Hannah travels from her home in New York City to visit her grandma in small-toen Texas for Hanukkah. She's not happy about it because she has plans with friends and traditions that she never misses, plus she doesn't reslly know her grandma, since her family never visits.

Of course, when she gets there, grandma puts her to work cleaning out horse stalls, which Hannah isn't happy about. But when they venture into town for supplies, she catches sight of a cute boy who seems to be her age.

And yeah, it's like a Hallmark movie from there, but based on Hanukkah instead of Christmas A very fun and quick read.

Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge is a short and sweet holiday romance that brings a refreshing focus on Hanukkah instead of the typical Christmas-centered narratives. Set in the small town of Rosenberg, Texas, the story follows New Yorker Hannah Levin as she finds herself stranded during a snowstorm and spending Hanukkah with her grandmother, whom she hasn't seen in years.

The book captures the sense of loneliness and longing that Hannah experiences, missing the familiar traditions and comforts of home. When she meets Noah, the only other Jewish teen in town, their contrasting personalities add a delightful dynamic to their interactions.

Hannah's character occasionally veers into behaving younger than her age, which can be slightly distracting. However, the romance between Hannah and Noah is light-hearted and charming, albeit featuring some insta-love moments. Their blossoming relationship is intertwined with the mission to save Noah's family deli, which holds cultural significance as one of the last remnants of the once-thriving Jewish community in Rosenberg.

One of the strengths of the book is its exploration of the significance of Hanukkah and the challenges of being in a town where it is not the main holiday. The author addresses the importance of cultural and religious traditions, providing insight into the experiences of Jewish individuals during the holiday season.

Eight Dates and Nights is a quick read that captures the spirit of Hanukkah and celebrates the importance of family, community, and finding unexpected love. It is a delightful holiday romance that offers a fresh perspective for readers looking for a break from the Christmas-focused narratives.

4.2 rounded down to 4/5

This is a YA Hanukkah themed book. It was very very good. It is what you want from a great YA holiday book. I highly enjoyed this book.
I just reviewed Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge. #EightDatesandNights #NetGalley
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Two teens with two very different ideas of how to spend Hanukkah learn to work together to save the last Jewish remnant in small town Texas in this cozy holiday romance!

.I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a cute holiday YA book!!! It has a cute opposites attract trope and I really enjoyed the family aspect of it.

I enjoyed that this book had about Hanukkah, it was a great young adult novel. The characters were what I was expecting and I enjoyed how good they worked with the young adult novel. Betsy Aldredge does a great job in creating this and it left me wanting to read more like this.

Eight Dates and Nights
by Betsy Aldredge is a great contemporary and festive YA romance that I enjoyed.

Hannah and Noah are just great together. I really, really enjoyed this YA romance that incorporated the opposites attract concept. I know this is geared towards the YA age group, but by golly anyone of any age can be excited about an adorable, sweet, heartfelt, Hallmark-type holiday romance. This book has meaning, positive lessons, sweet and heartwarming moments full of family, friends, and learning to open up one’s heart and mind to new possibilities.

Having both kids meet in a small-town Texas backdrop, really added to the growth of Hannah’s character, and it was nice to see both MC learn more about themselves and their place within their families and in the world…all the while experiencing life, romance, and reality. I also liked the positive messages added in about respect, hard work, perseverance, accepting when you have made mistakes, and that maybe, just maybe tossing away some of this rigid plans and offering up a bit of vulnerability, really can make a difference.

I also loved the incorporation of Hanukkah and the religious and cultural themes within the book. It balanced perfectly with the dry wit, sarcasm, and lol one-liners that were presented within the narrative. This nice balance really added to the authenticity and positive messages that made this book the gem that it is. This could totally be turned into a TV movie.

Very cute and sweet.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Random House Children's, Underlined for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/3/23.

This is a very cute Hanukkah book that's perfect for readers of any background. I loved it! Adding it to my list of excellent YA Hanukkah books.

I liked all the Hanukkah vibes and the food and the small town. I liked Noah and how family oriented he is.
I didn't really like Hannah, she was kind of immature and really set in her ways. I did like really how she opened up and grew as Noah showed her more of his life and the town.

Cute holiday YA book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Hannah Levin isn't thrilled about her parents sending her to visit her grandmother in a small Texas town, especially right before Hanukkah. She barely knows her grandmother, and the town is just so... quiet and Christmassy, unlike bustling New York, where her Jewish identity finds much more company. But when she meets the cute and irrepressibly upbeat Noah Blum at his family's deli, she finds someone eager to help her find the Hanukkah spirit even in this small town -- and even when a massive snowstorm keeps Hannah stranded in Texas through the holiday.

Short and sweet, this YA holiday novel really pulls out all the stops for Hanukkah. Hannah, for all that she wants to celebrate the holiday with her friends and family back home, is surprisingly grumpy about Noah's attempts to help her make the most of the holiday, but she also appreciates his dedication to family and the family business and jumps in to help him almost from the start. Noah is simply adorable, a ray of sunshine who loves having roots in a small town, and his generally easygoing nature is clearly irresistible even to stranded New Yorkers.

The writing and some of the characterization read a little young -- Hannah did not always seem as mature as the 17-year-old she was described to be -- and the instalove was a little fast, but as a light holiday romance, it will definitely have its fans. YA readers who enjoy grumpy/sunshine, fish out of water, and city girl/small town guy will enjoy this one. 3 stars.

Thank you, Penguin Random House and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A cute and quirky holiday read for teens of all faiths. I love that it incorporates so many elements of Chanukah and the Jewish faith, introducing teens to the culture who may not otherwise be familiar with Judaism. It's a light-hearted story of finding yourself exactly where you're supposed to be, even when you didn't want to be there in the first place....