What do you think?
Rate this book
Love You a Latke
Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance.
Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one Seth.
As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.
Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one Seth.
As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2024
240 people are currently reading
16371 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Elliot
3 books475 followersAmanda Elliot lives with her husband and daughter in New York City, where she collects way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen, runs in Central Park, and writes mysteries under the name Bellamy Rose (Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder, coming March 2025). You can follow her on Instagram @amandaelliotbooks
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,158 reviews
August 19, 2024
As a Jewish person who has spent most of her life in parts of the world where there weren’t a lot of other Jews, this book made me feel seen in ways I hadn’t even realized I’d been missing.
In addition to this, the romance is so sweet and lovely I didn’t want it to end. And Seth is an absolute mensch.
Basically, I loved everything about this book.
In addition to this, the romance is so sweet and lovely I didn’t want it to end. And Seth is an absolute mensch.
Basically, I loved everything about this book.
November 8, 2024
4 stars - A very enjoyable rom-com about a struggling cafe owner who gets roped into holding a Hanukkah festival in Vermont with the only other Jew in her small town. He needs a "fake girlfriend" to take back to NYC for the holiday. While it sounds predictable, there were some things that made it different, like Abby the FMC's childhood trauma and Seth's being such an introvert along with a gender reversed "grumpy-sunshine" trope. I also liked that it was mostly "closed-door" and I loved Seth's parents & friend group in the city. Lots of good feels and a pleasant diversion.
October 8, 2024
Happy Pub Day to of one of my favorite reads of 2024!
Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot tells the story of Abby, a nice Jewish girl who owns a coffee shop in a small town in Vermont. When her town decides to hold a Hanukkah Bazaar to woo more visitors, Abby is tasked with finding vendors who will give it that Hanukkah feel. Enter Seth—the handsome other Jew who lives in her small town—who offers to help. They’re on the hunt for the best of holiday festivities, but will these two also come to find love?
Some Reasons I Loved This Book:
*This Hanukkah romance truly had everything. Enemies to lovers, fake-dating, grumpy-meets-sunshine, a cinnamon roll hero, holiday vibes, baked goods, and of course, who could forget ONLY ONE BED. All of which to say, in the hands of a less skilled author, this could have been a damn mess! Instead, it was such a quick, and easy read, and I raced through it, even putting off my own never-ending to-do list and my own writing to finish this book. And I finished this book in ONE DAY!!!
*I also loved the use of real Jewish experiences in this story. From Hanukkah dances, to Hanukkah pop-ups, and all the ways that modern-day Jews are taking aspects of the broader culture, and modifying it to be Jewish, making it our own in the process. It gave this book an air of authenticity
which I truly loved.
*In addition to being immersed in a rich and descriptive world, it is also beautifully Jewish and very brave. Elliot explores parent/child abuse and the way that can affect how one feels about religion and God. She also explores being the lone Jew in a community versus having a rich and vibrant Jewish community. But perhaps the parts of this book that truly resonated for me, was the way she explored antisemitism, how it sometimes plays out in the broader Christian world, often in unintended ways. I also loved that Abby finds her voice in this book.
*But my favorite part of this book—outside the sweet and delicious romance--is the journey that Abby goes on as an individual, the ways she learns to reconnect to her Judaism, and find the community she always felt separated from. It resonated for me deeply. It also reminded me so of the Yiddish saying, “Dos pintele yid/the little spark of Jew.” The Hassidic belief that no matter how removed a Jewish person is from their community, there is always a little spark sitting in our neshama (soul) that calls us to return home.
* I also appreciated The Matzah Ball shout-out at the end of the book. That was very cool to see.
There is no doubt in my mind that Amanda Elliot has written something TRULY special here, and this book will find a beloved position on both my shelf and others. Amanda--thank you for writing this. Thank you for sharing it with me, and allowing me to be one of the early readers! Love you a Latke is truly Jewish romance at it’s very best. <3
Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot tells the story of Abby, a nice Jewish girl who owns a coffee shop in a small town in Vermont. When her town decides to hold a Hanukkah Bazaar to woo more visitors, Abby is tasked with finding vendors who will give it that Hanukkah feel. Enter Seth—the handsome other Jew who lives in her small town—who offers to help. They’re on the hunt for the best of holiday festivities, but will these two also come to find love?
