The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Eight Dates and Nights

Series: Standalone

Author: Betsy Aldredge

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

Hannah Levin is sent to spend Hannukah with her grandmother in Texas. She is not happy with this, but things start to change when Hannah finds a Jewish restaurant in her grandmother’s small town. The restaurant is owned by Noah, who is one of the only other Jews in town. Noah has over the top Hannukah spirit that he is determined to share with Hannah. After spending more time together Hannah begins to wonder is there is more to Hannukah, this community, and her grandmother.

Characters

Hannah: Hannah was a nice character to read. She was realistic and the perfect character to share more about Jewish culture.

Noah: Noah was the perfect character opposite of Hannah. He was fun and light, making Hannukah more fun for Hannah.

Paul/Ringo/Elvis: I have to mention the animals in the book. I love when books have pets and animals in them. I loved the horses and the dog, though I wish they were in it more, but it didn’t take away from the story.

The Families: The families of both Hannah and Noah were important to the story, but definitely not main characters. They were in the background with the focus being on Hannah and Noah.

The Story

This book had a special focus on food that I really enjoyed. I love books that talk about food, and I have never read a book about Jewish food before. It has inspired me to try some.

I also enjoyed learning more about Hannukah and Jewish culture, something I don’t find too often in books. It was an intriguing story that was informative, but not overly so.

I feel like Hannah changed rather suddenly. In the beginning she was frustrated and irritated with her situation, but quickly into the book she changed her feelings about the situation. I wish there was more time devoted to her changing feelings.

This was probably one of my favorite holiday books I have read this season. It was entertaining and informative, with good characters and a good story. If you’re looking to know more about Hannukah and Jewish culture, or you’re just looking for a really cute read, then Eight Dates and Nights is the perfect book for you!