Love You a Latke

Elliot (Best Served Hot) charms in this holiday romance starring Abby Cohen, who moved from the Bronx to rural Vermont for a guy and stayed after the break up because she loved the peace and quiet. The only thing regularly disrupting the calm is Seth, an overly cheerful regular at Abby’s coffee shop. When the town’s tourism board ropes Abbey into planning its first ever Hanukkah festival, she’s disappointed by the local vendors, who think dressing their Christmas displays up with blue and white lights is enough. Though she’s not super religious, she’s determined to offer an authentic experience, so she turns to Seth, and his many connections, for help. In exchange, she agrees to celebrate Hanukkah with him and his parents on New York’s Upper West Side, posing as his “nice Jewish girl friend.” The fake relationship brings plenty of fun, and the backdrops of both a quaint small town and the big city during the holidays adds festive appeal. As Elliot delves more into her protagonist’s backstory, she thoughtfully describes the casual antisemitism Abbey has faced, adding some heft to the otherwise frothy plot. This is a keeper. Agent: Merilee Heifetz, Writers House. (Oct.)