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Winter Nights #1
Eight Winter Nights
Cozy up with this warm, festive rom com novella about being true to your heart, the friendships that define us, and the irresistible pull of holiday magic.
Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party — and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and “called” Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.
As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?
Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party — and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and “called” Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.
As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?
3 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 24, 2020
58 people are currently reading
2427 people want to read
About the author
Liz Maverick
34 books479 followersBestselling, award-winning author Liz Maverick is a novelist, adventurer and odd jobs specialist whose contract assignments have taken her from driving trucks in Antarctica to working behind the scenes on reality TV shows in Hollywood.
Liz is known for writing out-of-the-box romance novels with fast-paced, unique plots and lots of kick-butt action. Her previous works include Cosmopolitan Magazine Book Club Pick What a Girl Wants, PRISM/Daphne finalist The Shadow Runners, Golden Leaf winner Crimson Rogue, and Waldenbooks/B&N bestseller Crimson City, the first book in the multi-author continuity series she created.
Liz and her books have been featured on Fox's Geraldo at Large and in USA Today, Cosmopolitan Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Toronto Star, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/LizMaverickC...
Liz is known for writing out-of-the-box romance novels with fast-paced, unique plots and lots of kick-butt action. Her previous works include Cosmopolitan Magazine Book Club Pick What a Girl Wants, PRISM/Daphne finalist The Shadow Runners, Golden Leaf winner Crimson Rogue, and Waldenbooks/B&N bestseller Crimson City, the first book in the multi-author continuity series she created.
Liz and her books have been featured on Fox's Geraldo at Large and in USA Today, Cosmopolitan Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Toronto Star, and more.
https://www.facebook.com/LizMaverickC...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 968 reviews
December 24, 2020
This just wasn’t any good. I thought it would be a cute Holiday story and I’m a sucker for Jason Clarke as a narrator, but just no. There wasn’t any cuteness, the heroine just looks pathetic. I thought by the premise that the girls had both seen him, but maybe he hadn’t seen the heroine or something. No he met her, talked to her, and should have realized that she was what he was looking for, but when her hotter friend arrives he immediately turns his attention to her. The friend interrupted their moment and should have at least asked if she liked him before swooping in, but she didn’t. She and the guy dated for an entire year and then the friend decides to pass him along to her like a hand me down sweater? The guy mopes about the best friend and how to get her back for the entire story. This wasn’t cute or romantic with two a$$holes on one side and a pathetic doormat on the other. Not for me at all.
December 14, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Reminds me of Something Borrowed except Kate Hudson’s character isn’t a totally self involved biotch.
Oz and Tamara broke up and even though Rachel saw him first and wanted him on the spot she won’t be that girl. Sisters before misters and all that.
But then Tamara shoves them together. While she’s vacationing in Bali she asks Rachel to help Oz not only get over the break up but he’s broken his foot, ankle?
So this is almost 3 hours of them realizing they’re perfect for each other but refusing to take that next step because of Tamara. But Tamara is a sly little fox and her reasoning is more than meets the eye.
This is pretty freaking adorable that Oz gets progressively jealous of the guy that Rachel has a crush on. Especially considering he is that guy.
Omg when they helped that sad girl take her revenge Christmas tree home and everything that ensued was both hilarious and heartwarming.
Overall such an incredibly cute story, with a fantastic couple. Plus it was nice to throw in some Hanukkah in the midst of all this Christmas. I did take off half a star because there was almost no steam and they were just begging for it. So much sexual tension that left me totally unfulfilled.
Reminds me of Something Borrowed except Kate Hudson’s character isn’t a totally self involved biotch.
Oz and Tamara broke up and even though Rachel saw him first and wanted him on the spot she won’t be that girl. Sisters before misters and all that.
But then Tamara shoves them together. While she’s vacationing in Bali she asks Rachel to help Oz not only get over the break up but he’s broken his foot, ankle?
So this is almost 3 hours of them realizing they’re perfect for each other but refusing to take that next step because of Tamara. But Tamara is a sly little fox and her reasoning is more than meets the eye.
This is pretty freaking adorable that Oz gets progressively jealous of the guy that Rachel has a crush on. Especially considering he is that guy.
Omg when they helped that sad girl take her revenge Christmas tree home and everything that ensued was both hilarious and heartwarming.
