I really liked this story and the way that the author tied in Jewish culture. It was nice finally getting a holiday story that wasn't about Christmas. The ending was a bit unrealistic with the many surprises but I'm chalking that up to holiday magic instead of thinking too hard about it.

I was so excited to read Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge.

“Two teens with two very different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah learn to work together to save the last Jewish remnant in small town Texas in this cozy holiday romance!”

This is a read that very much pulled me in and made me fall in love with it. There is so much to love about this book, and I am very pleased to have been able to read it.
Hannah and Noah were both very realistic people who I felt so much love for.
I really loved how Aldredge has created a story on Hanukkah which I both loved and found to be very interesting instead of the Christmas type of reads.
This book is pure pleasure reading! It is the perfect escape book.
And I believe anyone especially YAs really really enjoy opening this book up.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Underlined for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a cute YA (Young Adult) romance set just before Channuka. Hannah goes to visit her grandmother who lives in some small town in Texas, and because of weather gets stuck there, through Channuka and Christmas.

Noah runs the only Jewish thing left in this small town, a deli, and Hannah wanders in, and makes friends with him, not knowing that her family has a history of working in the shop, and know the grandfather.

Hannah gets all “big time New York” on Noah, telling him how much better it would be celebrating back home, and so Noah makes it his mission to make her time stuck in town memorable.

Cute story. Hannah is annoying at first, but gradually stops being such a prig, and actually enjoys what Noah plans for her every night.

And yes, of course, as Hannah points out, the small town mouse and the city mouse do actually have attractions to each other.

Quick little read. Something to counter the overabundance of Christmas romances that are out there.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This is coming out from Random House the 3rd of October 2023.

Hannah travels from her home in New York City to visit her grandma in small-toen Texas for Hanukkah. She's not happy about it because she has plans with friends and traditions that she never misses, plus she doesn't reslly know her grandma, since her family never visits.

Of course, when she gets there, grandma puts her to work cleaning out horse stalls, which Hannah isn't happy about. But when they venture into town for supplies, she catches sight of a cute boy who seems to be her age.

And yeah, it's like a Hallmark movie from there, but based on Hanukkah instead of Christmas A very fun and quick read.

Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge is a short and sweet holiday romance that brings a refreshing focus on Hanukkah instead of the typical Christmas-centered narratives. Set in the small town of Rosenberg, Texas, the story follows New Yorker Hannah Levin as she finds herself stranded during a snowstorm and spending Hanukkah with her grandmother, whom she hasn't seen in years.

The book captures the sense of loneliness and longing that Hannah experiences, missing the familiar traditions and comforts of home. When she meets Noah, the only other Jewish teen in town, their contrasting personalities add a delightful dynamic to their interactions.

Hannah's character occasionally veers into behaving younger than her age, which can be slightly distracting. However, the romance between Hannah and Noah is light-hearted and charming, albeit featuring some insta-love moments. Their blossoming relationship is intertwined with the mission to save Noah's family deli, which holds cultural significance as one of the last remnants of the once-thriving Jewish community in Rosenberg.

One of the strengths of the book is its exploration of the significance of Hanukkah and the challenges of being in a town where it is not the main holiday. The author addresses the importance of cultural and religious traditions, providing insight into the experiences of Jewish individuals during the holiday season.

Eight Dates and Nights is a quick read that captures the spirit of Hanukkah and celebrates the importance of family, community, and finding unexpected love. It is a delightful holiday romance that offers a fresh perspective for readers looking for a break from the Christmas-focused narratives.

4.2 rounded down to 4/5

This is a YA Hanukkah themed book. It was very very good. It is what you want from a great YA holiday book. I highly enjoyed this book.
I just reviewed Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge. #EightDatesandNights #NetGalley
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Two teens with two very different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah learn to work together to save the last Jewish remnant in small town Texas in this cozy holiday romance!

.I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a cute holiday YA book!!! It has a cute opposites attract trope and I really enjoyed the family aspect of it.

Eight Dates and Nights
by Betsy Aldredge is a great contemporary and festive YA romance that I enjoyed.

Hannah and Noah are just great together. I really, really enjoyed this YA romance that incorporated the opposites attract concept. I know this is geared towards the YA age group, but by golly anyone of any age can be excited about an adorable, sweet, heartfelt, Hallmark-type holiday romance. This book has meaning, positive lessons, sweet and heartwarming moments full of family, friends, and learning to open up one’s heart and mind to new possibilities.

Having both kids meet in a small-town Texas backdrop, really added to the growth of Hannah’s character, and it was nice to see both MC learn more about themselves and their place within their families and in the world…all the while experiencing life, romance, and reality. I also liked the positive messages added in about respect, hard work, perseverance, accepting when you have made mistakes, and that maybe, just maybe tossing away some of this rigid plans and offering up a bit of vulnerability, really can make a difference.

I also loved the incorporation of Hanukkah and the religious and cultural themes within the book. It balanced perfectly with the dry wit, sarcasm, and lol one-liners that were presented within the narrative. This nice balance really added to the authenticity and positive messages that made this book the gem that it is. This could totally be turned into a TV movie.

Very cute and sweet.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Random House Children's, Underlined for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/3/23.

This is a very cute Hanukkah book that's perfect for readers of any background. I loved it! Adding it to my list of excellent YA Hanukkah books.

I liked all the Hanukkah vibes and the food and the small town. I liked Noah and how family oriented he is.
I didn't really like Hannah, she was kind of immature and really set in her ways. I did like really how she opened up and grew as Noah showed her more of his life and the town.

Cute holiday YA book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Hannah Levin isn't thrilled about her parents sending her to visit her grandmother in a small Texas town, especially right before Hanukkah. She barely knows her grandmother, and the town is just so... quiet and Christmassy, unlike bustling New York, where her Jewish identity finds much more company. But when she meets the cute and irrepressibly upbeat Noah Blum at his family's deli, she finds someone eager to help her find the Hanukkah spirit even in this small town -- and even when a massive snowstorm keeps Hannah stranded in Texas through the holiday.

Short and sweet, this YA holiday novel really pulls out all the stops for Hanukkah. Hannah, for all that she wants to celebrate the holiday with her friends and family back home, is surprisingly grumpy about Noah's attempts to help her make the most of the holiday, but she also appreciates his dedication to family and the family business and jumps in to help him almost from the start. Noah is simply adorable, a ray of sunshine who loves having roots in a small town, and his generally easygoing nature is clearly irresistible even to stranded New Yorkers.

The writing and some of the characterization read a little young -- Hannah did not always seem as mature as the 17-year-old she was described to be -- and the instalove was a little fast, but as a light holiday romance, it will definitely have its fans. YA readers who enjoy grumpy/sunshine, fish out of water, and city girl/small town guy will enjoy this one. 3 stars.

Thank you, Penguin Random House and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A cute and quirky holiday read for teens of all faiths. I love that it incorporates so many elements of Chanukah and the Jewish faith, introducing teens to the culture who may not otherwise be familiar with Judaism. It's a light-hearted story of finding yourself exactly where you're supposed to be, even when you didn't want to be there in the first place....