Advanced Book Review! Thank you @berkleypub & @netgalley for sending me this book for review. Opinions are mine.
I held out to read this closer to the holidays (let’s not rush winter am I right?). But with the pub date approaching, it was time to dig in.
I’m so glad I did! Love You a Latka is like a primer on Judaism, and especially Hanukkah. It’s easily accessible for the masses and not over the top. It’s the answer to every child who wished that Hanukkah was as widely celebrated as Christmas. At various times, Abby explains that when people say “holiday” they actually mean Christmas, and I’m telling you, we all have felt this.
This is a grumpy x sunshine, cinnamon roll hero, fake dating, Jewish representation, found family, holiday (Hanukkah) romance. As usual, Amanda Elliot does the food descriptions so well – this time mostly Hanukkah related. I loved the holiday bar crawl and NYC scavenger hunt, and the Hanukkah festival Abby planned. I would love to take my kids to a festival like that.
I loved reading about Abby reconnecting to the Jewish community, and why that was important to her. I also really loved the heart to heart she had with Bev, Seth’s mom. I can’t help but wonder if Seth was named after Seth Cohen from the O.C. I felt similarities there when it came to Hanukkah enthusiasm. I would have loved more with Abby’s parents and Seth’s confrontation of them.
This is the kind of Jewish Joy book that my heart needed right now. I feel so seen. Abby often reflects on the antisemitism in the world, talking about things we all understand – like looking around for the exits in a Jewish building. Thank you, Amanda Elliot, for writing this book for all the Jewish adults that, as children, felt like Hanukkah was second to Christmas. (Although personally I think we got the way better end of the deal.)

If you’ve ever been frustrated by Hanukkah being overshadowed by Christmas, or by “Holiday” festivities being just Christmas festivities with a sad little menorah in the corner, you will love this book.

So much about this story resonated with me. I felt seen, which filled my heart with joy. This book felt like home. It’s cozy and sweet and makes you just wanna eat some latkes, decorate some Hanukkah cookies, and sip on fancy Hanukkah themed drinks.

I loved all the characters, and was really rooting for Abby and Seth the whole time. I think their relationship was developed so beautifully. All the side characters were really fun too. The story was very well written and made me laugh quite a few times.

Easily my new favorite book by Amanda Elliot!! This reverse grumpy sunshine, black cat x golden retriever, friends to lovers, fake dating romance has Abby Cohen, a prickly cafe owner and one of the only Jewish people living in her small town, recruited to organize a Hanukkah festival to try to help boost tourism in December.

The problem is Abby doesn't know where to start and has been alienated from the Jewish community since she cut her emotionally abusive parents out of her life. Needing to distract his mother's matchmaking schemes, Seth, a loyal cafe customer, proposes to help Abby if she'll agree to come home with him for the holidays and pretend to be his 'good Jewish girlfriend.'

Cue lots of forced proximity, found family and heartwarming Jewish holiday activities that has Seth slowly warming up Abby's cold exterior and getting her to open up her heart to new people. I loved the emotional depth in this book and how Abby has to work her way through panic attacks and childhood trauma with Seth's and a professional therapist's help.

This was great on audio narrated by Kelli Tager who really delivered on Abby's snark and sarcasm. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jean Meltzer.

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot is a captivating tale that unfolds with an unexpected slow-burn romance and features a cast of remarkable supporting characters. From the very first page, I found myself completely engrossed in the story, unable to put it down.

LOVE YOU A LATKE is a beautiful story about Jewish traditions that stars a struggling coffee shop owner named Abby. She moves to Vermont with her now ex-boyfriend, Connor. She stayed, not wanting to move back to New York and her verbally abusive parents. She is anxious and worries about her fledgling business. She gets really steamed by a good-looking guy, named Seth and his constant cheery attitude, who comes in every morning for a latte. Then, the head of local businesses talks Abby into organizing a Hanukkah festival, since she's the only Jewish business owner in town. Just great more stress!