Overall such an incredibly cute story, with a fantastic couple. Plus it was nice to throw in some Hanukkah in the midst of all this Christmas. I did take off half a star because there was almost no steam and they were just begging for it. So much sexual tension that left me totally unfulfilled.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2021
Another Hallmark movie/audible edition. 🤗 This one is a refreshing change from the others I’ve read, as it’s celebrating Hanukkah 🕎. Definitely still a Hallmark Holiday Romance movie feel. I liked the two main characters, really didn’t like the friend, she felt toxic from the get-go. 😬
November 30, 2020
Interesting story and I know Tamara is supposed to seem like a good friend, but wow what a piece of crap. She finished up with Oz and decided to pass her along to her pathetic sad in love friend? Oz too was a clueless jerk. I wanted Rachel to grow a spine and get rid of the truly shitty shitty people in her life. The blurb is sweet, the story is disappointing.
November 25, 2021
wait a fucking minute...
heroine and hero connect she meets him first and then her BFF swoops in and dates the guy for A YEAR after they break up and then she the bff goes on vacation and "makes" heroine live with the hero and he tasks her with helping him to win bff over...
okay mea culpa for not reading synopsis
but when I decide dnf such a short book that is also audio then you know I hate it...
I HATE pathetic heroines
I HATE sharing dick trope meaning the ex of a friend
heroine and hero connect she meets him first and then her BFF swoops in and dates the guy for A YEAR after they break up and then she the bff goes on vacation and "makes" heroine live with the hero and he tasks her with helping him to win bff over...
okay mea culpa for not reading synopsis
but when I decide dnf such a short book that is also audio then you know I hate it...
I HATE pathetic heroines
I HATE sharing dick trope meaning the ex of a friend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2020
Oh I just loved this holiday Chanukah inspired Audible Original! Even if you know every detail of exactly how it's going to end, you might just find yourself crying - right where you expect to. On the eighth night of Chanukah on the balcony where it began. Even if you already guessed about the weird absence, and have had three hours of wondering when these adorable dorks were going to get it together. One spends the entire audio listen, just rooting for Rachel Bacharach. And waiting for the ending you know is coming. The story was magical and eternal, and I just loved it! Puts me in the mood for a latke and some romance coming my way.
December 24, 2022
Wasn't romantic, wasn't funny. The cover is the best thing.
I was skeptital going into the story since I am not particularly fan of best friends-boyfriend-trope (if it is really a trope in romance genre) but Audible original audiobooks have surprised me in good ways, so I went and then... Yeah, nothing is highlighting worthy here.
It's a drama with some cozy-wintery side element.
-
I was skeptital going into the story since I am not particularly fan of best friends-boyfriend-trope (if it is really a trope in romance genre) but Audible original audiobooks have surprised me in good ways, so I went and then... Yeah, nothing is highlighting worthy here.
It's a drama with some cozy-wintery side element.
-
Read
December 18, 2020i didn’t read the description like an idiot so my dislike for this is on me and i couldn’t enjoy it because i really just don’t fuck with the whole best friends ex thing it’s not my vibe
December 23, 2022
As a secular Jew (and well-known Grinch), I annually feel like the Christmas season is being shoved down my throat. It's frickin' everywhere. How delightful, then, to find a cute novella celebrating my own culture.
It's true that I've never ever heard of a Hanukkah party such as described in this book. And, yes, this story suffered from the exact kind of contrivance I'm always complaining about. But, the characters were Jewish, the story was cute, and in those circumstances I'm willing to overlook a lot of crap. Enjoyable!
It's true that I've never ever heard of a Hanukkah party such as described in this book. And, yes, this story suffered from the exact kind of contrivance I'm always complaining about. But, the characters were Jewish, the story was cute, and in those circumstances I'm willing to overlook a lot of crap. Enjoyable!
December 22, 2021
I'm not going to say I loved this book, but I did like it. Our heroine/door mat steps down from a guy she is interested in because her friend "claims" him first. Okay. He's a guy, not a snack cup. Then when the relationship comes to its predictable end, she helps him get the other girl, by giving him the edited copies of the love letters she pathetically wrote to him. If it sounds confusing, that's understandable. It is kinda confusing. But, whether their HEA is happy or not, it happens.
