THE EIGHT HEARTBREAKS OF HANUKKAH – Jean Meltzer
Mira
ISBN: 978-0778334422
October 21, 2025
Romantic Comedy

New York City – Present Day

Evelyn Schwartz is the producer in charge of a live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. It’s just days away, and she’s feeling stressed. It’s also the first night of Hanukkah, but she’s too busy to celebrate. While she is directing the crew on what to do, she accidentally runs into a piano. Waking up, she discovers that her ex-husband, Dr. David Adler, is the temporary doctor in charge of medicine at the television studio. To say that she isn’t happy about having him there is an understatement. They clash, and she refuses to take his medical advice about getting tested for a concussion. She suffers from migraines, so that has to be the reason she has a headache. While Eveyln is grousing about how this is causing even more headaches having David around, she passes out and experiences what she believes is a nightmare. Except, it’s her past life. For the next seven days of Hanukkah, Evelyn relives the heartaches of her life—from her childhood to her marriage to David. Is there a reason why she is being forced to see the heartbreak again?

Readers will wonder (like Evelyn does) what is going on in THE EIGHT HEARTBREAKS OF HANUKKAH. She is indeed under a lot of pressure to make sure this live-action show goes off without a hitch. The star they hired as the lead hasn’t even arrived yet, but that was part of his contract. Meanwhile, things are happening on the set, and Evelyn wonders if she’s doomed to fail. First is her accident, then people are getting sick. Of course, this means David has to be brought in to take care of everyone, including Evelyn. As much as she hates calling him, he is a good doctor, even if their marriage was a failure. 

What happens to Evelyn when she hallucinates in THE EIGHT HEARTBREAKS OF HANUKKAH? Her first time happens in the elevator, and after she blacks out, she sees her late mentor. Talk about a shock! Of course, she wakes up, and David thinks her headache and hallucinations are related to hitting her head. She refuses to accept his help until she can’t! Along the way, she has strange interactions that turn into her dreaming about her past. Will there be something that ties her together with David and brings them back together? Certainly, there is still an attraction. What will happen on the eighth (and final) day of Hanukkah?

An entertaining Jewish romance that will have you intrigued as to what is going on and hoping that Evelyn gets her wish of getting the live-action television show off the ground without a hitch. The lead actor shows up, and he is definitely eccentric and provides a colorful addition to this tale. But the heart of THE EIGHT HEARTBREAKS OF HANUKKAH is Eveyln’s journey. Will she figure out what is behind the meaning of her dreams? Will she reunite with David? Find out the answer by grabbing a copy today. 

Patti Fischer