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Last Girls Standing #3
The Dreidl Disaster
Mayor Olivia Nachman is ambitious and excited to be elected to the county legislature, and better serve her Jewish community. Busy helping the newly elected mayor transition into his new role in January, she’s blind-sided by an epic public relations disaster that puts many members of the temple and community at odds, threatening Hannukah. An influential friend hires “a fixer,” but now Olivia has to work with a way-too handsome PR consultant who thinks he knows everything.
Artur Rabinovich knows how to spin a story and fix almost any PR problem. But when he’s hired to help the city of Briarwood solve a delicate situation, Artur’s initial investigation makes the situation worse. In search of answers, he turns to the outgoing mayor, who doesn’t trust him, for help. But working with Livy creates a new balancing his attraction to her and the need to impress his new boss.
Will Liv and Artur learn to compromise and mix business with pleasure without jeopardizing the project or their careers before the dreidl spins its last? Or will the situation and the relationship end up a disaster?
Artur Rabinovich knows how to spin a story and fix almost any PR problem. But when he’s hired to help the city of Briarwood solve a delicate situation, Artur’s initial investigation makes the situation worse. In search of answers, he turns to the outgoing mayor, who doesn’t trust him, for help. But working with Livy creates a new balancing his attraction to her and the need to impress his new boss.
Will Liv and Artur learn to compromise and mix business with pleasure without jeopardizing the project or their careers before the dreidl spins its last? Or will the situation and the relationship end up a disaster?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2024
8 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 5, 2024
In The Dreidl Disaster, the spotlight is on Olivia, the mayor of Briarwood and doing damage control after the person sent to help oversee a dreidl sculpture to celebrate Hanukkah clearly knew nothing about the holiday, or Judaism in general. When Artur, a fixer is sent in to help the situation, sparks begin to fly between him and Olivia.
Olivia is my favorite character in this series, and probably because I relate to her the most. The build up to the romance between her and Artur was so sweet. With Briarwood being a small town, you of course get everyone jumping in with their opinion and advice, especially when it came to their family and friends! I loved all of the appearances from the characters from the previous Last Girls Standing books, plus from Stacey's other series Friendships and Festivals. Stacey's books always make me wish I can find the Hanukkah festivals that the characters put together!
Thank you so much to Stacey for an advance digital copy!
Olivia is my favorite character in this series, and probably because I relate to her the most. The build up to the romance between her and Artur was so sweet. With Briarwood being a small town, you of course get everyone jumping in with their opinion and advice, especially when it came to their family and friends! I loved all of the appearances from the characters from the previous Last Girls Standing books, plus from Stacey's other series Friendships and Festivals. Stacey's books always make me wish I can find the Hanukkah festivals that the characters put together!
Thank you so much to Stacey for an advance digital copy!
December 20, 2024
I've been loving this series so far, and The Dreidl Disaster was also a win. I love that Stacey's characters are always fully Jewish. It's so nice to see that representation. I thought the story was sweet and the build up to their relationship was cute and well timed. I liked seeing the characters from the previous books and how their relationships are going. The small town was also fun. I'm excited to see what Stacey does next and I enjoyed this sweet, Hanukkah-themed read!
December 8, 2024
4.5/5 stars
The Dreidl Disaster is a Hanukkah romance. It is the third book in the Last Girls Standing romance series! This is Olivia’s story.
I really enjoyed B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake and The Dating Contract. So I was very excited to read this new book! Each book focuses on one of the four Nachman women.
This is a short charming holiday romance full of amazing Jewish rep. Olivia/Liv is the mayor of a small town. Artur is a PR fixer who comes to save the town’s Hanukkah event (which includes the installation of a Dreidl sculpture).
This was such a fun read. I loved that the story focused on planning a Hanukkah event. I also really enjoyed Artur’s group of friends. I loved seeing the characters from the first two books. And there is a fun surprise at the end that relates to the next book. Overall this book made me smile.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Dreidl Disaster is a Hanukkah romance. It is the third book in the Last Girls Standing romance series! This is Olivia’s story.
I really enjoyed B'Nai Mitzvah Mistake and The Dating Contract. So I was very excited to read this new book! Each book focuses on one of the four Nachman women.
This is a short charming holiday romance full of amazing Jewish rep. Olivia/Liv is the mayor of a small town. Artur is a PR fixer who comes to save the town’s Hanukkah event (which includes the installation of a Dreidl sculpture).
This was such a fun read. I loved that the story focused on planning a Hanukkah event. I also really enjoyed Artur’s group of friends. I loved seeing the characters from the first two books. And there is a fun surprise at the end that relates to the next book. Overall this book made me smile.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2024
I was absolutely delighted to see the MMC was Artur, from the Festivals and Friendships series!!! All the crossover between the two series was so much fun! And I loved the relationship between Artur and Liv. Can't wait to read more from this author!
December 3, 2024
My favorite book in the Last Girls Standing series so far. Stacey is the Queen of writing main characters with lesser known jobs, in this case a town Mayor and a corporate fixer trying to save the town Hanukkah event. It was nice to see so much of Judith, Asher, Leah, and Samuel as well.
