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witandsin's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin
Miracles and Menorahs is sweeter than the sufganiyot latte author Stacey Agdern has made me crave. It’s a story of hope, of not giving up, and of standing up and protecting traditions and inclusivity. Ms. Agdern excels at depicting both traditional and more modern Hanukkah traditions and the Jewish representation in this book is top-notch, which I just loved.
Sarah Goldman is Hollowville’s resident Hanukkah fairy. She’s the vice chair of the local Hanukkah festival, the kind of event I wish existed anywhere near where I lived. But the festival is in danger of being eliminated in favor of the ubiquitous red and green. Sarah has to lead the charge to fight for space for Jewish traditions to be celebrated and acknowledged. I loved her determination and strength, her positivity and her love for her community. To help save the festival she’s looking for a large metal menorah, but budget and time constraints mean most artists are turning down the commission. Enter Isaac Lieberman, Brooklyn sculptor and grandson of one of Hollowville’s beloved residents. Isaac doesn’t believe in the commercialization of Hanukkah, which means he doesn’t want to take the commission, even at the risk of disappointing his bubbe. His stance is made all the more difficult when he meets Sarah and is immediately attracted to her.
The romance is sweet but extremely understated and this is where I have to mention the snags I hit in reading Miracles and Menorahs. I wanted desperately to love this book because the message of the story is close to my heart and Ms. Agdern weaves in Jewish customs, traditions, and even kitschy fun stuff really well. However, for me this story dragged and felt like it could have been a novella. There’s really not a lot happening and the story is repetitive. There was no real tension or strong emotion to keep me invested, especially when it came to the romance. I craved a deeper emotional pull from the characters and I wish we had delved into their characters more. So this is where it becomes difficult for me to rate the story. The spirit of the book and the sentiments expressed grabbed my heart and spoke to me personally, but the actual plot stretched on for too long and didn’t really keep me engaged (there are only so many times I can be charmed reading about latkes and sufganiyot lattes). I did enjoy the residents of Hollowville and Isaac’s friends in Brooklyn; both groups added warmth and character. The result of this is I have mixed feelings about Miracles and Menorahs but the things I loved about it are rare finds in romance novels. As a result, I find myself drawn to the positive aspects more and I’m very much looking forward to the next Friendships and Festivals story.
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.
Miracles and Menorahs is sweeter than the sufganiyot latte author Stacey Agdern has made me crave. It’s a story of hope, of not giving up, and of standing up and protecting traditions and inclusivity. Ms. Agdern excels at depicting both traditional and more modern Hanukkah traditions and the Jewish representation in this book is top-notch, which I just loved.
Sarah Goldman is Hollowville’s resident Hanukkah fairy. She’s the vice chair of the local Hanukkah festival, the kind of event I wish existed anywhere near where I lived. But the festival is in danger of being eliminated in favor of the ubiquitous red and green. Sarah has to lead the charge to fight for space for Jewish traditions to be celebrated and acknowledged. I loved her determination and strength, her positivity and her love for her community. To help save the festival she’s looking for a large metal menorah, but budget and time constraints mean most artists are turning down the commission. Enter Isaac Lieberman, Brooklyn sculptor and grandson of one of Hollowville’s beloved residents. Isaac doesn’t believe in the commercialization of Hanukkah, which means he doesn’t want to take the commission, even at the risk of disappointing his bubbe. His stance is made all the more difficult when he meets Sarah and is immediately attracted to her.
The romance is sweet but extremely understated and this is where I have to mention the snags I hit in reading Miracles and Menorahs. I wanted desperately to love this book because the message of the story is close to my heart and Ms. Agdern weaves in Jewish customs, traditions, and even kitschy fun stuff really well. However, for me this story dragged and felt like it could have been a novella. There’s really not a lot happening and the story is repetitive. There was no real tension or strong emotion to keep me invested, especially when it came to the romance. I craved a deeper emotional pull from the characters and I wish we had delved into their characters more. So this is where it becomes difficult for me to rate the story. The spirit of the book and the sentiments expressed grabbed my heart and spoke to me personally, but the actual plot stretched on for too long and didn’t really keep me engaged (there are only so many times I can be charmed reading about latkes and sufganiyot lattes). I did enjoy the residents of Hollowville and Isaac’s friends in Brooklyn; both groups added warmth and character. The result of this is I have mixed feelings about Miracles and Menorahs but the things I loved about it are rare finds in romance novels. As a result, I find myself drawn to the positive aspects more and I’m very much looking forward to the next Friendships and Festivals story.
