Eight Nights of Flirting | ARC Review

Shira Barbanel has a plan: this Hanukkah, she’s going to get a boyfriend. And she has the perfect candidate in mind—her great-uncle’s assistant, Isaac. He’s reliable, brilliant, and of course, super hot. The only problem? Shira’s an absolute disaster when it comes to flirting.

Enter Tyler Nelson, Shira’s nemesis-slash-former-crush. As much as she hates to admit it, Tyler is the most charming and popular guy she knows. Which means he’s the perfect person to teach her how to win Isaac over.

When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together at Golden Doors, they strike a deal—flirting lessons for Shira in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler’s playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn’t part of the plan.

Amidst a whirl of snowy adventures, hot chocolate, and candlelight, Shira must learn to trust her heart to discover if the romance she planned is really the one that will make her happiest.

“Isn’t there a way to make him fall madly in love with me without having to, I don’t know, talk?”

I really enjoyed this Hanukkah-themed holiday romance. This was an unrequited love helps FMC get the man of her dreams. Or the man of her supposed dreams…

This book was a companion, of sorts, to The Summer of Lost Letters. This book follows Shira, who is cousins to Noah, from The Summer of Lost Letters. There was a running side plot in this book that I felt came out of nowhere and now I know why. It’s because I didn’t read SoLL and it’s from that book. I would say for a better reading experience, read that book first, but it’s definitely not necessary.

I cannot believe how relatable Shira was. My mouth was hanging open multiple times because it sounded like this book was inside my head. I have had so many of the thoughts that Shira shared throughout the book. It was so crazy to feel like someone else understood everything in my mind. Her thoughts on flirting and dating and everything in between are definitely things I’ve thought about. It was oddly therapeutic to read about someone who thought the same as me, if if she’s fictional.

At first, I was unsure why the whole snowed-in plot was mentioned when it was such a small part of this book. However, after finishing it and reflecting upon it, I see how it affected the trajectory of Shira and Tyler’s relationship. They needed time to put aside the things of the past, even just for a second, to strike “the deal.” The forgiveness felt a little fast on Shira’s part, but I understand needing the plot to move along.

“I had done it…I had touched Isaac. I was a superhero.”
There were so many funny moments throughout this book. As Shira struggled to understand how to express her feelings in the form of flirting, her thoughts were again, so relatable and hilarious. As well, Shira’s big family with all the kiddos was a lot of fun to experience. As someone that comes from a big extended family, I love books that feature a big family and all the craziness that comes with it.

Shira and Tyler’s relationship was interesting to watch unfold. Tyler was easy-going for most of the book but he was also very guarded. Always putting on a show. Watching in relax and open up around Shira as she became more vulnerable about her dating life and thoughts was really nice. They grew together and built a relationship together. Plus, jealous Tyler was amazing.

My one big complaint about this book was the lack of details. There were so many fun and romantic scenes that were missing that punch for me because they lacked details or were too short. Sometimes, the scenes would just move along too quickly to the next thing before I had time to really enjoy where the book was at. I would have preferred more details, more time in scenes to really draw out the emotions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to those who enjoy holiday romances!

Similar books: Better Than the Movies (enemy helps FMC get the other guy), By Your Side (locked in a room together), You Can Go Your Own Way (locked in a room together), Adorkable (flirting tips), 10 Blind Dates (holiday romance, big family vibes)

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating

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