Guest post written by Love You A Latke author Amanda Elliot
Amanda Elliot lives with her husband and daughter in New York City, where she collects way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen, runs in Central Park, and writes for teens and kids under the name Amanda Panitch.
Want to celebrate Jewish joy with a different romance for each day of the week? I’ve got you covered:
Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer
Jean Meltzer has made a career out of Jewish joy, between her book club, book box, and, of course, her own books. Any of her stories would sit proudly in this space, but I’m going with her third, Kissing Kosher, which, with its foodie themes, is a personal favorite. A rivals-to-lovers romance following competing babka bakers in Brooklyn, this is not only a delicious romance, but a deeply personal and heartfelt story about chronic pain.
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Again, any of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books would fit here—she tends to write Jewish female main characters—but I’m picking her most recent one: Business or Pleasure, a spicy romance about a ghostwriter teaching some sexy lessons to her client. I love how, even though most of her Jewish characters are not super observant, their Jewishness is important to them and an integral part of their characters.
Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz
I so love this story about two Jews of color who were childhood enemies finding their happily ever after following a meet-cute on a plane. One thing I especially love is how it takes the reader through a year of Jewish holidays (when’s the last time you read a Passover or High Holidays romance?), which the main characters celebrate with such joy.
Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
Yes, this is a second Rachel Runya Katz book, I just think she’s that fabulous. Whenever You’re Ready is a sapphic friends-to-lovers romance about two former BFFs who discover something more between them on a road trip exploring southern US Jewish history.
Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum
Rachel’s voice was so distinctive and fun and delightful that reading this book felt like making a friend. I laughed out loud almost my entire read. Rachel and this book felt so Jewish culturally in the best, most exciting way.
Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
Food, celebrity drama, a Jewish main character who’s a chef, a New York City setting: did Lindsay Hameroff write this book specifically for me? This charming second-chance romance is as sweet as the main character’s famous blueberry pancakes.
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot
I couldn’t leave my own book off this list when I wrote it specifically as an expression of Jewish joy! My Hanukkah romance is a celebration of the holiday, featuring a grumpy/sunshine duo who have to fake date over the holiday in order to save her beloved café and get his family off his back. My goal for this book was to center Jewishness—to feature the general feeling of the holidays season with snow and hot cocoa and twinkling lights, yes, but to infuse it with the Hanukkah spirit of anti-assimilationism and persisting in the face of all the odds. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