Abby reluctantly tackles this new responsibility. Her search online for other Jewish people in town turns up her annoying customer Seth. They meet for drinks and he agrees to help her out. But, Seth needs something from Abby in return. He needs a fake girlfriend pronto. His parents nag him about finding someone special. He asks Abby to go with him to his parents house during Hanukkah and pretend they are dating. Can Abby survive Seth's sunny smiles and charming ways? Seth agrees to introduce her to all the vendors to help her make the festival a success. Over winter adventures in Manhattan, doughnuts, latkes, and a warm, loving family atmosphere, Abby slowly realizes that Seth, her fake boyfriend, and his family, are opening up her abused, shuttered heart. Will they realize they are perfect together?

LOVE YOU A LATKE is a Hallmark-like romance story filled with charming characters, fake dates, family struggles, and more, that will leave you with the warm fuzzies! I absolutely adored the story line about Abby getting back to her roots and just maybe meeting the man of her dreams. There are a lot of holiday festivities with Seth and his family. Abby's heart is melting towards the handsome guy. Will they fall in love? How does the festival turn out? This is a wonderful, romantic, holiday story full of good food, good times and good cheer!

This novel was a fun, light rom com with a Hanukkah theme. The narrative revolves around Abby, a coffee shop owner in small-town Vermont, who gets bamboozled into planning a community Hanukkah festival. Though she hasn't been observant in years, Abby realizes that she doesn't want just a "blue and white Christmas festival" and instead wants to create a truly Jewish event. However, since she's the only Jewish person she knows in town, she goes on a dating app to find others in the area. Surprise! The only other Jewish person in town is Seth, the super-annoying regular customer of her coffee shop. Cue enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, fake dating, and "only one bed" when they visit Seth's parents for Hanukkah. This was a mostly enjoyable read with a good cast of friends, charming quirky parents, and some self reflection for good measure. Except for the slightly annoying point that Abby and Seth spent all 8 days of Hanukkah staying with his parents. I've never met anyone who devoted that many vacation days to a minor holiday.
Recommended for fans of Hallmark movies looking for mostly accurate Jewish representation.

4.5 ⭐️ 0 🌶️

Read As An Arc

❄️ Small Town
❄️ Hanukkah
❄️ Fake Dating
❄️ Only One Bed
❄️ NYC
❄️ Forced Proximity
❄️ Holiday Romance



**I want to first note that I am not Jewish or identify as Jewish. I just personally love to see representation books.**

This book I absolutely loved, from the cover, to the representation, and the holiday festive vibes. This read happens in a sort period timeline, like those Hallmark movies we all love!

Abby Lindsay café, that is struggling because of the lack of tours. So the town, creative, and subway to bring people into the town. — I love this idea: it's some thing that I would definitely attend. Abby also happens to be the only Jewish person in the town, so she has the greatest honour in planning this event; but to her surprise, she ends up finding Seth, who happens to be Jewish as well. — This book gets cuter and cuter, I love it!

This is where the magic happens. Seth agrees to help Abby only if she agrees to be his girlfriend. *giggles* As the story progresses, Abby falls for Seth, and she learns about her culture/traditions in a way she hadn't looked at it before.

I wish I got to see more of this relationship in Seth’s perspective, so what I know about him is always, Abbys POV. There is absolutely no spice in this book!! It’s a great read for being a clean romance! I could only imagine if there was spice though!!

Overall, I loved the story, even though I can’t really relate to the characters, but the vibes are great, and it’s a cute read! You definitely need to pick this up and read it this season!




* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

A cute holiday romance centred around Hanukkah celebrations that takes place mostly in New York City during the holiday season.

Abby Cohen is the stressed-out owner of a cafe in a small town in Vermont and Seth is a frequent patron who comes in for a pumpkin spice latte every morning annoying her with his sunny attitude. When the head of the local business association comes up with the idea of holding a post-holidays Hanukkah festival to attract visitors, she ropes Abby into organizing since she's the only Jewish business owner in town. Abby reluctantly takes on the responsiblity and her online search for support reveals that there is at least one other Jewish person in town - Seth. The two meet for drinks and Seth agrees to help Abby source vendors and suppliers but on the condition she'll go to New York City with him to stay with his parents for the 8 days of Hanukkah and pretend to be his girlfriend.

