Going Back by Judith Arnold
Phyllis and her two friends always shared lunch together once a month in the city.
Andrea and Eric are married and will have Eric at their house when he arrives til he gets settled.
They had met him in college and hope he's as good looking as then. Daphne is a real estate broker and they them to coordinate a place for Eric.
They both recall what happened 8 years ago and hope the other had forgotten.
Lots of drama as Eric looks for a new place-his parents are divorced, live in the same building and still hook up but don't live together. Each of them think the other parent has got their hooks in Eric and is persuading him.
Steamy sex scenes as their relationship is moving forward. Love the parts where he shares info on his parents and she actually listens.
Lots of twists and turns and just when you think it's being predictable it is not.
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First off, that page count must have included ads for various harlequin lines, copyright page, title, etc. What I read was 219 pages. Which brings me to this: someone on a forum asked a while back how many books were 3 star reads. I replied, "most of them". They were astonished. There are a lot of reasons a book might be a 3 star read - characters, plot, failure to connect with THAT reader, or in this case, ambition coupled with limited page count and delusions of grandeur regarding skill of the writer.

Simply put, this book was too short for what the author ambitiously tried (and failed obviously) to do.

It's divided into 3 parts. *3*. There's distant past, there's recent past, and there's present. And it needed about 50 more pages to work out the problems in present but was only given 6.

So...past. H/h are summer friends. They spend every summer running around on the island their respective parents migrate to (why isn't explained). No communication during the school year. They've both hit puberty. In addition to this sudden awkwardness, the h's father didn't come to the island this year, and the h is distressed about that. She and her mother abruptly leave one day - we find out why in part 2.

Recent past: H is now widowed, and in addition, traumatized. His wife was struck by a car at a crosswalk. He saw it happen. He comes to the island to escape well-meaning relatives' matchmaking attempts (can't blame him for that). The h now lives on the island and is a pharmacist. They run into each other and eventually she tells him what happened. Her father was a) having an affair and b) committing a white-collar crime known as embezzling. He got caught. Spent time in prison (for not reporting his ill-gotten gains on his taxes. Who'dathunk?) She has...issues...regarding men and relationships. A week or two go by, he's called to go back to work, and they...have sex. He leaves the next day. Over the course of the next 6 weeks, he does date someone and apparently gets a boner (lovely). She calls and informs him the stick changed colors and she's keeping it. End of part 2.

Present. It's been 2 years and 9 months. He gets the kid for weekends. Their former friendship has devolved into awkward polite strangers. He decides he wants more so moves back to the island and into the house with her. 2 weeks pass. Still polite, strange awkwardness. She gets a note from her father. He's dying and wants to see his grandchild. She reluctantly invites him over. He arrives. She can't cope and is actively avoiding him. 10 hours or so pass. H confronts her and tells her she's acting like a royal bitch, much angst. The next day, father leaves, and h asks H to sleep with her. He asks her to marry him - again (he's asked several times, she's given him an emphatic NO). She says yes.

I believe nothing. They spent nearly 3 years unable to communicate, the H didn't have the balls to ask her out, yet he calls her a bitch - because she hasn't had enough time really to process her father's sudden reappearing, then everything is right in their world? Right.

I can't imagine that ugly word ever disappearing once uttered. And there wasn't much of a relationship there to start with WITHOUT that. At the very least, there needed to be time for her and her father to come to an understanding. Forcing it, with name-calling no less, was not the way to go. And her remembering the distant past when he'd been her summer friend was a cop-out. Because just as she's had time to come to grips with her father (who, btw, blames it entirely on her mother, Asshole), she's also had time to move on past a childhood friendship. Trying to use that as a crutch, when they were never that close to begin with (really? you didn't keep in touch during the school year and you expect one to believe you're besties?) just didn't work.

amie McCoy is the ultimate guy: thirty years old, carefree and professionally successful as the writer of a nationally syndicated humor column called “Guy Stuff.” Nine and a half months ago, he spent a week basking on the beach in Eluthera and indulging in a fling with a woman at the resort. Never did he expect to find the unplanned result of that fling—a healthy, wailing baby named Samantha—strapped into a car seat on his back porch, along with a suitcase full of diapers and infant apparel and a note informing Jamie that he’s her father.

