Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Meet the OG Matzo eight friends who became found family, living and loving their best lives on a yearly Hanukkah harbor cruise around Manhattan…

Instead of partying with her crew on her favorite night of the year, Talia Katz is stuck pinch hitting for the flaky chef her even flakier brother hired for the glitzy event.

Happy freaking Hanukkah.

To make matters worse, her brother forgot to order fryer oil. How is she supposed to make Hanukkah happen without enough oil to fry the latkes? It’s going to take a miracle…



Asher Stein hates Hanukkah—and with good reason. But when the Matzo Baller’s bartender gets sick at the last minute, he agrees to step in, even though he usually avoids all things blue and gold like the plague. Now he’s stuck on a cruise for eight hours with a twelve-foot tall sparkling menorah and enough gelt to sink the boat.

Oy vey.

Hanukkah starts looking a little bit brighter—and hotter—when Asher discovers the cute chef he’s been eyeing on the boat is his long-lost BFF from Jewish day camp.



Both Asher and Talia have secrets. If they want to give their friendship—or more—a second chance these two opposites will have to share more than a sizzling spin in the sheets after a smoking-hot game of strip dreidel…although that’s a very good start.

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

21 people are currently reading
115 people want to read

About the author

Amanda Usen

22 books227 followers
Amanda Usen has spent most of her life immersed in story—and butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. After graduating from college, she fortified her English BA with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, figuring a professional chef would never be a starving writer. Amanda loves chocolate, yoga, and carbs in all forms. When she isn’t writing or cooking, she can usually be found reading or hanging out with her small menagerie of cats, ducks, and mostly-grown children.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
37 (47%)
4 stars
27 (34%)
3 stars
12 (15%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,320 reviews
December 22, 2025
4.5/5 stars

This is the second book in the Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series.

These stories are about 8 Jewish friends. Each book features a romance about one friend. The other characters appear in the books as supporting characters.

The Dreidel Do-Over is Talia’s book. I loved this book so much!

These books feature a Hanukkah cruise, which I am completely obsessed with. I love that this book shows so many different aspects of the cruise. This one really focuses a lot more on the food.

Talia is 26. She has a successful business in NYC as the Jewish Grandma. However nobody knows that it’s her. Asher is a bartender working on the Matzo Baller Cruise.

I was a bit surprised that Nora (from the first book) isn’t in this book more. I was definitely expecting a lot more overlapping scenes. However it really works to make the books not repetitive.

I love the Jewish and Hanukkah Rep in this series. I love that there are actually substantial issues for each couple. This book is so wonderful! I highly recommend it.



Profile Image for Courtney Shapiro.
1,312 reviews60 followers
December 9, 2023
4.5
Okay, Talia and Asher were incredible. This one had the steam and more of the romance that I was looking for in The Hanukkah Hook-Up. The dreidel competition was so much fun! I loved seeing things from Talia's perspective on the boat. The concepts of Jewish good were incredibly and I loved the innovative food and beverage options seen throughout the book. Food is such an important part of Jewish culture and I think Amanda showed that off brilliantly. I also loved the how Judaism was portrayed here and that varying levels of practice doesn't make someone more or less Jewish. I felt like I saw a lot of myswlf in Talia with what she wants from a partner and it was, nice to see on the page. Asher also had dealt with trauma but had immense growth in the short time the story took place. I really enjoyed this installment of the series and I'm excited to see where the other characters come back into play. Thanks to Amanda for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review!
Profile Image for BookishlyJewish.
111 reviews32 followers
Read
December 12, 2023
This review first appeared on my blog BookishlyJewish

Although I am reviewing The Dreidel Do-Over second out of the two currently available Matzo Baller romance books, it is by no means secondary. This book, written by Amanda Usen, is full of food, flirtation, and heat. Plus many interesting games of Dreidel (yes strip dreidel is included). Plus, when read together with its counterpart, The Hanukkah Hook-Up, it is a stunning testament to the power of creative collaboration. 

