Sarah Goldman loves Hanukkah, and she’s thrilled to be appointed as vice-chair of the Hollowville Hanukkah Festival. So when the festival is threatened with cancellation, she comes up with an idea: a new slogan and advertising campaign topped off with a metal menorah large enough to fill the center of town. But even though her heart and dreams are large, the committee’s budget constraints threaten to stop her grand plans right in their tracks.
Famous metal sculptor Isaac Lieberman also loves Hanukkah. But his vision of a perfect Hanukkah isn’t a commercial community event—it’s spending time with family, following age-old traditions. He’s not interested in the festival, no matter how many times his grandmother, his bubbe, asks him to contribute one of his sculptures.
Then Sarah comes tumbling into his life…can she change his mind about more than just the holidays?
Titles in the Friendships and Festivals series include — Miracles and Menorahs –
Title: Miracles and Menorahs
Series: Friendships and Festivals #1
Author: Stacey Agdern
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
I had such fun reading Miracles and Menorahs from this debut author, which begins her Friendships and Festivals series. In the small town of Hollowville, their Hanukkah Festival gives the town a unique spot for tourists, friends, and families to visit. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the festival as it stand right now – one newly elected councilman with his own ideas of what celebration should be showcased is causing tensions within this community. And to be fair, the Hanukkah Festival does need some sprucing up, some replacement pieces and that is where Sarah comes in – with a zest for bigger and better, new ideas, and advertising campaign, as well as the desire for a huge menorah to decorate the town square and show the uniqueness of this town’s celebrations.
The trouble comes when that huge menorah is far beyond their budget and one skilled craftsman refuses to allow one of his pieces to be used because Issac believes that Hanukkah is a private, family celebration and should not be commercialized. And he is refusing all of his grandmother’s crafty ways to get him to agree to use one of his sculptures.
Although they’ll have to come to an “agree to disagree” arrangement, that’s not going to stop the attraction that is growing from the new friendship between Sarah and Issac.
Miracles and Menorahs is a touching romance with little conflict as we watch Sarah and Issac grow closer as time moves on. I loved Sarah’s zest for life, her personality, and her stubbornness as well. Issac grew on me, his beliefs are strong yet his feelings for Sarah are becoming stronger and soon they’ll have to address the elephant in the room… can they agree to disagree or will that put a stop to the love that’s growing between them.
The town is lovely and its residents lively. The secondary characters will touch a familiar chord with many as some of us have those same types of people as family members. (except maybe one grumpy, mean councilman) The conflict between Sarah and Issac is low-key, the growing attraction between them and what to do about it is their focus. I enjoyed myself here and will gladly return for another visit.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Tule Publishing. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available for your favorite e-reader. Mine is the Kindle, that link is below.