Maybe he is and maybe he isn’t. But first things first. He’s never fed a baby or changed a diaper in his life. He doesn’t own a crib or a stroller. In a panic, he phones the nearest hospital, where neonatal nurse Allison Winslow takes his call and tells him about a class she teaches called the Daddy School.

Classes on how to be a dad are exactly what Jamie needs. But when he attends his first class and sees the tall, earnest, amazingly beautiful and even more amazingly competent Allison, he realizes that he might just need more from her than her lectures on how to hold a baby.

Jamie’s efforts to be a father to this precious baby touch Allison. His sense of humor amuses her. His striking good looks turn her on. But how can she trust the sort of guy who’d sleep with a stranger on vacation, without giving a thought to the consequences? How can she give her heart to such a reckless man?

Last night, we lit the first candle for Chanukah. 

Here is the prayer my family says each night.

We light these candles to celebrate the triumph of hope over fear, light over darkness, and the powerless of the powerful.

Wishing you and yours love and light.

Every year, I hope to gather more wonderful Chanukah Romances. This year's list as a some new (to the list)  and and few from last year's list as well.  

My lists are never in any particular order.

1. Lighting the Flames by Sarah Wendell

Genevieve and Jeremy have known each other since they were seven, and have been summertime best friends at Camp Meira, a Jewish overnight camp in the mountains. As campers, and then as staff, their friendship was a constant, something neither wanted to change, no matter how tempting those changes might be. 

Then, last year, with little warning, Jeremy left camp early. After that summer, Gen left the country on a graduate fellowship.

Now, a little over a year since they were last at Meira, Gen and Jeremy are back together to help run a special Winter Camp during Hanukkah. Any water under the bridge is frozen this time of year, and with so much left unspoken and unexplained, this week may be their chance to rekindle their friendship, or turn it into something new.

2. Revving Up The Holidays by A.S. Fenichel New! 

Workaholic Isaac hasn’t been back to his hometown since his father’s funeral two years earlier, pushing his family away because of a painful secret. Hanukkah and a forced vacation lure him back to Atlanta, where he’s reunited with his two lost loves— an old motorcycle and his sister’s best friend Giada. While rediscovering his passion for both the bike and the woman, Isaac rebuilds his heart. 

Giada has lost her Christmas spirit since returning home to care for her dying parents. Left alone, she struggles to return to her successful teaching career, choosing instead to stay in her hometown. Only the unexpected return of her high school crush Isaac brings any joy to the season. 

The transitive nature of Isaac’s visit and Giada’s fear of abandonment keep them from sharing their whole hearts, but certainly not their bodies. Their desire for each other is hotter than the flames of a menorah and they take advantage of their limited time together by burning up the sheets. But once their secrets are revealed, their hearts will do all the thinking.

3.  Lights, Latkes, and Love by Peggy Bird

Ah, the holidays. David Shay can't get enough of the December festivities. He especially enjoys sharing his love of the season with the underprivileged children at his non-profit organization SafePlace for Children and Parents. Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. As manager of a large retail store, she's seen firsthand how the rampant commercialism of the holiday can bring out the worst in people.

When David's organization is the charity Hannah's boss picks for their annual donation, it falls on her to organize a huge holiday party, whether she likes it or not.

Can a nice Jewish boy—with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party—teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year's Eve kiss to remember?

4. Season of Magic (Holiday Box Set) by Merry Holly New!

Noel Noel Noel by Merry Holly 
Dumped and lonely, is it possible to find love at the local mall? Noelle thinks not, but a chance encounter with Chase Clayborne while Christmas shopping has her rethinking her rigid set of rules, as sparks flare between them. 

A Cinderella Christmas by Cara Marsi 
Jessica Gallo no longer believed in fairy tales or happy endings. And she certainly didn’t believe she’d find her Prince Charming at Saks Fifth Avenue. Her Fairy Godmother thought differently. 

Matchmaker Matchmaker by Bobbi Lerman 
With Chanukah around the corner, is there enough magic left for a matchmaker to bring Molly's cynical heart back to life. 

Holiday Disaster by Vicki Batman 
The week before Christmas and all is in disarray when a librarian experiences horrible plumbing issues and a Mr. Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Clause. This Christmas is a disaster. 