Some Reasons I Loved This Book:
*This Hanukkah romance truly had everything. Enemies to lovers, fake-dating, grumpy-meets-sunshine, a cinnamon roll hero, holiday vibes, baked goods, and of course, who could forget ONLY ONE BED. All of which to say, in the hands of a less skilled author, this could have been a damn mess! Instead, it was such a quick, and easy read, and I raced through it, even putting off my own never-ending to-do list and my own writing to finish this book. And I finished this book in ONE DAY!!!
*I also loved the use of real Jewish experiences in this story. From Hanukkah dances, to Hanukkah pop-ups, and all the ways that modern-day Jews are taking aspects of the broader culture, and modifying it to be Jewish, making it our own in the process. It gave this book an air of authenticity
which I truly loved.
*In addition to being immersed in a rich and descriptive world, it is also beautifully Jewish and very brave. Elliot explores parent/child abuse and the way that can affect how one feels about religion and God. She also explores being the lone Jew in a community versus having a rich and vibrant Jewish community. But perhaps the parts of this book that truly resonated for me, was the way she explored antisemitism, how it sometimes plays out in the broader Christian world, often in unintended ways. I also loved that Abby finds her voice in this book.
*But my favorite part of this book—outside the sweet and delicious romance--is the journey that Abby goes on as an individual, the ways she learns to reconnect to her Judaism, and find the community she always felt separated from. It resonated for me deeply. It also reminded me so of the Yiddish saying, “Dos pintele yid/the little spark of Jew.” The Hassidic belief that no matter how removed a Jewish person is from their community, there is always a little spark sitting in our neshama (soul) that calls us to return home.
* I also appreciated The Matzah Ball shout-out at the end of the book. That was very cool to see.
There is no doubt in my mind that Amanda Elliot has written something TRULY special here, and this book will find a beloved position on both my shelf and others. Amanda--thank you for writing this. Thank you for sharing it with me, and allowing me to be one of the early readers! Love you a Latke is truly Jewish romance at it’s very best. <3
September 1, 2025
Fake dating. Pleasant.
But…
The author has a serious pacing issue. There were setups for five situations in the first four chapters. The story coasted on found family vibes until it reached 89%. I panicked😱 What about the other four storylines? The book was almost out of pages! Was the story ending on a cliffhanger???
With only the last chapter and epilogue to go, Elliot scrambled with varying degrees of success to tie up loose ends. It left me disappointed.
But…
The author has a serious pacing issue. There were setups for five situations in the first four chapters. The story coasted on found family vibes until it reached 89%. I panicked😱 What about the other four storylines? The book was almost out of pages! Was the story ending on a cliffhanger???
With only the last chapter and epilogue to go, Elliot scrambled with varying degrees of success to tie up loose ends. It left me disappointed.
December 31, 2024
This was a lot more emotional than I expected it to be. The start was insufferable so just be aware, but it got better fairly quickly and I enjoyed it!
After reading 20+ Christmas books this year it's only fair.
Buddy Reading with my sister which is not on GR :)
After reading 20+ Christmas books this year it's only fair.
Buddy Reading with my sister which is not on GR :)
December 16, 2024
Ooh I enjoyed this so much!! It's such a sweet, heartwarming story, and the writing is very funny. Seth was immediately one of my favourite love interests that I've read in a while, and I loved seeing how both of them grew and became more confident and stronger through being together.
November 29, 2024
Lets talk about Amanda Elliot for a moment. She knows (at least) two things very well. She knows her Jewish and she knows her food! And in these three audio's that I have heard, she wraps them both together deliciously!
I adored Sadie on a Plate. I just loved that and gave it five full delectable delicious stars! Watching Sadie elevate Jewish Cooking on a Chef Supreme reality show was so much fun. And she made an appearance more than once in Best Served Hot. (Also a food themed book, not quite as Jewish).
Anyway, in Love You a Latke, we have our Jewish main character Abby who has a lot of trauma from how she was raised. She is operating a coffeeshop in Vermont. The only other Jew in town (Seth) is her annoying sunshiny regular customer, who she enlists to help her with creating a Chanukah Festival for their Vermont town, which could help save her coffee shop. Sound like a Hallmark Holiday movie yet? Add fake girlfriend ruse in there, and the trope is complete. But the book is more than that, because in Abby's Eight Days of Chanukah in New York City, she actually reclaims her Jewishness, her community, and a part of herself that was lost to her childhood trauma. She not only learns to love and let other people in, she discovers what being Jewish means to her. This story wraps you up in the scents and the smells of Chanukah and coffee. But it also wraps you up in Chanukah and the Jewish community. I loved some of the insights she gains in the end, about this part of herself. Its a Chanukah romance, but its also a triumph for not having Chanukah be a token, but something that lives inside of you. The couple is young and naive to some extent, but they grow, and they learn. I loved listening to it, and today I couldn't stop. Had to take the afternoon to finish it.
