Overall I loved the found family and community aspect of this story. I love that she falls back in love with her identity and because of that learns to live her true life. The romance was a little lack luster, I thought there would be a little more depth. Maybe if we had his pov it would have helped. I also wish there was more depth with it came to her parents. But overall it’s a cute holiday book and I will recommend it on. 3.75 stars rounded down

TY for the free book @berkleyromance @netgalley #berkleypartner #berkleybooks #berkleyinfluencer !!

@amandapanitch has never let me down, bringing me a little bit of Jewish joy in the form of a bit of a grump. Or, Abby Cohen *would* be a kvetch, if she had somebody to talk to. Abby fled NYC for Vermont and a guy, and they broke up. Now, she’s got a struggling little coffee shop. One of her regulars, Seth Abrams, drives her crazy because he’s always sunshine even when it doesn’t make sense.

The community commerce board ropes Abby into coordinating a Hanukkah festival in their picturesque town, and Abby has to juggle her feelings of loneliness after being mistreated by her parents her entire life and her current lack of community with her annoyance at the other coordinator’s insistence that this secretly be a Christmas festival in blue and white. She enlists Seth’s help (via dating app, of all places), in exchange for a favor.

The favor is fake dating in front of his parents in NYC, naturally. There’s bed sharing and blurred lines, of course, but also finding community and care again with his friends and his parents, a VERY dangerous road.

Of course, Abby does let her guard and her hackles down, and Seth isn’t always so sugar pop nice. There are some blink and you’ll miss it cameos of some previous @amandapanitch characters. I liked this book because I am a bit of a kvetch myself, and I think happy endings are for everybody, even the disgruntled.

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot
Standalone Hanukkah Romance
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion.
*Visit my full list of Hanukkah Novels for 2024

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot would make the perfect Hallmark Hanukkah movie. Abby runs a struggling coffee shop in a small Vermont town. As far as she knows, she’s the only Jewish person around. She’s also a total grouch, especially in the morning. One customer in particular drives her crazy—he’s always so cheerful, and she just can’t stand it.

The town’s main street is also struggling, with nearby towns drawing in tourists with their Christmas festivals. The town planner decides to be different and host a Hanukkah festival (during Christmas week) and asks Abby to run it since she’s the only Jew in town. Abby reluctantly agrees but needs help finding Jewish suppliers, so she turns to a Jewish dating app, hoping to meet someone with connections.
“Hanukkah festivals are different. We need different things, different foods, different setups. You can’t just put blue and white lights and a Star of David on a Christmas tree and say it’s for Hanukkah.”

Surprise! Her annoyingly cheerful customer turns out to be the only other Jew in town. He offers to help but has a favor of his own—he needs Abby to be his fake girlfriend when he goes home for Hanukkah.

Abby is estranged from her family after an awful childhood, but she did love the Jewish community she grew up in. When she returns to New York with Seth, she’s immediately embraced by his family and the Jewish community. It makes her realize how much she misses that sense of belonging—and she may be falling for the guy who introduced her to it.
“Whether or not you choose to be part of your family, or whether you’re part of my family, you’re always part of this family. The Jewish family. You can never lose your place here. You can’t get rid of us. You’re home.”

New York during the holidays is magical, but I especially loved reading about the Hanukkah activities happening around the city. Many of the events featured unique takes on Hanukkah food, which made this book a perfect treat for foodies. The nod to Sadie on a Plate was an extra bonus for fans of Amanda Elliot’s other work.

I was so excited to find a Hanukkah romance that I didn’t even check if there was an audiobook. Turns out, there is one, narrated by Kelli Tager, and it sounds amazing! Since there are so few Hanukkah romances on Audible, I’d recommend going with that if you have the option.

Likes:
•Jewish representation without relying on stereotypes.
•All of the fun and unique Hanukkah pop-ups.
•Abby had so much character growth.
•How well it depicts the idea that you find your people when you’re free to be yourself.
•The holidays in NYC.
•Tackled moments of fear of anti-semitism.
•It would be a great read for non-Jews to learn about Jewish culture and Hanukkah in a fun, accessible way.
•Easter eggs (well, maybe Matzoh balls?) from other Amanda Elliot books.

Dislikes:
•Abby was pretty unlikeable for a while, while Seth was nothing but great to her.
•Not enough time with the couple alone and falling for each other.
•We really needed his POV.
•The ending wrapped up too quickly—I wanted more of the festival!

