Recommended For You by Laura Silverman
CW: Divorce, Parents Fighting, Money Problems
3.5/5
Need a good Hannukka romance to balance out all the "Christmas cheer" we have to face this time of year? While the one I have for you may present Christmas in a positive light, it's got a healthy dose of Hannukka. It's like a nice pile of applesauce on a latke (the superior topping)! Grab some Chinese food and snuggle up for Recommended For You, available in audiobook and print.
As with any festival of lights holiday romance, the pacing of this story felt rushed. It's a curse of the genre. However this really only reflects in the love story. It's a cute and relatable story from an author I wish I had known about before this year! Jewish contemporary YA rom-com authors are my absolute favorite, if that wasn't obvious already.
Shoshanna Greenberg is a southern Jewish teen with two moms, a lemon of a car, and a job at a mall bookstore. Hannukka is right around the corner and if her car breaking down and her parents fighting wasn't enough on her plate, now she has to deal with her new annoying/attractive co-worker, Jake. When her boss declares a bookselling competition, Jake and Shoshanna are thrown into rivalry before they even have a chance to become friends.
This is mostly a story of Shoshanna learning that actions have consequences even when they come from a good place. She makes mistakes with her friends, her parents, her job, and Jake. I love how this book handles it, too. There are many times when I'm reading a book, and no matter how much I love it overall, I just get so mad at the main character or sometimes the characters around them. I don't have that here. I sympathize with Shoshanna and respect that she has to learn.
You're likely here for the love story, and while I thought it was a bit rushed, it's still the kind you can't help but root for. Both Jake and Shoshanna are coming from awkward spots internally and really just have to know it's okay to give each other a chance. It's the ever adorable enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. Soft and refreshing!
Books, latkes, and old popcorn are waiting for you in Recommended For You. As you have read this review, this book has now been literally recommended for you. What are your favorite Hannukka reads? Any genre counts!
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