Chanukah is about letting the light in, at the darkest of times, and letting that light increase. I pray that this be a time for all of us and the world, that our light and hope increases. As the olive is pressed that the sweet oil (used for the miracle) comes through, they say that when the Jews are pressed, the best stuff comes out, and its stuff where miracles are made. May this indeed be so.
I adored Sadie on a Plate. I just loved that and gave it five full delectable delicious stars! Watching Sadie elevate Jewish Cooking on a Chef Supreme reality show was so much fun. And she made an appearance more than once in Best Served Hot. (Also a food themed book, not quite as Jewish).
Anyway, in Love You a Latke, we have our Jewish main character Abby who has a lot of trauma from how she was raised. She is operating a coffeeshop in Vermont. The only other Jew in town (Seth) is her annoying sunshiny regular customer, who she enlists to help her with creating a Chanukah Festival for their Vermont town, which could help save her coffee shop. Sound like a Hallmark Holiday movie yet? Add fake girlfriend ruse in there, and the trope is complete. But the book is more than that, because in Abby's Eight Days of Chanukah in New York City, she actually reclaims her Jewishness, her community, and a part of herself that was lost to her childhood trauma. She not only learns to love and let other people in, she discovers what being Jewish means to her. This story wraps you up in the scents and the smells of Chanukah and coffee. But it also wraps you up in Chanukah and the Jewish community. I loved some of the insights she gains in the end, about this part of herself. Its a Chanukah romance, but its also a triumph for not having Chanukah be a token, but something that lives inside of you. The couple is young and naive to some extent, but they grow, and they learn. I loved listening to it, and today I couldn't stop. Had to take the afternoon to finish it.
Chanukah is about letting the light in, at the darkest of times, and letting that light increase. I pray that this be a time for all of us and the world, that our light and hope increases. As the olive is pressed that the sweet oil (used for the miracle) comes through, they say that when the Jews are pressed, the best stuff comes out, and its stuff where miracles are made. May this indeed be so.
October 30, 2024
Unless I'm forgetting one, I think this is my first romance centered around Hanukkah! Amanda Elliot did a wonderful job weaving Jewish traditions and life experiences into every part of the story. It felt genuine, informative, and an absolute cozy pleasure to read.
Abby is tasked with organizing a Hanukkah festival in her small Vermont town—an event she hopes will also help save her struggling coffee shop. But she can’t do it alone. Enter Seth, her cheerfully annoying regular customer, who just so happens to need a 'Nice Jewish Girl' to bring home to New York. Naturally, a mutually beneficial partnership ensues!
I'd say the story focused more on Abby’s personal journey of confronting her deep family trauma and rediscovering a sense of community, but the romance was super soft and sweet, with Seth being an all-around green flag. I liked it a lot. On top of that, the winter adventures in New York made this story a definite win for me!
(heat level: closed door, with language and innuendo)
Abby is tasked with organizing a Hanukkah festival in her small Vermont town—an event she hopes will also help save her struggling coffee shop. But she can’t do it alone. Enter Seth, her cheerfully annoying regular customer, who just so happens to need a 'Nice Jewish Girl' to bring home to New York. Naturally, a mutually beneficial partnership ensues!
I'd say the story focused more on Abby’s personal journey of confronting her deep family trauma and rediscovering a sense of community, but the romance was super soft and sweet, with Seth being an all-around green flag. I liked it a lot. On top of that, the winter adventures in New York made this story a definite win for me!
(heat level: closed door, with language and innuendo)
November 17, 2024
wow, this far exceeded my expectations.
this was a cozy but heartfelt holiday romance with fake dating, hanukkah traditions, and all the delicious jewish food descriptions.
i thought the romance was very sweet w good buildup. seth was so patient and understanding with abby and a generally sweet, adorable guy. he was realistic though with his own flaws. he's probably one of my favorite contemporary romance mmc's yet.
it was v satisfying to watch abby grow and confront some of her emotional baggage while reconnecting with her jewish identity. she learns to open up and be vulnerable about her emotionally abusive parents and her feelings with seth, and she also pushed him to set his boundaries.
also, i always love a nyc set-story and the holidays are one of the best times for the city. this definitely captured the fun of celebrating in the city with its famous landmarks, events, and even highly specific bars and pop-ups.
i would absolutely love to go to a hanukkah festival sometime irl!