The main character, Talia, is no stranger to collaboration herself. A professional chef who owns a catering company called The Jewish Grandma, Talia is busy ensuring everybody is fed when the Matzo Baller casts off for its yearly Hanukkah cruise. However, that doesn’t stop her from participating in a flirtation via missives and foodstuffs shuttled by servers to and from the hot bartender who is all too happy to reciprocate. When supplies run low, the two end up collaborating on several cocktail and food solutions and Talia discovery that Mr. Sexy Bartender is in fact her long lost friend Asher from Jewish summer camp. 

I don’t know what is more quintessentially Jewish - the fact that his name is Asher, the fact that they both went to summer camp, or the fact that Talia has decided to deep fry sweet noodle kuggel in ravioli dough. Either way, it’s delightful and the mixologists' among us may also find it intriguing to try and mimic the Hanukkah cocktails which come with such names as “Gelt-y Pleasure” and “Halla-Day hangover”. Ingredients are provided, but proportions are not, so this could result in a very fun, very tipsy, book club event for anyone feeling ambitious. 

As I read Talia and Asher each sharing their unique strengths and talents, I could not help but notice that the book was set up to focus on the authors unique strengths and talents. This book is much higher heat than its counterpart, with two explicit sex scenes that are hotter than latkes straight out of the fryer, and delves deep into the culinary side of Jewish culture. Hanukkah Hook-Up was more fade to blank with heavy banter/humor. The two books contain no spoilers and can be read in either order, but I do recommend reading them together for the full experience. This will allow you to pick out just how different the styles of the two authors are while also grinning at how the puzzle pieces of the two books fit together. I’m actually really excited to see how they continue the series. 

I would also be remiss if I did not mention that this book focused on practicing Judaism your own way, without being judged for “not being Jewish enough”.  On a holiday that celebrates our refusal to give up our particular identity and assimilate into the larger Greek culture, it’s particularly apt. It doesn’t matter how you Jew, just do so proudly and without apology for being true to yourself, like Talia the Jewish Grandmother.

Note: BookishlyJewish received an e-copy of the book from the author after she filled out our Suggest A Book form.
Profile Image for Amy.
1,277 reviews462 followers
December 25, 2024
So - let me explain this. There is this little series called the Motzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series. This is my second one, and I am reading one of them every year. But apparently it doesn't matter what order you read them in. At least these first two. Why? Because the first two take place on the same night, on the same boat. Here is the premise.

Eight friends are part of an original group who spent a year together in Israel, and they call themselves the OG Motza Ballers. Every year Jay Katz (our heroine Talia's brother - twins?) rents a boat in Manhattan on Christmas Eve and every single young Jew in Manhattan gets on the cruise. All of the eight motza ballers try to make an effort to be there, unless absolutely impossible, and there is a minor league dreidel competition that happens after the boat docks. Last year, Nora barely made the boat in the Chanukah Hook Up, but she entertains a visiting company merging acquisition hottie, and gets him on the boat as well, after a disastrous work Christmas Eve party. As Talia's best friend, she is barely a side note in this version of the same night. But she and her beau are there. In this version of the same night, Talia is doing the cooking. She is secretly the Jewish Grandma, and she is feeding all 200 people on the boat. But who else is also there and serving the drinks? Its Asher, her boyfriend from Sleepaway Camp, who ditched her because his life went awry. This one is for Talia and Asher.

Truth be told, I liked Nora and Adam, (was it Adam?) better, but I am not complaining. I read this on my phone through Apple Books. They cost me like $1.99 and I am sort of enjoying this yearly Motza Baller Cruise. And guess what? Now there is two more. One of the next ones features Talia's brother Jay Katz, head of the boat himself. There is also an Eli, and an Avi, and a Sylvie. Well we will all have to wait for next year.
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,470 reviews
December 27, 2024
After reading and enjoying The Hanukkah Hook-Up: Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series, I was excited to check out The Dreidel Do-Over: Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series. This story was just as much fun and really captured the Jewish joy that Hanukkah brings each year.