This one is what I’d consider more of a novella length and I do think it could have easily been a little shorter too. But this was still a lot of fun though Artur’s sour cream obsession was a bit odd😀. Thank you Stacey for the ARC and I cannot wait for Naomi’s book!
This one is what I’d consider more of a novella length and I do think it could have easily been a little shorter too. But this was still a lot of fun though Artur’s sour cream obsession was a bit odd😀. Thank you Stacey for the ARC and I cannot wait for Naomi’s book!
December 6, 2024
The Dreidl Disaster is the third book in the Last Girls Standing series by Stacey Agdern. The book takes place during the Hannukah season in Briarwood, NY. The series has been about the 4 Nachman cousins with each of the books featuring one. This book features Olivia or Liv Nachman who is the mayor of Briarwood. I must admit I was very confused throughout the book. I read the first two books in this series as well as the prior series. Several characters from the previous series are included in this story at various points. Initially I didn’t recognize them until I went back to the books in the previous series. There is also a reference to a McManus incident that I never was able to identify or understand in the context of this story. I had trouble following the logic behind the resolution of the anger experienced by some of the people in Briarwood over the way the sculpture would be celebrated as presented by the first team representative. I totally understood the sentiment towards the clueless team representative, just not the demand for an elaborate plan to counteract it. I also wasn’t sure for the secret sour cream use by Artur. I understand in a kosher house you don’t eat meat and dairy together but the sour cream thing was different.
As the book opens, there is a woman in town to meet with the people in Briarwood to tell them about the plans to present a sculpture that was made of hockey sticks into a Dreidl. The sticks are from a championship won by the Empires Hockey Team. The woman sent by the team did not have a knowledge of the Jewish culture and insulted and angered the people at the meeting. She didn’t have the correct spelling or pronunciation of very important words, she didn’t know when or where the Jewish services were held and didn’t know anything about the food of the culture. A decision is made by the team PR to bring in a “Fixer” to fix all the harm the first woman caused and to move forward in putting the important event together. The Fixer is Artur Rabinovich, who is originally from a neighboring town. We met him in the prior series.
Artur and Liv meet and make plans on how to appease the different groups who were angered by the first woman’s presentation. He has friends in his home town and contacts in another close town. The two are attracted to each other but are too busy with all their tasks to initially acknowledge it. Artur keeps contacting various friends and their friends to come up with the best way to display the Dreidl and have a celebration around it. The couple tried to keep any personal interest hidden from others. I wasn’t sure if it was a cultural thing to not engage in relationships in front of others or if it was because of their jobs? Eventually they admitted to their feelings and went out in the open to show their feelings. There is quite a bit of angst and lovely romance.
The couple is sweet together. I enjoyed that the other family, friends and associates we’ve met before were in this book too (once I figured out who was who). It is wonderful to have holiday books about more than just Christmas. I enjoy learning about other religions, cultures, food, etc and this was enlightening. It was well written and flowed from the prior book.
I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Tule Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
As the book opens, there is a woman in town to meet with the people in Briarwood to tell them about the plans to present a sculpture that was made of hockey sticks into a Dreidl. The sticks are from a championship won by the Empires Hockey Team. The woman sent by the team did not have a knowledge of the Jewish culture and insulted and angered the people at the meeting. She didn’t have the correct spelling or pronunciation of very important words, she didn’t know when or where the Jewish services were held and didn’t know anything about the food of the culture. A decision is made by the team PR to bring in a “Fixer” to fix all the harm the first woman caused and to move forward in putting the important event together. The Fixer is Artur Rabinovich, who is originally from a neighboring town. We met him in the prior series.
Artur and Liv meet and make plans on how to appease the different groups who were angered by the first woman’s presentation. He has friends in his home town and contacts in another close town. The two are attracted to each other but are too busy with all their tasks to initially acknowledge it. Artur keeps contacting various friends and their friends to come up with the best way to display the Dreidl and have a celebration around it. The couple tried to keep any personal interest hidden from others. I wasn’t sure if it was a cultural thing to not engage in relationships in front of others or if it was because of their jobs? Eventually they admitted to their feelings and went out in the open to show their feelings. There is quite a bit of angst and lovely romance.
The couple is sweet together. I enjoyed that the other family, friends and associates we’ve met before were in this book too (once I figured out who was who). It is wonderful to have holiday books about more than just Christmas. I enjoy learning about other religions, cultures, food, etc and this was enlightening. It was well written and flowed from the prior book.
I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Tule Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
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December 30, 2024This review first appeared on my blog BookishlyJewish
When I think Hanukkah books, I think Stacey Agdern. Don’t get me wrong, there were some crumbs of representation already existing, and many authors and artists fighting to increase it, but Agdern's Friendship's and Festivals series was when I saw Hanukkah getting acknowledged in a big way by the general reading populace. Plus, it was representation in the right way - written by an actual Jewish person who is sensitive to what out traditions actually look like. Rather than trying to fit us into a mold that works for others, those books let Jews just be Jews. Which is why I was ecstatic to hear she was releasing a new Hanukkah book for this season.