this was a cozy but heartfelt holiday romance with fake dating, hanukkah traditions, and all the delicious jewish food descriptions.
i thought the romance was very sweet w good buildup. seth was so patient and understanding with abby and a generally sweet, adorable guy. he was realistic though with his own flaws. he's probably one of my favorite contemporary romance mmc's yet.
it was v satisfying to watch abby grow and confront some of her emotional baggage while reconnecting with her jewish identity. she learns to open up and be vulnerable about her emotionally abusive parents and her feelings with seth, and she also pushed him to set his boundaries.
also, i always love a nyc set-story and the holidays are one of the best times for the city. this definitely captured the fun of celebrating in the city with its famous landmarks, events, and even highly specific bars and pop-ups.
i would absolutely love to go to a hanukkah festival sometime irl!
October 1, 2024
This is hands down one of my new favorite holiday romances, I absolutely loved this one! This was rife with Jewish representation and I really enjoyed learning more about the traditions surrounding Hanukkah. Abby and Seth’s romance was charming and realistic and Kelli Tager was a delightful narrator.
August 30, 2024
Love You a Latke absolutely confirmed my theory that I’m obsessed with anything and everything Amanda Elliot writes. Her representation of Judaism continues to resonate with me and I love to see Jewish characters that enjoy their religion and customs / traditions but may not be Kosher or attend shul on a regular basis - it’s rare to see my own level of religion represented, and like they say, representation matters!!
This fake dating, forced proximity romance that is set during Hanukah was excellent - the tension was palpable and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved the nods to Elliot’s prior novel, Sadie on a Plate.
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
This fake dating, forced proximity romance that is set during Hanukah was excellent - the tension was palpable and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved the nods to Elliot’s prior novel, Sadie on a Plate.
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
December 10, 2024
This was a cute Hanukkah centered story with a sweet romance!
Abby moved to Vermont from New York and is desperately trying to save her coffee shop in the small town. She ends up getting voluntold she’s in charge of the town’s very first Hanukkah festival and is hoping the success of the festival will also help her coffee shop. Feeling overwhelmed, she realizes the only other Jew in town is Seth, the overly sweet (but drives her bonkers) customer who comes into her coffee shop daily. Seth says he has lots of vendors and hookups for the festival and will be willing to help her if she could come home with him to New York and pretend to be his girlfriend for the sake of his family.
Seth was so sweet and very much a cinnamon roll kind of guy. There is lots of wintery activities around NYC and spending time with his parents and friends. Abby has a lot of family trauma she struggles with in the story and the story does focus on that and her finding her own place in her community. The story was slow at times, especially when they were in NY, but I did like the characters. This is a closed door romance.
Abby moved to Vermont from New York and is desperately trying to save her coffee shop in the small town. She ends up getting voluntold she’s in charge of the town’s very first Hanukkah festival and is hoping the success of the festival will also help her coffee shop. Feeling overwhelmed, she realizes the only other Jew in town is Seth, the overly sweet (but drives her bonkers) customer who comes into her coffee shop daily. Seth says he has lots of vendors and hookups for the festival and will be willing to help her if she could come home with him to New York and pretend to be his girlfriend for the sake of his family.
Seth was so sweet and very much a cinnamon roll kind of guy. There is lots of wintery activities around NYC and spending time with his parents and friends. Abby has a lot of family trauma she struggles with in the story and the story does focus on that and her finding her own place in her community. The story was slow at times, especially when they were in NY, but I did like the characters. This is a closed door romance.
August 25, 2024
It's great to see a holiday romance so wholeheartedly embrace Jewish traditions and festivities - this is going to hit all the right notes for readers who have been aching to see themselves on the page. The pacing reminded me of a Hallmark movie, where our couple gets caught up in the festive spirit and falls in a very short period of time. For me, there wasn't enough time spent on developing the romance to truly connect with the love story. I'd say that it's 30% romance, 30% explaining Jewish traditions, and 40% friends/family time. I definitely wanted more time with this couple (and less time with their friends/family), but it's a fast-paced read that had me feeling those winter vibes. It felt fresh and different in its own way, and there's definitely more good than bad. I enjoyed it overall, but it's not likely to be a romance that I'll revisit.
