Member Review

Evelyn Schwartz is about to make her dream come true: executive-produce a live musical for TV and be one step closer to producing a film. If only her migraines, the ex she never got over, and the pesky ghosts of Hanukkah heartbreak would leave her alone to do it.

More than anything else, what I enjoyed about this is that it delves fully into loss and trauma, and how that affects people, even when they try to be too busy to notice it. Evelyn has experienced many heartbreaks in her life, with her ex, David, being there to support her through all of them. It makes their connection deeper and their inevitable return that much sweeter.

It's a very sweet second-chance romance that takes pride in its Jewishness. Evelyn doesn't have time to even think about it, but I loved how David and his family kept the faith alive by following tradition with the open-minded zeal of going to unconventional celebrations.

It's also a very original twist on a story that's been done a thousand times. You get all the typical elements of the classic with a sprinkling of Jewish flair that makes it stand out. The fact that the musical that Evelyn is producing is A Christmas Carol, giving Meltzer a chance to remind readers of the classic's elements, is something that I found really creative. It's a great way to tie the classic with what's happening with Evelyn.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for the romantic read!