Audible Book Review: Eight Winter Nights by Liz Maverick

I enjoyed this quick, sweet romance.

Eight Winter Nights
By: Liz Maverick
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky , Jason Clarke

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
Original Recording Audiobook
Release date: 11-24-20 Publisher: Audible Originals
Categories: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

About This Audible Original
Cozy up with this warm, festive rom com novella about being true to your heart, the friendships that define us, and the irresistible pull of holiday magic.
Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party—and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and "called" Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.
As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?
©2020 Liz Maverick (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Smart and attractive Rachel has always deferred to her stunning and vivacious best friend, Tamara. One year at the traditional Hanukkah party Rachel met Oz. There was immediate zing between them for a handful of minutes until Tamara appeared. Rachel stepped aside and Oz became Tamara’s new squeeze.

Rachel has continued her secret crush for a year and is shocked when Oz and Tamara break up. Tamara goes on a planned holiday vacation alone while directing Rachel to take care of Oz who is in a leg cast. Granted, Oz and Rachel are close friends too, but the request and situation are awkward. It gets worse when Oz declares that he wants to win Rachel back and he needs Rachel’s romantic assistance to accomplish the task. Can Rachel help Oz without revealing her true feelings while also staying loyal to Tamara who might want to get back with Oz?

This is a (mostly) cute, quick listen story. I say mostly because I did have trouble with Tamara’s self-centered character. But I liked the warm relationship between Rachel and Oz and how Rachel handled the dilemma. Her family (full of stereotypes) and friends are good additions. The story was well developed for a short read. It would be a great holiday read but I enjoyed it even though a month or so late. I recommend this to fans of light romance, especially good for the holiday season.

Audio Notes: Eva Kaminsky and Jason Clarke do a nice job with the alternate voices. They give fitting life to the characters and make this an easy listen. I appreciate having this as a free, plus audio.

Source: 2020 Audible Plus. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.