The story follows Abby, a woman who runs a cafe in a small town in Vermont. All of the local businesses have been struggling with less tourism in the area lately, so one of the small business owners comes up with an idea to bring new people to town - a Hanukkah festival. There are tons of Christmas festivals in the area, but Hanukkah is an "untapped market." And who better to plan the event? The only Jewish person in town, Abby. Overwhelmed but aware that this is her best chance at getting new business, Abby suddenly has a lot on her plate. She does a little digging and discovers that there actually is one other Jewish person in town - Seth, the infuriatingly cheerful customer who frequents her cafe. He agrees to help plan the event, in exchange for Abby playing the role of fake girlfriend when he goes home to visit his parents. As the two grow closer over a few short days, Abby finds herself falling for Seth and embracing Jewish culture in a way she hasn't in a long time.
I really liked Abby and Seth together, and I absolutely would've liked more time devoted to them falling. We don't get Seth's perspective, so I still feel like I only know surface level details about him. I probably know more about his friends and family, since we spend so much time with them, lol. I liked that Abby is the grump and he's the sunshine, which was perfect for this opposites attract romance. He's an optimist, and I loved the way he smoothed out some of Abby's rough edges. Another review described it well though - I wasn't always sure Abby was falling for Seth, so much as falling for his friends, family, and community. Not enough time was spent on showing why they were right for each other. There was also a LOT of time devoted to explaining Jewish traditions, so much that it detracted from the overall story. I want those festive vibes, not a lesson. In the end, I liked this, but didn't connect to it quite the way I'd hoped.
The story follows Abby, a woman who runs a cafe in a small town in Vermont. All of the local businesses have been struggling with less tourism in the area lately, so one of the small business owners comes up with an idea to bring new people to town - a Hanukkah festival. There are tons of Christmas festivals in the area, but Hanukkah is an "untapped market." And who better to plan the event? The only Jewish person in town, Abby. Overwhelmed but aware that this is her best chance at getting new business, Abby suddenly has a lot on her plate. She does a little digging and discovers that there actually is one other Jewish person in town - Seth, the infuriatingly cheerful customer who frequents her cafe. He agrees to help plan the event, in exchange for Abby playing the role of fake girlfriend when he goes home to visit his parents. As the two grow closer over a few short days, Abby finds herself falling for Seth and embracing Jewish culture in a way she hasn't in a long time.
I really liked Abby and Seth together, and I absolutely would've liked more time devoted to them falling. We don't get Seth's perspective, so I still feel like I only know surface level details about him. I probably know more about his friends and family, since we spend so much time with them, lol. I liked that Abby is the grump and he's the sunshine, which was perfect for this opposites attract romance. He's an optimist, and I loved the way he smoothed out some of Abby's rough edges. Another review described it well though - I wasn't always sure Abby was falling for Seth, so much as falling for his friends, family, and community. Not enough time was spent on showing why they were right for each other. There was also a LOT of time devoted to explaining Jewish traditions, so much that it detracted from the overall story. I want those festive vibes, not a lesson. In the end, I liked this, but didn't connect to it quite the way I'd hoped.
October 21, 2024
Thanks PRH Audio for the ALC.
I adored this book and would definitely recommend it as one of my top holiday reads of 2024. It’s a Jewish romance set around Hanukkah and it really does a fantastic job of showing how people celebrate Hanukkah. I love how it explores what it means to be Jewish, Jewish identity, and the strength of the Jewish community. I enjoyed reading about allllll the yummy Hanukkah foods. It was really fun to just see Hanukkah traditions and learn what Hanukkah is all about. The romance is fantastic as well - Seth and Abby are both so funny and their fake dating scheme is *perfection*.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book is that it felt like it ended very abruptly when Seth and Abby finally got together. I was hoping to see more behind the scenes of putting the festival together. The epilogue skips to the festival happening but I think it would’ve been a lot more impactful if we’d seen a little bit more of the lead up… even one chapter would have made it feel less abrupt . Definitely not a dealbreaker and I still recommend this very highly.
I read a lot of Christmas romances but this really made me want to read more Hanukkah stories. If you have any recommendations please let me know! Also does anyone know where to buy good latkes in North Carolina because now I really need one!
I adored this book and would definitely recommend it as one of my top holiday reads of 2024. It’s a Jewish romance set around Hanukkah and it really does a fantastic job of showing how people celebrate Hanukkah. I love how it explores what it means to be Jewish, Jewish identity, and the strength of the Jewish community. I enjoyed reading about allllll the yummy Hanukkah foods. It was really fun to just see Hanukkah traditions and learn what Hanukkah is all about. The romance is fantastic as well - Seth and Abby are both so funny and their fake dating scheme is *perfection*.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book is that it felt like it ended very abruptly when Seth and Abby finally got together. I was hoping to see more behind the scenes of putting the festival together. The epilogue skips to the festival happening but I think it would’ve been a lot more impactful if we’d seen a little bit more of the lead up… even one chapter would have made it feel less abrupt . Definitely not a dealbreaker and I still recommend this very highly.