Yuletide Bride by Gerri Brousseau 
The Dowager Duchess’s decree that her grandson must marry before Twelfth Night or relinquish his title and fortune sends him into a tail spin. Without any prospects and with only two weeks until Christmas will Stuart Nelson find himself destitute or will he find The Yuletide Bride.

5.  A Candle for a Marine by Heather Long

Tormented by the question of 'what if...' 

Home for Hanukkah, Sergeant Isaac Janko has never forgotten the baby his girlfriend gave up for adoption years ago. But he didn’t realize how angry he still was.... 

More than time separates them.... 

A chance meeting at Temple brings Zehava Elbaz face-to-face with the first and only man she's ever loved. She sees a deep and hidden pain in him, one she blames herself for... 

An invitation to Hanukkah brings them together.... 

The two must confront their pain and loss. They have only eight days to face their past, and win each other's trust, but it is a time for healing, reconciliation and miracles….

6.. Menorahs and Mistletoe by Jess Roth New!

If nothing else, Hanukkah this year will be interesting. Single dad Martin’s six-year-old daughter, Sara, is determined to get him a new “friend.” Martin isn't even sure he wants to step back into the pool, much less go out with the mall elf they met while shopping for gifts. But he’s starting to get to know the cute receptionist at work, Tim, and thinking maybe the whole dating thing isn’t such a terrible idea. Too bad things are never that simple.

7. Lit Up by Devyn Morgan New!

Has a fateful November meeting over raspberries led Rusty to Mr. Right? He and Cole have so much in common, except for that religious background thing.

And Cole loves holidays. Rusty decks out Christmas trees, while Cole lights up menorahs. It can't be that hard to plan and execute the perfect Chanukah. What could possibly go wrong?

Two men, two sets of traditions, one chance for Rusty to get it right.

Exactly what do you do with a dreidel?

8.  Burning Bright by Anne Stuart, Maggie Shayne, Judith Arnold New! 

"Star Light, Star Bright" by Anne Stuart 

Angela McKenna is back in Crescent Cove after a painful divorce, and soon finds that Brody Jackson is also back in Crescent Cove after a financial scandal. Brody had had a crush on her when they were both teenagers, but Angela had married her childhood sweetheart and moved away. Once Brody sees Angela again, he realizes that he still has a crush on her, and Angela wonders why she was so blind when it came to Brody in the first place. Can a little Christmas magic bring Brody and Angela together?

Return of the Light" by Maggie Shayne 

Dori Stewart thought she had it all - a job she loved, a great salary, and a wonderful apartment. The publishing house she worked at was acquired by a conservative publishing house, though, and she found herself fired for her religious beliefs (although the new company cleverly disguised this fact) because she was a practicing Wiccan. Dori went back to Crescent Cove, where she met Jason Farrar, her old boyfriend. She had left Jason behind years ago for the big city, but Jason had never forgotten her. In fact, he still loved her madly - but he wasn't going to get his heart broken by her again. As Dori tries to reignite her waning faith this winter solstice, will she come to the conclusion that she was meant to return to Crescent Cove because she and Jason are destined to be together?

It was the first night of Chanukah last evening. Here is the the prayer my family gives each night:

We light these candles to celebrate the triumph of hope over fear, light over darkness, and the powerless of the powerful.

Wishing you and yours love and light.

Here are some wonderful Chanukah Romances (my lists are never in any particular order.)

1. Lighting the Flames by Sarah Wendell

Genevieve and Jeremy have known each other since they were seven, and have been summertime best friends at Camp Meira, a Jewish overnight camp in the mountains. As campers, and then as staff, their friendship was a constant, something neither wanted to change, no matter how tempting those changes might be.

Then, last year, with little warning, Jeremy left camp early. After that summer, Gen left the country on a graduate fellowship.

Now, a little over a year since they were last at Meira, Gen and Jeremy are back together to help run a special Winter Camp during Hanukkah. Any water under the bridge is frozen this time of year, and with so much left unspoken and unexplained, this week may be their chance to rekindle their friendship, or turn it into something new.

2. HEARTS OF HANUKKAH by Eve Paludan

When ninety-one-year-old Moshe asks his adult grandson, Benjamin, for a complicated mitzvah, it throws the family's Hanukkah plans for a loop. Moshe's secret, long-lost wartime sweetheart has found him through the Internet! Now she wants to see him again, as soon as possible. Benjamin's wife isn't happy that his grandfather can't wait until after Hanukkah, but time is of the essence, after all, he isn't getting any younger either.