The Down & Dirty:
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot is a fun Hanukkah romance with a Hallmark movie feel and a reverse grumpy/sunshine trope. The characters feel realistic, and while it tackles heavy family topics, it never becomes too serious or depressing. From a small town in Vermont to a Hanukkah-filled NYC, the book provides a great depiction of Jewish life—or the lack of it—in different settings.

While I wished for more couple time and a stronger romantic arc, I still enjoyed this book and appreciated its representation.

Rating: 4 Stars

Loveeeeed the plot. Eight nights of faking it to fall in love? Oh yes!! Sweetie pie male love interest??? Sure! A hanukah festival?? Okayyy!! But Abby kind of ruined it all for me. I found her irritating and unlikable. She would really benefit from therapy and medications and actual healing instead of repressing. It was hard to enjoy the fun story when I just kept hearing all of her negativity.

I’ve really enjoyed each book I’ve tried from Amanda Elliot so far, so knew I had to try her newest romance.

I always love seeing romance reads that give representation - it was lovely to find this was a holiday romance with Jewish representation and gave some insight into Hanukah customs. The food descriptions (as with all her reads) made we feel like I was there and wanting to try things.

The story itself had some great tropes - I’m a sucker for a fake dating trope and always appreciate a grumpy sunshine. It was fun to see a book that also was set (at least partially) in small town Vermont 😊 Overall, a fun and festive read with some hallmark type vibes.

As a jewish reader, I didn't even realize how much I'd been longing for a Hanukkah holiday romance like this! I was rooting for Seth and Abby from the very beginning. I appreciated how accessible this book seemed to non-Jewish readers who might not be as familiar (if aware at all) of Hanukkah food and traditions, while still feeling like a big warm hug to those of us who do. More books like this please! Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for my copy!

This book was so much fun! I loved the romance between Abby and Seth, and the tropes were top tier! Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, forced proximity, and a holiday romance? It was so good! I also loved the Jewish rep in this book. Amanda Elliot really captures the experience of being Jewish at Christmastime, and it made me feel not so alone.

This was an enjoyable read! I loved the story and the characters a lot, but there was a certain spark that I missed, that kept me compelled to continue reading. So a book that I can definitely recommend, although it didn't particularly stand out to me.

This is a refreshing holiday novel from the view of a Jewish pair who live in a small, non-Jewish community. The story really lets you see that the holiday season leaves Hanukkah out of all the large celebrations. Abby is a struggling coffee shop owner who has not family (that she will speak to), no boyfriend and no friends. What she does have is an annoyingly happy customer that gets on her last nerve every day. Seth, the aforementioned annoying customer has a proposition that should be mutually beneficial, pretend to be his girlfriend for Hanukkah with his family and friends in New York. She does this for him and he will help her find vendors for the Hanukkah Festival that the town business owners dumped in her lap.
This is a funny and eye-opening rom-com that will have you laughing, and sometimes crying, from beginning to end.

The holiday read we chose for you this year is exactly that, for the holidays. No, not Christmas.
This is about Hannukah. And no, it’s not kind of the same and that is very much the premise of this book.
Abby runs a coffee shop in Vermont, a place she moved to for ex but stayed because she liked the community and her shop. Truth be told, her coffee shop isn’t doing too well and she’s hoping the Holiday Festival the town is putting on might help draw in some customers.
No, it’s not a Christmas market. It’s a Hannukah festival and as the only Jewish independent shop owner on the tourism board, Abby has been put in charge of organising it. Except she isn’t a very observant Jew since she left her parents’ house (and never went back) and it takes Seth, the other Jew in town and a surprise Hannukah trip back to New York City for her to rediscover the joys of the community and the traditions.
It's a completely different world – more prominent in the US than the UK – than we are used to, as we just assume everyone kind of assimilates to the Christmas traditions, but it is in fact very different.
The story is peppered with details of Jewish traditions and foods and drinks, some well-known, some less, but it’s transporting us into a completely new kind of celebrations.
As Abby dives back into the celebrations she grew up with, this time surrounded by a sweet and loving family who invited her into their home for the holidays, she is also becoming more confident in taking a stand against Lorna. She was the one who suggested making it a Hannukah festival but is still trying to get a Christmas tree and making it mainstream, but now Abby is ready to take a stand: Hannukah is a beautiful holiday that deserves to be shared with tourists, Jewish or not, and they will enjoy the novelty.
And Seth, her regular at the coffee shop who dragged her to New York? We’ll let you find out for yourselves.
Happy holidays!