The Dreidl Disaster is the third book in the Last Girls Standing series and follows Liv, the mayor of a small New England town preparing to receive a Hanukkah sculpture from a hockey team. Unfortunately, the team representative coordinating the event has completely botched the entire thing - presenting a proposal to the town consisting of Christmas traditions thinly coated in blue for Hanukkah and clearly having no relevance to the town or Judaism. The town residents, including the non-Jewish ones, are in an uproar. Liv’s mayoral legacy as she prepares to leave office for a different position is in jeopardy. To fix this mess the hockey team sends in someone we’ve met before as part of the Friendship and Festivals series - Artur Rabinovitch, professional fixer.
Artur and Liv have a growing attraction, but there’s the whole sticky issues of their respective jobs and what is and isn’t appropriate while they coordinate the event. The Dreidl Disaster is a closed door/sweet type of romance, you are safe to read this book pretty much anywhere, but as a public figure Liv can’t even date publicly without half the town giving her the side eye. This small town vibe is always captured so well by Agdern, and I especially adore how she creates worlds that both acknowledge the complicated web of Jewish geography while also incorporating communities made of Jews and non Jews who respect each others traditions
One word of caution, I think you really should read some of the other books in the Agdern universe before jumping into this one. There were so many repeat characters and references to past events that I think you might feel like you were missing out if you didn’t know what they were referring to. This shouldn’t be a problem though, because those other books are totally worth it.
Jewish romance in particular has seen a blossoming of late. I was able to find new books for every night of Hanukkah this year! But sometimes it’s good to go back to the classics. And as is the classical Jewish blessing, may they grow and multiply to include not just Hanukkah but all of our holidays. We contain multitudes. Publishing is finally catching up and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Note: BookishlyJewish receive an e-ARC of this book from the author
When I think Hanukkah books, I think Stacey Agdern. Don’t get me wrong, there were some crumbs of representation already existing, and many authors and artists fighting to increase it, but Agdern's Friendship's and Festivals series was when I saw Hanukkah getting acknowledged in a big way by the general reading populace. Plus, it was representation in the right way - written by an actual Jewish person who is sensitive to what out traditions actually look like. Rather than trying to fit us into a mold that works for others, those books let Jews just be Jews. Which is why I was ecstatic to hear she was releasing a new Hanukkah book for this season.
The Dreidl Disaster is the third book in the Last Girls Standing series and follows Liv, the mayor of a small New England town preparing to receive a Hanukkah sculpture from a hockey team. Unfortunately, the team representative coordinating the event has completely botched the entire thing - presenting a proposal to the town consisting of Christmas traditions thinly coated in blue for Hanukkah and clearly having no relevance to the town or Judaism. The town residents, including the non-Jewish ones, are in an uproar. Liv’s mayoral legacy as she prepares to leave office for a different position is in jeopardy. To fix this mess the hockey team sends in someone we’ve met before as part of the Friendship and Festivals series - Artur Rabinovitch, professional fixer.
Artur and Liv have a growing attraction, but there’s the whole sticky issues of their respective jobs and what is and isn’t appropriate while they coordinate the event. The Dreidl Disaster is a closed door/sweet type of romance, you are safe to read this book pretty much anywhere, but as a public figure Liv can’t even date publicly without half the town giving her the side eye. This small town vibe is always captured so well by Agdern, and I especially adore how she creates worlds that both acknowledge the complicated web of Jewish geography while also incorporating communities made of Jews and non Jews who respect each others traditions
One word of caution, I think you really should read some of the other books in the Agdern universe before jumping into this one. There were so many repeat characters and references to past events that I think you might feel like you were missing out if you didn’t know what they were referring to. This shouldn’t be a problem though, because those other books are totally worth it.
Jewish romance in particular has seen a blossoming of late. I was able to find new books for every night of Hanukkah this year! But sometimes it’s good to go back to the classics. And as is the classical Jewish blessing, may they grow and multiply to include not just Hanukkah but all of our holidays. We contain multitudes. Publishing is finally catching up and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Note: BookishlyJewish receive an e-ARC of this book from the author
December 5, 2024
The Dreidl Disaster is a charming romance set in a NY satellite town with a strong Jewish community. It is closely linked to other Tule Publishing books by the author through multiple surrounding locations and characters. I haven't read the others, though they are on my kindle but I was looking for seasonal romances and this came up based around celebrating Hanukkah in the US setting.
Olivia Nachman is the main female protagonist in this story. She's been the Mayor or Briarwood for some time and is about to take the next step to County Legislator. She has probable been a secondary character in previous books in this series but not having read them wasn't a problem as the book stands alone quite well.
As the story opens, we see a PR person for a sporting league by the name of Empire, presenting a plan for a Hanukkah celebration focussed around a donated statue of a traditional Dreidl to the town community. It's very clear that this person has absolutely no idea about anything to do with Jewish celebrations and culture. Not only has she destroyed any vision of the community celebration for the local Chamber of Commerce, she has insulted every member of the local Jewish Temple with her commercialization and Christianization of the celebration.
