This YA story follows Shoshanna and Jake, two Jewish teens who are coworkers at a bookstore in the mall competing to win a bookselling competition. Shoshanna is dealing with a lot of hardship with her car being on its last leg, her moms fighting and acting oddly, and trying to handle other relationships in her life. Overall, I think this was a little slow to start and a lot of the conflicts didn't really make sense to me. I liked the representation overall and the bookstore job part of the plot was really fun to read. Overall, this was a nice, cozy read for the season, but not necessarily a favorite.

This was such a sweet read and definitely the first of many I will be reading by this author. I found all the characters relatable in their own way. The romance aspect was written so well.

"Silverman creates a delightful coming-of-age story...destined for rom-com fans."
— School Library Journal

2.5 stars- Found Shoshanna to be whiney and immature, she was supposed to be 16. Rounding rating up because I did enjoy the ending and there were some parts that were fun. The beginning was the roughest part and I'm afraid many readers won't make it past that.

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman is a cute, clean YA romance that book lovers will want in their hands!

Laura Silverman's YOU ASKED FOR PERFECT was one of my first Young Adult contemporary novels I had ever read, and I had easily fallen in love with the relatable characters, soft storyline, and lyrical writing. RECOMMENDED FOR YOU captivated me in the exact same way.

OKAY...first of all....a bookstore romance...enemies-to-lovers...grumpy love interest?? THE UNIVERSE HAS BLESSED US!! I love that this book felt like a love letter to us readers. The subtle references to all the things we know and love felt incredibly personal and made this book feel much more special.

While the romance is a main plot point of the novel, I would also argue that the story explores multiple aspects of socioeconomic struggles and religious diversity, specifically from a Jewish upbringing. It was interesting to explore the dynamic of two Jewish teens working at a bookstore during the holidays, and Laura Silverman weaves in important topics and conversation seamlessly into her writing.

Truthfully, I had been in a YA genre slump for the past few months, finding it difficult to relate to the character's struggles as I reach my twenties. Unsurprisingly, Shoshanna initially rubbed me in a similar fashion. I was skeptical and hesitant to root for her character as I found her unrelatable and slightly judgmental...then I remembered my past teen self and remembered why she was acting that way.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU was the perfect fluffy novel that I needed. If you're a fan of delightful classic YA rom-coms such as TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE or ALWAYS NEVER YOURS, this is the book for you! I'm excited to explore more of Laura Silverman's works in the future.

This was a book that I instantly knew I would recommend and have on hand every holiday season. Having worked retail during the holidays most of my life -- and in a bookstore for the last decade -- the atmosphere of this book really got me. And the idea of the challenge was just so cute!

I also LOVE that the main character is Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah during the course of the novel. I have plenty of Christmas books to recommend customers, but not Hanukkah stories. Thank you for publishing this for all my Jewish teens!

This book was cute, but also made me realize why am not a huge reader of YA romance. The characters just seemed a little too immature for me.

A solidly middle-of-the-pack contemporary YA romance lacking in character depth and a strong romantic arc. Some of the dialogue was fun, but I'm likely too critical of bookstore plots given my work experience. I'm always lured into reading them and then disappointed when they don't meet my expectations. (My fault, I know!)
I'd check out the next book by Laura Silverman because I think there's potential here.
Younger teens might vibe with this book.

Shoshanna loves her job at Once Upon, the local indie bookstore. When her boss creates a competition to sell books to the most customers during the holidays, Shoshanna is sure she will win. That is until she sees what the new guy, Jake, is doing with a reading interest survey he created. Life gets even more complicated when Shoshanna has a falling out with her 2 best friends and her moms start fighting.

This is a super sweet story, but the naivete and self-centeredness of Shoshanna is almost unbelievable. This might be a good read for younger teens, those looking for a holiday story, or for people looking for reads specifically with Jewish characters, but overall the story lacks depth in both characters and plot. Everything gets tied in a neat bow at the end, just like holiday gifts, and Shoshanna barely has any growth. Still a recommended read.

Who doesn't love a romance set in a bookstore? This is the perfect holiday read for winter break. I think students will love the main character's voice.