I liked both Talia and Asher and their banter was genuine and entertaining. There was definitely enough heat to fry a whole batch of latkes, and then some. (Let's just say I'm glad Amanda decided to keep this one as "open door.") The creative alcoholic beverage names and the tasty sounding twists on classic Jewish foods added to the ambience of the story.

The conflict was something that I thought about a lot while dating. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil it, but it's something important for others to think about while finding their besherte. I'm thankful that it was not even an issue when my husband and I met.

I wish the story had been a bit longer, as I felt there was more that could have been explored. If it ever gets made into a movie, there's a lot to work with so that those parts could be included.

Overall, another great Matzo Ballers book, and I'm excited to get started on the next two in the series!

Movie casting suggestions (only casting the main two characters for each book):
Talia: Jane Levy
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 14 books278 followers
December 5, 2023
For anyone who has ever harbored even the tiniest crush on a childhood friend – whether it’s the boy next door, the cute “new” girl at school, etc – then you will absolutely love THE DREIDEL DO-OVER by Amanda Usen! I’ve read all of Amanda’s books and thought she was the master of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but this friends-to-lovers/second chance love story that she has crafted is SO well done. Asher Stein has had a complete GLOW-UP, as they say, and I am here for it! As is her heroine, Talia…who I found to be strong, sassy, and so authentic.

Full disclosure – I’ve had the privilege of knowing about this book from its first story seed until its final, triumphant word (since Amanda and I are collaborating on this Hanukkah Romance Series together) but can I say, she still managed to make me gasp in surprise, grin like a fool…and blush brighter than a fully-lit menorah on the eighth and final day of Hanukkah! She brings the heat, but also the heart. And she will make you hungry, because all of the food references are EPIC.

If you’ve never read a romance, if you’ve never read a Hanukkah story – why not start here? Her writing invites you in from the very first page. And gives HOLIDAY FEELS for days!
Profile Image for Fay.
874 reviews38 followers
December 9, 2023
Title: The Dreidel Do-Over
Author: Amanda Usen
Pub Date: December 5, 2023

If you know me, you know I love a good second chance romance. Combine that with a bit of opposites attract and you’ve got two of my favorite tropes! The Dreidel Do-Over was so fun and I really enjoyed it!

Talia loves the Matzo Baller cruise and looks forward to it every year. When her brother needs someone to fill in as chef, Talia has to step up. Luck would have it, the bartended hired for the event also gets sick, and Asher Stein, who loathes Hanukkah, steps in to work the eight hour shift on the cruise. Things start to look brighter for Asher, when he discovers an attractive chef working the cruise. It doesn’t take long before they realize the two were friends at Jewish Day camp. With both Talia and Asher keeping secrets, will these two have a chance at friendship or something more?

The Dreidel Do-Over:
💙Second Chance Romance
💙Opposities Attract
💙Found Family
💙Friend’s Little Sister
💙Hanukkah Vibes

Thank you, Amanda Usen, for providing me with a #gifted copy of The Dreidel Do-Over!
Profile Image for Elizabeth .
1,023 reviews7 followers
December 19, 2023
I loved the concept of this series. I needed some Jewish Joy in my life. This book centers on Talia and her old camp friend, Asher. Talia is a talented chef and caterer behind Jewish Grandma and Asher owns a popular bar in Chelsea. As many camp friends lose touch over the years, Asher and Talia find themselves reunited on the Matzah Baller cruise working in their respective jobs, serving themed drinks and catering and making all the food- which sounded heavenly. Especially the kugel ravioli. Wow.