Olivia has only weeks to salvage the situation and the first thing is for the sponsor to provide a solution to what they broke.
Enter the "fixer".
Artur Rabinovitch has strong ties to the towns around Briardale having grown up in a neighbouring satellite town. His career as a fixer has taken him far and wide but he's looking at working for Empire with people he's known from his childhood. From internal references, I believe he's made a previous appearance in the lives of some of the series protagonists.
Olivia and Artur hit it off almost straight away, but Olivia is wary because of previous experiences and the importance of the Mayor being above reproach. Artur is a very unusual character with a unique way of looking at the world which helps him see solutions to insoluble problems.
I really loved seeing these two learn to work together under the benevolent and not so benevolent eyes of the community.
This book was heavy in secondary characters and counting them up, I believe we met possibly all the main protagonists from the previous series set in this world. This was occasionally overwhelming and I was wishing I had read the previous books so I already knew them.
The story has a very strong Jewish flavour, laden with customs and language and the most delicious sounding food. I had no problem understanding what was happening from an outsiders perspective as it was usually very clear from the context. It was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely go back and read the earlier books I have on my kindle.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Olivia Nachman is the main female protagonist in this story. She's been the Mayor or Briarwood for some time and is about to take the next step to County Legislator. She has probable been a secondary character in previous books in this series but not having read them wasn't a problem as the book stands alone quite well.
As the story opens, we see a PR person for a sporting league by the name of Empire, presenting a plan for a Hanukkah celebration focussed around a donated statue of a traditional Dreidl to the town community. It's very clear that this person has absolutely no idea about anything to do with Jewish celebrations and culture. Not only has she destroyed any vision of the community celebration for the local Chamber of Commerce, she has insulted every member of the local Jewish Temple with her commercialization and Christianization of the celebration.
Olivia has only weeks to salvage the situation and the first thing is for the sponsor to provide a solution to what they broke.
Enter the "fixer".
Artur Rabinovitch has strong ties to the towns around Briardale having grown up in a neighbouring satellite town. His career as a fixer has taken him far and wide but he's looking at working for Empire with people he's known from his childhood. From internal references, I believe he's made a previous appearance in the lives of some of the series protagonists.
Olivia and Artur hit it off almost straight away, but Olivia is wary because of previous experiences and the importance of the Mayor being above reproach. Artur is a very unusual character with a unique way of looking at the world which helps him see solutions to insoluble problems.
I really loved seeing these two learn to work together under the benevolent and not so benevolent eyes of the community.
This book was heavy in secondary characters and counting them up, I believe we met possibly all the main protagonists from the previous series set in this world. This was occasionally overwhelming and I was wishing I had read the previous books so I already knew them.
The story has a very strong Jewish flavour, laden with customs and language and the most delicious sounding food. I had no problem understanding what was happening from an outsiders perspective as it was usually very clear from the context. It was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely go back and read the earlier books I have on my kindle.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 5, 2024
This book had such possibility, but never realized it. I had a hard time buying into the premise of this book: the entire Jewish community of a small New York town is outraged over a public relations representative’s misguided and uninformed plans for a sculpture dedication ceremony. That sculpture? A driedl made out of hockey sticks that had been used by the Empires hockey team in championship games.
Cute idea, but hardly believable. First, a dreidl is a toy, noting more than a spinning top. Yes, back in olden days, a dreidl served as a ruse to protect Jewish scholars when studying Torah was forbidden, but it’s still a toy. It’s highly unlikely that a town would get so worked up over a ceremony around a toy. If it were a menorah/hanukkiah, a representative of the miracle of the oil, a similar situation the author mentions in her notes as inspiration for this story, it would make a lot more sense. Lighting of the hanukkiah is mandated by the ancient sages as a mitzvah, a good deed, a blessing.
While the book uses the idea of bringing in a “fixer” to right the errors the original PR person made, the actual story in this book is not the sculpture or the community, it’s a romance. Mayor Liv and Artur are drawn to each other, but neither is trusting enough to just go for it, so things stay, primarily, business. Something apparently happened to Liv in an earlier book, but it’s never spelled out in this one.
This is a story about Judaism, family, friendship, community, elected officials and service, Hanukkah, and an odd obsession with sour cream, also without an explanation. I found the writing often disjointed in both narration and dialogue, and the characters were flat. This book is part of a series, and the author assumes that the reader has read, and remembers, everything that happened in her earlier books. That just led to confusion.
For me, this was just an okay read. It dragged due to the choppy writing, repetition, and spots of pointless dialogue. I really wanted to like this book, but now that I’ve completed reading it, I cannot in good conscience recommend it. There are better holiday books available.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, Tule. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
Cute idea, but hardly believable. First, a dreidl is a toy, noting more than a spinning top. Yes, back in olden days, a dreidl served as a ruse to protect Jewish scholars when studying Torah was forbidden, but it’s still a toy. It’s highly unlikely that a town would get so worked up over a ceremony around a toy. If it were a menorah/hanukkiah, a representative of the miracle of the oil, a similar situation the author mentions in her notes as inspiration for this story, it would make a lot more sense. Lighting of the hanukkiah is mandated by the ancient sages as a mitzvah, a good deed, a blessing.
