This was a delightful little Hanukah romance that gave me all the warm fuzzies. I appreciated Abby's apprehension especially considering how big of gaslighters her parents were. And I always love a good golden retrieve MC, so Seth was definitely swoon-worthy. This was one of the few romances where I felt the journey to love was done well in a believable and organic way. Which isn't to say that a little it of fantasy isn't good because we all need that every now and then. But this was something I could genuinely see happening in real life. Very cute and sweet and perfect for anyone looking for a Hallmark like vibe but with a different winter holiday. I will warn that you will get hungry when reading this book.

Abby Cohen has been tasked to plan their town's first Hanukkah festival. As the only Jewish business owner, it is assumed it will be right up her alley. The problem is, Abby hasn't celebrated Hanukkah since she moved to Vermont. As well as that, Seth, her most annoying customer seems to be the only other Jewish person in town, the only one she can ask for help. 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, 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.

I really enjoyed this story. I loved getting to know both Abby and Seth and seeing them get to know one another. I also loved all the various Hanukkah activities. This wasn't just a sweet romance, as Abby had some secrets. Her childhood, specifically her relationship with her mother was toxic and dealing with that baggage is one of the reasons she fled New York and stopped celebrating. She was also dealing with the head of the tourism board, who didn't really want to host a Hanukkah festival, but just put a slight Jewish twist on a Christmas festival. They can still have a nativity, the Holy Family was jewish, just put yarmulkes on the wise men. The vendors coming from New York will be too expensive and so on. So, yes, this is a romance, but it is also a story of seeing Abby grow and finally be able to stand up for herself. It is also a celebration of Hanukkah. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

“I just didn't want Christmas in my Hanukkah, the same way I didn't want to dip a grilled cheese in my cinnamon roll latte. Both were delicious, but I didn't want them together.”

So the beginning of this book didn't start off great. Abby isn't an extremely likable character and unfortunately she's so pissy in the beginning that it took me a minute to give her a chance. Once we got past that little hump and really delved into the story I really enjoyed it a lot more.

This was a really fun Hannukah romance read and probably one of the better ones I've read. I know next to nothing about this Jewish holiday so it was really cool to get a little bit of history thrown in while the characters are also exploring their fake-dating scheme. Especially through the usage of food. This story follows a Jewish bakery owner so of course we have a ton of food-related conversations and plot-line, which is great because I love a good delicious pastry or meal!

Outside of the food, we have a fake-dating, he falls first, open-door romance. I really liked Seth & his family. He was such a golden retriever man who always looks for the positives and I liked his influence on Abby's character.

I tried really hard to get into this, but couldn’t.
May try again next year.
It started off really slow. When the audio was released I gave it a try there a well and still couldn’t get into it.

Abby is the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town. When she’s charged with planning a Hanukkah festival, she finds that local vendors aren’t exactly prepared to provide for a festival that isn’t about Christmas, she enlists the help of Seth, her most annoying customer - and the only other Jew in town - to help with the festival. In return, she agrees to pose as his fake girlfriend when he returns home to New York for Hanukkah. But as the two spend time together over sufganiyot and menorahs, she starts to realize that there might be real feelings in their fake relationship.

What better time to read a Hanukkah romance than during Hanukkah? This closed door, sweet and very earnest romance will find fans who celebrate Hanukkah and those who don't. The slow-growing friendship between Abby and Seth, and how they both worked on breaking down one another’s walls is believable and paced well, making the book's inevitable ending feel worth the work to get there. Vivid side characters and strong dialogue round out a very strong holiday romance. A great recommendation for folks who do not want any spice on the page whatsoever but love a little angst.

Short synopsis: Abby a small cafe owner in Vermont agrees to host a Hanukkah Festival in hopes of keeping her business alive. She enlists Seth the other other Jewish person to help, in exchange she will be his fake girlfriend to get his parents off his back.

My thoughts: I absolutely adored the Jewish Rep in this. I feel like I learned so much about the traditions of Hanukkah that I knew nothing about. And all the food talk had me really needing to try a latke!

I liked how the main characters warmed up to each other and helped each other come to understand themselves, even when it was difficult. I also really enjoyed the interaction with Seth’s parents, and the scene set for the Holidays in New York City has me craving a trip there!

Read if you love:
- Jewish Rep
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Fake Dating
- New York City
- Friend Groups

Amanda Elliot writes a heartfelt, funny, and food centric ode to Hanukkah and I LOVED IT.
Elliot is my go to for food centered novels - Both BEST SERVED HOT and SADIE ON A PLATE are two of my favorites, because of how the food really shows through on page. LOVE YOU A LATKE is no different! The food imagery is so beautifully written.
As the holiday festival came together, I loved following Abby and Seth explored their Jewish culture, how Abby felt like she returned home, and how Seth did not judge her for being out of it for so long. Seths parents were adorable, his friend group and Freya were so fun, and I loved as each day progressed, lighting the candles, and with Abby learning a little bit more about herself. Truly so enjoyable - I am glad I finished it this holiday season. The end had me wanting to cry for Abby during the festival and how she finally got to see her religion represented well.
Amanda Elliot they could never make me hate you!!
THANK YOU to Berkley and netgalley for early access to this book, and for Amanda Elliot for her beautiful writing hehe.