December 28, 2022
this was… shockingly bad. who sets their friend up with their freshly ex boyfriend under the guise of “yOu CaN hAvE hIm NoW iM dOnE!”? I’m very sick actually
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2021
I absolutely hate stories where the hero is her best friends ex but this one changed my mind. I really liked how sweet they were and how he realized he was never in love with his ex and that he made the 'wrong' choice that fateful night.
October 31, 2024
Um… this was interesting. But I think it’s because I don’t like the best friends boyfriend/ex trope. I don’t know it was just really really weird and there was literally no cuteness… nothing. The FMC best friend literally acted like she was giving away her hand me down sweater. Like??? Strange
October 5, 2023
3 ⭐️
Cute and I always love me some pining.
Cute and I always love me some pining.
December 28, 2022
Eight Winter Nights is a cute rom-com story on audio narrated by two narrators. We follow two POV - Rachel and Oz. Rachel has fancied Oz for ages but since her friend Tamara got with him first she's not pursued anything with him. But when the pair break up just before Hanukkah, Rachel being the kind hearted person she is, agrees to help take care of Oz who's broken his ankle. We flick between both POV and its obvious from the get go that they're both totally crazy about each other. Oz wanted Rachel's help to get Tamara back, but Tamara's not responding to his messages nor Rachel's and Oz begins to realise he's using that as an excuse to spend more time with Rachel. Rachel keeps journals filled with her heartache at wanting a guy she can't have and Oz learns of these journals and becomes jealous (not realising they're about him). This is such a cute story and not long either. You'll need to give it a listen to find out if they get it together in the end. There's some cute and funny moments in this book and it was an enjoyable listen on the run up to Christmas. I just wish there had been a bit of spice in this book as it could have done with just a touch of it as the tension between the characters was demanding it.
December 1, 2023
this one was…. interesting lol. rachel met oz at a hanukkah party last year and was immediately smitten, but then he spends the next year dating her best friend. and rachel spends the next year loving him from a distance. when they break up, rachel’s best friend asks her to look after oz. he asks rachel to help him get back with the best friend, but eventually at the very end realizes it’s rachel he’s been in love with all along. definitely not a favorite but it was included in audible plus and it was festive so 🤷🏼♀️
December 31, 2024
Story 4 stars. Narration 5 stars
Very short novella about a woman that loves a man her best friend gets before she can at a Hanukkah party. It’s not about cheating either. I thought it was cute and actually I just enjoyed the whole listen. Some novellas don’t do it for me, but this one does.
Very short novella about a woman that loves a man her best friend gets before she can at a Hanukkah party. It’s not about cheating either. I thought it was cute and actually I just enjoyed the whole listen. Some novellas don’t do it for me, but this one does.
November 30, 2020
was it absolutely ridiculous? yes... as most novellas are i guess?
silly holiday love story.. kind of cute? fast listen, don't regret it but wasn't great
silly holiday love story.. kind of cute? fast listen, don't regret it but wasn't great
January 5, 2025
I am so conflicted about this. It was so well written but I loathed Rachel’s bff Tamara and didn’t understand why she was afforded such leeway to run amok. She was a real @sshole IMHO and everyone was just good with it.
This series of novellas follows the friend group of Sarah, Elliot, Rachel and Tamara. Each of the three novels will focus on one of these friends in turn. This is Rachel’s book.
Rachel is something of a wallflower, content to revel in the conquests of her bestie, Tamara, who is gorgeous and sexy and bubbly. That is, until she meets Oz. Oz who is the new guy in the tight knit Jewish community they’re all a part of. Oz who is funny and gorgeous and seems to really enjoy talking to Rachel. And then Tamara walks into the room and Rachel resumes her roll as wallflower while Rachel takes center stage.
We fast forward one year. Normally I hate that but for the purposes of this novel it works simply because that year is not focused on the FMC. So, one year later, Tamara and Oz split after having dated for said year and she flits off to Bali, leaving Rachel to help care for OZ who just broke his leg.
This is where my @sshole radar really begins to ping. I already do t like Tamara and am frustrated with Rachel for being a doormat.