While the book uses the idea of bringing in a “fixer” to right the errors the original PR person made, the actual story in this book is not the sculpture or the community, it’s a romance. Mayor Liv and Artur are drawn to each other, but neither is trusting enough to just go for it, so things stay, primarily, business. Something apparently happened to Liv in an earlier book, but it’s never spelled out in this one.
This is a story about Judaism, family, friendship, community, elected officials and service, Hanukkah, and an odd obsession with sour cream, also without an explanation. I found the writing often disjointed in both narration and dialogue, and the characters were flat. This book is part of a series, and the author assumes that the reader has read, and remembers, everything that happened in her earlier books. That just led to confusion.
For me, this was just an okay read. It dragged due to the choppy writing, repetition, and spots of pointless dialogue. I really wanted to like this book, but now that I’ve completed reading it, I cannot in good conscience recommend it. There are better holiday books available.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, Tule. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
December 3, 2024
At this time of year, it can be easy to forget that there are holidays other than Christmas. I’m at best, an agnostic and I’ve had several Christmas centered romances on my kindle without trying. No shade to those books, I liked them. But I did reach out to Stacey Agdern and ask if I could get an arc of her forthcoming Hanukkah romance, The Dreidel Disaster. I enjoyed it. It’s a romance for grownups, in a responding to problems way, not in a sexy times way. The romance is closed door.
Livvy Nachman is about to be the former Mayor of Briarwood, in New York’s Hudson Valley, and is getting ready to take on new duties as a county legislator. Before she leaves office, she wants to get a Hanukkah celebration off the ground, and a local National Hockey League team has donated used hockey sticks to become a dreidl sculpture, and is submitting a proposal for a festival. The big flaw in the plan is the decidedly not Jewish hockey team employee tasked with developing the festival. In a stunningly tone deaf presentation, she manages to enrage everyone. The team calls in noted fixer, Artur Rabinovich, who must navigate a town that’s watching his every move closely.
Sparks fly between Liv and Artur and they move slowly and cautiously towards a romance. The whole community and their overlapping circles of family and friends are watching, commenting, and butting in with advice about the relationship and the festival. This feels a lot like an actual small town romance where the residence are less folksy and more “I know your entire history, so I can tell you what to do.” There are a lot of pointed looks, too. The kind that come from life long friendships . I really enjoyed that their romance was not happening in two person bubble. I also enjoyed how much Liv and Artur enjoyed kissing each other.
I’m a little disappointed that I can’t actually go to the unveiling of the dreidl sculpture. The festival sounded like it would be a lot of fun. I was prompted to look up Hanukkah events here in Austin. No dreidl unveilings, but I did find a new Korean and Jewish shop that focuses on fermentables, including sourdough bagels.
I received this as an advance reader copy from the author. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
Livvy Nachman is about to be the former Mayor of Briarwood, in New York’s Hudson Valley, and is getting ready to take on new duties as a county legislator. Before she leaves office, she wants to get a Hanukkah celebration off the ground, and a local National Hockey League team has donated used hockey sticks to become a dreidl sculpture, and is submitting a proposal for a festival. The big flaw in the plan is the decidedly not Jewish hockey team employee tasked with developing the festival. In a stunningly tone deaf presentation, she manages to enrage everyone. The team calls in noted fixer, Artur Rabinovich, who must navigate a town that’s watching his every move closely.
Sparks fly between Liv and Artur and they move slowly and cautiously towards a romance. The whole community and their overlapping circles of family and friends are watching, commenting, and butting in with advice about the relationship and the festival. This feels a lot like an actual small town romance where the residence are less folksy and more “I know your entire history, so I can tell you what to do.” There are a lot of pointed looks, too. The kind that come from life long friendships . I really enjoyed that their romance was not happening in two person bubble. I also enjoyed how much Liv and Artur enjoyed kissing each other.
I’m a little disappointed that I can’t actually go to the unveiling of the dreidl sculpture. The festival sounded like it would be a lot of fun. I was prompted to look up Hanukkah events here in Austin. No dreidl unveilings, but I did find a new Korean and Jewish shop that focuses on fermentables, including sourdough bagels.
I received this as an advance reader copy from the author. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
November 24, 2024
Opening a Stacey Agdern book is like going to a party with all your friends, secure in the knowledge that you’ll have an awesome time. Likewise with an Agdern novel, it’s guaranteed to have a sweet buildup of romance, adorable banter, and of course, the happiest of happy endings.
Briarwood is a cozy town with a strong history of observing tradition, so when the local hockey team donates sticks for the creation of a dreidl sculpture, a PR nightmare follows. Town representatives and interfaith leaders argue over the appropriate ceremonies and events with which to honor the dreidl installation, except anger is the only thing that everyone seems to have in common. Newly elected mayor Olivia Nachman needs this fixed and fixed yesterday.