Asher had shied away from his Jewish culture and religious traditions after his parents divorced when he was 9. I like that Talia was a curvy, beautiful woman and her own boss. She's set up by her brother Jay, who tells Asher to keep his hands off his sister. Made me think of Ross and Monica on Friends, with Chandler.

The author said they're planning an 8 part series. Yay. I'll be back to acquaint myself with the other friends in the group.
Profile Image for Erin.
676 reviews
December 17, 2023
Truly a December delight, this old-friends-reunited tale is filled with Jewish joy. I loved the details of both Talia and Asher's food and drinks, which are described in delectable detail. And the tension shimmers off the page as the two of them are "forced" to work in close quarters -- but don't worry, it pays off! This one goes down easier than one of Asher's delectable sounding cocktails, and will leave you with the best kind of Hanukkah hangover.
Profile Image for Tasha Turner.
Author 2 books102 followers
December 11, 2023
Another fun Chanukah romance very much written for the Jewish gaze. Witty, fun, believable, old friends reconnect, fun cocktail recipes. I even cried towards the end, it was so sweet.

Check out the other book in the series & I’m hoping for more:
The Hanukkah Hook-Up: Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series by Jessica Topper
Profile Image for Helaine Weidner.
102 reviews
December 24, 2023
Cute Romance

I loved all of the Jewish traditions and food that was mentioned. I am still questioning myself whether or not I liked the “steamy” scenes .They are not something I normally read. I was a bit disappointed when the “Jewish Grandma” was enjoying a bagel with bacon. How un-kosher was that!?
12 reviews1 follower
December 16, 2023
Hanukkah fun

Dreidel Do-over is a fun and romantic look into Hanukkah. Asher and Talia get their second (or is it third) chance at romance as we follow them through Hanukkah traditions that put a smile on your face.
Profile Image for Robin.
647 reviews22 followers
December 29, 2024
Omg, Amanda Usen did it again book #2 of The Matzoh Ballers series. I really love this hanukkah series. Can't wait to read the rest.
This grownup " little Jewish girl" finally has a holiday series written about "my" holiday!
Profile Image for Sharon.
248 reviews2 followers
December 14, 2025
What I liked: A witty Hanukkah rom-com, with a “second chance romance” for the chef and the bartender on a holiday party boat. There’s very competitive dreidel game hijinks too.

What I disliked: The chef’s “secret identity” storyline fizzled
Profile Image for Heather Abbott.
232 reviews4 followers
December 27, 2025
This takes place at the same time as The Hanukkah Hook-Up so you can read them in either order. I loved Talia and Asher’s story. Similar to the first book in the series, I just wanted an Epilogue to give a glimpse of the future.
Profile Image for Kim Swartz.
177 reviews2 followers
December 23, 2024
It was cute. And I know it’s meant to be a short book. I just wish there was a little more to it
Profile Image for Susan Gooch.
161 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2025
The Dreidel Do-Over: Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance Series" by Amanda Usen. This is the first book in the Matzo Ballers Series. The story centers on Talia Katz and Asher Stein who met on the initial Matzo Baller Hanukkah Midnight Cruise. In full disclosure, I read this book second even though it is the first one in the series. I think I would have had a hard time following it if I had read it in the correct order. Since I had already met some of the other characters in the story in the second book, I was able to follow along easier. I like how Usen incorporated the use of oil and food into the story and how the shortage of oil was a metaphor for how the holiday came about. I liked how she also wove in the part about their childhood and attending camp together. I did not realize until I read this series how important the camps and the time spent working on missions and being together were such a part of a young Jewish person’s life. I loved the idea of having life long friends who totally get you and have your back. For me the best part of this book was learning how the Dreidel game works. I loved how important that tradition was to Talia. This book was spicy! I gave it four stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

#bookrecs #bookstagram #bookinstagtam #spicybooks #sweetbooks #mysearcy #hanukkah #festivaloflights #traditions #hanukkahbooks #susangooch #susangoochtheauthor #thecarringtonaffairs
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.