Rachel, who lives at home with her very close, Jewish family, basically moves in with Oz to help him manage his day to day life. During this time, he decides he’s not willing to give up on his relationship with Tamara and enlists Rachel to help him win her back. Very Cyrano De Bergerac as Rachel draw prose from her journal - a journal solely focused on her love for Oz - to craft love letters to Tamara. Now, this is the where the stories diverges from Cyrano’s. Oz never actually uses the letters. As he reads them, he begins to find he doesn’t feel the emotions for Tamara which were penned by Rachel. This is his only saving grace.
As these two work together while also celebrating Chanukah, their friendship blossoms and you can really feel the chemistry. This is what Liz Maverick does really well and the only reason I didn’t DNF this novella. Because the premise of this novel is awful. During this very embarrassing and sometimes painful partnership with Oz, Rachel reaches out to her beastie for help and insight only to be ghosted by her.
Oz and Rachel finally do discover they’re meant for each other and we reach that final happy place, only to have @sshole Tamara come back and announce that it was her plan to get these two together by setting up the whole scenario. Huh? What kind of friendship is that? So you dated a guy for a year knowing your bestie was in love with him and then dumped him when you were done, knowing he was never the one and then hand him down like a used sweater to your friend? And no one is upset about this??
Listen, literature is filled with unlikable characters, I get that, but they are supposed to serve a purpose. Tamara’s only purpose in the book is being an @sshole. There’s no comeuppance, no rift, no backlash, she literally is forgiven for this nasty slight and life moves on.
And Oz? I don’t know ladies. I don’t think I could date a man whose penis had been inside my bestie. I’m just putting that out there. Maybe that’s not very progressive of me but there we have it. So my brain had a hard time with this element.
I really enjoy the way Liz Maverick writes and I’m going to continue the series, I just didn’t like the way this story panned out.
This series of novellas follows the friend group of Sarah, Elliot, Rachel and Tamara. Each of the three novels will focus on one of these friends in turn. This is Rachel’s book.
Rachel is something of a wallflower, content to revel in the conquests of her bestie, Tamara, who is gorgeous and sexy and bubbly. That is, until she meets Oz. Oz who is the new guy in the tight knit Jewish community they’re all a part of. Oz who is funny and gorgeous and seems to really enjoy talking to Rachel. And then Tamara walks into the room and Rachel resumes her roll as wallflower while Rachel takes center stage.
We fast forward one year. Normally I hate that but for the purposes of this novel it works simply because that year is not focused on the FMC. So, one year later, Tamara and Oz split after having dated for said year and she flits off to Bali, leaving Rachel to help care for OZ who just broke his leg.
This is where my @sshole radar really begins to ping. I already do t like Tamara and am frustrated with Rachel for being a doormat.
Rachel, who lives at home with her very close, Jewish family, basically moves in with Oz to help him manage his day to day life. During this time, he decides he’s not willing to give up on his relationship with Tamara and enlists Rachel to help him win her back. Very Cyrano De Bergerac as Rachel draw prose from her journal - a journal solely focused on her love for Oz - to craft love letters to Tamara. Now, this is the where the stories diverges from Cyrano’s. Oz never actually uses the letters. As he reads them, he begins to find he doesn’t feel the emotions for Tamara which were penned by Rachel. This is his only saving grace.
As these two work together while also celebrating Chanukah, their friendship blossoms and you can really feel the chemistry. This is what Liz Maverick does really well and the only reason I didn’t DNF this novella. Because the premise of this novel is awful. During this very embarrassing and sometimes painful partnership with Oz, Rachel reaches out to her beastie for help and insight only to be ghosted by her.
Oz and Rachel finally do discover they’re meant for each other and we reach that final happy place, only to have @sshole Tamara come back and announce that it was her plan to get these two together by setting up the whole scenario. Huh? What kind of friendship is that? So you dated a guy for a year knowing your bestie was in love with him and then dumped him when you were done, knowing he was never the one and then hand him down like a used sweater to your friend? And no one is upset about this??
Listen, literature is filled with unlikable characters, I get that, but they are supposed to serve a purpose. Tamara’s only purpose in the book is being an @sshole. There’s no comeuppance, no rift, no backlash, she literally is forgiven for this nasty slight and life moves on.
And Oz? I don’t know ladies. I don’t think I could date a man whose penis had been inside my bestie. I’m just putting that out there. Maybe that’s not very progressive of me but there we have it. So my brain had a hard time with this element.
I really enjoy the way Liz Maverick writes and I’m going to continue the series, I just didn’t like the way this story panned out.