This might be my favorite Hanukkah romance ever!! I loved that the characters were more on the secular side (like me!) because I found their journeys throughout the story very relatable. I loved that this grumpy/sunshine story featured a lady grump! Fuck gender norms!

All of the tropes throughout this story worked together perfectly to create a joyous story with a lot of depth. I loved Abby's backstory and the way she handled her trip to NY with all of the trauma she had there and I loved the way Seth supported her throughout it all. I found it really fitting that Abby's relationship with her parents didn't have a resolution - it felt very reflective of real life and I appreciated that,.

I will also say, Amanda Elliot is always making me hungry in her books! The descriptions of latkes and lattes had my mouth watering the entire time. If you're in the market for a non-christmas holiday romance, give this book a shot!

Many thanks to Berkley for the digital ARC via NetGalley. Let's dig into my review!

I have been craving a good slow-burn romance with plenty of tension, and at long last, Love You a Latke delivered. The fake dating, only one bed goodness gave plenty of time for the attraction and affection between Abby and Seth to grow in the best way.

This is a single POV romance, which always works better for me as a reader. I loved seeing Abby grapple with realizing that maybe Seth's positive attitude wasn't so annoying anymore, and watching her second guess the feelings she feels growing between them.

The banter and chemistry between the lead characters is phenomenal, and I love how Abby finds a sense of community with him as he helps her connect to the traditions she thought she lost when she went no-contact with her parents.

Also, the descriptions of all the delicious food they taste on the way to finding the perfect vendors for the Hanukkah festival? Immaculate.

I did find myself wishing for a bit more of a satisfying resolution for Abby's struggles with her past and her family, but the book does tie that plot line up in its own way.

In all, I adored Love You a Latke and think it's an excellent love story about sticking up for yourself and your dreams while also finding a sense of connection and community around shared values and traditions.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a solid winter holiday romance and to those who love delicious food and drink descriptions peppered throughout a slow-burn romance with a hint of spice.

Thank you to Berkley for sending me my new favorite Hanukkah romance in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you 🩷:
• ☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
• ✡️ Jewish Representation
• 🏙️ New York City during the Holidays
• 🍪 Drowning Gingerbread Men
(when they deserve it!)

Abby Cohen is juggling a holiday nightmare: organizing her small Vermont town’s first-ever Hanukkah festival with almost zero support—except for Seth, her overly cheerful, most persistent customer. When he offers to introduce her to vendors in exchange for posing as his fake girlfriend for a family Hanukkah celebration, Abby reluctantly agrees. But between latkes, snowy adventures, and Seth’s relentless charm, she starts to wonder if this “fake” relationship might actually be warming her heart for real.

I’m so glad I saved this one to read during Hanukkah because this has to be my favorite romance surrounding the holiday yet! I love how Amanda Elliot has Abby call out inappropriate suggestions towards Hanukkah in the most hilarious ways. It was a spectacular way to bring up the subject without feeling too preachy to any non-Jewish readers. The author also respectfully captures the emotions and concerns of those with estranged parents. While I am not in this situation myself, I appreciate how she details Abby’s thought process in these scenes.

And Abby and Seth’s chemistry? Absolutely off the charts! This one nails so many of my favorite tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Cinnamon Roll Hero, AND only one bed! The list just keeps going. I also love how their friendship grows and the way they support each other throughout the story.

Although last night was the final evening for Hanukkah, if you’re looking for wintery vibes and New York nostalgia, be sure to pick up “Love You A Latke”!

This was such a fun read and with Hanukkah quickly approaching, I wanted to spotlight another holiday read.

Such a clever twist as the only Jewish business owner is chosen to create a Hanukkah festival to compete with the Christmas festivals of neighboring towns.

Abby enlists her most annoying customer to help the festival showcase Jewish traditions. She’s fighting with the town that is convinced that having the name along with twinkling lights and Santa will work.

Grumpy/sunshine and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes and done well in this holiday read. I should add I am not Jewish, so I can’t speak for authenticity, but I didn’t notice any glaring issues. I loved the representation and easily fell in love with Abby and Seth. I couldn’t get enough of them. Their story is both heartwarming and sweet. And I loved how much they grew in such a short time.

I’m a fan of having more than just a romance and this also dealt with finding your roots and forgiving past trauma. There was a lot going on but it was woven together well.

