LOVE YOU A LATKE

A struggling coffee-shop owner and her most cheerful customer fake a relationship for Hanukkah in this cozy contemporary romance.

Former New Yorker Abby Cohen moved to Vermont for a relationship that didn’t work out, but she stuck around anyway and opened a coffee shop. There’s only one thing—or rather, person—who disturbs her beloved peace and quiet, and that’s the sunny Seth Abrams, a regular at her shop. When it’s revealed that Abby is the only Jewish person on her town’s tourism board, she becomes the de facto head of planning for this year’s Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, Abby is quickly disappointed by the lack of creativity and enthusiasm from other local vendors. In desperation, she takes to the internet to ask for help and is surprised to learn that Seth is also Jewish. (“Apparently, my own Jewdar was broken,” she thinks.) He’s happy to connect Abby with other vendors who could make the Hanukkah festival a hit, but there’s a catch. Abby must play the role of “Nice Jewish Girlfriend” on a trip back to New York to spend Hanukkah with Seth’s family. Seth is endearing and supportive, the sunshine to Abby’s grumpy. They make a very cute couple with their black cat meets golden retriever energies; their interactions are the highlight of the book. Wintertime in New York City is picturesque and romantic, but there’s a reason Abby has stayed away from her old stomping grounds for so long—her verbally abusive parents. The novel’s two settings are in a tug-of-war, and there’s enough detail and motivation to have focused on just one. The small-town power struggle between Abby and Lorna, the president of the yearly festival, makes for a more traditional and fun holiday romance plot. The fake-dating portion in which Abby arrives back home and confronts the terrible behavior of her parents makes this feel like two separate books.

A warm and welcoming, though disjointed, holiday romance.