THIS WAS SO CUTE! Omg this is one of my all time favorite books to read around Christmas. The characters were great, their relationship was great, and the dialogue was great. I expect all the hallmark type books to just be average or bellow average but this one was actually really great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

So adorable! This book was a perfect cozy holiday romance, with a cute plot and enjoyable characters. The family dynamic was a very nice touch and really helped this book feel /real/ in a way that a lot of recent contemporaries are lacking.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed getting to see the character's Hanukkah traditions. The book tackles a lot and it does so well, which I appreciated. It was a bit predictable and there are points where you wish the character(s) would just figure things out already! But I think that's very true to what it's like being a teenager, so it will resonate. I would recommend it, and although I'm not Jewish, I think having this Hanukkah YA romance is much needed and can hopefully teach others more about Hanukkah and Judaism.

This book was very cute! I liked the main characters Shira and Tyler. Shira’s family/extended family reminded me a lot of family dynamic in 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. I also liked how there was a little bit of history woven into the story.
It did take me a little bit to get into the story and personally I think it dragged a bit in the middle. I also didn’t know when I started reading this that it was the 2nd book in a series. I don’t think you need to read the first book but it would have helped a little with the back story. But overall it was a cute read!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the digital copy!

I received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Shira returns to her family home for Haunakkah with one goal in mind—to make her great uncle’s assistant her boyfriend! unfortunately for Shira, her flirting skills need some help. When Tyler, her ex-crush turned enemy #1, ends up crashing at her family home during a snowstorm, they strike a deal and flirting lessons ensue.

This was a sweet holiday rivals to romance story. While technically a companion novel, this could easily be read as a stand alone which I appreciated. I love seeing Hanukkah represented amongst other seasonal stories and thought this YA was a great addition to the mix. The mystery element was a fun vehicle for the two main characters to get to know one another beyond their preconceived notions and the reveal added so much to the story.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Eight Nights of Falling had a cute premise, but it had a very slow start.
I absolutely adored Hannah’s last book The Summer of Lost Letters. It was absolutely beautiful. Maybe I came in with really high expectations for this one.
This isn’t technically a sequel but I recommend reading The Summer of Lost Letters first to understand some of the storyline. Also because it’s a great book.

Overall this was a cute story and I loved Shiv & Tyler’s relationship. I really enjoyed watching them Both grow.

I’m not Jewish but I do love books with Jewish rep. I love learning about it. I’m happy to see more books with the representation.

I highly recommend this one but only after you’ve read The Summer of Lost Letters.

<i>Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. </i>

I think the title is a bit misleading because this book isn't only set during Hanukkah but I might just be nitpicky. Regardless, this was such a cute and wholesome romance about two old family friends. I loved how Shira and Tyler's relationship developed. Definitely recommend this one!

Also I headcanon Shira as demiromantic and demisexual because of the way she talks about attraction, her thoughts towards it and how much it matches my own experiences.

<i>Rep: Jewish demiromantic demisexual cis female MC, Jewish gay cis male side character, white cishet male side character, various Jewish side characters, Asian American cishet female side character.

CWs: Mention of past infidelity, alcohol consumption. Minor: antisemitism, discussion of sexual content.</i>

Shira is determined to get a boyfriend for Hanukkah and knows exactly who she wants it to be: her uncle’s assistant, Isaac. She’s terrible at flirting so she enlists the help of her former crush, Tyler, who happens to be the most charming guy she knows. As they spend more time together, Shira begins to remember why she had a crush on Tyler in the first place.

This was so cute! With all the holiday romances, I loved having a Hanukkah romance to add to my list. The flirting between Tyler and Shira was perfect and I loved the two of them together.

Thank you to Razorbill Books for the gifted copy.

Eight Nights of Falling had a cute premise, but it had a really slow start. I would have liked to see a better hook for this one!! It’s a bit disappointing because I thought it would be right up my alley.

This book is such a delightful and joyful story! I loved that this was a Chanukah romance full of sweetness and adorable interactions. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

If you’re looking for a great winter holiday read, I can recommend Eight Nights of Flirting, for sure. I was pleasantly surprised by this heartwarming, fun and super endearing contemporary read! Check out my full review below.

