Benjamin Cohen, widowed father of six-year-old Jessie, is doing his best to hold it together through order and routine. The last thing he needs is his matchmaker mother to set him up with her next door neighbor, no matter how attractive she is.Rachel Schaecter’s dream of becoming a foster mother is right within her grasp, until her meddlesome neighbor tries to set her up with her handsome son. … What’s worse? He’s the father of her favorite kindergarten student! She can’t afford to let anything come between her and her dream, no matter how gorgeous he may be.Can these two determined people trust in the miracle of Hanukkah to let love and light into their lives?
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This book was such a sweet, cozy, romantic, festive, and enjoyable read!
This is the second book I’ve read from the incredible writer, Jennifer Wilck. Last year I had the privilege of reading her book, “Learning to Love,” which is part of the Serendipity Book Series and I totally loved it, so I was very excited to read her latest work, “Waiting for a Miracle,” even though it’s not part of the same book series.
I absolutely loved this book!! It was super cute, warmhearted, and had all the feels!!
I loved the main characters, Rachel, Ben, and Ben’s 6-year-old daughter, Jessie. I really liked how relatable, likable, and personable the characters were. I really enjoyed Rachel. She is smart, caring, considerate, nurturing, and thoughtful. She is a teacher that loves her students, which is greatly reciprocated, and she always seems to go the extra mile for her students. I also liked Ben as he is charming, kind, respectful, protective, benevolent, and romantic. I really liked Rachel and Ben together! There was an instant spark between these two! The attraction between them was so strong and deeply described! Jessie is adorable! She is sweet, clever, curious, creative, social, confident, and resilient.
Wilck writes her characters with depth, that have emotional baggage, are dealing with real-life struggles, and are working on over-coming personal obstacles. She writes real-life characters that face real-world problems. Which is one of the reasons I love her books, because I know when I read it, I will be able to easily connect with the characters and possibly even grow with the characters in the story.
With Ben’s wife having recently passed, he was still struggling with missing her and her not being part of his daily routine. He was trying to cope with now being a single parent, balancing their schedules, possibly getting back to dating, and dealing with his meddling mom. Ben’s issues are very common to someone who recently lost their partner or even someone who is just a single parent. Rachel wanting to become a foster mom and contemplating whether she should date a student’s parent may not be as typical or as easy to connect with, but it still was an enjoyable story line.
I think the author did a fantastic job on her character development as these characters were so real, raw, and personal on many levels!
This book quickly took off right from the beginning and held a continuous and captive fast to steady pace as the book only had 75 pages to get its story out! Even though it was on the much shorter side, the story did not feel rushed, the character’s seemed fully developed, and the story line was satisfyingly completed.
I love that this book has a Hanukkah theme since most holiday books and movies are all wrapped up in Christmas and there are so many other religions and holidays that should also be represented. I really enjoyed learning about another culture and tradition. I love books that teach you something in a fun and interesting way – and this book did just that!
I like that this book touches on many topics such as love, romance, dating, friendship, family, hard life lessons, second chances, loss, change, dedication, perseverance, adoption, growth, compassion, empathy, integrity, determination, Hanukkah, culture, traditions, passion, faith, hope, forgiveness, moving on, challenges, starting over, new beginnings, fresh starts, overcoming obstacles, and so much more!
Although, a short read, this book is a great introduction to a new author – Jennifer Wilck! This book provides an opportunity to just get your toes wet without the full commitment of jumping into one of Jennifer’s fabulous book series – which you will definitely want to also pick up lol.
This book is not part of a book series at this time and therefore, can be read as a standalone.
I would absolutely recommend this book, and this author as I was truly impressed with the quality of writing, intriguing story line, and excellent character development! I will definitely be continuing to follow this author and check out her upcoming books!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
This is exactly what I needed to read after the holidays. It’s sweet, relatable and it features a holiday that doesn’t get a lot of stories published. But I digress. Thank you Ms. Wilck and The Wild Rose Press for publishing it. Plus, our heroine is a teacher, which I totally relate to. And our hero, sorry to say, is a bit of grump. Look I get the whole I’m just trying to keep it together but he really needed to lighten up some. Heck, even his mother knew it. LOL!
This is a shorter book but it still packs a punch. I felt every emotion that Rachel and Ben had in the book. From anger to loss, to that first kiss. This is a sweet romance but I can still sense that what Rachel and Ben had was hot in spades. Ms. Wilck does a great job of building it up and then letting me figure it out in my mind long after the book is done. Some authors don’t do that but she does. Bravo. Jessie, Ben’s daughter, is an outright character, too. She’s not overly cute but does seem to push her dad into Rachel at just the right moments and then makes him see reason when he makes a mistake.
Overall, I loved it. I’ve read Ms. Wilck before so I knew her writing style and I love it. Fluid, sweet, emotional, funny and relatable. If you have never read her, please do. You won’t be sorry. And no, I didn’t think that Harriet was meddlesome. I found her hilarious. Ben just didn’t want to listen to his own mother sometimes. Like most sons do.
I found this book to be short, charming. It had pretty good main characters but they weren’t super deep. It was a good Holiday story that didn’t take too long to read.