It's a nice change to read a seasonal romance that's focused on one of the other holidays that are celebrated at the same time of year and I enjoyed learning more about the Jewish holidays in a lighthearted way. Love You a Latke is a fun read using some of the best romance tropes (grumpy/sunshine, fake dating) plus it takes place in New York City which is at its absolute best during the holiday season! Abby and Seth get to know each other while meeting up with his friends roaming the city enjoying holiday activities (both Hanukkah and Christmas) and festive food and drinks. A sweet (light on spice) romance between Abby and Seth but also Abby finding her way back to the Jewish community that she hadn't realized she was missing - a great read for the holiday season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5
Warnings: difficult family dynamics, emotional abuse

Thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley, and PRH for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

After rave reviews from one of my best friends, I dove into Love You a Latke as soon as I could. I love this book a latke—and now, of course, I’m craving some latkes! It’s refreshing to see a Hanukkah book during the holiday season, given the notable lack of them. Amanda Elliot continues to impress me with her authentic representation of diverse Jewish experiences. Her relatable characters, heartfelt stories, and knack for weaving food into the narrative really shine through. The details about Jewish traditions felt both respectful and real, adding depth without feeling like an over-explanation.

The fake dating trope in this book was handled so well! You could practically feel the tension and connection between Abby and Seth as they started spending time together. I loved all the NYC holiday moments, from ice skating to festive lights, and the dynamic friend group added so much fun to the story—it made me want to join in on a holiday scavenger hunt! Seth was an absolute gem; sweet, supportive, and exactly the kind of character you root for. Abby’s journey of standing up for herself was incredibly satisfying; you could sense her struggles, and it was wonderful to see her find the confidence she needed with the help of Seth and his loving family.

On a personal level, this book resonated with me deeply. It’s rare to see Jewish characters who embrace their religion and customs without necessarily being kosher or attending synagogue regularly—it’s a representation of Jewish life that feels true to my own experience, and that matters so much. I also hope this book serves as a lovely introduction to Hanukkah for readers who may not be familiar with the holiday, highlighting the joy, traditions, and community spirit that define it.

Love You a Latke is a delightful read, full of humor, heart, and holiday spirit. It’s a book that will warm you from the inside out, much like the best latkes do.

This book had so much potential but it fell so flat. There were so many opportunities to have the yearning and all that good stuff, but it never really happened how I wanted it to. I do this it's really amazing that there is a holiday romance novel that had Judaism as a main focus. But that was really the only redeeming factor for me.

As the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth, the annoyingly cheerful daily customer of Abby's coffeeshop. They come to an agreement that if Abby goes to NYC for Hanukkah as his fake girlfriend then while they're in the city he'll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success.

The fake dating trope is popular and it's hard to resist the festive atmosphere of NYC in December. The book's two downfalls are 1) it gets so caught up in festival planning and friends & family issues that there's not enough time spent developing Seth and Abby's relationships, and 2) I could not get over the implausibility of a major town festival being spontaneously planned a mere week or two ahead of time. They should've been planning next year's festival. This is eye-rollingly like a ridiculous Hallmark Christmas movie.

Complaints aside, the novel does a great job explaining Jewish holiday customs, and Abby's journey towards re-embracing Jewish customers was heartwarming. It's a charming and cute story, and I liked that in this grumpy-sunshine duo it was the FMC who was the grump. There aren't enough Hanukkah books on the market, so this is a welcome addition to the current selection. This is a nice feel-good non-Christmas holiday story.

Love You a Latke absolutely confirmed my theory that I’m obsessed with anything and everything Amanda Elliot writes. Her representation of Judaism continues to resonate with me and I love to see Jewish characters that enjoy their religion and customs / traditions but may not be Kosher or attend shul on a regular basis - it’s rare to see my own level of religion represented, and like they say, representation matters!!