I ENJOYED…
Determined to win her crush’s heart this Hanukkah, Shira asks her former crush/nemesis Tyler to teach her how to flirt. Sounds fun, right? I loved this premise right from the start and was really, really excited to see how this would play out.
Shira was such a great main character to follow. She would have been really relatable to 16-years-old me, I think. She’s struggling with how to flirt, how to connect with people and build true, real connections in friendships. Yet, she’s also determined, a whole lot of fun and, even if a bit lost with what to do with herself, has this super passionate side I loved discovering. She’s really awkward and having a hard time showing who she really is, at times, but… as a whole, she just felt like a real, flawed teenager. I loved that so much.
One of the highlights of this book was, obviously, the romance. If you can guess what will happen in the story a little bit, I didn’t mind it one bit. I loved seeing the feelings between the characters growing, their banter and every single one of their interactions warmed my heart SO much.

Overall, I think Eight Nights of Flirting is a perfect holiday read. It has this snowy Nantucket setting and you can perfectly picture all the holiday lights set up in the house, the candles, the Hanukkah Jewish traditions, the cold and snow falls and ice skating and warm cup of hot chocolate. A perfect read for this time of the year!
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the family. Shira has a BIG family, a family that matters to her deeply and it shows. I loved that so much, seeing her interact with her grandparents, the ton of cousins she has and so on. If you like stories with big families, you shoud like this one.
Aside from the romance, the story includes a little bit of a mystery, as Shira and Tyler try to discover the secrets behind a box they found in the attic. While this certainly was a side plot, I found that it added some exciting fun to the book, as well!

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
While I loved the big family, I sometimes found myself a little lost between all the cousins.

OVERALL
Eight Nights of Flirting was a heartwarming, adorable holiday read: definitely recommending it!

Eight nights of flirting with your former crush and current enemy. What could go wrong?
🕎
Shira Barbanel has the reputation an being an unapproachable ice queen. Her experience with guys has been nonexistent at best and embarrassing at worst. But all that’s going to change as she heads to her family’s summer home in Nantucket for the holidays. She has a plan to get her uncle’s intern’s attention. She’s just not sure how to go about it. Enter Tyler Nelson. He’s cool, confident and a well-known flirt. He’s also the first boy she confessed her love to at the tender age of fourteen. When Tyler laughed in her face she vowed to hate him forever, but after they’re snowed in, she comes up with the idea to get him to help her flirt in eight nights. Can Shira gain confidence and learn the subtle art of flirting? And if so, who will she choose to share those skills with?
🕎
Okay. This is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for: the perfect #YA #holidayromance! @hannahelisawren knocks this #hanukkah love story out of the park! It has enemies to lovers, the teach-me-how-romance #trope & great Jewish & #lgbtq representation. We need more #books like this for our teen readers, especially with Hanukkah rep that shared so much about the culture, traditions and the religion itself! I believe this is a companion #novel to the author’s other title The Summer of Lost Letters, but does just find on its own. 5⭐️
CW: alcohol

DNF at 35% in. Sooooooooo slow. and SUCH an annoying narrator. Would not recommend the audiobook, as the narrator's voice is very nasal.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I really loved all the information about Hanukkah and learning about the holiday. However, I detested the characters, and if I dislike the characters I am not able to enjoy the book.

"Eight Nights of Flirting" is a cozy, feel-good winter romance. I loved the whole cast of personalities, especially the protagonist Shira. Her headstrong, bold, empowered nature led her into a lot of fun conflicts as she navigates the ups and downs of teenage romance. Not only was it enjoyable to follow her relationships with others, but most repeated characters had rich personalities and added a lot of interesting dynamics to the story aside from the main plotline. A light-hearted but not too-cheesy YA romance read!

This book was a fun fluffy read. I am not Jewish so it was interesting to see the different ways the holidays were celebrated in this book and learn about some holidays other than Hanukkah as well.. I also liked that there was a lot of little things to learn about Nantucket and the people who live there either year round or part time. I have never been there but would like to go sometime. Over all a cute fluffy romance perfect for the holiday season.

When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together on the first night of Hanukkah they strike a deal--flirting lessons for Shira in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler's playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn't part of the plan.

I love a good Holiday Romcom, especially those that don’t get a lot of representation in the Romcom world. I am happy to report that this didn’t disappoint.

This is such a cute story and I loved Shiv & Tyler’s relationship. It was also nice to read a book where the family wasn’t toxic & all got along.

I definitely recommend this book even if it’s not the holiday season!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book!

A big-hearted YA Hanukkah romance that doesn't shy away from digging into the complexities of long-term happiness in families and romantic relationships.