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.
me2brett's review against another edition
5.0
A fun holiday romance! I appreciated the Villain Of The Piece insofar as I really rooted for his downfall. The story is fun, I love all of the main characters' friends, and I wish this were a real place I could visit.
annknee's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
keeley_allen's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
courtsbooknook's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
This book was cute and I loved that it was fully centered around Hanukkah. There was so much Jewish joy and not only were the two main characters Jewish, most of the secondary characters were as well. The characters were a little one note and flat for me and it honestly made the book a bit hard to get through. I found myself waiting to be pulled back in sometimes as events and things would happen so quickly that I didn't even realize I'd missed it. I enjoyed the community feel and I loved the idea of a Hanukkah Festival in a small town. I thought it was sweet; I just didn't love this one as much as I'd hoped I would, but I'm excited to read the other two books in the series to see how certain love stories unfold!
kricklereadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
A festival of Hanukkah? I want to live there …. I found this story relatable and real. We fight for our place so many times and it was nice to read a story about a win that wasn’t fake. ❤️
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
2.0
I was so ready to fall in love with this book and reread it each year, but it just didn't work for me. I loved a lot of things about it: Hollowville, the people in town, the food, Isaac's friend group, and of course the Hanukkah Festival! That's a recipe for a perfect holiday story. The plot itself was tension-less most of the way through and then had too much at once. I would have rather seen an enemies-to-lovers story with tension between the characters before they finally get together or, even better, a story where the couple are a united front fighting against the shenanigans of the people trying to end the Hanukkah festival. The lukewarm tension at the end due to Sarah and Isaac's lack of communication (ugh. So tired of this plot device) and Webster's ineffective pettiness just didn't work for me.
I'm on the fence about trying the others in the series, but I really loved the characters a lot. We'll see.
I'm on the fence about trying the others in the series, but I really loved the characters a lot. We'll see.
charlottelovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading books with Jewish representation, and I appreciate them even more around the holidays. I have read Stacey Agdern’s writing before in the Burning Bright anthology and so I was looking forward to reading this novel, which felt a bit like a big Jewish hug.
This story was full of hope, and it was as sweet as the soofganiyot lattes featured in the book. I could definitely picture the Judaica jewelry and artwork, and the family relationships. If you like the style of Hallmark movies, I think you might like this. It is not steamy at all. I struggled with the main conflict between our couple and a bit with where the couple ended, but overall this definitely got me in a holiday (specifically Hanukkah) mood.
3.5 stars rounded up, I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This story was full of hope, and it was as sweet as the soofganiyot lattes featured in the book. I could definitely picture the Judaica jewelry and artwork, and the family relationships. If you like the style of Hallmark movies, I think you might like this. It is not steamy at all. I struggled with the main conflict between our couple and a bit with where the couple ended, but overall this definitely got me in a holiday (specifically Hanukkah) mood.
3.5 stars rounded up, I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
acdom's review
2.0
I was really excited to find a Hanukkah romance, as I've been inundated with Christmas for the last month (fyi, I'm a secular celebrator of Christmas). But this book just didn't do it for me.
Sarah's entire personality is the Hanukkah festival and drinking sufganiyot lattes. Sure she occasionally goes to work, but she spends 95% of her time during an entire year planning this festival. I absolutely admire her devotion to keeping the Hanukkah festival, especially under the pressure of douchebag town trustees, but there needs to be more plot than just that.
The writing just isn't good. It's repetitive and the book could have been half as long. There are quick switches in time and place that make no sense. It certainly could have benefitted by an editor, as there are several spelling errors and weirdly worded sentences. Characters are often described by their skin color in really weird ways: "she had pink undertones in her pale skin", "the warm undertones in her black skin", "the sun through the window emphasizing the pink undertones in his skin".
If anyone can recommend any other Hanukkah romances, I'm all ears, because this one was just meh for me.
Sarah's entire personality is the Hanukkah festival and drinking sufganiyot lattes. Sure she occasionally goes to work, but she spends 95% of her time during an entire year planning this festival. I absolutely admire her devotion to keeping the Hanukkah festival, especially under the pressure of douchebag town trustees, but there needs to be more plot than just that.
The writing just isn't good. It's repetitive and the book could have been half as long. There are quick switches in time and place that make no sense. It certainly could have benefitted by an editor, as there are several spelling errors and weirdly worded sentences. Characters are often described by their skin color in really weird ways: "she had pink undertones in her pale skin", "the warm undertones in her black skin", "the sun through the window emphasizing the pink undertones in his skin".
If anyone can recommend any other Hanukkah romances, I'm all ears, because this one was just meh for me.
kb33's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
1.5
I wanted to like this book. The town is charming, the meet cute is great, the earrings idea is adorable... but the writing and dialogue are clunky and awkward. Some of the things they say to each other just don’t make sense as responses. And at one point it says that Isaac ate a ton of food “without losing his marbles.” I don’t think the author knows what that means, and this isn’t the first incorrect aphorism. Also, the “protective” or “gossiping” townspeople are sometimes just rude. It’s not cute.
I had trouble finishing this because, more than halfway through, there was still no romance, no flirting, and very little chemistry. Sarah is a Pollyanna, no flaws. It’s dull. It’s all about the festival and the nosy townspeople. The ending is insanely rushed.
I had trouble finishing this because, more than halfway through, there was still no romance, no flirting, and very little chemistry. Sarah is a Pollyanna, no flaws. It’s dull. It’s all about the festival and the nosy townspeople. The ending is insanely rushed.