December 19, 2023
3.5 stars
Definitely an enjoyable, quick listen for the holiday (specifically Hanukkah) season!
It's got: unrequited love, forced proximity, an attempt at a Cyrano de Bergerac type plot, and a helluva bestie/wing woman. Oh and set in NY!
Definitely an enjoyable, quick listen for the holiday (specifically Hanukkah) season!
It's got: unrequited love, forced proximity, an attempt at a Cyrano de Bergerac type plot, and a helluva bestie/wing woman. Oh and set in NY!
January 9, 2025
So adorable! Basically a cute little hallmark movie in audio form. Loved it 😊
December 8, 2022
truly the narrators and the friend group carried this Hanukah romance novella audio original for me.
Eight Winter Nights is sort of a Cyrano-esque retelling mixed with "I've always loved you and met you first, but you then met my bestie and got with her, but now you've broken up with her and have asked me to help you win her back." Not my fav trope setting tbh, and with a mere 2.5 hours to accomplish it I wasn't sure how that could possibly work.
All in all Maverick did a pretty good job of convincing me, but it made me uncomfy in an otherwise warm and fuzzy story about finding one's person, family, and hanukah light.
Oz is a ding dong, Tamara the best friend is a jerk for ghosting out and refusing to just say "hey we broke up I'm done, go get your girl," and Rachel is sweet but far kinder to her friends than maybe she should be.
a fine listen, if you enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. also there is some mild horniness but this is a end-kiss only story, which felt right for the story.
Eight Winter Nights is sort of a Cyrano-esque retelling mixed with "I've always loved you and met you first, but you then met my bestie and got with her, but now you've broken up with her and have asked me to help you win her back." Not my fav trope setting tbh, and with a mere 2.5 hours to accomplish it I wasn't sure how that could possibly work.
All in all Maverick did a pretty good job of convincing me, but it made me uncomfy in an otherwise warm and fuzzy story about finding one's person, family, and hanukah light.
Oz is a ding dong, Tamara the best friend is a jerk for ghosting out and refusing to just say "hey we broke up I'm done, go get your girl," and Rachel is sweet but far kinder to her friends than maybe she should be.
a fine listen, if you enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. also there is some mild horniness but this is a end-kiss only story, which felt right for the story.
December 4, 2021
The best part of this book was the wonderful cover!
The story was totally insipid because the characters simply didn't evoke any emotion given the genre of the book.
Rachel, who has been forced to endure seeing her best friend with Oz,the guy she fell in instant love with, is now tasked with helping him get over their breakup while the friend is blissfully holidaying.
Neither Oz nor Rachel seem to wonder at how cold the friend connecting them is being while they keep considering her feelings above all else.
I saw the ending way before the book ended and it made no sense either.
The story was totally insipid because the characters simply didn't evoke any emotion given the genre of the book.
Rachel, who has been forced to endure seeing her best friend with Oz,the guy she fell in instant love with, is now tasked with helping him get over their breakup while the friend is blissfully holidaying.
Neither Oz nor Rachel seem to wonder at how cold the friend connecting them is being while they keep considering her feelings above all else.
I saw the ending way before the book ended and it made no sense either.
May 22, 2023
Had the potential to be really cute, but ended up being pretty cringy. The sibling’s/best friend’s ex trope is always a tricky one for me, so it could definitely be a case of it’s me, not you. I just didn’t love Oz and how clueless he was. Rachel was sweet, but came across too desperate. The Jewish rep and narration were the best parts of this novella. Eva Kaminsky and Jason Clarke were wonderful, but not even they could save this story.
Audiobook Review
Overall 2.5-3 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 2 stars
Audiobook Review
Overall 2.5-3 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 2 stars
December 9, 2020
Cute little book. Probably rated higher than normal because for once I can read about a Hanukkah season romance and that makes me especially happy.
December 24, 2022
Wanted to switch it up and do a non-Christmas holiday listen, and this fit the bill!
Short, sweet, and well-narrated! I enjoyed it!☺️
Short, sweet, and well-narrated! I enjoyed it!☺️
November 22, 2024
This was so dumb I cannot hahaha
November 14, 2025
I enjoyed this little Hanukkah read. I happened upon it on audible and it got me into the holiday spirit.