I agree with another reviewer that it would have been nice if there had been more to Benjamin and Rachel’s story. Where did they go from there? But at least they have a good start. It was different to read a story that revolves around Hanukkah. I’m not Jewish but that was a sweet start of a romance during that time. Come to think of it, that’s exactly how it felt, like a starter story.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Waiting for a Miracle by Jennifer Wilck is a nice, relaxing, holiday novella that I enjoyed in one sitting.
I was initially drawn to this story due to the Hanukah theme. I can never seem to find Hanukah-themed books during the holidays, and this helped me feel right at home.
I liked Rachel (well hello that is my name too) and also Jessie. Ben had to warm up during the course of the story for me to like him, and once I learned his reasoning, I enjoyed their romance. It would be nice to read how their relationship continues on.
4/5 stars
Waiting for a Miracle combines the miracle of Hanukkah with the miracle of love. This is a quick-paced novella from new to me author Jennifer Wilck. The story takes place in New York City, where kindergarten teacher Rachel Schaecter, and IT Consultant Benjamin Cohen, find happiness together. Rachel and Ben’s mother are apartment neighbors, and Jessie, Rachel’s favorite student, is Ben’s daughter. Thanks to a bit of meddling, some intense conversations, and a ton of chemistry, they form a forever family.
I really enjoyed this holiday novella. Ms. Wilck beautifully illustrates the Festival of Lights along with the yummy traditions of potato pancakes, dreidels and jelly doughnuts. In addition, the secondary characters add a lot of fun to the story. Overall, a heartfelt and delightful read.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Quick sweet holiday read. Rachel and Benjamin were sweet and funny together. I enjoyed their journey from parent/teacher to two people who cared about each other. Benjamin’s daughter, Jessica, was also cute. I would like to read more about this couple as it was a bumpy ride to start.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
From the moment I opened the pages of this story, I was swept away with this beautiful Hanukkah story! Benjamin and Rachel are characters so easy to love, and I enjoyed the tension between them. Combined with an adorable little girl and a matchmaking mother, this book was definitely a 5-star read. I’ve read many holiday stories this season, but “Waiting for a Miracle” is at the top as one of my favorites.
Loved the characters; each is an individual with their own unique personality. This is a sweet, short romance, perfect for this holiday season. Readers will relate from page one to the lonely Benjamin and too-busy-for-romance Rachel. Throw in a darling six year-old Jessie and matchmaking mother Harriet and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Jennifer Wilck never fails to write a terrific story. Nicely done!
Rachel is a schoolteacher who loves her students, and Benjamin is the widowed father of one of those students, which should make him off limits. But his mom is Rachel’s neighbor and a great character, who ignores the rules and plays matchmaker on the first day of Hanukkah. Over the eight days of Hanukkah, will these two opposites find their own miracle in each other?
Waiting for a Miracle by Jennifer Wilck is a sweet, heartwarming Hanukkah romance. It was a quick read, which is a good thing, because once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the New York City setting. Wilck has a knack for creating characters you’d like to know, and descriptions that bring you right into the story. Which is why I had a wicked craving for latkes and jelly doughnuts by the end of the story.
If you love a holiday romance, I strongly recommend Waiting for a Miracle!
Widower Benjamin Cohen is doing what he can to raise his six-year-old daughter, Jessie. Losing his wife devastated him and the only way he can cope is through an orderly routine. He doesn’t have time or the inclination for dating or falling in love. When his mother fixes him up with his daughter’s teacher, Rachel, he reacts badly. So bad, he has to apologize numerous times. But fate seems to continue to throw them together and when he kisses her, his heart takes over. Can he finally put his fear of losing another woman to rest and let Rachel in or will he drown in darkness?
Waiting for a Miracle is, hands down, one of the sweetest holiday romances I’ve read in a long time. Jennifer Wilck has a talent for crafting honest, emotional stories featuring Jewish characters. While there isn’t a lot of Hanukkah romances out there, I’m thrilled to add this to my must-read holiday romance list. Riveting characters with real issues (loss of spouse, single parent, adoption) try to navigate through the murky waters of dating and falling in love. Even though it’s a short romance, Jennifer Wilck tell a fleshed-out story. I never felt jilted because it was short. The characters went through full character arcs to reach their happily for now ending. The scenes with little Jessie offered comedic repast from the serious issues.
If you’re looking for a holiday romance with diverse characters, pick this up today. Highly recommend!
Favorite Character/Quote: Harriet. She’s Benjamin’s mother and Jessie’s grandmother while also being the neighbor of Rachel. She speaks the truth and sees how unhappy her ‘Benny’ is. Sure, she butts into the business of both Rachel and Benjamin but she sees what they are blind to: love.
My Rating: 5+ stars
While I understand that short stories can be difficult to get into simply because of their lack of length/depth (this one is only 5 chapters), the only character I liked here was the 6 yo Jessie (her father Benjamin I actively DISLIKED ), and the storyline held absolutely no appeal for me…and this was a second-chance-at-love story about a widower, his daughter and her teacher While I hate giving negative reviews, the writing was fine, but it just did not DO anything for me.