Review: ‘Love You a Latke’ by Amanda Elliot
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Love You a Latke
by Amanda ElliotPublished by Berkley on October 8, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Source: the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance.
Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, 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 Seth.
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 his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, 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.
Love You a Latke is a romance story that highlights Jewish traditions and festivities, making it a perfect read for the winter season. I found myself fully immersed in the narrative, particularly as it explored Hanukkah and the FMC, Abby’s journey to reconnect with the Jewish community after being away for so long. This reconnection was largely facilitated by the MMC, Seth, who she was technically fake dating while she was visiting his family and friends during the holidays.
Brief Storyline: Abby would never have dated Seth in real life because he was the annoying customer at her café. He constantly had a positive attitude, which only added to her frustration. However, she finds herself needing his help, as Abby has been tasked with planning the town’s first Hanukkah festival. Interestingly, Seth also needs her assistance; his family has been urging him to return home for the holidays after he left unexpectedly. What better way to make his return than by bringing a girlfriend along? Abby agrees to accompany Seth home and be his fake girlfriend for eight days, while he, in turn, agrees to help her find vendors for the Hanukkah festival. The more time Abby and Seth spend together, the more she realizes she’s falling for him.
My Thoughts: The book is told entirely from Abby’s point of view, and I didn’t find her character particularly appealing. In the beginning, her attitude toward Seth really bothered me. She came off as the grumpy character opposite Seth’s sunny personality, which I actually liked. Don’t get me wrong, Seth had his flaws, too; he unexpectedly left his family and friends, leaving them to miss him. (Don’t even get me started with how he left his ex-girlfriend.) However, I appreciated that he was trying to make amends with everyone, and Abby was there to support him, even though she worried that people might discover the truth about their fake relationship.
I really enjoyed reading about the traditions and festivities of Hanukkah. The delicious food that was mentioned made me hungry as I read. I want to explore more books focused on Hanukkah, as well as other holidays, rather than just Christmas. I’ve already read plenty of Christmas romance stories.
I believe I would have enjoyed this book more if Seth had had his point of view. I also felt that the romance between Seth and Abby was rushed, particularly toward the end. Additionally, the drama involving Abby’s parents felt hurried as well.
I appreciated that Abby stood her ground and committed to creating an authentic Hanukkah festival without being pressured to incorporate Christmas traditions or elements. If the board wanted a genuine Hanukkah celebration, they needed to support Abby’s ideas and vendor choices. I admired her willingness to fight for what she believed in.
In the end, this book didn’t live up to my expectations, and I give it three stars. However, other readers, particularly those interested in Hanukkah-themed stories, might enjoy it more.
What to Expect:
✨Holiday/Hanukkah Romance
✨Grumpy/Sunshine (FMC is the Grumpy One)
✨Fake Dating/Relationship
✨One Bed
✨Slow Burn
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
About Amanda Elliot
Amanda Elliot lives with her husband in New York City, where she collects way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen, runs in Central Park, and writes for teens and kids under the name Amanda Panitch. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @AmandaPanitch
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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