Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels
by: Jennifer Wilck
October 22,2024 Harlequin Special Edition
272 pages
Hanukkah is an interesting holiday, because it has taken on an oversized importance in the Jewish calendar thanks to the non-Jewish holidays that surround it. For Jessica Sacks, protagonist of Jennifer Wilck’s romance Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels, it also represents a way to disguise her trip home as a visit for the holidays rather than the unfortunate side effect of her being fired from her job as a reporter. Thanks to a mistake on a prior article, she’s out on her behind – unless she can convince local hometown hero Thomas to give her an interview so she can impress her former boss.
Thomas just so happens to be Jessica’s neighbor and childhood crush. Except the holiday season isn’t so benign for him either. As a firefighter, he’s recently rescued a man from a burning building and the town wants to honor him. As an alcoholic, he’s resigned from his position due to shame over having been under the influence on the job, is determined to ignore the honors being bestowed on him, and also preparing for a dry Christmas. The last thing he needs is his nosy neighbor – who just so happens to have grown up into a very attractive woman – poking around and exposing his secrets.
Jessica is walking a tight line. She wants to use the growing attraction between her and Thomas as a means to get him to open up, but she doesn’t want to be manipulative. In fact, the further she delves into the relationship, the more distasteful the assignment becomes. Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels is steamy – there are two sex scenes – Jessica and Thomas clearly have chemistry. It’s understandable that Jessica doesn’t want to jeopardize the relationship. To make it all worse, she’s coming under pressure from her mother who doesn’t want her to date a christian.
Interfaith romance is an interesting choice for Hanukkah, which is technically a celebration of Jewish rebels who refused to assimilate into Greek culture, but Wilck handles a difficult topic with grace. Jessica has an intriguing visit to her Rabbi which shines a light on what this relationship means for reform Jews.
In the end, we see a blending of holiday customs that is both sensitive and sweet. Jessica and Thomas both need to realize their own worth, and their friends and family are there to help them through that process. It’s the kind of book to cozy up with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate and a jelly donut, whether you’re doing so in front of a tree or a menorah.
Note: BookishlyJewish I received a copy of this book from the author