Love You a Latke
Author: Amanda Elliot
Reviewer: Ang
Rating: A
What I’m Talking About:
If you are looking for a Hanukkah themed Hallmark movie, pick up Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot. Abby and Seth are FREAKING adorable as they stubble through their fake dating business arrangement. Abby’s snark and sarcasm balances Seth’s rose colored glasses perfectly, and thank goodness or the book would be sweeter than a sufganiyot latte (read the book you’ll understand). The secondary characters are multifaceted adding a wonderful depth to the book and to the understanding of Abby and Seth. The settings are detailed to the point of feeling Abby’s soaked feet through her cute leather boots while thoroughly enjoying New York City in all its holiday splendor. I’ve never been to New York during the holidays but I feel like I have a good understanding of what it is like after exploring so many of the boroughs with Seth, Abby, and the crew. The story line has just enough rough edges that it loses some of its Hallmark predictability without losing its charm or crossing over into Lifetime Holiday movie territory.
Overall, Love You a Latke is the perfect holiday read; if you’re not Jewish Ms. Ellliot does a great job of explaining things so you don’t feel left out and confused, and if you are Jewish you’ll pick up on all the little inside treasure she sprinkles throughout the story. Seriously, grab this book, curl up under the softest blanket you own with your favorite holiday drink and plan to stay a while. You won’t regret a moment of it.
My Rating: A Loved It
Ang
About the Book:
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.
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday
Format(s): paperback (368 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)