Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review. This book was cute and had me hooked all the way through. I related well with the characters, too, and found myself attached to their story.

I really enjoyed this Jewish retelling of a Christmas Carol in the midst of presenting a musical version on a Christmas Carol. Jean Meltzer continues to be an automatic read for me with her sensitive descriptions of complicated topics. I do wish Evelyn had been little less stubborn at times although by the end I understood better where she was coming from.

The concept for this book is incredible - make A Christmas Carol Jewish. I wish I loved the book as much as the concept. The circumstances surrounding the visits from the 8 ghosts of Hanukkah are very heavy, so I applaud the author on trying to tell this story. The storytelling felt choppy and the characters were hard to relate to as a result. The steamy moments also felt oddly placed. It was very nice to see such solid and proud Jewish representation, though.

I know there were parts that were meant to be funny, and parts that were meant to be serious and reflective, but I just couldn't make myself care enough about these characters to want to know how they were affected by things. The author's note at the end of the book felt the most real and authentic, and I know she tried to tie in a serious topic into a humorous book, but it just felt like a big disconnect the whole time I was reading. The characters were more annoying than anything else, and too sexualized in strange circumstances. Not a fan of this one. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jean Meltzer has done it again. In The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, she delivers a beautiful story filled with love, heartbreak, humor, and insight. Meltzer has a rare ability to create characters that are real — flawed, funny, and deeply human.

The story centers on Evelyn, a successful TV producer, and David, her ex-husband and an orthopedic surgeon. As childhood friends, their relationship grew and has been shaped by years of love, loss, and growing apart. When the two are unexpectedly thrown back into each other’s lives after two years apart, Evelyn begins to experience a series of strange events. Each night of Hanukkah, she's visited by a ghost who walks her through what she believes are her most painful heartbreaks.

What unfolds is an emotionally rich reimagining of A Christmas Carol — but with a uniquely Jewish twist. Through these nightly visits, Evelyn is forced to confront not just her past, but her assumptions about love, identity, and the meaning of healing.

One of the most compelling aspects of Meltzer’s storytelling — here and in her previous novels — is how she brings visibility to experiences and conditions that are often overlooked. Whether it’s chronic illness or emotional trauma, she handles each topic with care, authenticity, and a refreshing dose of humor. As she states, "I have always written books where things that are not seen are made visible".

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah is more than a romance — it’s a moving exploration of what it means to face our past in order to move toward the future. A perfect holiday read, this novel is equal parts heartwarming and thought-provoking.

Not your typical holiday novel, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah is a retelling of A Christmas Carol but instead through the eight days of the Hanukkah festival. Evelyn is an ambitious, driven producer who is working on a project that could make (or break) her career. She is visited by eight special beings taking her through heartbreaks that occurred throughout her life up to this point. The novel does have some triggering topics and a warning is given at the beginning of the book. This novel touches the heart but because it also includes a very personal trigger for me, I can only give a four star review. There is a different perspective to one incident I wish I.could share with the author because, while the result in the long run was the same, the experience was totally different. Thank you for sharing your heart, Ms. Meltzer. #CampNetgalley

Thank you NetGalley & Jean Meltzer for this ARC ! This was a beautifully written book. I absolutely loved the Hanukkah spin on a Christmas story. I couldn’t put this down. The love between Evelyn and David made you want nothing more than for their story to have a happy ending. I cannot wait to purchase this book. It will be recommending this book to others.

Jean Meltzer has done it again! A wonderful story written by a wonderful author. The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah had it all. Humor, heartbreak, a dash of spice, great characters, good plot, and so much more. Some things I appreciated about the story were that the main character was older, as in not like 22. Personally, I just enjoy reading about characters closer to my age. I enjoyed the perspective of a woman working in the film industry. I loved that the main character did not have to give up her passion and dreams for her love interest. I love how the main character was annoying to me at first and really frustrating, and then I was able to grow in understanding her as she grew throughout the pages. The number one thing I appreciated was how this story dealt with child loss and the real/raw navigation through that grief. I myself have never experienced that, but I have SO MANY friends who have. I know it's something that is not talked about enough. Having books like this can make it easier for women to share their stories and come together to support each other. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me feel all the feels. This book, like all of Jean Meltzer's books, makes me really appreciate Jewish culture even though I'm not Jewish. I loved this book and cannot wait to see what book she'll write next.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jean Meltzer doesn't disappoint.
This was a really fun retelling of "A Christmas Carol" in a Jewish setting.
The story had a lot of depth, grief and sadness throughout as the characters navigating a second chance.

I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mira Books for the eARC!

“The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah” is a unique and cozy take on A Christmas Carol with a fresh, Jewish twist. Evelyn, the main character, isn’t the easiest person to like at first—she’s super focused on her career and kind of intense—but as the story goes on, you really start to understand her better.

The plot is funny and touching, with some really emotional moments mixed in. I loved the idea of using the eight nights of Hanukkah as a way for Evelyn to reflect on her past heartbreaks, especially since they all connect back to her ex-husband, David. Speaking of David—he’s an absolute sweetheart! A kind, supportive doctor who clearly still cares about Evelyn, even after everything they’ve been through.