I read a lot of Christmas romances but this really made me want to read more Hanukkah stories. If you have any recommendations please let me know! Also does anyone know where to buy good latkes in North Carolina because now I really need one!
January 1, 2025
This was one of my favorite holiday reads this year! Love You a Latke was a cozy and heartfelt holiday romance with just the right amount of emotion and humor. Abby's grumpy, guarded demeanor clashing with Seth’s relentless charm was pure rom-com gold. Their fake-dating arrangement, born out of mutual convenience, served up all the tropes I love, complete with sizzling chemistry and laugh-out-loud banter.
The book didn’t shy away from exploring Abby’s frustrations as the lone champion of Hanukkah in a sea of Christmas cheer, and her journey to embracing her culture—and her feelings—added depth to the festive fluff. The warmth of the holidays and the delicious-sounding foods made me want to jump into the pages for some latkes and doughnuts.
It was hard to resist the charm of this sweet, snowy romance. If you’re looking for a love story that’s comforting, sweet and romantic, this one will light up your holiday season.
The book didn’t shy away from exploring Abby’s frustrations as the lone champion of Hanukkah in a sea of Christmas cheer, and her journey to embracing her culture—and her feelings—added depth to the festive fluff. The warmth of the holidays and the delicious-sounding foods made me want to jump into the pages for some latkes and doughnuts.
It was hard to resist the charm of this sweet, snowy romance. If you’re looking for a love story that’s comforting, sweet and romantic, this one will light up your holiday season.
January 5, 2025
5 stars regardless because we need more jewish fun rom-coms in the book world
December 11, 2024
I had been hearing good things about Love You a Latke and I enjoyed Best Served Hot when I read it last year, so I was excited to check it out in anticipation of Hanukkah. This was a great story for getting into the holiday mood!
While this novel has some of the typical rom-com tropes (grumpy meets sunshine, fake dating), I still enjoyed where the story went. Things aren't going well for Abby. Her café is barely making any money, she has a horrible relationship with her parents and has not spoken to them in years, she constantly gets headaches, and to top it off, she was asked to plan the town's Hanukkah festival while having to work with people who are still trying to make it about Christmas. What's a girl to do but search on a dating app only to find out that the only other Jewish person nearby is the guy who has been annoying her every single morning with his cheerful positivity? Why, go with him to New York and pretend to be his girlfriend to please his parents while also sourcing businesses for the festival, of course!
What happens next is a whole lot of fun, between spending time with Seth (the "annoying" guy) and his parents, meeting his friends and doing various holiday activities, trying out gourmet twists on Hanukkah foods, etc. And then Abby starts developing real feelings for Seth...
I really liked this novel a lot. It speaks volumes about Jewish community, traditions, and values. There is some drama along the way, having to do with Abby's upbringing. That raises the stakes for whether a relationship with Seth will really happen or not. I also loved seeing her entrepreneurial side come out when she talked about new ideas for the café. And Seth is such a sweet guy. I loved his interactions with Abby.
Overall, well worth checking out and you'll even get an armchair adventure to check out New York City during the winter holidays!
(Trigger warning below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
While this novel has some of the typical rom-com tropes (grumpy meets sunshine, fake dating), I still enjoyed where the story went. Things aren't going well for Abby. Her café is barely making any money, she has a horrible relationship with her parents and has not spoken to them in years, she constantly gets headaches, and to top it off, she was asked to plan the town's Hanukkah festival while having to work with people who are still trying to make it about Christmas. What's a girl to do but search on a dating app only to find out that the only other Jewish person nearby is the guy who has been annoying her every single morning with his cheerful positivity? Why, go with him to New York and pretend to be his girlfriend to please his parents while also sourcing businesses for the festival, of course!
What happens next is a whole lot of fun, between spending time with Seth (the "annoying" guy) and his parents, meeting his friends and doing various holiday activities, trying out gourmet twists on Hanukkah foods, etc. And then Abby starts developing real feelings for Seth...
I really liked this novel a lot. It speaks volumes about Jewish community, traditions, and values. There is some drama along the way, having to do with Abby's upbringing. That raises the stakes for whether a relationship with Seth will really happen or not. I also loved seeing her entrepreneurial side come out when she talked about new ideas for the café. And Seth is such a sweet guy. I loved his interactions with Abby.