I couldn’t resist starting off my holiday reading with a Hanukkah romance and Amanda Elliot’s new book Love You a Latke was exactly the kind of heartwarming story I was looking for!

Abby Cohen is a young Jewish woman who owns a coffee shop in a small town in Vermont. She also happens to be the only person on the town’s tourism board, so when the other members decide a Hanukkah festival would be a great idea to bring more tourists to their town, Abby is immediately recruited to take the lead in planning the festival.

Abby, who has mostly abandoned her Jewish roots due to an unhealthy relationship with her parents, knows she’s in over her head so she reaches out to the community in hopes of finding other Jewish residents to help her out. Who answers the call? Abby’s most obnoxious customer, Seth, who is apparently the only other Jewish person in town.

Abby reluctantly accepts his help and soon grows to realize that Seth isn’t nearly as obnoxious as she initially thought he was. He does extract a favor from her in exchange for helping her out though. Seth wants Abby to come home to New York with him and pretend to be his girlfriend. Not only does this fake relationship give way to real feelings and a swoony romance, but it is also the catalyst for Abby reconnecting with her Jewish roots and culture as she experiences the welcoming and vibrant Jewish community Seth immerses her in.

Cozy and heartwarming, Seth and Abby’s romance has major Hallmark holiday vibes with a Hanukkah twist, and I especially loved Abby’s personal journey as she rediscovers her beloved Jewish culture.

Out On: October 8, 2024

This was a fantastic read! I haven't read a lot of books with Jewish main characters before, but the way this was written was so wonderful. I especially enjoyed how much I was able to learn about the Jewish religion through the way that the plot was brought forward in this book! Also, the reverse grumpy-sunshine trope was very well executed (aka. I didn't find the grumpy female annoying haha).

I thought that the character growth we get to watch happen as the story progresses was great. Abby is clearly very traumatized by the way her parents treated her as a child, and that is a large part of her story. I appreciated the delicate way that Amanda Elliot discussed this throughout the book, while still allowing for Abby to open up to Seth in a way she hadn't done with anyone else before.

Seth was an all around wonderful character. The constant positive way he interacts with the world was inspiring and also just a tad unbelievable. I think I would be on the same train as Abby with finding him a little annoying (until you get to know him more of course).

Again, I think that the way we got to watch Abby interact with Seth, his family, and Hanukkah/Jewish culture was really lovely and I honestly didn't want this book to end! A very sweet holiday romance if you are looking for one!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

This one isn’t my favorite of this authors. Whole decent enough to read, I was really disappointed in Abby’s attitude towards people and life in general. She was rude af to Seth, but Seth also had his flaws. He was a major conflict avoider. I did appreciate all the Jewish rep though.

I’m still not completely ready for holiday reads, but I made an exception in October for this highly anticipated read!

Abby owns a cafe in a small Vermont town. Her most annoying customer, Seth, keeps coming in with his sunshine attitude and is determined to break down her carefully constructed walls. She also finds herself planning the town’s fledgling Hanukkah festival as the only Jewish person on the tourism board. However, the vendors and other board members don’t seem to understand that you can’t just slap blue lights on a Christmas tree and call it a Hanukkah festival.

Desperate to not feel like the only Jewish person for miles, Abby puts out a cry for support. And it turns out she’s not the only one…there’s also Seth. Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring home a nice Jewish girl for Hanukkah, so a deal is struck.

I really, really enjoyed Love You A Latke. I thought it did an excellent job depicting what it’s like to celebrate Hanukkah and what it’s like to be Jewish in a primarily non-Jewish area, but it never felt preachy or condemning. The themes of community and identity were very well done, and I want so many more books from Amanda!

Love You A Latke was laugh out loud funny and had a great grumpy-sunshine romance! You should definitely add this one to your winter reading list!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

As a grumpy person, the value of finding someone who still thinks you're great at your grumpiest cannot be underestimated. This is a book about accepting yourself for who you are and who you want to be, and not letting anyone stand in the way of doing the right thing.

Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed Abby and felt that she had an important journey to go on about forgiving herself, forgetting the people who wronged her, and embracing that she's only shut out of community if she wants to be, I also felt too seen at times as we are the grumpy people.

