Stevie‘s review of Burning Bright: Four Chanukah Love Stories by Megan Hart, KK Hendin, Stacey Agdern, Jennifer Gracen
Contemporary Jewish Holiday Romance Anthology published by Avon Impulse 01 Dec 15
When all the Christmas books come out each year, I generally find myself yearning for more stories set around the other holidays taking place in and around the Festive Season. This year it seems my wish has been at least partly granted with this quartet of Jewish holiday stories. I grew up amongst a fair number of Jewish family friends, though I had only one Jewish classmate, and so I know a reasonable amount about how Chanukah is celebrated in certain parts of the UK – less so about the rest of the world. But at the end of the day, this is a romance anthology, so it needed to give me love stories as well as an insight into how various groups mark the occasion.
That part pays off really well too. Four very different couples bringt an excellent cross-section of backgrounds to the stories (although all are relatively young, and only one pair is an established couple, the older generation is very much in evidence). Ben has broken away from his strict Orthodox family and moved into an apartment by himself. When he meets his neighbour, Amanda, he’s at first reluctant to disclose much about his past, and his reactions lead her to suspect that he has issues regarding her own take on her heritage. I like the fact that Ben’s reasons for moving cities derive from a wish to allow his best friends to be happy together, and I love Amanda’s attitude towards sharing her holiday spirit with the residents of the care home where she works. So while these two get off to a rocky start, there definitely seems to be plenty of hope for their future.
By contrast, Shari and Evan have been together for a while, but have never really discussed their joint future until a visit to Evan’s family leads to questions about when they plan to marry. Shari is keen, but Evan, a divorce lawyer, has seen too many bitter disputes to be totally sure he wants to risk that particular heartbreak. Shari’s also a family lawyer, but her experiences have led to a yearning to be settled with a man who really wants to commit. So when Evan hesitates, she’s devastated and angry. Evan has to woo her all over again – with a little help, and a lot of encouragement from his family.
Molly, meanwhile, is spending the holidays far from her family, and has decided to throw a party for her entire apartment block to make up for the lack and to ensure everyone gets to celebrate regardless of background. She asks her new neighbour to help, but is shocked to find out he’s done very little to make his place homey – and so plots to help him change that problem. Jon enjoys hanging out with Molly, introducing her to some of the bands he’s signed to his Jewish music label, and helping her reconnect with the bereaved lover of her much-missed aunt. Unfortunately, Molly misunderstands the importance of Jon’s need to feel in control of his surroundings, and Jon misinterprets Molly’s desire to bring him the same comforts in his house that she’s noticed in his car. More fortunately, Jon’s sister has taken a shine to Molly, and the friendship between the women drives them all to a suitable reunion of hearts.
Finally, Tamar and Avi’s story of young love in a foreign country gave me a whole new understanding of why Israel means so much to so many people. Interspersed with quotes about the country and its main cities, this story of young love is the perfect balance to the three slightly more angsty tales that had gone before it. Not quite my favourite of the bunch – I do like Ben and Amanda, in particular – but I couldn’t find fault with any of these four tales.
I want to read more by all the authors, especially if they treat us to more Jewish heroes and heroines.
Grade: A
Summary:
This December, take a break from dreidel spinning, gelt winning, and latke eating to experience the joy of Chanukah. When you fall in love during the Festival of Lights, the world burns a whole lot brighter.
It’s definitely not love at first sight for Amanda and her cute but mysterious new neighbor, Ben. Can a Chanukah miracle show them that getting off on the wrong foot doesn’t mean they can’t walk the same road?
Lawyers in love, Shari Cohen and Evan Sonntag are happy together. But in a moment of doubt, he pushes her away—then soon realizes he made a huge mistake. To win her back, it might take something like a Chanukah miracle.
When impulsive interior designer Molly Baker-Stein barges into Jon Adelman’s apartment and his life intent on planning the best Chanukah party their building has ever seen, neither expects that together they just might discover a Home for Chanukah.
All Tamar expected from her Israel vacation was time to hang out with one of her besties and to act like a tourist, cheesy t-shirt and all, in her two favorite cities. She definitely was not expecting to fall for Avi, a handsome soldier who’s more than she ever dreamed.
Read an excerpt.