Which is how Artur Rabinovich, devastatingly handsome and a little too self-assured, enters the scene. But Artur soon realizes that he has more than just the PR problem to deal with, he must also figure out a way to keep his attraction for the gorgeous mayor to himself. Because romance and politics are a sure-fire combination for disaster on top of the preexisting PR one. But the more Livy and Artur spend time together, the harder it becomes to ignore the sparks building between them.
Can they manage to fix the Dreidl Disaster without putting their careers in jeopardy? Or will their growing passion for each other spoil everything that they worked so hard to achieve?
FAVORITE LINES:
The goal was to keep it cool, make it easy. "I take it it's not too early for you to consider Shabbat dinner at my parents' place?" He laughed, but the laugh was nervous. "Uh,
maybe I...
"No," she said, realizing she'd asked too much of him at this point in their... understanding of each other. "It's fine. I'll tell them you're too busy, and then kill my cousins."
"You don't owe him. If a guy really likes you, if he's special," her sister said, "he'd do something for you. He'd help you. He'd offer his sword."
"You don't mind driving me across the county?"
"No," he said. "Gives me more time with you."
Briarwood is a cozy town with a strong history of observing tradition, so when the local hockey team donates sticks for the creation of a dreidl sculpture, a PR nightmare follows. Town representatives and interfaith leaders argue over the appropriate ceremonies and events with which to honor the dreidl installation, except anger is the only thing that everyone seems to have in common. Newly elected mayor Olivia Nachman needs this fixed and fixed yesterday.
Which is how Artur Rabinovich, devastatingly handsome and a little too self-assured, enters the scene. But Artur soon realizes that he has more than just the PR problem to deal with, he must also figure out a way to keep his attraction for the gorgeous mayor to himself. Because romance and politics are a sure-fire combination for disaster on top of the preexisting PR one. But the more Livy and Artur spend time together, the harder it becomes to ignore the sparks building between them.
Can they manage to fix the Dreidl Disaster without putting their careers in jeopardy? Or will their growing passion for each other spoil everything that they worked so hard to achieve?
FAVORITE LINES:
The goal was to keep it cool, make it easy. "I take it it's not too early for you to consider Shabbat dinner at my parents' place?" He laughed, but the laugh was nervous. "Uh,
maybe I...
"No," she said, realizing she'd asked too much of him at this point in their... understanding of each other. "It's fine. I'll tell them you're too busy, and then kill my cousins."
"You don't owe him. If a guy really likes you, if he's special," her sister said, "he'd do something for you. He'd help you. He'd offer his sword."
"You don't mind driving me across the county?"
"No," he said. "Gives me more time with you."
January 1, 2025
The Dreidl Disaster by Stacey Agdern, book three in the Last Girls Standing series, is a Hanukkah romance that is enjoyable, community driven, and heartwarming with unexpected connections and love.
Olivia Nachman term as Mayor of Briarwood, in New York’s Hudson Valley, is coming to an end as she gets ready to take on new duties as a county legislator. Before leaving office, she wants to get a Hanukkah celebration established, and with the help of a local National Hockey League team, the Empire, used hockey sticks have been donated to be the basis of a dreidl sculpture. When a non- Jewish hockey team employee was assigned the task to develop the festival, she has no idea of the true meaning of Hanukkah or about Judaism. With tempers rising among the residents listening to the presentation, Olivia lets the team know that they have a major a PR nightmare.
The team calls in noted fixer, Artur Rabinovich, who has a unique approach fixing situations; looking at the world in an unusual way, allowing him to see solutions to impossible problems. Soon, Artur realizes that he has more than just the PR problem to deal with, he must also figure out a way to keep his attraction for the mayor to himself; as romance and politics are a sure-fire combination for disaster on top of the preexisting PR one. The more time Olivia and Artur spend time together, the harder it becomes to ignore the sparks building between them, as they move slowly and cautiously towards a romance. The whole community and their overlapping circles of family and friends are watching, commenting, and interfering with advice about the relationship and the festival.
This was such a fun read. I loved how the story focused on planning a Hanukkah event and enjoyed Artur’s group of friends. I enjoyed seeing characters from the first two books. There is a fun surprise at the end that relates to the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Olivia Nachman term as Mayor of Briarwood, in New York’s Hudson Valley, is coming to an end as she gets ready to take on new duties as a county legislator. Before leaving office, she wants to get a Hanukkah celebration established, and with the help of a local National Hockey League team, the Empire, used hockey sticks have been donated to be the basis of a dreidl sculpture. When a non- Jewish hockey team employee was assigned the task to develop the festival, she has no idea of the true meaning of Hanukkah or about Judaism. With tempers rising among the residents listening to the presentation, Olivia lets the team know that they have a major a PR nightmare.