When Benjamin and his grandfather set out on a road trip in a blizzard to reunite Moshe with his long-lost Sarah, the miles turn into an odyssey of truth, love, hope, forgiveness, pain, and joy. Moshe has chosen Benjamin for this mitzvah (good deed or favor) for a very special reason. He's an author, and Moshe wants him to write the love story of himself and Sarah, so he can read it to her when they reunite. But is Benjamin really up to the task?

It will be a true labor of love to write the harrowing story of this beloved couple who was torn apart by a horrific war and separated for more than seven decades. And Benjamin must also get Moshe to Sarah before it is too late. No one in the family will ever be the same again, from the oldest to the youngest.

3.  Lights, Latkes, and Love by Peggy Bird

Ah, the holidays. David Shay can't get enough of the December festivities. He especially enjoys sharing his love of the season with the underprivileged children at his non-profit organization SafePlace for Children and Parents. Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. As manager of a large retail store, she's seen firsthand how the rampant commercialism of the holiday can bring out the worst in people.

When David's organization is the charity Hannah's boss picks for their annual donation, it falls on her to organize a huge holiday party, whether she likes it or not.

Can a nice Jewish boy—with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party—teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year's Eve kiss to remember?

4. Sweet and Sour by Astrid Amara

Miles thought he and Itai would make a great team, despite the infidelities haunting their past. After all, Itai is smoking hot, they're both driven entrepreneurs, and they love each other. What else did a person need? Well, a lot more, apparently, because not only are they no longer passionate, they don't even share the same passions. Like people, affections change, but Miles wonders if a relationship this broken is truly worth repairing.

Itai's business launch with his ex-boyfriend isn't helping. And Miles himself has a new business to grow over a busy few weeks where Thanksgiving and Hanukkah collide to form either the best holiday season ever, or a kosher caterer's worst nightmare. But help comes in the unexpected, ruggedly handsome form of Detective Dominic Delbene, a pickle aficionado with his own ghosts, who stakes out the deli to capture a dangerous drug dealer.

As Hanukkah's eight days and Miles and Itai's relationship comes to an end, Miles discovers that Nic is not only good with pickling; he's good at everything.

5. A Candle for a Marine by Heather Long

Tormented by the question of 'what if...'

Home for Hanukkah, Sergeant Isaac Janko has never forgotten the baby his girlfriend gave up for adoption years ago. But he didn’t realize how angry he still was....

More than time separates them....

A chance meeting at Temple brings Zehava Elbaz face-to-face with the first and only man she's ever loved. She sees a deep and hidden pain in him, one she blames herself for...

An invitation to Hanukkah brings them together....

The two must confront their pain and loss. They have only eight days to face their past, and win each other's trust, but it is a time for healing, reconciliation and miracles….

6. Newly Fallen by Megan Hart

Faced with spending her first Hanukkah alone, Lilly Gold wishes for a miracle that would change her life just a little bit. Then her prayers are answered--in a big way--when the most perfect naked man appears in her yard during a blizzard.

Zachariah tells Lilly he's been sent to be--and do¬--anything she wants. And for eight passionate days, trapped together by the snow, he does just that, giving Lilly all the pleasure she could have hoped for. But when their holiday is over, only another miracle can keep their affair from ending, too...

7. Sweet Light by Judith Arnold

They went down on an icy mountain. It was a miracle they survived.

For Alana Halpern, flying Judd Singer was supposed to be a quick favor, and then home for Hanukkah. But when her plane went down in New Hampshire, it became a journey of survival.

Was it all an illusion--the makeshift cabin, the woodpile, the oil lamp that never burned out? When Judd laid his ice-blue eyes on her, passion flared, and Alana knew this was real.

She never expected to spend Hanukkah snowbound with a man she barely knew, a man who could ignite her with just a gaze. But as the wind howled outside, inside they created a heat all their own.

The fight for survival became a flight from desire. And Alana hoped for one more miracle--to resist a forbidden attraction.

8. A Very Scandalous Holiday by Nancy Fraser, Crista McHugh, Sophia Garrett, and Amber Lin