But Seth. oh my god, Seth. How she did not give in and kiss that man's face off like twenty times before it actually happens is beyond me. He is so sweet, and so understanding, and tries so hard to tell her about his feelings for her. But he's not confrontational, and that's his journey.

You're going to learn about Hanukkah, and community, and that potato pancakes (latkes) are actually the most perfect food vehicle for any type of flavors. Sweet? Savory? You got it. Umami? Yes. Acid? You bet. I could've hated this book and then been like, listen...latkes. That's it. That's all I needed. But it was also ADORABLE, so there you go.

I adored this book!! Give me allll the Abby and Seth… every high holiday deserves a book with this couple. Abby’s growth was incredible. The Jewish rep and learning so much about the rituals and customs was just wonderful. Seth is a big ol teddy bear. They were the perfect black cat/golden retriever couple.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Abby lives in a small town in Vermont. And when the neighborhood business community declares it's time for a "holiday" festival, she knows what that will mean: another Christmas extravaganza that ignores all other holidays. Instead, the board director declares their festival will be for Hanukkah. But she schedules it weeks after Hanukkah ends and tells Abby as the only Jewish person to organize it.

Abby recruits Seth to help her with planning. And he agrees so long as she will be his fake girlfriend for Hannukah with his family.

This book splits its time between small town Vermont and New York city. Both were lovely. And it was amazing to see how Abby reconnected with her Jewish faith. The book also made me consider my part in "holiday" traditions near me.

I loved his friend group. And I always enjoy getting a sneak peek of what's happening with characters from previous books. There were a few loose ends I wanted tied up a bit better.

But all in all, I quite enjoyed this. It further cemented Amanda Elliot as one of my favorite authors sharing tales of Jewish joy.

Kelli Tager narrated the audiobook very well in about a 9.5 hour length.

CW: abusive parenting

4.25 stars

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read this!

This book made me want to take a trip to New York City or Vermont and try the local coffee shops and stroll through the town with my warm drink admiring how beautiful the landscape it.

I will be honest the FMC Abby came off as very unlikeable to me at the start of the book until I got to learn more about her. I am used to FMCs always being bubbly and happy and Abby just was neither of them. Could that make her more realistic? Perhaps. Abby is in charge of a Hanukkah festival in her town but its not going as well as she had hope. In exchange for some help with his family, one of her customers at her coffee shop Seth offered to help her with the festival.

Seth was such a warm personality and brought Abby back to life throughout the book. Abby had a not so great childhood while under her parents roof and it has left her incredibly guarded. Seth introduced her to his family and friends (included his ex fiancee) and really just helped putting herself out there. Seth's relationship with his family was very sweet and supportive especially compared to what we learned about Abby's parents.
I felt that a lot of the book was them flirting and showing off to make their relationship come off real as opposed to really seeing them together. When they were together they were so sweet and you could tell it came off genuine.

Check this book out if you enjoy fake dating, yummy food, set along the winter season!

Jewish representation
Grumpy/sunshine
Fake dating
He falls first
Forced proximity/there is only one bed

I couldn't put down this charming holiday romance. I enjoyed the Jewish representation and reading about Hanukkah customs and celebrations. Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, so I loved Abby and Seth's relationship and how Abby gradually opened up to the possibility of love. The book has many mouthwatering food descriptions that made me want to taste everything Abby and Seth were eating. Love You Latke is one of my favorite holiday reads. It's a perfect book for the holiday season.

DNF @ 20%

I really thought that I was going to love this one. I was excited for a romance with Jewish leads putting on a Hanukkah festival. I love the grumpy/sunshine and fake dating tropes, too, so this seemed like a book I would eat up.

Unfortunately, at 20% I am feeling no chemistry between the two lovers. As a sunny person myself, I am having a hard time spending the whole book in the grumpy POV without any breaks to see the sunshine character. I think what I tend to like in a grumpy/sunshine romance is that the grumpy character tends to be grumpy to everyone but the sunshine character in some way. Abby is really annoyed with Seth in a way that some readers may really enjoy, but I do not.

What I did like about Love You a Latke was hearing Abby talk about some Jewish traditions, both around Hanukkah and other areas. Readers who enjoy a first person, single POV, and who are looking for a fresh character may really enjoy this one!