The team calls in noted fixer, Artur Rabinovich, who has a unique approach fixing situations; looking at the world in an unusual way, allowing him to see solutions to impossible problems. Soon, Artur realizes that he has more than just the PR problem to deal with, he must also figure out a way to keep his attraction for the mayor to himself; as romance and politics are a sure-fire combination for disaster on top of the preexisting PR one. The more time Olivia and Artur spend time together, the harder it becomes to ignore the sparks building between them, as they move slowly and cautiously towards a romance. The whole community and their overlapping circles of family and friends are watching, commenting, and interfering with advice about the relationship and the festival.
This was such a fun read. I loved how the story focused on planning a Hanukkah event and enjoyed Artur’s group of friends. I enjoyed seeing characters from the first two books. There is a fun surprise at the end that relates to the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
January 5, 2025
I absolutely adored this book. If you are a fan of all of Stacey Agdern’s books you will too. Not that it’s necessary, but I did read the entire Friendships and Festival Series before reading this book. All the characters from both series appear in this book, and that’s why I love it so much. You know the term “Jewish Geography”, all Jews are connected and certainly in this book they were, it was much less than six degrees of separation. Stacey continues to write beautiful Jewish romance stories. The characters are people that I would love to know in real life. She writes such strong and accomplished female characters, as well as men I would fall in love with (Jacob and Artur, I love his sour cream obsession) The world she creates is one I would love to live in. In the time that we are living in with so much antisemitism, her books are such a wonderful escape. I can’t wait for the next one in the series.
October 18, 2024
4.5
Thank you to Stacey Agdern for this arc for an honest review. This is my favorite book in this series and I loved the Hannukah, town politics theme that was the plot. The fmc is the outgoing town mayor that is leveling up to a legislative position. There is a crisis with the Hannukak celebration in the town and the mmc who is a fixer is hired to help. As they get to know each other they move past a working relationship as they clearly have feelings for each other and start exploring that.
I am a politics/fixer-themed lover so of course I loved this aspect of the book. I loved the close friend group and how the different aspects of Jewish culture and observance were highlighted in this book. I loved how sweet the romance was, there was no smut, and it's so cute how the relationship developed. I am so excited for Naomi's book and can't wait to read it.
Thank you to Stacey Agdern for this arc for an honest review. This is my favorite book in this series and I loved the Hannukah, town politics theme that was the plot. The fmc is the outgoing town mayor that is leveling up to a legislative position. There is a crisis with the Hannukak celebration in the town and the mmc who is a fixer is hired to help. As they get to know each other they move past a working relationship as they clearly have feelings for each other and start exploring that.
I am a politics/fixer-themed lover so of course I loved this aspect of the book. I loved the close friend group and how the different aspects of Jewish culture and observance were highlighted in this book. I loved how sweet the romance was, there was no smut, and it's so cute how the relationship developed. I am so excited for Naomi's book and can't wait to read it.
March 21, 2025
Actually, I gave up. The first book in this series had a woman who just couldn't get over the love of her life being the person who hurt her sister's career. The second book had the sister not being able to get over her high school sweet heart doing SOMETHING so awful that was never really explained but she got over it after nearly two decades, now we have a book where, at least the lovers don't have a nasty back story but they are jut too professional and career focused to let love in. Yawn. I liked the first book enough to give it five stars (that may have been too kind), the second fell to three stars, and this one was so tiresome I gave up a hundred pages from the end. I went back and looked (because the plot seemed familiar) and this author's other Hanukkah celebration romance got one star and a scathing review from me. I should have known better than to try another one.
December 1, 2024
This is such a fun book to read. Mayor Olivia Nachman is planning an event centered around the installation of a dreidl sculpture. The plans for the celebration are a disaster in the making-I found the lack of knowledge in the faith from the planning committee hysterical. With the help of fixer Artur, Liv carefully navigates small town politics while keeping true to Jewish traditions. The developing romance between Liv and Artur, the return of "old friends" from previous books, and holiday charm made this a enjoyable escape. This can be read as a stand alone , however, I suggest reading the other light-hearted stories in the series. I know I am highly anticipating the next adventure . I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 11, 2024
A sweet Hanukkah Miracle.
Briarwood Mayor, Olivia Nachman, is in the midst of Hanukkah festival disaster caused by a planner who didn’t know the first thing about the holiday or traditions, when she learns Artur Rabinovitch has been called in to fix the problem. Together Olivia and Artur get the festival back on track, but not without a few bumps along the way. They also decide to give in to the growing attraction between them and start dating.
This book has lots of holiday spirit and is a fun and memorable story. I also enjoyed catching up with the characters from previous books.
Briarwood Mayor, Olivia Nachman, is in the midst of Hanukkah festival disaster caused by a planner who didn’t know the first thing about the holiday or traditions, when she learns Artur Rabinovitch has been called in to fix the problem. Together Olivia and Artur get the festival back on track, but not without a few bumps along the way. They also decide to give in to the growing attraction between them and start dating.
This book has lots of holiday spirit and is a fun and memorable story. I also enjoyed catching up with the characters from previous books.