Overall, well worth checking out and you'll even get an armchair adventure to check out New York City during the winter holidays!
(Trigger warning below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Abby: Hailee Steinfeld
Seth: Asher Grodman
Bev: Julie Kavner
Benjamin: Ken Olin
Freya: Julia Schlaepfer
December 7, 2024
Finally! A Jewish book that has likable characters AND is accurate about all of the Jewish stuff!
January 22, 2025
DNF i just cant do it. this reads like what a kid thinks adults are like.
December 5, 2024
This was so cuuuuute🤭😌 what a wonderfully done holiday romance!!!
✨grumpy (her) / sunshine (him)
✨fake dating!! help planning the Hanukkah festival 🤝 help appeasing the parents by bringing home a Jewish girlfriend
✨one bed!🙂↕️ but it’s totally closed door!
✨so many traditions! so much Jewish joy! so much learning to come back to your faith/community after trying times!
✨Seth is such a golden retriever boyfriend - a total softie with a heart of gold!!🫶
✨Abby was so lovable and relatable! She struggled standing up for herself and opening up but her character growth was💯🤌
✨good audio narration!🎧
I wish it was dual POV!! But overall I highly recommend! Not only for the romance but also for the budding friendships + the found community! 💙
✨grumpy (her) / sunshine (him)
✨fake dating!! help planning the Hanukkah festival 🤝 help appeasing the parents by bringing home a Jewish girlfriend
✨one bed!🙂↕️ but it’s totally closed door!
✨so many traditions! so much Jewish joy! so much learning to come back to your faith/community after trying times!
✨Seth is such a golden retriever boyfriend - a total softie with a heart of gold!!🫶
✨Abby was so lovable and relatable! She struggled standing up for herself and opening up but her character growth was💯🤌
✨good audio narration!🎧
I wish it was dual POV!! But overall I highly recommend! Not only for the romance but also for the budding friendships + the found community! 💙
November 11, 2024
Ugh, sorry to say the cover was the best thing about this book. Starting out of the gate, a cafe owner in small town Vermont, one of two Jews in town, is asked to put on a Hanukkah Festival to attract city folk from NYC. Um, this makes zero sense for many reasons I shall not list. So, bad premise for me. But I kept on, trying to just go with it. The main characters, Seth (the only other Jew in town) and Abby enter into a "fake dating" situation to appease his mother in NYC. Really? Nothing more original than THAT? Plus the main characters were just bo-ring, the story predictable and the plot, well, nothing to it. Skimmed to the end. Jean Meltzer's Matzoh Ball was a much better and more entertaining Jewish romance and Emily Henry does this type of "modern romance'' way better.
December 20, 2024
5 stars 🌟
RTC!
[TW: parental abuse mentioned and recounted, mental health struggle depictions]
RTC!
[TW: parental abuse mentioned and recounted, mental health struggle depictions]
December 12, 2024
Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy. All thoughts are my own.
As someone who loves Christmas and holiday reads, I always find it important to make sure I’m reading about holidays besides Christmas and the traditional western holidays. I was excited to come across this Hanukkah centered Romance and really enjoyed reading it. I did the audio and thought it was a great performance.
Synopsis:
“Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth.
As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Festive Nature—I love the holidays in New England and NYC, so I was excited to be immersed in both in this book!
The Characters—I really liked the characters. Abby is the grumpy and Seth is the sunshine. From other reviews, I’ve seen some readers not like just quite how grumpy Abby appeared in the book. I did the audio and wasn’t bothered by it, I could tell that she really went through something and was working through it.
The Theme of Community—While I celebrate Christmas, I really appreciated how deeply this book emphasized the importance of community. I think in today’s world, we need to lean on people who share similar values and lifestyles to us more than ever in order to stay sane.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Wanted More of Abby’s Backstory—I wanted to dive a bit more into this. It felt like a shocking reveal rather than part of her character. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it was such a heavy part of her story, I thought it deserved more time.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
emotional abuse, religious bigotry, gaslighting, anti semitism
As someone who loves Christmas and holiday reads, I always find it important to make sure I’m reading about holidays besides Christmas and the traditional western holidays. I was excited to come across this Hanukkah centered Romance and really enjoyed reading it. I did the audio and thought it was a great performance.
Synopsis:
“Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth.
As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Festive Nature—I love the holidays in New England and NYC, so I was excited to be immersed in both in this book!
The Characters—I really liked the characters. Abby is the grumpy and Seth is the sunshine. From other reviews, I’ve seen some readers not like just quite how grumpy Abby appeared in the book. I did the audio and wasn’t bothered by it, I could tell that she really went through something and was working through it.