Overall a fun rom com for someone of any religion.

This is a fake dating for a family Hanukkah party. But also a grumpy sunshine or black cat and golden retriever energy. He’s so unphased by her and continues with his good mood while she tries to get him to be a little less chipper in the morning at her cafe.
But after they were sharing a bedroom and so much time together they were starting to look at each other differently.
I agree with Abby there shouldn’t be any Christian or pagan symbols in a Hanukkah festival, then it’s something else. And it should run on the days that Hanukkah does. Hanukkah was late this year starting on Christmas night.

This book is fantastic! I thought it did a great job at showing the ways that our American culture expects people to accept all the Christmas traditions while ignoring others. I loved the fake dating and the slow burn of the relationship. Though it was slow burn the chemistry was built so well that it kept me turning the pages!

This ended up being a cute Hanukkah rom com. I loved reading about Abby and Seth's Hanukkah New York adventure complete with slightly blackmailing someone into fake dating. It was fresh and new. With it being a Hanukkah rom com which is something newer to to market it didn't have that over the top Hallmark feel that seems to get every other Christmas rom com. I know I for one am looking forward to more Hanukkah rom coms.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I loved this book! It’s the perfect holiday rom-com with small-town vibes, a couple to root for, and all the Hanukkah vibes!

Abby has been tasked with creating a Hanukkah festival to help attract tourists to her small town in Vermont. Not knowing where to turn, she recruits Seth. Seth agrees to help if Abby will come to NYC with him and pretend to be his girlfriend. The thing is, Abby doesn’t like Seth…

I loved how Amanda managed to include conversation on what Hanukkah means. Plus, our main characters Abby and Seth are great! Furthermore, this one’s got all my favorite tropes:

💛grumpy-sunshine
❤️fake dating
💕enemies-to-lovers

I really enjoyed this holiday themed book. I thought it gave a realistic view of being Jewish in a Christian dominated world around the holidays.

Abby runs a coffee shop in a small Vermont town. When the town's tourism board decides that they need to bring more visitors to town and the best way to do so is with a Hannukah festival, Abby seems like the person to put in charge. After all, she's the lone Jewish person in town. Except, she soon finds out that she's not - her least favorite customer, the eternally sunny Seth, is also Jewish. Abby needs the festival to be a success to help boost sales at her shop, so she makes a deal with Seth. He'll help connect her with vendors for the festival if she comes to NYC with him and pretends to be his girlfriend for a week. During that week, Abby gets to experience a loving Jewish community that was largely missing from her own childhood and the time spent with Seth brings the two closer together. Can they pull off the festival and maybe find love in the process?

I found this to be an utterly charming holiday novel. I loved the reverse grumpy/sunshine and found family/community aspects of the story. The way the author shared Abby's growth as a character throughout the story was very well done. I'm not well-versed in Jewish traditions, but the author did a great job of making the story accessible for those not familiar with the history and culture of Hannukah.

Overall - 4.5/5 rounded down
Spice - 1/5

If you like:
😘Fake Dating
🕎 Hanukkah Traditions
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Found Family
🔀 Opposites Attract

I definitely recommend checking out this Hanukkah read from Amanda Elliot!

I loved how their fake dating came to be with Abby getting nominated in her small town to put together a Hanukkah festival while all the locals really wanted it to be a Christmas festival, but wanted to use Hanukkah as a ploy to get more people to visit their small town to boost business for the small town business owners… but from this, where does the fake dating come in… well, Seth is the only other Jewish person in their small town, and he offers to help Abby get vendors in place for the festival, on one condition, she spends Hanukkah in New York City with his family as his girlfriend… because he thinks if he brings a nice Jewish girl home, it will get his parents off his back.

I loved how Abby was annoyed by Seth and Seth found her surly personality charming underneath her rough and guarded exterior and how they both had some things to work through including the reasons they both ended up in their small town as native NYC’ers.

Overall, it was a cute holiday read, and while it wasn’t my fave from Amanda I still really enjoyed it, especially as she brought light to the way Jewish people are treated and expected to dim their culture to be more palatable to the masses. And with the hard couple (read that all) years that it has been for the Jewish people, I think the small moments that bring to light how poorly people treat their Jewish community members was a needed touch to the story telling.

Thanks so much to Putnam for my ARC in exchange for my review!

An incredibly cute book that guides the reader on the Jewish culture/religion without too much hand holding or simplifying. It was a cute story and the forced proximity/fake dating was wonderful. I think my favorite aspect of the story was how probable it felt while still being magical. Not everything had to be tied up and resolved, but the meat of the story was satisfied and left me lingering in what might be in store for the characters without feeling like I was missing a part of it.

A better than average romance story with an emphasis on building communities & families, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.