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madrmo's review
Just not my usual style, although I liked the central roles of food and Jewishness to the story.
tearainread's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mishale1's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I’m going to start by saying this is book three in a series and I didn’t read the first two books. So there’s a very real possibility that something that didn’t make sense to me in this book might have made sense had I read the first two.
Batya gets pulled back to her hometown because of a job opportunity. She left home right after graduating highschool, right after she confessed her feelings to Abe and didn’t get the response she wanted. You can tell that they’ve seen each other occasionally over the years and that it has always been awkward. They share some mutual friends so their paths will always cross to some degree but Batya tries to limit their interactions.
But this job opportunity forces her to spend time with Abe.
Batya comes to town because she’s planning to do some work for a cooking channel that is holding a latke competition. The competition is in her hometown and Abe is competing.
Abe never had a problem being around Batya in large part because he always had feelings for her and she accidentally put his foot in his mouth all those years ago when she approached him. He thinks maybe this will be his second chance.
What I loved:
All the foodie talk and the fact that Abe chose ice cream as a way of communicating with Batya. That was really sweet and romantic!
What didn’t work for me:
My god, what did Abe do that was so bad that he seems to be the sole reason Batya left town at 17 and still hates being there over a decade later? Even if he hadn’t reciprocated her feelings, it doesn’t make sense to me why she would literally move away and never come back because her crush didn’t feel the same.
Now that’s something that might have been answered in book one or book two. So I totally accept that I might not have all the info here.
If anyone read the first two books and can answer that question for me, I would seriously appreciate it!
Batya gets pulled back to her hometown because of a job opportunity. She left home right after graduating highschool, right after she confessed her feelings to Abe and didn’t get the response she wanted. You can tell that they’ve seen each other occasionally over the years and that it has always been awkward. They share some mutual friends so their paths will always cross to some degree but Batya tries to limit their interactions.
But this job opportunity forces her to spend time with Abe.
Batya comes to town because she’s planning to do some work for a cooking channel that is holding a latke competition. The competition is in her hometown and Abe is competing.
Abe never had a problem being around Batya in large part because he always had feelings for her and she accidentally put his foot in his mouth all those years ago when she approached him. He thinks maybe this will be his second chance.
What I loved:
All the foodie talk and the fact that Abe chose ice cream as a way of communicating with Batya. That was really sweet and romantic!
What didn’t work for me:
My god, what did Abe do that was so bad that he seems to be the sole reason Batya left town at 17 and still hates being there over a decade later? Even if he hadn’t reciprocated her feelings, it doesn’t make sense to me why she would literally move away and never come back because her crush didn’t feel the same.
Now that’s something that might have been answered in book one or book two. So I totally accept that I might not have all the info here.
If anyone read the first two books and can answer that question for me, I would seriously appreciate it!
annie_e_bea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
creativelifeofliz's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was really cute! I really enjoyed seeing a Jewish romance story so driven by food (like so many other Jewish stories in history, but not always shown in modern storytelling). The third-act conflict was annoying, but did at least feel realistic.
elysareadsitall's review
4.0
"Love and Latkes" is a fun romance filled with food, small town charm, and a tight-knit group of friends. A couple times it seemed like the story jumped forward, and I actually went back to check I hadn't missed a page. Other than that, the writing style is fast and light. It's a delightful story.
witandsin's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin
Love and Latkes is not a book you want to dive into when you’re hungry. A latke fry-off is only the beginning when it comes to discussions of Jewish food and I was so here for it. Yes, this is a romance, and the love story between Batya and Abe made me smile, but it was the themes of connections, history, and community through food that stole my heart.
Batya has avoided Abe ever since a declaration of feelings went wrong back in high school. Now, with celebrity host George Gold bringing a latke fry-off to their hometown, Batya and Abe can’t help but run into each other. Batya is designing the fry-off’s website and hoping for a chance to learn from Gold; she wants to grow her website and build on her dream of sharing Jewish history and culture through the lens of food with the world. Abe is an accountant who has a pop-up kosher barbeque business on the weekends. It’s his dream of opening a kosher deli and winning the fry-off would give him the chance at funds and a mentorship from George Gold.
Thrown together by the competition and their well-meaning friends, Batya and Abe can’t help but be drawn toward each other once more. I enjoyed their flirting through food (how can you resist a man who sends you thoughtful ice cream deliveries?) and it’s yet another way Stacey Agdern connects food and relationships. The Jewish representation in Agdern’s books is always top-notch and Love and Latkes is no exception. I loved the way she talked about the sharing of food, traditions, and culture. And I really loved how she seamlessly incorporated the laws of kashrut into discussions of food and cooking in ways those familiar and not could easily understand.
The second-chance romance between Abe and Batya made me smile and sigh. She’s wary, he’s eager but respectful, and the two of them click as they slowly slide into love as adults. I enjoyed the roles their friends played in bringing them together and helping them out when they needed it. Love between friends is every bit as important as romantic love in this story, which I really appreciated. All in all, I adored Love and Latkes. It’s a sweet, interesting, and engaging story that’s sure to leave you hungry for more of Agdern’s Friendships and Festivals books.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Love and Latkes is not a book you want to dive into when you’re hungry. A latke fry-off is only the beginning when it comes to discussions of Jewish food and I was so here for it. Yes, this is a romance, and the love story between Batya and Abe made me smile, but it was the themes of connections, history, and community through food that stole my heart.
Batya has avoided Abe ever since a declaration of feelings went wrong back in high school. Now, with celebrity host George Gold bringing a latke fry-off to their hometown, Batya and Abe can’t help but run into each other. Batya is designing the fry-off’s website and hoping for a chance to learn from Gold; she wants to grow her website and build on her dream of sharing Jewish history and culture through the lens of food with the world. Abe is an accountant who has a pop-up kosher barbeque business on the weekends. It’s his dream of opening a kosher deli and winning the fry-off would give him the chance at funds and a mentorship from George Gold.
Thrown together by the competition and their well-meaning friends, Batya and Abe can’t help but be drawn toward each other once more. I enjoyed their flirting through food (how can you resist a man who sends you thoughtful ice cream deliveries?) and it’s yet another way Stacey Agdern connects food and relationships. The Jewish representation in Agdern’s books is always top-notch and Love and Latkes is no exception. I loved the way she talked about the sharing of food, traditions, and culture. And I really loved how she seamlessly incorporated the laws of kashrut into discussions of food and cooking in ways those familiar and not could easily understand.
The second-chance romance between Abe and Batya made me smile and sigh. She’s wary, he’s eager but respectful, and the two of them click as they slowly slide into love as adults. I enjoyed the roles their friends played in bringing them together and helping them out when they needed it. Love between friends is every bit as important as romantic love in this story, which I really appreciated. All in all, I adored Love and Latkes. It’s a sweet, interesting, and engaging story that’s sure to leave you hungry for more of Agdern’s Friendships and Festivals books.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.