June 6, 2024
This is a really cute and sweet winter series of audio novellas. I just picked the first one because it looked like a fun and short audible original when I wasn’t ready to dive into another book yet, and I was pleasantly surprised - so I listened to the whole series of 3. They are all connected around a group of friends with similar plots, so I’m reviewing them together.
These stories are based around a group of Jewish friends in New York/Brooklyn. Hanukkah Parties, decorations and family traditions play a big role in the interactions. I’m not Jewish, but I enjoyed this peek into a bit of the Jewish culture in the NY dating scene. It provided a fun backdrop to the friendship and relationship interactions.
Winter Nights #1 focuses on Rachel - who meets new guy Oz at the annual big Hanukkah party, only to be left pining over him for a year as he falls for her glamorous best friend, Tamera. As the next year’s party nears, Tamera breaks up with Oz and leaves on a trip to Bali, but asks Rachel to take care of him because he’s broken his foot. Oz asks Rachel to help him write texts to Tamera to win her back. Little did they know that Tamera had realized Oz and Rachel should be together and was trying to set these two up.
I didn’t love the dynamics of a sort of love triangle, or secretly being in love with the best friend’s boyfriend. But nothing is too deep - so it stays cute and fun.
Winter Nights #2 is once again based around the elaborate Bosch family Hanukkah party. This year Adam Bosch has grown weary of his mother trying to set him up, so he told her he’s dating his childhood friend, Sarah. But he hasn’t been more than cordial to her at the annual party in years. We know this fake dating trope will probably work as it usually does in romcoms and help bring these two together as a real couple. Sarah’s friend group is kind to welcome Adam back into their fold after he had distanced himself with social status, so it’s fun to see this friend group and their dynamics again.
Winter Nights #3 gives side character Eliot his turn at romance. He’s mostly accepted that his crush Sarah is now happy with Adam, so his eyes and heart are opened to his new temporary neighbor, Cher, as she visits from California in an apartment swap. Eliot joins Cher on seeing the sights of NYC, and recruits his group of friends to help give her sparse pad some Hanukkah decor. They embrace her and help her feel so at home that maybe her temporary visit might extend to more. Maybe Eliot will find his HEA, too.
Cute stories, a fun friend group, interesting settings, and wonderful narrators give this holiday series all that is needed for enjoyable listening. They are lighthearted and clean, and they made me smile. I’d definitely recommend them as fun listens for those looking for Jewish rep in holiday Hallmark-type stories.
These stories are based around a group of Jewish friends in New York/Brooklyn. Hanukkah Parties, decorations and family traditions play a big role in the interactions. I’m not Jewish, but I enjoyed this peek into a bit of the Jewish culture in the NY dating scene. It provided a fun backdrop to the friendship and relationship interactions.
Winter Nights #1 focuses on Rachel - who meets new guy Oz at the annual big Hanukkah party, only to be left pining over him for a year as he falls for her glamorous best friend, Tamera. As the next year’s party nears, Tamera breaks up with Oz and leaves on a trip to Bali, but asks Rachel to take care of him because he’s broken his foot. Oz asks Rachel to help him write texts to Tamera to win her back. Little did they know that Tamera had realized Oz and Rachel should be together and was trying to set these two up.
I didn’t love the dynamics of a sort of love triangle, or secretly being in love with the best friend’s boyfriend. But nothing is too deep - so it stays cute and fun.
Winter Nights #2 is once again based around the elaborate Bosch family Hanukkah party. This year Adam Bosch has grown weary of his mother trying to set him up, so he told her he’s dating his childhood friend, Sarah. But he hasn’t been more than cordial to her at the annual party in years. We know this fake dating trope will probably work as it usually does in romcoms and help bring these two together as a real couple. Sarah’s friend group is kind to welcome Adam back into their fold after he had distanced himself with social status, so it’s fun to see this friend group and their dynamics again.
Winter Nights #3 gives side character Eliot his turn at romance. He’s mostly accepted that his crush Sarah is now happy with Adam, so his eyes and heart are opened to his new temporary neighbor, Cher, as she visits from California in an apartment swap. Eliot joins Cher on seeing the sights of NYC, and recruits his group of friends to help give her sparse pad some Hanukkah decor. They embrace her and help her feel so at home that maybe her temporary visit might extend to more. Maybe Eliot will find his HEA, too.
