Miracles and Menorahs

Sarah and Isaac’s story in Miracles and Menorahs by Stacey Agdern, book one in her Friendships and Festivals series, is a fun, heartwarming, sweet romance that brings two people together when they least expect it. This story is a story from Ms. Agdern’s heart. For those non-Christians, Christmas can be a difficult time of the year. People don’t understand what you are going through, and you are surrounded by red and green, Christmas trees, and a feeling like you don’t belong anywhere. This story provides joy to some of those non-Christians, giving them a place, a home, a community, where they can feel accepted and a place where they belong. This is the perfect story to be turned into a Hallmark holiday movie. Sarah Goldman loves Hanukkah and is honored to be appointed vice chair of the Hollowville Hanukkah Festival. Unfortunately, one of the town trustees wants to turn the festival into a carbon copy of every of town’s holiday celebration, focusing on Christmas only. Sarah decided to make some improvements to the Hanukkah Festival; a new slogan, a logo, a major advertising campaign, and a metal menorah, large enough to fill the center of town. The only thing to derail her plans is the committee’s budget constraints and locating a sculptor willing to create her dream. Isaac Lieberman is a famous metal sculptor who also loves Hanukkah. His vision of the perfect Hanukkah is not a commercial community event but spending time with family and taking part in age-old traditions. He is grandmother, his bubbe, lives in Hollowville and sends Sarah to talk to him. Sarah and Isaac have an unusual meet cute, and sparks do fly, but the difference in their visions for the celebration does cause a few obstacles. Spending time in Hollowville visiting his bubbe and Sarah, getting to know more about the celebration and the town just might be the key to changing Isaac’s mind about creating the sculpture; or will it? Ms. Agdern wrote a wonderfully sweet, heartwarming, and moving story that is not to be missed. This story contains perfect chemistry, romantic dates, fun banter, the magic of love, and charming characters giving Sarah and Isaac a chance a chance at love, happiness, and a future together. I highly recommend Miracles and Menorahs to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

A sweet heart warming slow build romance between Sarah and Isaac. Sarah loves Hanukkah and is in charge of the Hanukkah festival, she would love to have a large metal menorah. Isaac is a famous metal sculptor and Sarah would love for him to sculpt the menorah, but this is not his idea of celebrating Hanukkah. As these two meet soon they can't deny their chemistry that they share, So enjoyed this story, so many wonderful traditions that I learned of Hanukkah. Loved the small town of Hollowville, such a sense of community and family. Loved, Isaac's Bubbe, a little matchmaking she performed. This is the first book that I have read of Stacey Agden, and now looking forward of reading more.

Miracles and Menorahs is the debut book by Stacey Agdern. It is the first in her Friendship and Festivals series. I loved reading this story because you can tell she put her heart in it as she wrote about her beloved Hanukkah. I will definitely be looking for more books by her in the future. Sarah and Isaac story revolves around the Hollowville Hanukkah Festival. Sarah is the new vice chair of the festival, only thing is that it may be the last year of the Hanukkah festival. She will try pulling out all the stops to keep her beloved festival going including trying to get a menorah for the town square. That is where Isaac comes in, only thing is that he does not want to sculpt a menorah. Can she show him all the traditions surrounding the festival and get him to change his mind. As they spend time together love starts to bloom. I have learned so much from this story about Hanukkah that I did not know before. I loved that she used all the references to so many things in this story. Including some of the different foods eaten during Hanukkah such as latkes, gelt, and sufganiyot. I wish i could have the experience to enjoy a festival like the Hollowville Hanukkah Festival. I was given a ARC from the publisher in return for a honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.