Breakaway Books

Authored by Jean Meltzer; Published October 2025; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️

I can’t say I had ever imagined a Jewish spin on A Christmas Carol, but after reading The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, I’m wondering why not. It may not be the most innovative novel, but it is surprisingly funny and an entertaining holiday remix.

In The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, Evelyn Schwartz is on the precipice of the crowning achievement of her TV career, producing a live action version of A Christmas Carol. But after an unfortunate run-in with a piano, she finds herself in the studio infirmary being tended to by none other than her ex-husband, David. What’s more, she begins to encounter ghosts throughout the nights of Hanukkah, showing her tragedies from her past. Evelyn is determined to pull this show off regardless of any haunting, but what is the cost?

What really shines in this novel is the comedy. I actually laughed aloud with the slapstick humor and the ridiculous situations in which Evelyn is placed. The absolutely ridiculous celebrity to whom Evelyn must cater is the pinnacle of this ridiculousness and almost certainly delivered the most laughs. Even the ghosts, normally solemn or even scary figures in A Christmas Carol, are given a comedic treatment, featuring a talking chicken and a woman chained to desktop computers. The comedy truly saves this novel from being maudlin and overly self-serious.

I can’t say I was enamored with the romance aspect, though. It tackles some very serious subjects—miscarriage, divorce—but I wish it had adopted a little more nuance when it comes to the critical issue in Evelyn and David’s marriage: Evelyn’s workaholism. She comes off as completely blind to the effects of her devotion to work, unable to comprehend even her most obvious slights of her husband. The novel really hits this point, over and over, making it appear as if she is wholly at fault for the failure of their marriage, despite the fact that David walked out on her. It feels like the author does everything she can to lionize David while leaving Evelyn to flounder, and I didn’t love that vibe. The endpoint of their relationship is an excellent model to follow though, with both David and Evelyn exhibiting excellent communication skills and flexibility.

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah is an interesting twist on a holiday classic, and it’ll certainly make you laugh—as long as you don’t mind a less than perfect romance.