The banter and chemistry between them were fun to read, even if I didn’t always feel the romantic spark as strongly as I wanted to. Still, it was great seeing them work through their history and get a second chance.

There’s a nice mix of humor, heart, and tradition in this book. The behind-the-scenes look at the chaotic TV production was a fun touch, and the side characters definitely brought some laughs. Also, as someone who dealt with migraines, I appreciated how that part of Evelyn’s life was portrayed.

Overall, this was a sweet, quirky, and meaningful holiday read. If you're looking for something light with heart, humor, and a bit of Hanukkah magic, this one’s worth checking out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing: MIRA Books for letting me read this early! The opinion expressed here is entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing: MIRA Books for the chance to read an advanced copy of this heartfelt and moving story about love, grief, dreams, and second chances.
The book is a fun take on A Christmas Carol with a creative twist with eight Hanukkah nights and memories instead. Evelyn is an executive producer responsible for a massive television production of A Christmas Carol. Evelyn has an accident with a rolling piano and run-in with her ex-husband and doctor David. She is shocked to discover the following eight nights of Hanukkah ghosts appear to reveal her memories and past heartbreaks.
I love magical realism books, so this was a great read for me! The story is funny throughout and also has extreme depth and sadness. Evelyn is hardworking, stubborn, and strong. David is thoughtful, supportive, and has moments of crisis when he retreats.
There are traumatic moments involving complications with pregnancies, so please be aware if that is triggering.
It is a wonderful second-chance romance complete with Jewish celebration, culture, values, and traditions. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a story with layers of grief and love.

Contending with chronic migraines and not enough medicine to treat them, workaholic TV Executive Producer Evelyn Schwartz needs her live musical version of "A Christmas Carol" to go off without a hitch. She doesn't need her ex-husband, David Adler, as the on-set doctor, but there he is treating her after an unfortunate run in with a piano. Working late that night, Evelyn is visited by the ghost of her former mentor who tells her she will be visited by the eight heartbreaks of Hanukkah. Will Evelyn learn from her past heartbreaks? Can she and David find closure on their past heartbreaks; or is the spark that still exists between them enough to re-light a flame?

I really enjoyed this Jewish spin on "A Christmas Carol". While there have been many variations of this classic story, it is unique and clever to base the plot around the 8 nights of Hanukkah. At times a bit too "meta", but overall a satisfying story that I would recommend to anyone seeking a non-Christmas holiday romance.

DNF. I was hoping that I would like this one more than Meltzer's other books. But once again, It feels like it was not written for me

DNF

I love a book with Jewish rep—especially as a reader who is always looking for more Hanukkah books. Unfortunately, I don’t think Jean Meltzer is the author for me.

I tried to give her another shot after her last book was okay for me, but this one was just as stagnant as the previous. If you’re not looking for a low stakes, slow moving book, this may be for you. However, I don’t know many readers who would be into that.

I love how Jean Meltzer writes. She brings such emotion to characters and such care in the way she writes them. I love all the work she does to tell real stories about very real people. This is definitely a more emotional book, with chronic pain and trauma, but treated well. I liked how the characters really grew (even if I hated one in particular) over the story and had a realistic ending

If you are looking for a great holiday romance than you have to read this book! It is a very well written book and full of cute moments.

I have read other books by Jean and this is truly one of her best books! The format and flow is just so perfect. The Jewish representation is really inclusive and realistic. The characters are authentic and relatable. This book has heart, is funny and really fun read that also helps celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah as the characters do in various ways on each night. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun and engaging read within the romance genre.

What a beautiful story. Yes, a retelling of a Christmas carol from a Jewish perspective. I love Jean Meltzer’s writing, and the depth she gives her characters. She creates characters that are flawed and that have some form of chronic illness, and it’s so identifiable.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, and was laughing and crying by the end. Can’t wait to read her next book.

The editor was on vacation, to begin with. I was looking forward to The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah because I really liked The Matzah Ball by Meltzer. Unfortunately, this didn’t live up to my expectations. I am hopeful that the arc I got was so long before the publication date that there are significant edits to come, because there was so much work to be done that I found it distracting. Several times information was repeated within a few sentences, there was a notable vocabulary error, and other things that just didn’t make sense.

This book is a take on A Christmas Carol set at Hanukkah and it has huge Scrooged vibes—I would have liked some Solid Gold dancers. iykyk. Jared Sparks felt like a play on Russell Brand, and his vulgarity, which I found over the top, seemed even ickier given the charges Brand is currently facing.

I think my main problem with The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah was that it felt pretty joyless, which is weird for a book that seems to be marketed as a rom-com. I think Melter had a story she wanted to tell about the tragedy these characters have experienced, and since she has written romcoms she tried to use that as a medium for the story. However, when she is speaking from the heart in the author’s note, it is much more moving and captivating than the rest of the book. I think a different genre would have served her purpose better.

Jean cannot fail. Her books are must read and must buy for me! I was given an early ebook edition of her upcoming book and I also ordered the physical book. I look forward to coming back and updating this review with more detail after the book is released. You guys are going to love it! Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read it early :) also, how cute is that cover?!