This fake dating, forced proximity romance that is set during Hanukah was excellent - the tension was palpable and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved the nods to Elliot’s prior novel, Sadie on a Plate.

review to come - loved it! Great to see Chanukah represented and to see Judaism shown from different levels of observance

I read this book when I was on vacation, it was about 90 degrees but felt 100 out and the sky was clear. However this book transported me to Vermont in winters, and I was envisioning the snow falling. I swear I felt chills. It was amazing, and just what I needed. This book was just amazing. I don’t think that there are enough Jewish holiday books, and this one did a great job helping fill that gap. I loved how Abby learned to stand up for herself against the town bully and make the Jewish town festival actually authentically Jewish rather than what the bully tried to get (not a spoiler but it was a mess and made me cringe). Abby’s character growth was spectacular over the course of the book. I especially enjoyed how the Jewish cuisine, traditions, and culture were interwoven into the book so nicely. I never felt confused or overwhelmed because even though I am not the most familiar, things were well explained or explained with enough context I could figure it out. It was really fun. If this book wasn’t great enough with just that, there was also the fake dating with Abby and Seth. Their partnership was a true delight to get to see unfold.

Read this book if you want a truly wonderful holiday romance chalk full of Jewish traditions. It’s not one to miss.

This was an overall fun holiday read all about a single Jewish woman living in small town Vermont who gets roped into planning a Hanukkah festival to try to bring in tourists over the holiday season. Abby Cohen runs a little cafe, is struggling to make ends meet, and tries to avoid her ex-long term boyfriend with whom she moved from New York to Vermont years earlier. She's a total grump, and I loved that about her, because I would be too. No one in town understands what Hanukkah actually is, and she's constantly being stymied by her colleagues on the tourism board as well as the vendors in the area, so Abby desperately gets on a Jewish dating app to see if she can find at least one other Jew in the area. She matches with Seth, her most annoying customer at the coffee shop, and he agrees to help her with the planning, but with a little quid pro quo in mind. He needs to show up to his parents' house in NYC with a girlfriend for Hanukkah. I enjoy both fake dating and grumpy/sunshine as tropes, so I enjoyed how this story played out. The only thing I didn't love was the suddenness with which Abby's feelings changed - it seemed like a pretty sharp 180. But maybe that's just how grumps grump.

It's great to see a holiday romance so wholeheartedly embrace Jewish traditions and festivities - this is going to hit all the right notes for readers who have been aching to see themselves on the page. The pacing reminded me of a Hallmark movie, where our couple gets caught up in the festive spirit and falls in a very short period of time. For me, there wasn't enough time spent on developing the romance to truly connect with the love story. I'd say that it's 30% romance, 30% explaining Jewish traditions, and 40% friends/family time. I definitely wanted more time with this couple (and less time with their friends/family), but it's a fast-paced read that had me feeling those winter vibes. It felt fresh and different in its own way, and there's definitely more good than bad. I enjoyed it overall, but it's not likely to be a romance that I'll revisit.

The story follows Abby, a woman who runs a cafe in a small town in Vermont. All of the local businesses have been struggling with less tourism in the area lately, so one of the small business owners comes up with an idea to bring new people to town - a Hanukkah festival. There are tons of Christmas festivals in the area, but Hanukkah is an "untapped market." And who better to plan the event? The only Jewish person in town, Abby. Overwhelmed but aware that this is her best chance at getting new business, Abby suddenly has a lot on her plate. She does a little digging and discovers that there actually is one other Jewish person in town - Seth, the infuriatingly cheerful customer who frequents her cafe. He agrees to help plan the event, in exchange for Abby playing the role of fake girlfriend when he goes home to visit his parents. As the two grow closer over a few short days, Abby finds herself falling for Seth and embracing Jewish culture in a way she hasn't in a long time.

I really liked Abby and Seth together, and I absolutely would've liked more time devoted to them falling. We don't get Seth's perspective, so I still feel like I only know surface level details about him. I probably know more about his friends and family, since we spend so much time with them, lol. I liked that Abby is the grump and he's the sunshine, which was perfect for this opposites attract romance. He's an optimist, and I loved the way he smoothed out some of Abby's rough edges. Another review described it well though - I wasn't always sure Abby was falling for Seth, so much as falling for his friends, family, and community. Not enough time was spent on showing why they were right for each other. There was also a LOT of time devoted to explaining Jewish traditions, so much that it detracted from the overall story. I want those festive vibes, not a lesson. In the end, I liked this, but didn't connect to it quite the way I'd hoped.

