Review – Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Recommended for You

Author Laura Silverman

Description from Amazon

Shoshanna Greenberg loves working at Once Upon, her favorite local bookstore. And with her moms fighting at home and her beloved car teetering on the brink of death, the store has become a welcome escape.

When her boss announces a holiday bonus to the person who sells the most books, Shoshanna sees an opportunity to at least fix her car, if none of her other problems. The only person standing in her way? New hire Jake Kaplan.

Jake is an affront to everything Shoshanna stands for. He doesn’t even read! But somehow his sales start to rival hers. Jake may be cute (really cute), and he may be an eligible Jewish single (hard to find south of Atlanta), but he’s also the enemy, and Shoshanna is ready to take him down.

But as the competition intensifies, Jake and Shoshanna grow closer and realize they might be more on the same page than either expects…

Release Date September 1, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I was approved for this book in NetGalley, and, of course, I wanted to read it right away. It sounded so cute and who doesn’t love a good holiday story?

Some Things I Liked

• Shoshanna is my spirit character. I just loved her. She was quirky, outspoken, and unafraid to be herself. I want to channel my inner-Shoshanna more often because she was phenomenal. I don’t often relate to contemporary characters so strongly but she was just a treasure.
• Comedy. This book was hilarious. I adored the way Shoshanna called the Christmas celebrators, “the gentiles” and more than just her Jewish humor, the scenarios were so funny. I found myself laughing so much while reading.
• Realism. This book has several themes that are no laughing matters. Shoshanna’s moms are going though a difficult time as well as Jake’s father not being in the picture don’t make for a picture-perfect, Hallmark, ending for this book. I thought the realistic problems gave the story a richness and made the hopeful note at the end that much more satisfying.

Series Value

I enjoyed the characters in this book and can easily see Laura Silverman expanding on them in future books. However, I can also see this as a stand alone novel. The ending was open-ended and hopeful but I think that openness is an important part of the plot. Shoshanna and Jake have uncertain futures, as we all do, so this ending felt fitting.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t know I was in the mood for a holiday book until I read it. This book just made me happy to read. There were some sad themes and a lot of uncertainty, but I really enjoyed the hopeful, holiday vibes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter – if you enjoyed the themes of books, Hanukkah, and laugh-out-loud comedy, try this April 2020 release.
• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – if you like cute rom-coms with a sort of enemies to lovers vibe, try this book by Emma Lord.
• The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Schrum – if you liked the enemies to lovers vibe mixed with a competition, try this cooking-inspired rom-com.