The Theme of Community—While I celebrate Christmas, I really appreciated how deeply this book emphasized the importance of community. I think in today’s world, we need to lean on people who share similar values and lifestyles to us more than ever in order to stay sane.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Wanted More of Abby’s Backstory—I wanted to dive a bit more into this. It felt like a shocking reveal rather than part of her character. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it was such a heavy part of her story, I thought it deserved more time.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
emotional abuse, religious bigotry, gaslighting, anti semitism
December 8, 2024
I loved this book! It was refreshing to have a book with all the magic of the holidays, but with the focus being on Hanukkah rather than Christmas. I loved reading about all of the Jewish foods, traditions, and the community. I enjoyed the gender-reversed grumpy/sunshine trope, and laughed at there only being one bed (of course), during a fake boyfriend/girlfriend trip. Aaaaalll of the tropes, but actually done with ease and fun and chemistry. The characters were rich and the banter was great. Abby was an enjoyable main character and I appreciated how real and down to earth the conflicts in this book were. Cheesy at times (would it be a holiday romance if it weren’t, though?) and the ending felt rushed… but maybe I just didn’t want it to actually end? Highly recommend this read, with a plate of latkes within reach.
January 5, 2025
This was a three point five star for me. Story was complex and I liked the difficult parent relationship bit but the main character was irritating. Also, it was a tad too preachy especially for a holiday romance. The spice was lacking. The fake dating and forced proximity could have been better. Writing was good and loved learning a lot about Jewish culture.
April 4, 2025
- Fake dating trope!!!
- she's the grump 😒 he's sunshine 🌞
- cozy vibes
Content warning: past parental abuse
- she's the grump 😒 he's sunshine 🌞
- cozy vibes
Content warning: past parental abuse
December 10, 2024
Oh how badly I wanted to love this one. Finally, a Hanukkah romance! I was so excited for some Jewish JOY but sadly the FMC killed the vibe.
Abby complained the entire book, suppressed all of her trauma and continuously ran from her problems (literally... she fled the premises on more than one occasion). The Hanukkah representation was appreciated and the NYC vibes were great, but I wanted more of a cozy, happy read and less complaining. I thought that after all the whining we endured, the story would dive deeper into her childhood and Abby would finally confront her past, but she never really did that. In fact, all she did was flee. Again.
Seth was great and very supportive, but it was hard to buy into the romance when Abby rejected him over and over until finally (out of no where?) declaring her love. I did like that Abby stood her ground in regards to the festival in the end - I would love to attend something like that!
I listened to the audiobook and I didn't love the narrator - maybe had I read the physical book Abby wouldn't have seemed so whiny, but she definitely came off that way via narration.
This one wasn't bad by any means and maybe I went in with too high of expectations, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed.
Abby complained the entire book, suppressed all of her trauma and continuously ran from her problems (literally... she fled the premises on more than one occasion). The Hanukkah representation was appreciated and the NYC vibes were great, but I wanted more of a cozy, happy read and less complaining. I thought that after all the whining we endured, the story would dive deeper into her childhood and Abby would finally confront her past, but she never really did that. In fact, all she did was flee. Again.
Seth was great and very supportive, but it was hard to buy into the romance when Abby rejected him over and over until finally (out of no where?) declaring her love. I did like that Abby stood her ground in regards to the festival in the end - I would love to attend something like that!
I listened to the audiobook and I didn't love the narrator - maybe had I read the physical book Abby wouldn't have seemed so whiny, but she definitely came off that way via narration.
This one wasn't bad by any means and maybe I went in with too high of expectations, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed.
October 8, 2024
I loved this book a latke!
Such a fun, joyous, proudly Jewish holiday romcom! In typical Amanda Elliot fashion, the food descriptions made my mouth water, but the slow burn, fake dating romance made me swoon! I might have shed a few tears watching Abby open her heart!
Content warning: emotionally abusive parents.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Such a fun, joyous, proudly Jewish holiday romcom! In typical Amanda Elliot fashion, the food descriptions made my mouth water, but the slow burn, fake dating romance made me swoon! I might have shed a few tears watching Abby open her heart!
Content warning: emotionally abusive parents.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
November 18, 2024
This one isn’t my favorite of this authors. Whole decent enough to read, I was really disappointed in Abby’s attitude towards people and life in general. She was rude af to Seth, but Seth also had his flaws. He was a major conflict avoider. I did appreciate all the Jewish rep though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,158 reviews