Cute stories, a fun friend group, interesting settings, and wonderful narrators give this holiday series all that is needed for enjoyable listening. They are lighthearted and clean, and they made me smile. I’d definitely recommend them as fun listens for those looking for Jewish rep in holiday Hallmark-type stories.
December 16, 2023
https://celebrityreaders.com/2021/02/...
4 stars — Yeah, this worked for me. Like, I can see things that might not work for others, but it totally worked for me. And I think I was surprised, b/c of the whole BFF’s ex thing, but I was satisfied with how it played out for the most part.
I get that Rachel is a bit too self-sacrificing, and that some folks might want a braver heroine. I’m totally okay with her just the way she is, b/c I guess I can connect with that, what with the feeling less than and all that. I love the background girl. And even though the situation was all sorts of weird, I kind of loved that she loved Tamara just the way she was…
Oz was…well, Oz was kind of an idiot. But I think his character surprised me the most. When we start out, I’m all “what does Rachel see in him?” He’s focused on all the wrong things, and seriously takes forever to figure his own feelings out. But we got glimpses of how his upbringing was just different from Rachel’s, and maybe he didn’t have the examples to help him recognize love and chemistry and all that. So it ended up being kind of satisfying watching him figure shit out. And I adored how much being part of Rachel’s family’s Hanukkah rituals really meant to him.
And they were cute together. I mean, it was kind of an uncomfortable courtship, what with the spectre of Tamara in the background and all that, but it was still cute somehow!
Tamara herself gave me mixed feelings. I can see how some might see her in a *super* negative light, and she’s definitely an odd bird. But I guess I saw a lot more complexity to the situation…maybe it was just me projecting, but it was kind of an interesting situation. I don’t think she knew right from the beginning about Rachel’s feelings…I choose to believe she found out late and that’s what led to all this.
I really loved Rachel’s family, and the rest of their friend group in Sarah and Elliott. They seem like a group that has fun together and supports one another.
I ADORED that Hanukkah, and Judaism, wasn’t just a token throw in to be different. There were all sorts of little mentions here and there that delighted me as someone who knows nothing. I’m kind of thinking Ms. Maverick must be Jewish herself, because I can’t imagine getting this authenticity right otherwise.
So yeah. It was fun. It was cute. It was uncomfortable, but I was surprisingly satisfied in the end.
4 stars — Yeah, this worked for me. Like, I can see things that might not work for others, but it totally worked for me. And I think I was surprised, b/c of the whole BFF’s ex thing, but I was satisfied with how it played out for the most part.
I get that Rachel is a bit too self-sacrificing, and that some folks might want a braver heroine. I’m totally okay with her just the way she is, b/c I guess I can connect with that, what with the feeling less than and all that. I love the background girl. And even though the situation was all sorts of weird, I kind of loved that she loved Tamara just the way she was…
Oz was…well, Oz was kind of an idiot. But I think his character surprised me the most. When we start out, I’m all “what does Rachel see in him?” He’s focused on all the wrong things, and seriously takes forever to figure his own feelings out. But we got glimpses of how his upbringing was just different from Rachel’s, and maybe he didn’t have the examples to help him recognize love and chemistry and all that. So it ended up being kind of satisfying watching him figure shit out. And I adored how much being part of Rachel’s family’s Hanukkah rituals really meant to him.
And they were cute together. I mean, it was kind of an uncomfortable courtship, what with the spectre of Tamara in the background and all that, but it was still cute somehow!
Tamara herself gave me mixed feelings. I can see how some might see her in a *super* negative light, and she’s definitely an odd bird. But I guess I saw a lot more complexity to the situation…maybe it was just me projecting, but it was kind of an interesting situation. I don’t think she knew right from the beginning about Rachel’s feelings…I choose to believe she found out late and that’s what led to all this.
I really loved Rachel’s family, and the rest of their friend group in Sarah and Elliott. They seem like a group that has fun together and supports one another.
I ADORED that Hanukkah, and Judaism, wasn’t just a token throw in to be different. There were all sorts of little mentions here and there that delighted me as someone who knows nothing. I’m kind of thinking Ms. Maverick must be Jewish herself, because I can’t imagine getting this authenticity right otherwise.
So yeah. It was fun. It was cute. It was uncomfortable, but I was surprisingly satisfied in the end.
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