Oy! to the worldRachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.
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0 02.5⭐
Thank you so much to Mira and Netgalley for providing an e-arc copy. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I have conflicting thoughts on this book...
First of all, I wasn't aware of this book's criticisms before picking it up as I actively avoid reviews of books I plan to read so not to sway my judgment preemptively. But there are some sarcastic comments made in here that should 100% have been removed in editing. They are made in a joking manner and not appropriate or necessary. So please check out some own voices reviews if you're interested in picking this up!
On top of some less than fantastic attempts at humor, the romance in here wasn't spectacular. There were so many frustrating miscommunication moments as well as obnoxious/childish pranks on each other. And I just never bought into the progression of the romance or why they even liked each other.
BUT the chronic illness rep was absolutely fantastic. There were so many moments that had me feeling so seen and understood - The way the heroine mapped out her days and energy. The way she would push herself even when she knew she shouldn't (same). Those moments were fantastic and I wanted to highlight them and post them everywhere.
Unfortunately, that just wasn't enough to save this story for me. While I loved the discussions on illness, the actual romance and plot itself was lackluster.
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