Abby is a coffee shop owner who ran away from her family in NYC to open her shop in Vermont. When the business association president taps her to run a Hanukkah festival because she's the only Jewish person in the association, Abby starts stressing, especially when a bunch of the suggested vendors try to get her to run the festival the same way as all the Christmas ones in the area, with a tree and a nativity scene and ornaments. She tries to find any other Jewish people anywhere, and the ONE guy in town is the most annoying of her regular customers. He's got connections, though, and he trades her access to those connections for being his fake girlfriend for Hanukkah with her parents.

I loved this! I can never say no to a good fake dating book. Add to that the fight to make sure things are accurately presented for the Jewish community, and Abby's need to stand up for herself. And Seth is a total golden retriever character, the sunshine to her grump, and completely adorable.

After finishing this, I'm now needing to read something written based around Passover or Purim or Rosh Hashanah or any of the other more important Jewish holidays. I'm not Jewish, but I want to see more for the Jewish community than I have, with more representation for the holidays that matter more to them.

This book was fun, and the romance of it was just adorable.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

“Love You a Latke” is a heartwarming, chaste Hanukkah romance book. Set in the snowy months in Vermont and New York City, we are introduced to grumpy Abby Cohen who is struggling to run her own café and feels disconnected from any Jewish community (even more hindered by the lack of Jewish people in her town) which is exasperated by the overwhelming Christmas decorations and preparations that surround her. I really liked Abby. I understood her grievances of seeing a lack of representation of herself and I couldn’t help but bristle when local shop owners essentially voluntold her to do a Hanukkah festival because she was the only Jewish business owner and cheapen Hanukkah just to bring in money.
To help her with her business adventure she reluctantly turns to another Jewish person in her area, Seth, a person who radiates sunshine and gets on Abby’s nerves. The two struck a deal: fake date for the holidays and find ideas for the festival. As Abby and Seth spend more time together, the barriers that each have slowly crumble.
In addition to a cute, slow burn romance between Abby and Seth, I loved Abby’s personal journey throughout the novel. Her rough exterior has been built as a defense mechanism, but she does allow herself to be vulnerable and open. I also really appreciated that there is no third act breakup and no drama related to the appearance of Seth’s ex-girlfriend, but a moment reserved for clarity and self awareness. I really hope non-Christmas holiday romances continue to be written as I learned a lot about Hanukkah and the traditions that are used to celebrate it. Just another important reminder that representation is very important.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley/Penguin Random House for an early review copy.

Reading a holiday book in the middle of summer is always a bit of an interesting experience but I fell head over heels for Love You a Latke. Abby is a bit of a grumpy cafe owner who gets roped into creating a Hannukah Market for her small Vermont town as the token Jewish business owner. In her quest to find community, she discovers that one of her customers, who annoys her relentlessly is the only other Jew in her town. He agrees to help her if she agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend and go home with him for Hanukkah.

This book beautifully captures the secular Jewish experience. I related to Abby and her love of the Jewish community while simultaneously feeling disconnected from it. This book was so wonderfully Jewish and not a romance that had some sprinkled in Jewish elements. This story is a clean romance without spice, but I didn't miss it, because the characters and story development definitely filled my cup.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and voluntarily give my honest review.

Abby runs a small cafe in Vermont and is asked to put together a Hanukkah market. She recruits the help of Seth, a frequent visitor of her shop, with one condition: she agrees to be his fake girlfriend for the holidays.

Amanda Elliot did a great job integrating Jewish cuisine, traditions and culture into a very fun story premise set during the holidays. I related to Abby so much throughout the story and found her to be such a lovable FMC. Alongside this being a romance story with fake dating, NYC adventures and an only one bed situation, I loved how Elliot emphasized the role of community and the importance of finding people to share that community with. Kelli Tager made listening to this one a true delight.

Read if you like:
-Holiday reads
-Hanukkah and Jewish rep
-Fake dating
-Only one bed
-NYC setting

Thank you Berkley and PRH Audio for the ARC/ALC!