I loved this book and it has everything in it that people can ask for - LGBTQ+, teens, books, love and friendship. It had me hooked from the very beginning.

This book's marketing as To All the Boys meets You've Got Mail gave it a pretty lofty expectation that it didn't quite meet. It's definitely a nice, cute read, but the main character, Shoshanna, got on my nerves a bit. The inclusivity in this book was a plus!

This book was cute and fluffy. I really loved the story and the characters. And that cover is so great!

What a sweet and charming bookstore romance. Pretty much anything focused on a bookstore is a win for me! So Recommended for You is a "recommended" read! lol

Here's what you get:
Romantic comedy with fun and fully developed characters.
Quick and Emotional read. You can read this sweet story in one sitting.
I loved the competition between the main characters. Shoshanna and Jake were so great together. They have amazing chemistry and witty banter.
Just an overall great heartwarming young adult novel.

Recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of Recommended for You in exchange for an honest review!

Another review where I really have no idea how I feel about this book, so let's break it down with pros & cons.

Pros:
- Takes place in a bookstore.
- Ends up being kinda cute.
- Love a mall setting.

Cons:
- For the majority of this book, Shoshanna is insufferable. However, as with any proper development, she does get better.
- Enemies-to-lovers is a trope that is very hit or miss for me. & this one was a Miss.

In the end, this book is just fine. Once I got past the first half, it did end up being fairly cute. However, I don't think this book will be memorable for me.

Super cute for fellow book lovers and book worms. Very YA but that's totally okay and I think the target audience will really enjoy this one.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU is a cute YA romantic comedy set in a bookstore. Shoshanna loves working at Once Upon, an independent bookstore at the mall. When the new guy, Jake, starts, Shoshanna is shocked to learn that he doesn't read many books and they get off to a terrible start as a result. When the bookstore owner starts a contest for who sells to the most customers with a cash bonus at the holidays, Shoshanna is determined to win. She needs the money to fix Barbra, her car.

At the same time, Shoshanna is dealing with a difficult home environment as her mothers are fighting more and more frequently. Shoshanna is desperate to save their marriage and the family life that had always been so great. She is also dealing with some drama with her BFFs over a bad decision she made.

What I loved: I love Shoshanna's growth during the story, as she begins to think twice before making what could be a bad decision. She learns a lot throughout, and I loved watching it happen. The inclusion of marital strife in parents was also a great inclusion that adds some depth to the story and is a situation that some teens may really connect with. And, of course, the bookstore setting will delight booklovers everywhere. The holiday setting and Jewish main characters also added a nice touch to the story.

The romance is a bit background, but I love a good enemies-to-relationship story, and this one did deliver amongst the other, heavier themes. I liked both Shoshanna and Jake and was happy with the way their friendship developed.

Final verdict: A cute YA rom-com with a holiday setting, RECOMMENDED FOR YOU will delight booklovers with its charm and bookish fun. Recommend for fans of THE BOOKWORM CRUSH and TWEET CUTE.

Shoshanna Greenberg is appalled when the new hire at the bookstore, Once Upon, is a guy who doesn't even seem to read. He can sell books, though, which is a problem for Shoshanna, who is determined to win the store's sales contest for a much-needed bonus. As they get to know each other, she sees there is more to Jake than meets the eye, and he might make a better friend than an enemy, or maybe even more.

At home, Shoshanna's moms are fighting, and she gets herself into a major mess with her best friends. These stories round out a novel with great diverse representation and charm. Shoshanna has realistic rough edges, and she doesn't always take the best approach to problems. She's human, and accepting that she doesn't have all the answers for everyone is part of her journey. A great book for younger teens, especially those searching for Jewish characters in their romance!

DNF @ 36%

I absolutely loved the premise, and I quickly warmed up to the rep (two moms, Jewish family) and the main character's sweet if somewhat naive gesture to try to help smooth over the friction between her moms. But once Jake enters the scene, she becomes super judgmental, a bit of a showoff in regards to how well-read she thinks she is, and somewhat petty. The last straw for me was the predictable (cliched) and problematic decision at the end of Chapter Six.