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Published by: Books on Tape (Underlined)
Read from: November 30, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Death, Antisemitism
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Holidaze, Religious Diversity, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Local “Texas” reads, YATwo teens with two very different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah learn to work together to save the last Jewish remnant in small town Texas in this cozy holiday romance!
New Yorker Hannah Levin is allergic to exactly two things, horses and tinsel. Unfortunately, she’s surrounded by both this Hanukkah when, thanks to a freak snow storm, she’s stranded in the small town of Rosenberg, Texas, visiting her grandmother, who she hasn’t seen in years due to family drama.
Super lonely, missing latkes and reliable wi-fi, she follows the scent of fried potatoes and wanders into an old deli where she meets the only other Jewish teen in town, Noah, who happens to be equal parts adorable and full of annoying, over the top Hanukkah spirit that he’s determined to share with Hannah, one ugly, itchy Hanukkah sweater at a time.
She makes him a deal, she’ll help him save his family’s deli, which is practically the only Jewish remnant in a town that once had a thriving community of European immigrants, if he’ll leave her to sulk in peace. However, after a spectacularly memorable kiss Hannah wonders if there’s more to Hanukkah, this community, and even her grandmother than she thought.
*MY THOUGHTS*
How fitting that I post this on the second day of Hanukkah. I thought it was going to be a fun read, but this was actually pretty weird and definitely insta-lovey. And I mean I knew it would be because they’re going on 8 dates for the 8 nights of Hanukkah, but I was NOT expecting them to actually use the L word?! Idk.
Ok so this was a great book to learn about Hanukkah with. I’m not Jewish at all, but I did learn some things about the holiday, like why it’s 8 days, and some smaller customs throughout the ethnicity. Again, I’m not Jewish so i can’t speak to whether it’s good representation, but I think Jewish teens today would be able to see something that they recognize in the book and it would help those like me who are just interested in learning and spreading the knowledge to those around them. Again, don’t ever say that YA books can’t teach you anything.
The characters are what annoyed me in this tho. She was being so privileged and spoiled and she basically ruined my idea of the book. I hold grudges, and the short time I wasn’t fuming at her, I was wondering how the hell sweet Noah didn’t or wouldn’t write her off. Especially after the way she was treating him because of what she believed the holiday to be. It didn’t give her any personality, just made her look terrible. And like I get it. Even when I got married I missed out on how I used to do things, but I welcomed the chance to get to know more people in my extended family. She wasn’t trying to give anyone the chance and that annoyed me. Noah went out of his way to make things special for her and she just was like ok, and? But i get it. She was sad and a teen. But she didn’t need to tear down everything and everyone to make them sad too. And she didn’t treat Noah any better. He tried so hard to give her a big city Hanukkah there in that small town, and she made him seem petty and immature. Like it wasn’t impressive. He didn’t have to do any of that but he did.
And for this to be a romance book, I don’t feel like they had any chemistry at all. Especially after she didn’t listen to a word he said about how he wanted the shop to be run. I get that he may have needed the push, but the way she went about it was all wrong. Also I thought it was weird to do that with a video about a bagel. But a “cute boy and food” is a dangerous combo, so I guess it was ok. Although I don’t believe that there is a person on this planet that doesn’t believe in the power of social media marketing lol And then when she mentioned the L word on day 4, I was done. She was still actively complaining about things and still was like everything that’s being done on my behalf sucks, but I still love him y’all! Like what? At the very least it should have been something like I’m warming up to you. And the L word shouldn’t have been used at all in a book that only spanned 8 days lol It was so weird and i didn’t believe it for a second.
The narrator was ok, but they really annoyed me when they got to Noah. WE DO NOT HAVE A TEXAS TWANG! Please stop giving us those Texas accents. I know we’re not all a monolith, but at the very least give us less of one if you’re going to do it. Stop trying to “lay it on so thick that we know what you’re doing.” Trust me, those of us that are from Texas likely already do and I hate it. (And before you say, Nikki, aren’t you from a big city tho? Yes, and I had a grandpa who lived out in the sticks too and I still know that it is ok to celebrate holidays in new ways, it doesn’t always have to be with the same way, with the same people, etc.)
This was ok but I wanted more. More chemistry and more believable moments. This taught me some new things and I was thankful for that, but I would have rathered a book that was a bit more well rounded in the end. If you got to the end you know what happened. I’d be interested to see if more books about different holidays were to come out. Especially since I’ve heard so many people say this is one of the least big ones.
Overall, I give this