December 5, 2024
The Dreidl Disaster by Stacey Agdern is the third book in the delightful Last Girls Standing Series. Olivia Nachman finds herself in the middle of a town politics. When a donation for a new creation of a dreidel sculpture is should be a celebration instead of a public relations disaster. Artur Rabinovich comes in to fix the problem but does seem to make it worse in the beginning. His attraction to Olivia put him in another situations have complications. Their story is interesting, full of traditions, the Hannukah celebration, family and the good of the whole community.
A sweet romantic story that is a great read for all. My favorite of the series.
A sweet romantic story that is a great read for all. My favorite of the series.
December 5, 2024
This is the third book in the Last Girls Standing romance.
And this is Mayor Olivia/Liv and PR fixer Artur’s story.
For me, I was having a hard time with them making so much of a big deal out of what is actually a Jewish toy.
The romance between Artur that was a slow burn romance.
I’m still not sure what the weird obsession with the sour cream was.
As I said this was the third in the series maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read the other ones first.
Thanks to Tule publishing for this ARC
And this is Mayor Olivia/Liv and PR fixer Artur’s story.
For me, I was having a hard time with them making so much of a big deal out of what is actually a Jewish toy.
The romance between Artur that was a slow burn romance.
I’m still not sure what the weird obsession with the sour cream was.
As I said this was the third in the series maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had read the other ones first.
Thanks to Tule publishing for this ARC
December 7, 2024
The Dreidi Disaster ~ Last Girls Standing #3 by Stacey Agdern
This is book three in this series. Although I have not read the other two, I can say that I enjoyed this story.
I found the book to be written well, with wonderful characters that you can connect to. The storyline kept me engaged from the start, a lovely enjoyable, believable holiday story. I do recommend this book to all.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Happily Ever After, Page-turner, Realistic, and Wonderful characters
This is book three in this series. Although I have not read the other two, I can say that I enjoyed this story.
I found the book to be written well, with wonderful characters that you can connect to. The storyline kept me engaged from the start, a lovely enjoyable, believable holiday story. I do recommend this book to all.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Happily Ever After, Page-turner, Realistic, and Wonderful characters
September 27, 2025
Reading the series back to back, instead of when each book was published, makes for a tight read (and some inconsistencies more visible). The webs of connection (aka Jewish geography) are abundantly clear in this, the third in the series (and a sneak at the next series), in which Liv Nachman, now ending her time as mayor (yet her cousins still aren't married?!), has to put out the fire created by a well-meaning but not well-researched PR person working with (of course!) the Empires hockey team. The crisis manager sparks a little zing in our fair mayor and it's fun to watch where this goes.
December 6, 2024
I’m not that familiar with Jewish traditions but even I couldn’t believe the plan that was unveiled at the beginning of the book with the planner disregarding the townspeople’s objections. Artur is called in to salvage it and revamp the plan for the Hanukkah event taking into account suggestions and what would work best for everyone. Mayor Liv wasn’t looking for a love but she can’t help falling for Artur.
December 9, 2024
This is the third book in the Last Girls Standing romance series! This is Olivia and Artur's story. Their story was a fun, cute and entertaining read. From the moment I began reading it I was drawn into book. I have loved this series but this book is my favorite so far. I am looking forward to the next book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 28, 2024
Love takes center stage in this story of a mayor and a PR fixer working together to save an in danger event. Chemistry is instant for Liv and Artur when they meet. She is the one for him and he for her but there is a lot of work to be done first.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 2, 2024
This was a fun story. I liked the characters. They were so real. I felt the conflict. I felt the joy. I liked the connection between Artur and Livvy. This was my first Hanukah romance story and I really liked it. Stacey's writing was nice and smooth. So easy to get into and entertained by.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 6, 2024
This was a fun book! I liked that it was based on preparation for Hanukkah and that it did a good job of portraying Jewish characters. Olivia and Arthur were fun characters who were easy to relate to, and I loved seeing characters from elsewhere in the series. Overall, an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 11, 2024
This is an entertaining Jewish holiday romance book that holds your attention captive from beginning to end. The storyline is intriguing as the elements unfold. The characters have strong chemistry together. I enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 26, 2024
Hallmark fixer Hanukkah book
Beautiful as usual for this author. I love her style. She doesn't mix holidays..... When I pick up a Hanukkah book it is a Hanukkah book not a Christmas book with a dusting of Hanukkah.....
I love revisiting characters from other books and seeing how they are doing.... Can't wait for the next book in this series!!!!
Beautiful as usual for this author. I love her style. She doesn't mix holidays..... When I pick up a Hanukkah book it is a Hanukkah book not a Christmas book with a dusting of Hanukkah.....
I love revisiting characters from other books and seeing how they are doing.... Can't wait for the next book in this series!!!!
December 30, 2024
This was my first time reading this author, but won’t be the last. This was a delightful story centering on Olivia, the mayor, who has been assigned to arrange a Dreidl sculpture. Of course she gets it wrong and a “fixer” is sent in. The sparks fly between the two of them.
This was a cozy rom-com and often made me smile while reading
This was a cozy rom-com and often made me smile while reading
December 5, 2024
A fun holiday read, love the characters and the community of Briarwood.A short & sweet storyline that will get you in the spirit of Hanukkah.
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